Strengthening signal in detached garage.

[todd93]

Hello, everyone. I'm extremely new here. Computers have been a hobby of mine for about 25 years now... However, networking is one of my shortcomings... I'm capable of doing certain things, however, I'm very limited... I have a detached garage with metal siding, metal roof, and an aluminum insulated garage door about 30 feet from my house. I had an old wood garage door, but it had to be replaced. Before it was replaced, I had decent wifi signal strength, I was able to use a wifi security camera, mini split, etc... Once I replaced the old door with the aluminum door, it caused my wifi signal to totally tank inside the building. What wireless options would I have to strengthen the signal inside the structure while keeping the security camera on the existing network? I realize this may be tough to do, but I simply don't know enough about networking to know what I need to get and do.

I appreciate any and all input I can get!

Todd.

[deanwebb]

Wireless is radio tech, and radio waves don't like metal structures. That old wood door may have been the only way to get wifi into that detached garage.

Question number one is to ask if you can run a cable from the house to the garage? If so, then you can have a wifi access point inside the garage, you just need new holes in your house and garage for it. This may not be optimal.

So question number two is if there is some kind of "bunker buster" wifi that can get through the metal?

I did find a military-grade system to answer the second question. It also comes with a military-grade price. Searching again, I found this:

https://simplewifi.com/blogs/news/getting-wifi-into-your-metal-shed

I see my first suggestion comes in at #4 on their list... and the fifth one is the Internet over power lines solution that *can* work if the outlet doesn't have certain other things plugged in to it.

Beefing up the signal is not what I'd recommend.

But the first two suggestions on the page look pretty interesting. That PiFi solution is around $500. It is also the direct sponsor of the link I posted, as I discover. Even so, it's something like what I was looking for - no endorsement implied here, no compensation received for posting that link. I AM NOT A SPAMMER!!! Having said that, they also sponsor suggestion number 2 on the page, which comes in at around $400 USD.

[icecream-guy]

He built himself a Faraday cage 


option 2, build a cantanna, cam be home made for way less than $400
something like this https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cantenna

[todd93]

Wireless is radio tech, and radio waves don't like metal structures. That old wood door may have been the only way to get wifi into that detached garage.

Question number one is to ask if you can run a cable from the house to the garage? If so, then you can have a wifi access point inside the garage, you just need new holes in your house and garage for it. This may not be optimal.

So question number two is if there is some kind of "bunker buster" wifi that can get through the metal?

I did find a military-grade system to answer the second question. It also comes with a military-grade price. Searching again, I found this:

https://simplewifi.com/blogs/news/getting-wifi-into-your-metal-shed

I see my first suggestion comes in at #4 on their list... and the fifth one is the Internet over power lines solution that *can* work if the outlet doesn't have certain other things plugged in to it.

Beefing up the signal is not what I'd recommend.

But the first two suggestions on the page look pretty interesting. That PiFi solution is around $500. It is also the direct sponsor of the link I posted, as I discover. Even so, it's something like what I was looking for - no endorsement implied here, no compensation received for posting that link. I AM NOT A SPAMMER!!! Having said that, they also sponsor suggestion number 2 on the page, which comes in at around $400 USD.

This is very useful information, thank you! I was actually thinking about just running a cat 6 underground (in pvc conduit of course)... Again, I don't have any experience with access points, etc... I know just enough to get myself in trouble lol! It would be great to get this up and running so I can have some connectivity while I'm working in my shop...

Thank you!

Todd

[todd93]

He built himself a Faraday cage 


option 2, build a cantanna, cam be home made for way less than $400
something like this https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cantenna

Thank you for the suggestion! I've actually used a cantenna out there using a usb adapter on a computer, but I haven't used it for years!

[icecream-guy]

I can have some connectivity while I'm working in my shop...

Thank you!

Nothing better than watching Youtube videos when you are actually trying to fix something.

[deanwebb]

The Cat6 run option would be able to place a switch in the building and the switch could host an access point on the same SSID as the home wifi, with the traffic all back-hauling on the cat6 line. The wifi in the shed could also be on a totally different SSID, it still backhauls on the cat6 line to the Internet out your home router.

And a cantenna looks like the funnest option to give a go to, I'd try that first before dropping $$$ on another solution.