# Need a Wifi extender for the shop



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

So tell me what you know about wifi extenders.

I'm not looking to make a new access point, just take my current network and extend it.

When I'm in the shop I have just enough signal to make and receive calls but for some reason seems texts are seriously delated. During the summer its fine as I usually have the big door open and that faces the house so I have a good wifi signal then.

I see now they have a lot of extends you simply plug into a outlet. Ideally I would think one that I could plug in the shop then remove one of the antennas and mount that outside on the wall facing the house would be best.

I've seen several as well on Amazon that claim to boost cell signal as well. Like I said I can use the iPhone while in the shop with the doors closed but Dads free phone from Straight Talk fails miserably, During the window if I stand at the service door the phone gets a fairly strong wifi signal, but is nothing away from the door. I imagine the steel siding then the foil faced insualtion in the shop more than blocks any signal.


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Not sure of your electrical configuration, but since my main service comes to the house, which in turn feeds a sub-panel in the shop, I am using a Belkin powerline ethernet setup. My WiFi from the house was similar to yours - just not quite strong enough. The Belkin works very well for me, however this does establish a separate access point.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

paoutdoorsman said:


> Not sure of your electrical configuration, but since my main service comes to the house, which in turn feeds a sub-panel in the shop, I am using a Belkin powerline ethernet setup. My WiFi from the house was similar to yours - just not quite strong enough. The Belkin works very well for me, however this does establish a separate access point.


Any issues with electric motors or welders causing noise on the lines and interfering with ethernet?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

How long a length of wire will they push a signal thru?

Main power comes in from the road to the main pole, have a 200amp breaker box there, from there to the house with a 100amp box in the basement. From the pole to the shop then with a 100 amp box. I imagine would be well over 300 ft total cable length.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Got to checking on Belkins website.

It appears they may be no longer available as the only thing that comes upon for then is support. Strike 1

Only supports windows, I have a Mac, ain't about to contaminate it with Windows crap. Strike 2

Technically only for 110V, not sure if it would work over 220v supply, although technically thats just two 110v lines. Strike 3


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Hmmm. I tried a couple different wireless wifi extenders with poor results before getting the powerline extender.

It is 110, but transfers over one leg of the 220 without issue. You just have to make sure to plug the source unit and the distribution unit into outlets that are supplied by the the same 'leg' off the 220.

Not sure how Mac or PC would matter. It's just a standard wireless N wifi network that can be managed over https. I'll have to take a look at what model mine is tonight and review the documentation, but it was literally plug and play and has been extremely stable for me for several years now.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Get yourself one of these, run a Cat6 ethernet cable outs and mount it to spot facing where your wifi is weakest. I went a quarter mile back to the hill top and still had a full signal. Went further down the hill till I couldn't see the yard lights any more and still had a signal but was barely usable. Have full signal in the shop now as well. Also have outstanding connection in the house now as well, even at the bottom of the pit in the basement.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XY1GHP2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Or you can buy two of these, set one as a client, the other as a access point, mount the client outside in a weatherproof box, run power and a short ethernet cable thru a conduit inside. Hook the ethernet cable to the inside one and power both up. Easier would be to find one that supports POE, either way you need units that support at least tri mode. IE. Access Point, Router, Client, Repeater.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y2KZ7PX/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

mlappin said:


> Get yourself one of these, run a Cat6 ethernet cable outs and mount it to spot facing where your wifi is weakest. I went a quarter mile back to the hill top and still had a full signal. Went further down the hill till I couldn't see the yard lights any more and still had a signal but was barely usable. Have full signal in the shop now as well. Also have outstanding connection in the house now as well, even at the bottom of the pit in the basement.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XY1GHP2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Nice. Did this actually provide a true extension of your original SSID, or create a second one?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I renamed the one it was set up under. It's a access point, not a repeater so I'm not sure it can be set to actually just extend the original Wifi. I have a LTE modem now and ran Cat 6 to everything in the house and shut most of the networks off. The one I installed gets full bars thru out the house so no need for the others unless you absolutely want 5G.

Huge difference between 5G wifi and a Cat 6 ethernet. When hooked to the ethernet our Dish receiver can stream 4K.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

BTW, I did try an dedicated extender, simple plug and play, no way to change any of the settings. it searches for a signal then automatically extends that one. What I turned up with was a "mynetworkname.ext"


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