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Thread: Wifi Boosters

  1. #16
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    A few weeks back I gave a Zoom presentation from my shed and while the WIFI connection was OK from the wood work end of the shed (where i did most of there presentation) it was less than adequate from other parts and the WIFI dropped the video (audio still OK) out in the metal work section of the shed. This makes sense given the metal work section is clad in metal both externally and internally, and I never do anything online in that the metal work of the shed as its pretty grubby, I usually go online while sitting on a stool in the middle or WW end of the shed which only clad externally with metal and there is a door and window there to enable the wifi signal from the house to leak into the shed.

    Normally I wouldn't worry about this, but as I am going to be giving some more presentations I thought I would see what I could do to boost the WIFI inside the shed. Shed is on a separate electrical sub board so that ruled out a mains connections and there is no way I'm digging another trench to the shed I've already dug 3 separate trenches (mains, water and gas) . So I started looking into WIFI extenders.

    The first thing I did was map out the WIFI data transfer rate inside the shed using my mobile and an App called WFI sweet spot. It turns out there are quite a few low reception points and even dead spots in the shed and I guess I didn't notice them before probably because I wasn't doing anything too taxing and doing these from the working end of the shed.

    The strongest data transfer rate iIdetected was in front of the open shed door but as that is not always open, the next best and almost as good was in front of either closed window. In a straight line that's about 15 m from the WIFI base station in an upstairs bedroom at the back of the house. Here the transfer rate was about 3/4 compared to being right next to the transmitting base station up in the house.

    So I bought another WIFI base station and configured that as a repeater. Fortunately there is a wide wooden shelf just above one window which enables the wifi unit to be readily attached underneath the shelf.

    ShedWifi.jpg

    Result is I now have ~3/4 the usual transfer speed everywhere inside the shed. Not as good as a direct cable but it saved me digging another trench.

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  3. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    Although its unlikely that anyone would be using a coms device while running a VFD powered machine - I wonder how VFDs would play with the powerline extenders?
    The VFD on my drill used to reboot the router or at least do something to it that caused a total cut to the internet. I put a filter on the three phase circuit that drives both the VFD's and the problem went away.
    CHRIS

  4. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Parks View Post
    The VFD on my drill used to reboot the router or at least do something to it that caused a total cut to the internet. I put a filter on the three phase circuit that drives both the VFD's and the problem went away.
    Thanks Chris.

    Last night I tested how the new WIFI base station and the VFDs played together by holding my mobile right next to several VFDs running motors while the mobile was playing a you tube video clip. All good - no issues.

    A significant difference is I have no ethernet cables anywhere in the shed - maybe that's a good thing?

  5. #19
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    I run a Unifi access point in the roof space from the modem router upstairs on cat5, works well...

    Ubiquiti - UniFi(R) AP

  6. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by crowie View Post
    I run a Unifi access point in the roof space from the modem router upstairs on cat5, works well...

    Ubiquiti - UniFi(R) AP
    Now I have 3 of them!

    There's something "anti-wireless" about shape of our house (long/narrow) and the "damp" in our 100 year old soft clay bricks that blocks WIFI, so to cover the whole house I've had to put one in middle and one at the back of the house, and now one in the shed!

  7. #21
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    I have said it before, get the router or wireless point ABOVE the walls into the roof cavity, as Crowie points out it works well.
    CHRIS

  8. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Parks View Post
    I have said it before, get the router or wireless point ABOVE the walls into the roof cavity, as Crowie points out it works well.
    Unfortunately that didn't work, long narrow house has 3 levels and multi pitch corro iron roof plus foil insulation so no shed or back yard reception at all when basestation in roof cavity.

    The basestation that reaches the shed is effectively in a roof cavity as it's in a timber clad upstairs room but corro roof from old part of house surrounds around 2 sides of that room and does not allow WIFI from that basestation to reach older part of house. We've tried lots of different WIFI locations best is near top (driest part) of walls above that and too many metal roof panels get in in the way. Luckily we had a few months earlier installed a cable network though the house.

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