Sparta Backyard Tech – Part 2
In my previous blog, I listed out the different ways to get internet to your home. Here in Sparta, and in many areas of Sussex County we have options. For many of us, whether you’re working from home or catching up with family, internet is as important as electricity. With the backyard being an extension of our homes, having good internet back there is sometimes a challenge. In this blog, I’m going to discuss things you can do to improve your connectivity to your outdoor living space.
I’m a bit of a nerd, and I often share my knowledge with people who don’t speak Geek, so I’ll make sure to translate my tips as best I can for you normal people.
What can we do to make the existing wireless signal go further? Here are some basics.
Get rid of that crap-tacular router that your ISP (internet service provider) gave you – Many of these modems that come with a built-in wireless routers often don’t have an external antenna. They’re cheaply made to save the ISP money – Not to provide you with better service. Buy your own router. And don’t skimp by only paying $40 for one. Get a good wireless router with external antennas and expect to pay at least $150.
Make sure nothing’s in the way – Anything and everything between your router and where you want to be can block WiFi. Walls, windows, doors, siding, and what those are made of, along with hills, plants, shrubs, trees, and humans all can cause a drop in signal strength.
Put your router up higher in your house – If you have a second floor or an attic, that can allow it to broadcast further. Do radio stations put up short antennas? No. And avoid putting it in a closet or cabinet. That’s just adding more roadblocks for the signal.
Put the router in a room that is closer to your back yard – It sounds obvious, but give that signal a better chance by putting it in a room that looks out on the back yard. If that’s one less wall for the signal to go through, that’s all the further it can make it to your yard.
Try using 2.4GHz – You may have seen settings for 2.4GHz and 5GHz on your router. If not, that’s OK. Nerds like me notice it. (And 5GHz is not to be confused with 5G cell service. That’s completely different.) All frequencies have trouble going through things like walls, windows, and even plants & trees, but it’s the higher frequencies that have more trouble. You can hear the thumping bass of someone’s car sound system coming from a mile away, right? Those lower frequencies travel much further and more easily than the higher frequencies over long distances and through objects. It’s the same for your router’s wireless signals.
I spoke with Jim Gonzalez, owner and head honcho at Omni Systems Associates in Sparta. He’s been doing computer repair, networking, and telephone/VOIP for over 40 years. That qualifies him as being far geekier than I. He’s been kind enough to provided me with more great suggestions on extending WiFi into your backyard and what type of equipment is available. “There are several that come to mind…”, he told me as be began a barrage of boxes that can supplement your signal.
Add a WiFi extender/repeater to your network – A WiFi extender or repeater is a stand-alone box that is placed within range of your existing router, but also towards wherever you want the signal to be stronger. Consider it the cut-off man between the outfielder and home plate, but it works both ways. Just make sure the repeater isn’t so far from your main router that it has a weak signal too. These typically don’t provide the fastest connectivity as they have to split their bandwidth between sending and receiving. But for most uses, it’s more than adequate.
Add high-gain antennas to your router – If you have a router with external antennas, replace the antennas with high-gain, directional antennas. Many options will increase your signal strength by two-fold.
Use power-line networking – These devices allow you to use your existing electrical wiring in your home for networking. A transmitter/receiver pair sends internet from your home office electrical outlet to the patio outlet, where you then plug in a wireless access point. Just unplug and bring them back inside if weather looks bad. Netgear is one of the makers of such a set-up.
Run a router outside to an enclosed area – If you have a pool house or small shed by where you need better WiFi, you can run a wireless access point using PoE. Power over Ethernet powers the device as well as provide networking data in the same cable. Keep in mind, though, your existing router has to be PoE capable. Granted, you’ll have to run an Ethernet cable from the house to the shed, but this will add a strong wireless signal where you need without blasting the backyard with a wireless signal that your neighbors may be able to pick up.
Use an outdoor access point – A permanent solution would be to have an access point wired up outside that can stay outside. Jim likes WavLink’s AC1200, which is weather proof, is POE capable, and has high-gain antennas for longer range.
If you need more information about setting up or extending WiFi in your home or backyard, Jim is your man. His contact information can be found on his website, OmniSystems.net.
Getting internet into your backyard is not what we do. We built stunning outdoor living spaces where families gather, share, and make memories. Having your backyard function every way you had hoped it would is what we are passionate about. When you’re ready to create your outdoor living space, Sierra Landscape Management is ready to help make your dream come true.