How To Get Wifi In A Garden Office

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How To Get Wifi In A Garden Office

As the years go by, our reliance on technology is ever increasing as more and more people are choosing to work from home, as it is a feasible option. It is progressively becoming the norm for wooden garages, apex sheds, garden summer houses and barns to be transformed into garden office sheds. This is an excellent way of keeping your home life and work-life separate and allows you to work effectively without intruding on your personal space.

However, once you have had this eureka moment, you are met with a number of puzzles. One of the questions you will undoubtedly ask yourself at some point will be “how do I extend my WiFi to my shed?” The chances are that your home WiFi doesn’t have the range to reach your office and provide you with a strong, reliable signal.

You probably already know this if you have tried rejigging the router by moving it to the nearest windowsill or pointing it towards the office. Even if you manage to achieve a signal, it is likely to be a weak one and the movement of your router may have even adversely affected how your broadband performs.

The last thing you want is complaints about the drop in signal and internet speed from other people in your home, which is why we have listed some of the best ways to extend your WiFi to an outbuilding such as a garden office shed below.

Try a Wi-Fi extender

If you would like WiFi in your garden shed, then a WiFi extender is a simple piece of technology which connects to your existing  WiFi network and extends the signal – acting as a WiFi signal booster. Together, the router and extender bridge the gap between the main router in your home and your garden office building.

You will need to plug the extender into a mains socket in your home somewhere’ it’s best to choose a location halfway between the router and garden office to ensure a strong and stable connection in all of the surrounding areas.

Even though a WiFi extender is cheap and quick to install, it’s only really effective if the signal only has to travel a relatively short distance, i.e. 30m. The signal deteriorates more the further it has to reach.

How about powerline networking?

Powerline networking uses the electrical power cable which runs between your home and garden building to deliver internet data between two or more separate units. The system works alongside your WiFi and should not need a technician to install, sounds easy enough right?

All you need to install this is a simple kit which consists of two adapters, each with its own short Ethernet cable. One adaptor is plugged into the mains and directly to the router using the Ethernet cable. The second adaptor is plugged into the garden office. From here you have two choices, either the device is connected directly to your second adapter with an Ethernet cable or you can attach a second WiFi router, providing a wireless connection for all of your devices.

This alternative system is also relatively cheap and easy to install but the external building must be connected to electricity and wired to the same distribution box.

Have you tried an Ethernet cable?

Laying an Ethernet cable between your home and garden office shed is the most secure means of establishing an internet connection and is probably the best option for a fast and reliable connection.

If you have recently had your garden office built and have yet to install an electricity cable to your new outbuilding, it would be a good idea to arrange for the Ethernet cable to be laid simultaneously and placed next to the power cables. Installing retrospectively will require additional time and effort.

Very little technical expertise is required to lay an Ethernet cable and an IT technician is not generally necessary. Your new Ethernet cable can be plugged into any WiFi router or directly into a device which has an Ethernet port.

You will certainly experience a more secure and reliable connection; however, you must remember that the trailing cable needs hiding from the elements or laying underground.

Wi-Fi point to point

Not dissimilar to a WiFi extender, WiFi point to point is a more reliable alternative which requires a complex installation. A unit needs to be installed on the outside wall of your house and another on the garden building that you own. Both units require power and IT knowledge, so it would be useful to be absolutely sure you know what to do if you plan to do this yourself.

The unit on the house is attached to the home Wi-Fi and transmits the signal to the second device. By using this system, you should be able to establish an effective signal though it’s important to bear in mind that trees, shrubs, and other buildings can interfere with the signal. Boasting a greater range than Wi-Fi repeaters, Wi-Fi point to point works over longer distances but only if it has the benefit of a clear line of sight.

Contact us

We here at Solid Sheds hope that this blog on how to extend Wi-Fi to your outbuilding has been helpful, but if you have yet to find the perfect garden office for your home, make sure you call in at your local Solid Sheds show site to see the models we have available. Alternatively, if you have any questions or queries about your ideal garden shed, feel free to get in touch. Fill out our online enquiry form or give us a call today on 01695 51442 and one of our friendly members of staff will be happy to help you.

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