How to extend your internet connection outside

For many of us, our Wi-Fi stops at the back door. If that includes you, yours laptop, projector or large screen TV you may not be able to connect to the internet for a big game or movie night. You can move your router as close to your yard or front porch as your Ethernet cable is, but that won’t always solve the problem.

With the growing number of outdoors smart devices — including lights, security cameras and garage door openers — you need to be able to extend Wi-Fi beyond the outer walls of your home. It might be difficult, but with the right hardware, it won’t be long before you’re streaming video while enjoying your garden or posting photos to social media from your front yard. (For more Wi-Fi tips see why your router might be in the wrong place and ours home internet cheat sheet.)

If you want Wi-Fi outside, try a weatherproof device

Most options our CNET writers have explored over the years don’t require you to drill holes or run new wiring outdoors. However, getting reliable, fast outdoor Wi-Fi can require an initial investment. Setting it up the right way may cost more at first, but in the long run it will require little maintenance and give you great coverage.

Using a Wi-Fi device designed to stay outside may be your best bet. There aren’t many cheap options, so you’ll have to decide which setup will work best for your home.

Outdoors Wi-Fi extender — sometimes called a wireless access point or wireless repeater — is perhaps the simplest option, as it’s the only solution that involves installing hardware from the outside. Many of these devices are enterprise-grade, but some manufacturers also have consumer-grade external extenders. These devices are made to be exposed to weather all year round and have hardware that can communicate with your router wirelessly to give you great Wi-Fi coverage outside your home.

The first step is to find an extender that is compatible with your current router, or you can purchase a new router and extender to upgrade your entire network. There aren’t many wireless extenders designed for outdoor use, but a few notable manufacturers are Netgear, Ubiquiti, EnGenius, and Hawking.

Then check the ingress protection rating of the package and the temperature range the device can withstand. The IP rating determines the resistance of the device to atmospheric influences, mainly against dust and water. The highest rating is IP69, which means it is completely protected from dust and can withstand long periods of submersion under water.

Another option, which is a slightly more complex external access point — like U6 Mesh Access Point by Ubiquiti — allows you to set separate modes for 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. The setup is a little more advanced, but you don’t have to drill holes or run new cables.

You set your 5GHz band to wireless bridge mode and your 2.4GHz band to access point mode. This makes your 5GHz bandwidth a dedicated loopback to the router and allows your external devices to connect over 2.4GHz. This setting limits your speed a bit, but you should still be able to take full advantage of your 2.4GHz bandwidth and the extra range that comes with it.

Indoor mesh Wi-Fi systems may be easier, but more expensive

Another option is to take advantage of an internal mesh Wi-Fi system. They usually come with one router and one or two satellite modules and can cover up to 5,000 square feet. The most latest data from the US Census Bureau shows that 50% of American homes are between 1,800 and 2,999 square feet, and another 27% are 1,799 square feet and less. The bottom line is that most of us don’t have 5,000 square foot homes, so with the right placement you’ll get decent outdoor coverage with a mesh system. You may sacrifice some speed or indoor coverage by moving the satellite units, but most the best mesh systems are expandable and can add additional units.

Each satellite device only needs an electrical outlet to plug in the power adapter. No Ethernet cable required. The idea of ​​extending your Wi-Fi outdoors is to place the network router centrally in your home and place the satellite module or modules as close to the exterior as possible. There is a limit to the distance you can place units. for example, Asus support recommends placing each within 10 to 15 meters (approximately 33 to 50 feet) of the other units.

Linksys advised one of our writers that it is internal, in three parts Velop mesh system can help with external coating. Each unit can cover about 2,000 square feet, so placing one of the units 5 to 10 feet from an exterior concrete wall can improve your exterior coverage. Everyone’s home environment is different, so your results may vary. It is best to place the satellite unit near a window or door.

However, there are more potential problems with this setup.

Typically, most network satellites connect directly back to the router, not to the nearest satellite and then back to the router. This means you won’t be able to wirelessly connect them in series to stretch your signal in one direction. This is part of the reason why it’s best to place your router centrally in your home.

Also, your outside walls will still interfere and weaken your signal, especially on 5GHz. You may need to play around with the location to find out which location will work best for outdoor coverage in your environment.

If you’re not familiar with Wi-Fi signals, they’re measured in decibel milliwatts. The signal reading will be negative, so closer to zero is better. You want a signal between -60dBm and -30dBm (whichever is best). This is your sweet spot. Your signal is almost non-existent if you see anything around -80dBm or -90dBm or lower.

The cost of mesh systems has started to come down, but they can still be quite expensive. Still, you shouldn’t spend more than a few hundred dollars for a decent, up-to-date system. For example on Amazon Eero 6 Plus performed well in our tests, and the three-piece system can cover up to 4,500 square feet for around $300. Another of our top picks, in two parts Network router TP-Link Deco W7200covers up to 5,500 square feet and costs $173 on Amazon. (TP-Link is currently under investigation by the US government for links to Chinese cyberattacks and could be banned this year.)

You may be tempted to leave an indoor router or satellite device in a covered area outside or in a weatherproof enclosure. This may work in the short term, but the risk factors are high. The device may overheat or freeze. Humidity is also a factor, as are foreign objects such as dust and insects that can clog the device’s vents. Not to mention that leaving an internal drive outside will void your warranty.

Indoor range extenders — cheaper but less reliable

You can repeat the network setup mentioned above with a regular router combined with internal Wi-Fi extenders or repeaters. This option is slightly more affordable, with extenders taking the place of mesh satellite units. This approach is a bit more complicated to set up, but you shouldn’t have too much trouble following the quick start guide included with the extender. Many newer devices such as well tested D-Link EaglePro AIare designed to work with different routers.

Remember that most wireless extenders will cut your Wi-Fi in half because they receive the wireless signal and then rebroadcast it using the same radio on the same channel. Expect your speeds to be slower when connected to an extender instead of the router. One way around this is to use a tri-band extender with an additional 5GHz network that can act as a dedicated link to your router. This will help you get the maximum bandwidth out of the extender.

Remember that many routers also work as extenders, so another option is to buy a new router and use your old one as a wired or wireless extender. Check your current router to see if it can function as a wireless access point or extender. A new router will most likely give you better coverage, including outdoors, so using your old router as an extender can give you the extra boost in Wi-Fi coverage you need.

Between the two setups, the big advantage of a mesh system over a router plus extenders is that mesh devices create a single network, so you don’t have to reconnect to Wi-Fi when you move from room to room or outdoors. In general, mesh systems are designed so that your phone or laptop automatically connects to the nearest mesh module without a problem. When you have an extender, you have two networks, one for the router and one for the extender, which you may need to switch between when you move. Also, having two networks can cause interference to each other, especially on 2.4 GHz.

Powerline adapters are the last resort for outdoor Wi-Fi

One inexpensive option is to use power adapters that use your existing electrical wiring in the wall to extend your signal. You can plug some into an electrical outlet outdoors, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find an affordable one that’s weatherproof. An internal power adapter can also overheat if you plug it into a covered outlet outdoors.

A temporary solution would be to use an internal Wi-Fi power adapter such as Zyxel Powerline serieswhich you plug into an indoor outlet near where you need better coverage. Your outdoor range won’t be great, but it should improve your current setup.

What is the ultimate goal?

The easiest option for expanding Wi-Fi outdoors is with a mesh system and additional satellite modules. This should give you several hundred square feet of coverage outside of your home. Mesh systems can be expensive, but setup is usually easy for novice users.

In theory, the best option would be to use an outdoor extender, but there aren’t many user-rated products other than the Orbi Outdoor. TP-Link also offers an outdoor unit, the Deco X50-Openwhich is certified water and dust resistant. We haven’t had a chance to test this device, but we’ll update this post as soon as we do.