![]() You can plug some into an outdoor electrical socket, but you'll be hard-pressed to find an affordable one that's weather-resistant. One inexpensive option is using powerline adapters, which use your existing in-wall electrical wiring to extend your signal. Powerline adapters are a last resort for outdoor Wi-Fi Plus, having two networks could cause interference with each other, especially on 2.4GHz. When you have an extender, you have two networks, one for the router and one for the extender, that you may need to switch between when you move around. In general, mesh systems are designed so that your phone or laptop will automatically connect to the closest mesh unit without issue. Ry Crist/CNETīetween the two setups, the mesh system's big advantage over the router plus extenders is that the 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. The Asus RT-AX86U Wi-Fi router can also be used as a wired access point or a wireless extender. Your signal is near nonexistent if you see something around -80dBm or -90dBm or lower. You want a signal between -60dBm and -30dBm (which is best). The signal reading will be negative, so closer to zero is better. If you aren't familiar with Wi-Fi signals, they are measured in decibel-milliwatts. You may have to play around with the location to figure out which spot will work best for outdoor coverage in your environment. ![]() This is part of the reason it is best to place your router central in your home.Īlso, your exterior walls will still interfere with and weaken your signal, especially on 5GHz. This means you won't be able to wirelessly daisy chain them in sequence to stretch your signal in one direction. Generally, most mesh satellites link directly back to the router, not to the closest satellite and then back to the router. There are more potential problems with this setup, though. The Linksys Velop mesh system can cover up to 6,000 square feet, including some outdoor range, depending on placement and your environment. You may sacrifice a little speed or coverage indoors by moving the satellite units, but most of the best mesh systems are expandable and can add additional units. The bottom line is that most of us don't have homes as big as 5,000 square feet, so with the right placement, you will get decent coverage outdoors with a mesh system. The most recent data from the US Census Bureau shows 53% of American homes are between 1,800 and 2,999 square feet and another 24% are 1,799 square feet and below. These usually come with one router and one or two satellite units and can cover up to 5,000 square feet. Indoor mesh Wi-Fi systems are easier, more expensiveĪnother option is to take advantage of an indoor mesh Wi-Fi system. This setup limits your speed a bit, but you should still be able to take full advantage of your 2.4GHz bandwidth and the additional range that comes with it. This makes your 5GHz band a dedicated backhaul link to the router and allows your outdoor devices to connect via 2.4GHz. You set your 5GHz band to wireless bridge mode and the 2.4GHz band to access point mode. The setup is a little more advanced, but you don't have to drill holes or run new cables. Setup is easy, too, as you just need to plug the outdoor extender into an outlet and mount it to a wall.Īnother option that's a little more of a complicated outdoor access point - like the Access Point U6 Mesh from Ubiquiti - allows you to set separate modes for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. If it's any consolation, Netgear Orbi produces some of the best mesh systems out there. The major downside is that it's only compatible with an Orbi mesh Wi-Fi router. The Netgear Orbi Outdoor is a tri-band extender that performed well at over 200 feet when CNET tested it. The highest rating is IP69, which means it's totally protected against dust and can withstand long periods of immersion underwater. The IP rating defines the device's weather-resistance, mainly against dust and water. Next, check the packaging's ingress protection rating and the temperature range the device can withstand. There aren't a ton of wireless extenders designed for the outdoors, but a few notable manufacturers are Netgear, Ubiquiti, EnGenius and Hawking. The first step is to find an extender that's compatible with your current router, or you can buy a new router and extender to upgrade your entire network. ![]() Netgear's Orbi Outdoor is a viable option for extending Wi-Fi outdoors, but it can be pricey. ![]()
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