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Question

Weak WiFi signal into metal covered shop

Jul 16, 2019 9:30AM PDT

Hi all. I searched the site and did find some info about my question but not conclusive. The particulars for my situation are:
. Router is Lyksis E1200
. Modem is Netgear CM 600 and provider is Cable One.
. 120 feet from main router in house to door of shop.
. Have two windows basically facing the house.
I currently actually get the wifi into my shop but it tends to drop a lot. Thought I might be able to plug something into an outlet in the garage (which sits right next to the shop) to boost the signal enough to have it stop dropping in the shop

Any thoughts or ideas would be very much appreciated

Discussion is locked

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Answer
That's called a Faraday cage.
Jul 16, 2019 9:38AM PDT
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powerline WiFI
Jul 16, 2019 10:03AM PDT

Does the powerline device work by using the existing wiring in the house? While the shop is powered from the main panel from the house would it be an issue if the house router is on a different circuit than the shop outlets?

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That's good to read.
Jul 16, 2019 10:37AM PDT

Many didn't know that. But as you suspect, no one has a Faraday shield breaker.

This is why we use powerline links in such setups. The neat part about the circuits is that here in the USA for 98% of the houses I've called on the outlets are all on one side with lights and other stuff on the other. This is why I rarely have to do a thing to get these links to work.

If they don't I can move a breaker or install a product that passes the signal to the other side.

But even with that, no one I know can break the laws of physics without some relativistic penalty.

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That's good to read
Jul 16, 2019 2:13PM PDT

The power for my shop comes from a 100 amp breaker in the main panel in the house. Wonder if I used the powerlinks if the outlet/switch circuit location would be an issue??

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Even better.
Jul 16, 2019 2:22PM PDT

The usual 100 Amp feed to a shop would send both sides to the shop. Any competent electrician can switch sides or tell you which outlet is on which side.

It's a 50-50 bet you won't have to do a thing. But a 100% bet you can't overcome a Faraday shield.

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Even better
Jul 16, 2019 2:37PM PDT

It would be pretty easy to run Cat5 or Cat6 cable from my garage to my shop. Wondering if I chose this route what I would use in the garage to plug the Cat5 into? I would basically have a router in the house, a device of some kind in the garage (booster,repeater etc) that the Cat5 would attach to and then another device in the shop for the other end of Cat5 to attach.
Any thoughts on what device I would need in the garage and the shop??

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That's called a WAP.
Jul 16, 2019 2:40PM PDT

WAP = Wireless Access Point.

Many use another router. Google "How to use a router as a WAP."

As to the devices at each of the Ethernet cable. One end goes to your router, the other goes to any of the below depending on what you want to do.
1. WAP.
2. Ethernet Switch.
3. Router configured as a WAP.
4. WAP and Ethernet Switch for when you want both wired and WiFi connections.

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Answer
Use?
Jul 16, 2019 10:05AM PDT

Is it for a computer, or a phone, or both? I use a metal clad trailer at times and always put the wifi device near the window where signal is strongest.

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Use
Jul 16, 2019 10:12AM PDT

I have a 55" TV in my shop that I use to watch sports and also to listen to Pandora. I also use my tablet and cell phone to do Google searches.