Get Ready for the Summer with WiFi in your garden

We are still set to have a heatwave in August and even without the heatwave, the weather hasn’t been too bad.  With the kids off, wouldn’t it be great to get even more out of your garden and enjoy summer nights of entertainment.

Having WiFi in your garden will enable you to enjoy streaming films, playing music and even connecting to other smart devices and solutions like lighting.

Before you start anything, it is best to check that your broadband and WiFi in the home is working at the best level it can – this will ensure that you get the best experience as you extend into your garden.

Here are the best options to get the connectivity you need:-

WiFi Extenders

Using extenders provide one of the easiest and simplest ways to increase your connectivity to the garden.  You may already be using extenders around your home, so this will be an easy solution for you.

You need to consider where your router is and where you place your extender is important.  Pick a plug socket that is closest to your garden but still as close to your router as possible.  Just bear in mind though – they boost your signal range from your router but they won’t boost the speed – this is why it is important to ensure you have the best broadband service available for your area.  When choosing an extender, it is also worth checking the maximum speed it can handle, invest in a good model.

Two extenders which may be worth considering are the Netgear Nighthawk X6 WiFi Range Extender (£113).  Handles speeds upto 2.2Gbps and also comes with a Smart Roaming feature.

Or a more affordable option is the TP-Link RE450 WiFi Range Extender (£52).  Handles speeds upto 1.75 Gbps and has an intelligent signal indicator which helps you find the best location to plug it in.

Mesh Network

There are a few reasons to consider a mesh network; if you have a large house, large garden or just worried that the extender won’t give you the strength of signal needed.  Mesh networks operate in a similar way to extenders but they typically provide a more powerful solution, offer greater reliability and are more effective at creating a network for your garden for multiple devices.

To simply explain what a mesh network is – it is a group of devices that act together as a single WiFi network for you to connect to.  Compared to the extenders, they don’t boost the signal they act as additional access points for WiFi across your home or garden.  Placed in the correct position they can cover dead-spots in your home and then out into the garden with many mesh devices designed specifically for the garden. Some broadband providers can supply you with a solution so it is worth checking with them first before you invest independently.   The benefit of buying independently is that it will work with any broadband solution.

Two options outside of your broadband supplier include the Google WiFi Mesh Whole Home System which starts at £189 for a triple pack or another option is the Amazon eero system – these are sold in packs from one to three with each additional units priced at £89 rising to £399 for the Amazon eero pro.

Ethernet Cable

This option will provide you the best and most robust option and will give you the best internet speeds in your garden.  You need to run ethernet cables direct from your router into any ethernet port – for example, into the back of your TV or laptop – you can also place a secondary router in a suitable position in your garden, maybe in a shed for example.  It prevents loss of signal which you often get with WiFi.  Cabling can be a cheap option but when using cables it is advised to protect the cable from weather and the sun.  You can buy different casing and trunking which will help you to achieve this and remember to protect any ports, sockets or routers from the rain.  We recommend getting this option professionally installed.

Powerline

A good option for you if you don’t want to run cables.  You build a network using two plug in adaptors into a regular mains plug socket.  Each has a short ethernet cable with the first being plugged into the mains and the cable plugged into the back of your router.  You then plug the second adaptor into a location where you want the signal – so close to your garden even into a garage.  From here you can then use the cable to plug into the back of your TV, laptop, etc.  Or as with previous solutions you can opt to plug the cable into the back of a secondary router again where you are looking to gain connectivity to which you can connect to wirelessly.

Powerline adaptor kits can be purchased for as little as £25 or you can opt for more sophisticated solutions costing nearer £250.  The main difference is usually the number of adaptors you get and the speeds that they are capable of achieving.

Two options include the TP-Link AV600 Nano Powerline Starter Kit (£24), which comes complete with two adaptors and transfer speeds upto 600 Mbps or opt for the Devolo Magic 2 WiFi Next Powerline Whole Home Kit, priced at £250 and comes with three adaptors with transfer speeds upto 2.4Gbps.

We hope that you have the solution that suits you and you enjoy your summer nights in the garden.

If you need any help or advice on installing your WiFi, it may be useful to contact one of our Approved WiFi Installers.