WiFi extender

[pmanton]

I'm looking to get reliable WiFi into my wife's quilt & hobby room inside our hangar. I have -75 to -80 dbm through the steel sided of the hangar, so I don't think I need anything too elaborate. (read expensive)
I was looking at the Netgear AC1200 range extender model EX6200. It offered everything I needed including ethernet ports for some of her stuff that doesn't have WiFi. However it seems to be yesterday's gear, since I could only find it used or "refurbished" .

Can someone suggest a currently available equivalent unit?

Thanks

Paul

 

[AggieMike88]

@denverpilot?

 

[A1Topgun]

Can you run a Cat5 cable to a plain switch or wifi router set up as a switch/extender?

 

[weirdjim]

However it seems to be yesterday's gear, since I could only find it used or "refurbished" ./QUOTE]

You are flying a 1951 Tri-Pacer, and talk about "yesterday's gear"? If it works, USE IT.

Jim

 

[denverpilot]

I never found the early extenders to be very reliable. Reboots and stuff all the time to keep it all talking.

One exception was anything that would run the open source DD-WRT firmware/software. Ran a dedicated link between floors in the old house and the garage on that but it has security issues and is generally outdated now.

I moved on to “mesh” tech some time ago if not using a full blown Ubiquiti system.

The consumer grade “mesh” systems have smarter software and tend to “just work” if units are placed such that they can truly reach each other well on their 5.8 GHz backhaul channels.

But it does require some bucks up front to replace whatever was being used previously.

Have direct experience with Orbi, they work well. Plugged them in and never had to touch them again.

Others at the office say their Amazon Eero (?) and Google versions perform fine also for coverage.

Total throughput can be lacking between them if you truly have something like a gigabit internet connection. But most people don’t.

Ultimately nothing beats an Ethernet wired PoE Ubiquiti setup with multiple APs.

Also see lots of warnings about the Ubiquiti Dream Machine. I wouldn’t use that.

Ubi makes some products for making long haul shots and high power “LR” (long range) stuff but seems way big overkill for this application.

Lazy sysadmin says plop mesh devices like Hansel and Gretl breadcrumbs all over such that the difficult to cover hangar can reach the next hop well, and that one can reach wherever the network comes in, and it’ll probably be “total less hassle” than anything else that requires better cable and site planning.

No other thoughts. Two Orbi units placed just right are covering my entire house, garage, and all the way to the edges of all four acres. Physical placement where RF won’t get blocked is critical. The one doing the bulk of the “outside and garage” coverage is sitting in a window in the mud room which is dead center of the house and between the floors.

 

[kshaw]

I have a condominium on the beach and use an Engenious wireless access point. These are directional, fairly inexpensive, and you can tweak power settings if required. You can mount these outside and just point to where you need the signal. You connect the WAP with an Ethernet cable and it uses Power over Ethernet to supply power. I can easily stream music, browse the internet, or do email from our pool or the beach, about 300 yards away.