How to get WiFi internet in your garden this summer
We all love to be outside in the summertime, soaking up the sunshine or enjoying time with friends and family. After several COVID-19 lockdowns, people value their outdoor spaces more than ever with many having renovated their outdoor spaces during this time. Despite our love of the outdoors, we cannot be without our gadgets; whether you want to stream music to set the atmosphere or if you want to upload photos and videos to Facebook, you will need an internet connection. Some will live in areas with ample 4G and 5G coverage, but for others that is not the case and for those the question will be how do I get wireless internet access in my garden?
How do you keep connected to the internet in your garden?
There are several elements to consider when you plan to network your garden, such as its size and the signal from your broadband router. First things first, connect to your broadband routers WiFi and take a walk into your garden observing signal quality, as you may find that the signal generated by your broadband router is sufficient. Even if signal quality is reasonable or good you should still perform several speed tests to get a feel for the kind of experience you will have. You should also take note of how stable the signal quality is; the farther away you are from your broadband router the more unpredictable the signal can be due to factors like obstacles and interference. Finally, ensure that you repeat your signal and speed checks at several points in your garden to get a feel for how far and how well it performs.
How do I boost WiFi in my garden?
Chances are you will find that WiFi signal is marginal when you step into your garden, or it may only prove reliable a few steps into it. If so, what can be done to boost WiFi signal once you are in your garden? There are a couple of approaches with varying degrees of cost, and we will discuss a couple of the most common solutions, although you may need to implement a combination of solutions depending on the size of your garden.
WiFi extenders for greater signal reach
WiFi extenders have been around for a long time and are most peoples favoured method for improving Wi-Fi coverage within their property plus they can be used to boost signal out into your garden. To ensure success you will need to install the extender in such a location that it picks up a strong signal from your broadband router and achieves the goal of sending signal beyond the walls of your home and into your garden. Some WiFi extenders feature an ethernet port that grants the additional flexibility of a direct cable connection to the main broadband router. This allows you to overcome a potentially degraded WiFi signal from your main broadband router but usually turns the extender into a Wireless Access Point (WAP). WAPs work much in the same way as a WiFi extender and create a separate WiFi network which is unlikely to cause any issues for typical usage scenarios. Some WiFi extenders also feature adjustable aerials which can assist with finding that sweet spot between your home broadband router and your garden.
Mesh WiFi for WiFi everywhere!
If you have already tried WiFi extenders with some success but you want a more seamless solution you should seriously consider mesh WiFi also known as Whole Home WiFi. The setup for mesh is typically more expensive than WiFi extenders and WAPs but the outcome is incomparable. Mesh WiFi are smart WAPs that talk directly to one another to create one big and seamless WiFi network and can work both inside and outside of your home. The technology has been around for some time, but it has historically been cost prohibitive with user behaviour and devices within a typical home not warranting such cost. With the advent of Smartphones and the Internet of Things (IoT) the technology has risen in popularity and as the cost of the equipment continues to fall more people are making the switch to mesh WiFi. The same WiFi principals apply when installing mesh WiFi but the more mesh units you install the more seamless your network will become. You install and connect the first Mesh WiFi unit and connect it by Ethernet to your home broadband router, then you walk away from the first mesh unit until the signal starts to drop, take a few steps back and that is where you install the next mesh WiFi unit. You repeat this process until you have installed all your mesh WiFi units. Following these basic steps, you will ensure that there are no weak links in your network which in turn ensures reliable and seamless connectivity. To take your mesh WiFi network into your garden you will need to position a mesh unit in a window that overlooks the area you want to connect. There are also outdoor mesh units, but these are comparatively expensive but depending on your requirements you may consider that option.
How do I get internet to my garden office?
So far, we have covered the most popular and most commonly implemented methods for getting WiFi internet into your garden, but some requirements may be more complex. For those who have a garden office or summer house you may find that you struggle to get a WiFi signal out of your house, across your garden and back inside again. For this scenario we would recommend that you consider running ethernet cable from the back of your home broadband router to your garden office or summer house. Ethernet is the most reliable way to distribute broadband as it does not suffer from the same limitations of WiFi, such as the interference caused by obstacles (assuming you are happy to drill holes through walls). There are some considerations when implementing ethernet cable such as the maximum length which is 100m and utilising the correct cable type for outdoor use. Cat5e is seen as the absolute minimum standard for outdoor use, but it is recommended that you use Cat6 shielded cable. Check to ensure that the chosen ethernet cable is outdoor rated to ensure UV resistance and that if the cable is to be buried, then will conduit be required. Once your cable is inside of your garden office or summer house you can chose to connect it directly to a device such as a computer or a networking device such as a router, switch or WAP.
Can I get a separate broadband connection for my garden office?
Some may find networking a garden office problematic if they have a particularly large garden or reside in a property with extensive lands (such as a country estate or a farm). If you are running a business from a garden office or converted farm building, you may want a separate broadband line altogether. Whilst it is possible to have additional lines installed to a property, the costs involved can be high and often involve land works. So, is there a cheaper and less intrusive solution? Yes, satellite or 4G broadband can be installed anywhere in the UK, although signal availability must be checked prior to purchase of either. Satellite broadband is the most flexible and reliable of the two technologies, with only a quick check of the line of sight being required (the direction that the dish points into the sky to reach the satellite in orbit). Whereas 4G services are restricted to current network coverage though offers unlimited data, typically faster speeds, and lower latencies.
I think I need Mesh and ethernet
Some may have connectivity needs that require a mixture or WiFi and ethernet. Such scenarios are common with the good news being that you can easily combine wireless and wired networking technologies. Before networking your garden, have a plan and test the limits of your existing wireless signal. Then before proceeding consider if you need to review the Wi-Fi in your house, as your garden networking project could improve your whole home experience with the implementation of a mesh WiFi network.