WIFI outside

[DuncanS]

Can anyone educate me on what (minimally) do I need for a quality ethernet switch device? From a specification stand point....I don't want it to be the weakest point in terms of getting a good signal outside. (I will run a single ethernet from the switch, approximately 35 feet outside.) To this, I will connect another router or access point so I can get a good wifi signal in my back yard.

I ask, because I see some really cheap ones..... (US $10-$15) and then I see some more in the $50 range. I only need about 5 ports, so don't need one with over 10 ports.

For 35ft/10m you should be ok with a Gigabit Switch (or the slower 100M) to your Wi-Fi module. I have 8-port Gigabit Switches in my home network, 2 cheap-ish TP-Link, a slightly more expensive 3Comm, and a Netgear. In the loft I have an 'industrial' HP 24-port feeding cables to all the rooms in the house. Everywhere I have worked has used Netgear Switches for reliability.

 

[Marplot]

Keep in mind that every wi-fi device you use outside will be sharing the link back to your network. You will want to go gig port to gig port to provide that connection with the most bandwidth.
Netgear, Asus, D-Link there really isn't much difference in a 5 port home networking switch. It sounds like you will want one that also services wi-fi instead of an access point though so that will be a consideration.

 

[GOS]

Keep in mind that every wi-fi device you use outside will be sharing the link back to your network. You will want to go gig port to gig port to provide that connection with the most bandwidth.
Netgear, Asus, D-Link there really isn't much difference in a 5 port home networking switch. It sounds like you will want one that also services wi-fi instead of an access point though so that will be a consideration.

Well, that's a subject I don't understand. How would I know if it services wifi? This is why I'm here talking...I don't understand all that. I said access point...without even understanding what one really is.

 

[Marplot]

Scratch my comments.
If you are talking about running a cable outside and connecting something to it to get wireless outside:
If you still have your AC2200 then LinkSys make a few products that sounds like they will meet your needs.
The RE6500 is a wi-fi extender. it has ethernet ports so you can connect it to your existing network via that 35' cable you are talking about, have a few ports left and extend your wireless network outside.
There is a WAP54g which is an Access Point. You can cable it with our 35' cable and extend your wifi outside.
Actually, here is there page. I'm still not exactly sure what your end goal is.
https://www.linksys.com/ca/range-extenders/c/wireless-wi-fi-range-extenders/

 

[GOS]

Scratch my comments.
If you are talking about running a cable outside and connecting something to it to get wireless outside:
If you still have your AC2200 then LinkSys make a few products that sounds like they will meet your needs.
The RE6500 is a wi-fi extender. it has ethernet ports so you can connect it to your existing network via that 35' cable you are talking about, have a few ports left and extend your wireless network outside.
There is a WAP54g which is an Access Point. You can cable it with our 35' cable and extend your wifi outside.
Actually, here is there page. I'm still not exactly sure what your end goal is.
https://www.linksys.com/ca/range-extenders/c/wireless-wi-fi-range-extenders/

My end goal is quite simple. I want WiFi outside.


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[salsdali]

a switch is just a physical extender (a coupler). If you wanted to link two different 35ft cables together you would just join them with a switch in the middle

 

[LuvMyQuad]

a switch is just a physical extender (a coupler). If you wanted to link two different 35ft cables together you would just join them with a switch in the middle

Actually if all you wanted to do was link two cables together, you don't need a switch, you just need a coupler. A switch will turn one connection into 4 or more.

 

[GOS]

a switch is just a physical extender (a coupler). If you wanted to link two different 35ft cables together you would just join them with a switch in the middle

I only need the switch because on my current router, all "jacks" are full. So, no way to get a cable run outside the house unless I open up another jack...which I assumed the reason for the switch. ?? lol!

 

[Marplot]

Gos, it sounds to me like you want to look at the Linksys RE6500 ( https://www.linksys.com/us/p/P-RE6500/ )
It is a wifi extender from the same vendor and also has additional LAN ports to allow you to deal with the lost port from connecting two devices.
I am sure prices are better at newegg, amazon, etc. I just posted the vendor link so you can see the features and determine if it meets your needs.

 

[Marplot]

but you will need to place the device outside, or at least on the inside of the exterior wall to breech your faraday cage.

 

[atrocity]

I only need the switch because on my current router, all "jacks" are full. So, no way to get a cable run outside the house unless I open up another jack...which I assumed the reason for the switch. ?? lol!

Yes. I only have four output ports on my router. Each is connected to a long cable going to another room where it enters a switch which then connects to multiple devices.

I've made a point of always buying gigabit because the price difference isn't enough to worry about and I figure the absolute worst case is that it can't hurt.

 

[GOS]

I'm slow.....

It takes me a long time to pull the trigger, when I don't fully understand something...or I don't grasp the meaning of the specifications of a product relative to what I need.

So - Here is a link to Newegg site, with 3 switches selected for purpose of comparison. All Netgear brand (hopefully, for apples to apples purposes...to some degree) and all are 5 port.

I would love some comments on which of the 3 is best for my needs. My knee-jerk is to gravitate to the higher priced one...but if the features on it are not necessary, etc. If you look at the model number, 2 of them are nearly identical....except the PAS vs NAS at the end of the number.

Switch at Newegg

 

[DuncanS]

I'm slow.....

It takes me a long time to pull the trigger, when I don't fully understand something...or I don't grasp the meaning of the specifications of a product relative to what I need.

So - Here is a link to Newegg site, with 3 switches selected for purpose of comparison. All Netgear brand (hopefully, for apples to apples purposes...to some degree) and all are 5 port.

I would love some comments on which of the 3 is best for my needs. My knee-jerk is to gravitate to the higher priced one...but if the features on it are not necessary, etc. If you look at the model number, 2 of them are nearly identical....except the PAS vs NAS at the end of the number.

Switch at Newegg

Hi Gene, it only shows me the FS105 when I click on the link, what are the part numbers for each of the 3 you're considering?

 

[GOS]

Hi Gene, it only shows me the FS105 when I click on the link, what are the part numbers for each of the 3 you're considering?

 

[DuncanS]

I'd go for the GS305 I have GS208s in my network

 

[GOS]

OK Duncan, thanks. Now that I have figured out the switch, (I ended up choosing a comparable LInksys, as that's brand of my router inside) I find all the various comments about what I need outside rather confusing.

Do I need:

• Just another standard wifi router (I have 3 old ones that work fine as candidates 1 Linksys and 2 Netgear)
• wifi extender
• access point

 

[DuncanS]

Hi Gene,

You need a Wi-Fi access point that connects via an Ethernet cable to the new Switch or Router. It will need to be designed for outdoor use, unless you can get it into your loft/attic/soffit area so its not exposed to the weather. Alternatively you could get one with an external antenna and have the electronics box inside.

You could use the router, but, and its a big but, it would need a fair bit of setting up, and that isn't something I've done! The Wi-Fi extender wouldn't work as they pick up your current Wi-Fi signal and re-transmit, and if I remember correctly as your house is clad in Aluminium (so is a Faraday Cage) that would be nigh on impossible, or not work well - plus most plug directly into the mains.

Cheers

Duncan

 

[GOS]

Hi Gene,

You need a Wi-Fi access point that connects via an Ethernet cable to the new Switch or Router. It will need to be designed for outdoor use, unless you can get it into your loft/attic/soffit area so its not exposed to the weather. Alternatively you could get one with an external antenna and have the electronics box inside.

You could use the router, but, and its a big but, it would need a fair bit of setting up, and that isn't something I've done! The Wi-Fi extender wouldn't work as they pick up your current Wi-Fi signal and re-transmit, and if I remember correctly as your house is clad in Aluminium (so is a Faraday Cage) that would be nigh on impossible, or not work well - plus most plug directly into the mains.

Cheers

Duncan

Wow, perfect! I very direct answer. Soooooo. How does an access point work differently than another wifi router? I mean to say, when I'm outside with my cell phone, how will it connect to the access point?

 

[DuncanS]

A router acts like a telephone exchange, so routes all the 'calls' (data) to the right 'number' (phone/laptop/etc.), if you have more than one router in a system you have to set the whole system up to handle that. I'm not an IT person, but it is doable, just more complex than I'd want to!

The access point uses the router to do all the telephone exchange like functions. You give the access point its own unique ID name and access code, and set your phone, laptop etc. to use that when outside. So like you walk into a shopping mall and can access the free wi-fi by connecting to it - except yours will be secured via WPA2 encryption so no-one else can gain access unless you give them the code.

 

[GOS]

Yikes - I don't see a lot of great choices for access points. Also, seems the price, in general is higher than I expected. I wanted a Linksys as that is the brand of my house router and switch that I will order. Any thoughts on an adequate AP that would be easy to hook up Duncan?