WIFI to an Outdoor Building

[faraway saint]

Right, @Slash & @Slarti, since you have an idea on this sort of stuff, here's my current Sky router.

It's more than satisfactory for the size of our house, no need for anything super dooper so for the summerhouse, 5mx3m, I certainly don't need anything overly powerful.

Any suggestions? 

[oaksoft]

4 hours ago, Kombibuddie said:

Wanted a pool table & a bar in it.
Saved a few £££'s doing it ourselves.
Homebarsuk has a wealth of knowledge & advice.

That's bloody HUGE.

The cock and balls on the floor is a nice touch. 🤣

[Slarti]

All you want to do if I understand your new set up is to create an new wireless access point (WAP) that you plug the Ethernet cable into the back of the router. Hopefully the electrician will install a power socket close to where the Ethernet point is.
You can set up a WAP in a number of ways with different technology - which I won’t go into as I believe the best way and best throughput is using a new router.. 
Depending on how smart the new router software is you may be able to change the required settings by setting “Wireless Access Point - Enabled”. You access the menu by connecting to the router direct with an Ethernet cable using the default IP logon address for the router of choice. Different providers use different addresses. 
If you have an old SKY router kicking around you could use that as the Wireless Access point. You must ensure that DHCP is switched off on the wireless access point (WAP). You may also have to specify a dedicated IP address on the new WAP. You will then want to change the WI-FI SSID & password as appropriate on the WAP so that it is different to the main hub.
Basically that is it. You can’t break it. You may even be able to pick up an old working Sky router from EBay if you don’t have one. Just make sure you perform a hard reset and ensure the firmwares are up to date on both Hub and WAP.

If he's using it as a WAP, the SSID and password should be the same as the house router, should it not? Essentially it should just be another connection to the same network. If he was setting it up as a different network then a different SSID would be needed (could still use the same password if he wanted).

He would need to ensure he uses a different non-overlapping wireless channel, also.

Your DHCP and IP address advice is spot on.

I've never set up a home WAP, just business ones that use wireless controllers (recently finished installing and configuring 139 WAPs on a large(ish) site which use a cloud "controller", so that made it easier - no software to install, basically just register, configure and set location) , so maybe it works differently and I'm talking out my ass. [emoji1787]

Maybe SKY provide range extenders like (I think) BT does. That might make it easier for him.

[Slarti]

I like to separate the devices. That was the only reason for choosing the new name. Your method would work.
I did a very quick google on the range extenders and I don’t think Sky do such a range extender. 
I actually have three black BT discs that I’ve not been able to reuse in my current setup. I believe the white BT discs can be used with other routers which is an alternative approach.
I also have spare Powerline adaptors but I’m going to reuse those for my mothers house. She is with NowBroadband, but the wireless signal does not get as far as the cellar that I keep her in. [emoji23] 

Ach, she doesn't need wireless. [emoji16]

If you use a different name then you would (I think) need to keep DHCP enabled or use an IP helper, would you not? I'm not sure if home routers can use IP helpers, though.

I still hate calling them routers as they are essentially just wireless L3 switches with a little added (not very configurable) functionality. Can you tell that I'm a Cisco CLI snob at heart? I like controlling the minutiae. [emoji1787][emoji1787]

Edit: Ignore that, it should just pass straight through to the main router looking for an IP address, shouldn't it? Sometimes, just sometimes mind, I overthink things. [emoji1787]

[HSS]

Well done lads,spot on with all of the above. 👏👏👏

[Slarti]

I used to use large scale Cisco MDS 9000 for my clients SANs. I went on a deep dive tech 5 day course to make sure my admins didn’t try to pull the wool over my eyes. Cisco have excellent functionality to do some amazing stuff. Stick yer Brocade when the sun don’t shine.
You are spot on about the DHCP settings for each method. I prefer the actual deployment rather than the theory. Schoolboy error. [emoji23] 
I’m with BT and their routers are shit in that you can’t segregate the wireless bands. So you have to do some jiggery pokery using an old model and switch off one bandwidth on one router and do the opposite on the other router. A stupid decision to have one SSID to cover all bands.
If it was me, I’d say to Sky that I need a new router as the old one is kaput and use that as the WAP. Job done. No outlay required.
 

Yeah, you pay through the nose for all that functionality though, whether you need it or not.

[Kombibuddie]

That's bloody HUGE.
The cock and balls on the floor is a nice touch. [emoji1787]

Thanks.

Got a couple of cans of spray paint for my children to do a wee bit as it'd be covered over & they come up with cock & balls.

[faraway saint]

9 hours ago, Slash said:

All you want to do if I understand your new set up is to create an new wireless access point (WAP) that you plug the Ethernet cable into the back of the router. Hopefully the electrician will install a power socket close to where the Ethernet point is.

You can set up a WAP in a number of ways with different technology - which I won’t go into as I believe the best way and best throughput is using a new router.. 

Depending on how smart the new router software is you may be able to change the required settings by setting “Wireless Access Point - Enabled”. You access the menu by connecting to the router direct with an Ethernet cable using the default IP logon address for the router of choice. Different providers use different addresses. 

If you have an old SKY router kicking around you could use that as the Wireless Access point. You must ensure that DHCP is switched off on the wireless access point (WAP). You may also have to specify a dedicated IP address on the new WAP. You will then want to change the WI-FI SSID & password as appropriate on the WAP so that it is different to the main hub.

Basically that is it. You can’t break it. You may even be able to pick up an old working Sky router from EBay if you don’t have one. Just make sure you perform a hard reset and ensure the firmwares are up to date on both Hub and WAP.

Aye, all good and well but get looking for a suitable flippin router, low cost, easy availability, as I said, it's only providing coverage for a small/one "room area.

Any more of this shit between you and @Slarti and you'll be on my ignore list.......................... 

[faraway saint]

7 hours ago, HSS said:

Well done lads,spot on with all of the above. 👏👏👏

Overall I agree, a couple of minor errors but I'll not point them out, it would ruin the vibe of the thread. 

[oaksoft]

8 hours ago, Kombibuddie said:

Thanks.

Got a couple of cans of spray paint for my children to do a wee bit as it'd be covered over & they come up with cock & balls.

Ah. The old "it was the kids" defence. 

That did make me smile though. Thanks for that.

Won't lie. I'm a bit jealous of that "hut". You've got me dreaming of having one now.

Got a nice patch of garden where I removed my shed many years ago and I've done nothing with. Could probably manage something around 14 feet by 12 feet at an absolute push so nowhere near as big as yours but big enough to make a wee garden office or a cosy sun trap.

Edited April 28, 2021 by oaksoft

[slapsalmon]

How far is your outbuilding from the nearest point of the house? If you don't want to run ethernet underground you could get a few cheap mesh nodes. One beside the router, one at the window nearest the outbuilding and one in the outbuilding.

I just done something similar for my uncle for 70ish quid, he wanted a quick cheap solution before something more permanent but has ended up keeping it. As long as your not expecting heavy traffic through the network in the outbuilding it should be fine. He uses his to play TV through a firestick as well so similar situation to yours by the sounds of it. 

Wired underground is definitely a better option though if there's trenches being dug anyway. A cheap Asus router can be set to use as WAP without flashing new firmware. 

[faraway saint]

1 hour ago, slapsalmon said:

How far is your outbuilding from the nearest point of the house? If you don't want to run ethernet underground you could get a few cheap mesh nodes. One beside the router, one at the window nearest the outbuilding and one in the outbuilding.

I just done something similar for my uncle for 70ish quid, he wanted a quick cheap solution before something more permanent but has ended up keeping it. As long as your not expecting heavy traffic through the network in the outbuilding it should be fine. He uses his to play TV through a firestick as well so similar situation to yours by the sounds of it. 

Wired underground is definitely a better option though if there's trenches being dug anyway. A cheap Asus router can be set to use as WAP without flashing new firmware. 

The walls of the house are solid stone and about 14" thick, no suitable window so unlikely the signal would travel, let alone be steady enough but as they are feeding electric cables the cable for broadband can be laid at the same time.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. 👍

[faraway saint]

1 hour ago, Slash said:

I’ve not used Sky for well over 10 years. So I’m not familiar with their router functionality. Doing some quick research it seems that there is no Modem mode on the router settings, so that would I believe eliminate the ability to use a spare Sky router as a WAP.

I do know that BT Whole Home Wifi (White Discs) do work with Sky. 

https://shop.bt.com/learnmore/bt-branded-products-and-services/bt-whole-home-wi-fi/

For a new one from the BT shop you are looking at £80. 

 

I'll have a look tonight, cheers. 

[Slarti]

Any more of this shit between you and [mention=15951]Slarti[/mention] and you'll be on my ignore list..........................[emoji14] 

It's working Slash, let's keep going. [emoji16]

[faraway saint]

2 hours ago, Slarti said:

 

 

It's working Slash, let's keep going.

 

It's worked. 👋 

[faraway saint]

On 4/27/2021 at 2:46 PM, Kombibuddie said:

Faraway Saint,

Have a look on the facebook group HomeBarsUK.

I'm nearing the end of building a 7m x 4.2m hut at the bottom of my garden & found Homebarsuk is a great place for ideas & advice

Joined the Home bars UK Facebook page, jeezo, some array of bars and buildings and the page is that busy it's taking over my Facebook homepage. 

 

[faraway saint]

Also discovered my SkyQ will work, new mini-box is all that's required, in the new build, great, gives me my full range of channels without relying on the Firestick. 

[faraway saint]

1 minute ago, Slash said:

Good news. If you had mentioned that you had a spare one of those that would have helped us! 🤯

Does the SkyQ also broadcast a WI-FI signal if you wanted to use an IPad or Laptop in your man cave?

When you ditch Sky you can always come back here for assistance as this new solution won’t work. 😂 

I don't have a "spare" one, I'll need to get another one, but, as I already pay for this I'll only need to pay a "one off" fee for an additional box. 

I don't think it does, I'm certainly not aware, It's a receiver for the main SkyQ box so I'll still need a router in the, christ no sure what to call it in case I get grief from @HSS. 

I'll not be ditching Sky for the foreseeable, while I only have the basic TV package, no sports/movies, I like the box and I find it user friendly.

I also have always found Sky easy to deal with if I have some issues and they are open to a bit of haggling. 

[StanleySaint]

Just had another alternative!

Launch your own satellite then setup a receiver in your cabin!

Cracking idea, if only there was a rocket scientist among us!

[faraway saint]

1 hour ago, Slash said:

No but Faraway Saint is a Space Cadet!

Shut it ya rocket. 😜

[Slarti]

5 hours ago, Slash said:

Just had another alternative!

Launch your own satellite then setup a receiver in your cabin!

 

3 hours ago, Slash said:

No but Faraway Saint is a Space Cadet!

 

1 hour ago, faraway saint said:

Shut it ya rocket. 😜

So "launch your own satellite" is a euphemism for the "space cadet" being, ahem, in the "rocket"? 

 

I wonder what ""setup a receiver in your cabin" is a euphemism for?  Or is it all just part of the same euphemism?

 

Who knows?  Who cares?  What anybody gets up to (or dressed up as) in the privacy of their own cabins is nobody's business but their own. 

[faraway saint]

13 hours ago, Slash said:

Good news. If you had mentioned that you had a spare one of those that would have helped us! 🤯

Does the SkyQ also broadcast a WI-FI signal if you wanted to use an IPad or Laptop in your man cave?

When you ditch Sky you can always come back here for assistance as this new solution won’t work. 😂 

Just been reading about the Sky Q mini boxes and it seems they do act as a hotspot so that could be the ideal solution, powers the TV for all the normal TV channels, provides WIFI to run the Firestick and any other devices. 

[faraway saint]

3 minutes ago, Slash said:

You can watch porn in your man cave after all. 😂 

Only £50 for an additional mini box, result. 

[Kombibuddie]

Ah. The old "it was the kids" defence. [emoji38]
That did make me smile though. Thanks for that.
Won't lie. I'm a bit jealous of that "hut". You've got me dreaming of having one now.
Got a nice patch of garden where I removed my shed many years ago and I've done nothing with. Could probably manage something around 14 feet by 12 feet at an absolute push so nowhere near as big as yours but big enough to make a wee garden office or a cosy sun trap.

Now i'll blame the wife,

For years I'd been saying I was going to build a bar at the bottom.of the garden & it always met resistance.

"You don't need one"
"It's a waste of money"
"Why? We're not going to live here for ever"
"No you're not"
& some

Forever busy, never pushed it as didn't have time.

Then 1st lockdown ended & our (then) 15 year old son invites 4 pals round for a bbq.
The boys were meant to be collected by midnight.
When Nicola got up for work in the morning, Innes & 3 pals are still in the garden.
Their lifts never arrived and they stayed out so not to disturb us sleeping.
Straight away Nic says "you need to build them a hut to hang out in"

My condition was big enough for a bar & a pool table.

[oaksoft]

30 minutes ago, Kombibuddie said:

Now i'll blame the wife,

For years I'd been saying I was going to build a bar at the bottom.of the garden & it always met resistance.

"You don't need one"
"It's a waste of money"
"Why? We're not going to live here for ever"
"No you're not"
& some

Forever busy, never pushed it as didn't have time.

Then 1st lockdown ended & our (then) 15 year old son invites 4 pals round for a bbq.
The boys were meant to be collected by midnight.
When Nicola got up for work in the morning, Innes & 3 pals are still in the garden.
Their lifts never arrived and they stayed out so not to disturb us sleeping.
Straight away Nic says "you need to build them a hut to hang out in"

My condition was big enough for a bar & a pool table.

Brilliant. 

With stuff like this I'm reminded of the old saying "let time do the heavy lifting".

Eventually circumstances turn in your favour as you found out.

In our case, it's been the other way round. I've been dragging my heels over getting one installed because of the exact same reasons your wife listed. The pandemic though, has shown that our house is a bit claustrophobic with all of us in at the same time and me now retired. I've never wanted space and quiet so much in all my life.