X50 dead spot - extender or another deco unit?
Hi,
I've recently installed three X50 poe units around the house in access point mode (VM hub --> TPlink poe switch --> X50 poe units via Ethernet). This gives me great Wi-Fi coverage throughout the house except for the garage/workshop, where the signal dies literally as I step through from the house and close the door behind me.
What would be the best way of getting a reliable mesh extension to cover the garage - a plug in extender or another X50 unit? Either would have to be located on the house side of the garage wall, as the nearest socket in the garage is out of range with the door shut.
I don't have any Ethernet cable out to the garage, and no way of easily running it from the switch location.
If extender is the way to go, any models to look at? I'm only running a 500mb connection.
Thanks!
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I would suggest to add another unit.
You can also try powerline adapters to create wired link. If you are interested in this option, you can test its feasibility with X50s you already have. Here is how:
1. Get pair of powerline adapters from TP-Link brand, I recommend TL-PA7017P KIT or TL-PA7017 KIT.
2. Place one of powerline adapters in the garage and one in the house, on the same circuit breaker and near either Main or Satellite Deco.
3. Verify that powerline adapters established link to each other.
4. Borrow one of in the house Satellite Deco, bring it to garage.
5. Connect with Ethernet cable in house powerline adapter to in house Deco unit.
6. Connect with Ethernet cable in garage powerline adapter to in garage Deco unit.
In garage Deco unit should report Ethernet backhaul.
You can now test in garage WiFi speeds. I won't promise you much, but getting 100Mbps is quite possible.
If all that works, buy another Deco unit and I would recommend X50-poe for consistency. If this does not work, return powerline adapters to seller (get them from retailer with return policy).
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I would suggest to add another unit.
You can also try powerline adapters to create wired link. If you are interested in this option, you can test its feasibility with X50s you already have. Here is how:
1. Get pair of powerline adapters from TP-Link brand, I recommend TL-PA7017P KIT or TL-PA7017 KIT.
2. Place one of powerline adapters in the garage and one in the house, on the same circuit breaker and near either Main or Satellite Deco.
3. Verify that powerline adapters established link to each other.
4. Borrow one of in the house Satellite Deco, bring it to garage.
5. Connect with Ethernet cable in house powerline adapter to in house Deco unit.
6. Connect with Ethernet cable in garage powerline adapter to in garage Deco unit.
In garage Deco unit should report Ethernet backhaul.
You can now test in garage WiFi speeds. I won't promise you much, but getting 100Mbps is quite possible.
If all that works, buy another Deco unit and I would recommend X50-poe for consistency. If this does not work, return powerline adapters to seller (get them from retailer with return policy).
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Thank you 🙂 I will try this.
If I'm understanding you correctly, this will only work as long as the in-house adapter is plugged in to a socket on the same circuit as the adapter plugged into the garage socket.
Does distance affect signal strength? For example, will plugging into a house socket further away from the garage degrade the signal strength? We are talking less than 40m of T&E cable between socket to socket.
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With powerline adapters it is hard to tell what speeds you'll get until you try. It depends on quality of electrical wiring and what else is plugged to sockets on same circuit breaker. Anything with motor, such as fridge, also microwave and dimming lights are powerline speed killers.
So, just give it a try.
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I've been doing some testing of my house wiring and it seems the garage is on its own circuit breaker, so I don't think the powerline adapters will work. I could spur off the closest house socket into the garage, but this socket is in the utility room and is also on a separate circuit breaker to the main house ring (which the other Deco units are on). There is a strong Wi-Fi signal into the utility room, if that makes a difference.
Do you think wi-fi boosters/ extenders are the way to go, given the lack of a common circuit to run the powerline adapters?
Thanks 🙂
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WiFi boosters, extenders and Satellite Deco all use same approach: they grab WiFi signal coming from afar and amplify it for nearby devices. All of them need decent WiFi signal coming to their location.
The difference between boosters/extenders and Satellite Deco is with Deco mesh you can configure everything at one place, while booster/extender will need its own configuration. Which means, if you can't have good WiFi coverage by adding X50, getting WiFi boosters/extenders won't help much.
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It's more a case of figuring out how best to connect the additional X50 given that all the other Deco's are on a different circuit breaker to both the garage and the nearest wiring in the house.
Anyhow, I've ordered the powerline adapters and will
try them, even though the house is all
wired up on different circuits. It seems that it works for some people and not for others, so no harm in trying.
Thanks. - I appreciate all your help on this 👍
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