# Garage Wifi - Powerline Adaptor?



## horico (Jul 17, 2010)

I currently have a lonely double socket in the garage and a single light as this is how the garage came with the newbuild house. I plan to add a consumer unit and several additional sockets and lights in the very near future.

Unfortunately, the garage is detached and the basic wifi range extender really doesn't work very well. The sky router doesn't really get much further than the house either so I expect a powerline adapter would work well as the electrics in the garage are on the same consumer unit as the house so will work fine if I understand things right.

The issue comes when I upgrade the electrics - can I go to a single plug first where the adapter can be powered prior to going into the new garage consumer unit to keep it on the same circuit as the house? If not, what would be the best way to get decent wifi to the garage? I can't hardwire it so it has to be a wireless solution.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Not sure if it’ll make a difference as technically still on same mains feed, but why not keep a spur on the house circuit - as it is now and add the extra consumer unit etc as you’re going to do...


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## horico (Jul 17, 2010)

Andyblue said:


> Not sure if it'll make a difference as technically still on same mains feed, but why not keep a spur on the house circuit - as it is now and add the extra consumer unit etc as you're going to do...


Yeah, that was my question above - is that just the simplest way to go when I upgrade the electrics I the garage?

I'm doing it soon but not tomorrow so to speak but would like reliable Wi-Fi tomorrow!

Another option are the BG Wi-Fi extenders...

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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Have you already got power line adapters or know someone with them for you to quickly try to see what the ‘connection’ is like ?

I’ve used them from 1 corner house to opposite upstairs without issues...


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## cleancar (Sep 21, 2006)

i'm using TP link units on seperate circuits and they still work ok in my garage


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## horico (Jul 17, 2010)

Andyblue said:


> Have you already got power line adapters or know someone with them for you to quickly try to see what the 'connection' is like ?
> 
> I've used them from 1 corner house to opposite upstairs without issues...


No, unfortunately not! The TP link one is only £55 on Amazon at the mo so it may be worth the gamble.

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## horico (Jul 17, 2010)

cleancar said:


> i'm using TP link units on seperate circuits and they still work ok in my garage


That's good to know - are they from seperate consumer units?

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## andy__d (Jun 27, 2018)

If you are running cables to the garage, add a CAT6 one From your existing router to another in the garage, wifi + wired then


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## Blue (Sep 15, 2008)

andy__d said:


> If you are running cables to the garage, add a CAT6 one From your existing router to another in the garage, wifi + wired then


This.

Powerline is ok but it's never going to be as good as a proper hardwire to a wifi repeater.


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## horico (Jul 17, 2010)

andy__d said:


> If you are running cables to the garage, add a CAT6 one From your existing router to another in the garage, wifi + wired then





Blue said:


> This.
> 
> Powerline is ok but it's never going to be as good as a proper hardwire to a wifi repeater.


As mentioned in the original post - I don't have that option or it's what I would have done already. :thumb:


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## kev1609 (Sep 19, 2011)

If there is no way of running a dedicated cat5/6 cable out to a switch in the garage then I would recommend a pair of ubiquiti nano station links

I use them for cctv installs (mainly cow sheds on farms) but have previously used them to extend networks to garden offices, games rooms ect

A basic network map would be as follows

Router —> ubiquiti master 1—> ubiquiti slave 1 -> a router to ping out a Wi-fi signal 

Hope this helps


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## Del-GTi (Mar 31, 2007)

You're in pretty much the same situation as me, except I already have a mini consumer unit etc in the garage.

I haven't tried powerlines as I always thought that they had to be on the same ring and as my garage power comes directly from the house consumer unit I didn't think it would work. I'm not a sparky though so not sure how it all works. I tried a WiFi range extender plugged-in in the house at a socket closest to the garage but it's still pretty weak. I did wonder if I installed another one in the garage would that be enough to 'catch' the signal and send it to the other end of the garage where I need it. Haven't tried that yet.

There are also those Mesh outdoor extenders: https://www.ebuyer.com/860753-netgear-orbi-outdoor-wifi-mesh-extender-add-on-satellite-rbs50y-200eus Something like that, might work but not cheap though.

One thing I would say is, you probably already know this but you'll want to find out where the power is coming from for the original socket - is it direct from your consumer or is taken as a spur from your ring main. If you're going to add a consumer unit you need to look at likely loads for cable thickness etc.

Apologies, I've rambled on a bit but hopefully some of that helps.


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## dholdi (Oct 1, 2008)

I've never really explored powerplugs as I have cat 5 to the garage.
However thinking about it they do appear to work from upstairs to downstairs etc and as all the circuits are connected together as long as that circuit isn't isolated they should be able to communicate across them.


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## horico (Jul 17, 2010)

kev1609 said:


> If there is no way of running a dedicated cat5/6 cable out to a switch in the garage then I would recommend a pair of ubiquiti nano station links
> 
> I use them for cctv installs (mainly cow sheds on farms) but have previously used them to extend networks to garden offices, games rooms ect
> 
> ...


This seems a good option but I would imagine there's some faffery to get working? If the powerline doesn't work I'll look into this further.

Is this the same a
Idea as a mesh?

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## horico (Jul 17, 2010)

Del-GTi said:


> You're in pretty much the same situation as me, except I already have a mini consumer unit etc in the garage.
> 
> I haven't tried powerlines as I always thought that they had to be on the same ring and as my garage power comes directly from the house consumer unit I didn't think it would work. I'm not a sparky though so not sure how it all works. I tried a WiFi range extender plugged-in in the house at a socket closest to the garage but it's still pretty weak. I did wonder if I installed another one in the garage would that be enough to 'catch' the signal and send it to the other end of the garage where I need it. Haven't tried that yet.
> 
> ...


I'll let you know how the powerline works as I've just amazon'd some.

The garage has its own output from the consumer unit - from the brief reading I've done, the signal travels along the earth? Could have misread though.

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## shl-kelso (Dec 27, 2012)

The issue with powerline adapters is that you will not know how well they will work until you try them - there are any number of environmental factors that can add noise to the mains wiring in your house and if the noise levels are too high then the devices simply will not work effectively. You can also find the performance changes over time too - power supplies (both plug top types and those built into consumer equipment) can become noisy over time without showing any physical signs meaning powerline performance can drop or even stop completely. 

For some they work faultlessly, for others they work intermittently or not at all, so if you do decide to try them out then make sure you buy from a retailer with a decent returns policy. 

I also note you mention upgrading the electrics - do you mean you are simply adding a new consumer unit and local wiring without renewing the cable feeding the garage. Have you checked the incoming cable size will be adequate for the potential loads you will add with your extra lighting and sockets?

If you are increasing the cable size to your garage then can you not add a suitable UTP cat5e/6 cable alongside to connect from the house to your garage?


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## horico (Jul 17, 2010)

shl-kelso said:


> The issue with powerline adapters is that you will not know how well they will work until you try them - there are any number of environmental factors that can add noise to the mains wiring in your house and if the noise levels are too high then the devices simply will not work effectively. You can also find the performance changes over time too - power supplies (both plug top types and those built into consumer equipment) can become noisy over time without showing any physical signs meaning powerline performance can drop or even stop completely.
> 
> For some they work faultlessly, for others they work intermittently or not at all, so if you do decide to try them out then make sure you buy from a retailer with a decent returns policy.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the insight - I hope the powerline works ok for me but I've read similar to what you said about loss or signal over time which would be a pain.

I have a driveway which is shared and the cable travels under the block paving to the garage. Upgrading the cable would be a right pain but I do need to check what was used prior to upgrade anyway - I haven't done so yet. Do the regs state a certain cable is to be used if being buried etc? I've just had a patio and shed in the garden and had an armoured cable put in ready for getting power to the shed supplied by a local electrician who will later connect it up to the house board.

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## andy__d (Jun 27, 2018)

Yes there are a Few regulations for wires



> Steel-wire armoured (SWA)
> Steel wire protected cable, mandatory for outdoor or buried use unless equivalent protection provided via trunking.


being one,
Diam of the cores of the cable depending on load in Watts + length and if "ring or radial"
add in RCD ,,

one of those "things" where getting your sparkie to have a look First wont be a bad idea


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## IanG (Nov 21, 2007)

I've just bought these powerlines https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tenda-PH6-...ns&keywords=tenda+powerline+passthrough&psc=1 and they have been really great so far to a corner of the house where my Mesh system was even slightly struggling

My mate has just got these to get internet in a new extension in his house that didn't play well with wifi https://www.argos.co.uk/product/6214467 and they work like a treat

I was always a bit sceptical of using powerlines but these have been a revelation for me


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## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

I tried powerline adapters at my parent's house but the speed was ridiculously slow, from memory I could only get a maximum of around 2 Mbps. The house was built in the 70's and is a bungalow, so not a huge house by any means but I would say that the house wiring has a huge effect on the type of speeds that you can achieve with powerline adapters. I used wifi in the end and the network speed is much faster, connected to a Buffalo WAP running OpenWRT firmware. I can also get decent wifi speeds in the garden with this configuration.

Depending on how far the garage is from the house, a WiFi range extender might be a good option along with a directional WiFi antenna.
Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-Extender-External-EX7000-100UKS/dp/B00TV4ABZA


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## Ciddy (Apr 7, 2014)

If you're in a new build house then your garage will be on the same circuit. I have the same setup. Main router in the house and power line in the Garage. I'm on Virgin Broadband and over power line I hot over 200Mb in the Garage. It works flawlessly.


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## shl-kelso (Dec 27, 2012)

Gixxer6 said:


> I tried powerline adapters at my parent's house but the speed was ridiculously slow, from memory I could only get a maximum of around 2 Mbps. The house was built in the 70's and is a bungalow, so not a huge house by any means but I would say that the house wiring has a huge effect on the type of speeds that you can achieve with powerline adapters. I used wifi in the end and the network speed is much faster, connected to a Buffalo WAP running OpenWRT firmware. I can also get decent wifi speeds in the garden with this configuration.
> 
> Depending on how far the garage is from the house, a WiFi range extender might be a good option along with a directional WiFi antenna.
> Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-Extender-External-EX7000-100UKS/dp/B00TV4ABZA


If you want to use a point-to-point wifi bridge then as suggested earlier you should look to get a pair on Uniquiti Nanostation 5 units - these are outdoor access points with directional antennae, and a decent interface that includes a signal/alignment page which makes the job quite straight forward. They have online tutorials showing how to configure the units as a bridge. The Nanostations also use POE so only need a single cable connection at either end. You can then add what you like at the garage end, the bridge will be completely transparent and give stable and reliable performance.

Like the earlier poster I have deployed these on sites where the wifi bridge links buildings several hundred metres apart, and have not had any issues once I had the initial configuration correctly applied.


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## cleancar (Sep 21, 2006)

horico said:


> That's good to know - are they from seperate consumer units?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


seperate consumer units with armoured cable in between :thumb:


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## LeeH (Jan 29, 2006)

I’ve got some working through 2 CU’s fine. 


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## Del-GTi (Mar 31, 2007)

Just thought I'd post an update on my own experience with powerlines. After trying my WiFi extender in various locations in a bid to get a decent signal into my detached garage, I gave up and decided to try a powerline kit. I was concerned that as the garage had it's own consumer unit a powerline wouldn't work.

Bought this one from Argos, thinking that if it didn't work, I would just return it:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4831835

Have to say, it's brilliant. Works perfectly, has two Ethernet out ports on the top which I'm using for my a security cam and my ps3 and also WiFi which my phone connects to. All for less than £30.

Wish I had tried it ages ago.


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## Scottland (May 6, 2008)

Del-GTi said:


> Just thought I'd post an update on my own experience with powerlines. After trying my WiFi extender in various locations in a bid to get a decent signal into my detached garage, I gave up and decided to try a powerline kit. I was concerned that as the garage had it's own consumer unit a powerline wouldn't work.
> 
> Bought this one from Argos, thinking that if it didn't work, I would just return it:
> 
> ...


You can get certified refurbished ones from Amazon for £20. I picked some up for my parents ages ago and they've been fine. I had it in my head they'd only work on the same ring, so didn't think they'd suit my garage which is on a difference circuit and with a CU in there, but I've just ordered a set to try out.


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## Scottland (May 6, 2008)

Just thought I'd update this from the other day. I purchased these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01EFVLODQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One end is in the house, via a 4 way extension plugged into the router via the ethernet port. The other end is off another ring in the garage, which has it's own consumer unit. It works 'fine' and connects without issue, my speeds are about 1/3 of my overall internet speed - which is just about ok for me.

Well worth the £20 for a quick fix to get internet in the garage, a better set of powerline adapters might offer less loss of speed, as would plugging into the main socket in the house - but I've not got anywhere I can do this and run ethernet (yet).


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## horico (Jul 17, 2010)

I went with TP Link powerline adaptors and they work absolutely fine. I'm glad I went with them - garage tinkering is so much more enjoyable now!

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