Getting Wifi Signal in Metal Shop

[RDY4WAR]

I have a 25x25 detached shop with all metal siding and roof. It's not far from the house, and right outside the shop, I get a full wifi signal. As soon as I go in the shop though, there's nothing.

Could I mount an antenna outside the shop with a cable going inside to an access port? I'm not very well versed in wifi networks.

 

[mk378]

A cable from the house router to an AP inside the shop would be best. Ethernet cables can be up to 100 meters (about 340 feet) long.

If there is a window in the shop facing the house, see if you can get a wifi signal just inside that window, and if so you might simply place a wifi extender at that spot.

 

[blufeb95]

I'd say get a decent sized plastic enclosure, and mount a wifi bridge in it and run a cable inside to another access point inside the shop.

 

[wag123]

Assuming that your house and building are on the same electrical power feed, a Powerline Ethernet Adapter/Extender with WiFi is your answer. Powerline supports distances up to 984 feet. Simple, effective, and painless. TP Link (for one) sells several different models.

Amazon.com

 

[blufeb95]

If you just want something that just works but isn't fast, you could get two of these from Newegg for 32 bucks, find a plastic enclosure big enough to hold it on the side of the shop, and just drill a hole large enough to run the ethernet cable into the enclosure, use the included passive power over ethernet adapter to power the device, set it up as a media bridge from you existing network, then run the data into the other one and set it up as an Access point with the same SSID and key.

TP-Link WiFi Access Point TL-WA801N, 2.4Ghz 300Mbps, Supports Multi-SSID/Client/Bridge/Range Extender, 2 Fixed Antennas, Passive PoE Injector Included - Newegg.com

Buy TP-Link WiFi Access Point TL-WA801N, 2.4Ghz 300Mbps, Supports Multi-SSID/Client/Bridge/Range Extender, 2 Fixed Antennas, Passive PoE Injector Included with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

 

[iahawk]

what wag23 said...you plug in one of the powerline adapters by your router (run an Ethernet cable to it) and plug the other adapter into an outlet in your shop. Internet signal travels over your power lines. No idea how this works..but it works well. I have a few of them in my house.

This also assumes that you'll be attaching something like a laptop to the connection with another ethernet cable in your shop.

 

[Dave9]

Yes it could be as simple as you described, mount antenna, run short cable through metal wall to nearby access point (so you don't need an amp for a longer cable run), with a weatherproofing gasket on the (typical) RSMA panel mount connector for the (typical RSMA found on consumer gear IF it has a detachable antenna at all) antenna. Antenna should ideally be mounted on the side facing the house, or roof peak nearer, line of sight.

You'll need to investigate the router or access point. Some have removable RSMA connected antennas. Others instead have a U.FL connector to the mainboard then you'd get an adapter pigtail, or some really cheap ones may be hard soldered on at both ends so avoid that type.

 

[wag123]

This also assumes that you'll be attaching something like a laptop to the connection with another ethernet cable in your shop.

The TP Link device that I referenced has WiFi, but only 2.4 ghz. However, it can also be used with a wired ethernet cable connection.
Some of the Amazon reviewers are clueless. The two devices do NOT have to be on the same circuit breaker, just on the same 115v side of the 230v power feed. One of the reviewers mentioned setting up the adapter to a different SSID name rather than using it as a repeater on the same SSID. This is probably good advice.

 

[OVERKILL]

A cable from the house router to an AP inside the shop would be best. Ethernet cables can be up to 100 meters (about 340 feet) long.

If there is a window in the shop facing the house, see if you can get a wifi signal just inside that window, and if so you might simply place a wifi extender at that spot.

This. Ethernet is always best, if possible. If you can get a cable from your house to the shop and put an access point inside that would be ideal.

The Powerline adapters can be hit or miss, but they are probably a better choice than trying to do wireless extending. That would be an acceptable fallback if ethernet isn't an option.

 

[RDY4WAR]

Good deal. Thanks for the advice. The main thing this will be used for is Sirius radio so I can have some music. It'll be for my phone as well so I can talk and text over wifi.

 

[RDY4WAR]

This. Ethernet is always best, if possible. If you can get a cable from your house to the shop and put an access point inside that would be ideal.

The Powerline adapters can be hit or miss, but they are probably a better choice than trying to do wireless extending. That would be an acceptable fallback if ethernet isn't an option.

That certainly sounds like the best way to go. I don't how I'd run the ethernet cable though. The cable going in the house to the modem/router goes through hole in the brick wall.

 

[blufeb95]

Really there are grounding concerns when running communications cables outdoors between buildings, probably the safest thing you could do is get some cheap fiber to rj45 media converters and a long enough fiber patch cable of the appropriate type to run from the house to the garage, fs.com tends to be pretty cheap on the media converters and patch cables. Or just use the powerline things like others have suggested.

 

[OVERKILL]

That certainly sounds like the best way to go. I don't how I'd run the ethernet cable though. The cable going in the house to the modem/router goes through hole in the brick wall.

View attachment 76759

Well, assuming you are familiar with the diameter of Ethernet, do you think it would be easy to run it out adjacent? Usually, you'd just run a small diameter conduit between the two buildings and use some outdoor rated CAT6. I'd put female RJ45 keystone jacks on either end, perhaps try and terminate them inside an electrical box in each location. If you can trench a 1" PVC conduit, the only exposed section will be where it comes out of the conduit on either end and you just pack that with silicone.

 

[blufeb95]

I would consider something like this, but run conduit between the house and the garage, I'm not sure I'd mess with copper cabling because I was thinking there's some special grounding requirements when running copper communications cabling between buildings, like you need something similar to what the telephone company uses when they bring a drop into your house.

 

[OVERKILL]

I would consider something like this, but run conduit between the house and the garage, I'm not sure I'd mess with copper cabling because I was thinking there's some special grounding requirements when running copper communications cabling between buildings, like you need something similar to what the telephone company uses when they bring a drop into your house.

Ethernet (unless we are talking shielded) doesn't require a ground because it's driven (has a transformer) on both ends and grounding isn't part of the spec. Our entire campus at UNB was building to building wiring with massive trunks of ethernet and not a ground wire to be seen.

 

[blufeb95]

It's not that you're grounding the cable really, I was thinking you're really supposed to have surge suppressors on each end incase of a lightning strike to at very least protect the equipment on the end from getting fried and at very worst starting a fire, the media converters and a patch cable to make the fiber link work aren't all that expensive and then you don't have to worry about lightning strikes frying your equipment, well unless a strike effects your power source and whatever surge protector you're using isn't able to get it, but that should be less of an issue than a lightning strike affecting a low voltage signaling cable where the equipment on neither end is designed to protect itself against a strike.

 

[OVERKILL]

It's not that you're grounding the cable really, I was thinking you're really supposed to have surge suppressors on each end incase of a lightning strike to at very least protect the equipment on the end from getting fried and at very worst starting a fire, the media converters and a patch cable to make the fiber link work aren't all that expensive and then you don't have to worry about lightning strikes frying your equipment, well unless a strike effects your power source and whatever surge protector you're using isn't able to get it, but that should be less of an issue than a lightning strike affecting a low voltage signaling cable where the equipment on neither end is designed to protect itself against a strike.

The end device, assuming he isn't using PoE, would already be grounded, if required, through the power connection.

And even with PoE, many devices aren't grounded because it isn't part of the standard. Even outdoor AP's don't have ground connectors on them. I think you are foreseeing an issue here that doesn't really exist with the technology. A POTS line or cable, that originates from a telephone pole, from some distant CO, that's run adjacent to power wires and is connected to something that could experience a lightning strike at some point, like an HV transmission tower, typically carry some form of ground for that reason. When you are doing a simple run between two buildings, the vulnerability is on your power side, where it connects to the mains, or your ISP side, which, if cable or DSL will already be grounded. The short run between buildings is just data, and the presence, or absence, of a ground, isn't going to make a lick of difference.

There's no provision for a ground connection on most ethernet connected devices, even those that are fed over PoE, so what would you be grounding? Fibre guarantees that you'll have to use mains power to run the AP, at which point that device is now coupled to a source that could experience a surge.

I use fibre on runs that require fibre, such as those that are 10+Gig or significant distance. If the run can be ethernet, it's ethernet.

 

[ripcord]

I used to use TPLink ethernet over powerline devices to extend internet to my little shop, but it wasn't 100% reliable. To work well, they specify that both powerline devices should ideally be on the same circuit/phase/loop, etc. which isn't always practical and not feasible in my case. It mostly worked but not perfectly.

What ended working the best for me was repurposing an old EnGenius point to point wireless bridge that has a directional antenna that I use to send to and receive from my home WiFi. I have about 150 ft from the shop to the house and I get 90% of my rated internet speeds which is plenty good enough for streaming music, shopping on Amazon and wasting time on bobistheoilguy.com.

 

[JHZR2]

I’m setting up to beam Wi-Fi between two buildings a few hundred something feet apart. I’m using tp link cpe210.

 

[alarmguy]

I wonder if the OP tried anything yet?
He could try a power line adapter either with or without built in wifi.
We used to use them when an issue with a customers WiFi cameras too far from the router, depending on the house it was hit or miss ... mostly hit but sometimes a miss.

Anyway, our own experience at home is my wife's company supplied work station. They sent with it, this is going back like 6 years now a Netgear Essentials power line adapter, real basic, no wifi built in. I was already planing how I was going to get Ethernet into her room (but it was going to be a *****) because very skeptical knowing it would be hit or miss. Well, it was a hit, it just ALWAYS works and with great connection green lights, never even flickers amber light. Im still amazed to this day.

My point is, buy it from Amazon, if it works for him great, if not, nothing lost, print out a free return label to Amazon and he lost nothing.