Garden rooms have all kinds of uses. Some are a place to retreat to, and perhaps take time out from electronic devices. For other people, they’re a home office, a home cinema or a hang-out for teenage family members. In which case, a reliable Wi-Fi connection is essential for people and business who work from their garden offices.
We’re often asked how you go about extending your home Wi-Fi to your garden room. It’s sometimes presumed that it can be quite a difficult process, particularly if your garden room is sited at some distance from the main property. In reality, it’s a fairly straightforward process, with a number of different ways to go about it.
This quick guide will give you an overview of how to extend the Wi-Fi to your garden office.
What is the best way to extend my WiFi to the garden office?
Depending on the size of your garden, and the distance of your garden office from your home broadband router, it’s possible that you might not need a Wi-Fi extension. One way to test this before your garden room is installed is to move around your garden with your smartphone and check out the signal strength. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Try relocating your router around the house. Placing it in a window overlooking the garden can sometimes extend the range.
In most cases, however, for a reliable and consistent signal, you will need to extend your signal if you’re going to work effectively.
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Mobile Tethering
One simple solution is to use your smartphone’s Wi-Fi hotspot facility to access the internet from your garden room. Bear in mind, that any data you use will be deducted from your monthly data allowance and going over your limit can prove costly.
Alternatively, you can take out a separate contract on a mobile Wi-Fi hub. If you’re self-employed, this can make sense for accounting purposes.
This is a solution that’s unlikely to be practical for people who need regular internet access. If you only envisage using your garden room as an occasional place to work, then it might be an easy and practicable option.
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Wi-Fi Extender
One of the quickest, easiest, and cheapest ways to extend your Wi-Fi is via a Wi-Fi Extender. This connects to your existing Wi-Fi network and extends the signal, in effect creating a hotspot or bridge between your garden room and the router.
The extender is plugged into the mains in your home in a location that’s nearer your garden room than the router. This will help extend and strengthen the signal into the garden.
Wi-Fi Extenders are only effective within a relatively short range. This is usually around 30m. Signal strength deteriorates the further you are from the extender, so this method of extending your Wi-Fi range may only be suitable if your garden room is relatively close to the house.
Price: £20-50
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Powerline Adaptor
If you have a mains power line running to your garden room then powerline networking might be the solution. These are cheap, easy to install and can provide a workable solution. You purchase a kit which contains at least two adaptors, each of which has their own short Ethernet cable. One adaptor is attached to the router via the ethernet cable, and directly plugged into the mains. The second adaptor is plugged into the power supply in your garden office room. You can then attach your device directly to the second adaptor using the Ethernet cable. Alternatively, a second Wi-Fi router can be attached enabling wireless connection to your devices in your garden room.
Your garden room will need a mains power line that is wired to the same distribution box. In most cases you can fit powerline networking yourself without any kind of specialist help.
Price: £20-50
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Point-to-Point
Wi-Fi point-to-point works in a similar way to powerline networking but is usually more reliable. Installation is less straightforward and as a result, more costly. Two units are installed, one on the outside of your house, the other on the garden office room. Both require a power supply, and they may need configuration. To fit them successfully may require the assistance of an IT specialist.
The unit on the house transmits the signal to the unit mounted on the garden room. For this to work as effectively as it can there should be a clear line of sight between both units. If there are outbuildings, trees or shrubs between the units this may compromise the strength of the signal.
Compared to either a Wi-Fi adaptor or powerline networking however, Wi-Fi Point-to-Point generally offers a much stronger and consistent signal.
Price: £150-200
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Ethernet Cabling
Perhaps the most effective, secure, and reliable way to connect your garden office to your home Wi-Fi is an Ethernet cable. This is usually laid at the same time as the power cabling is being laid to your garden room. It can be installed at a later date, but this will require more disruption to your garden, so it makes sense to consider it as an option before your garden room is installed. Not much technical expertise is required to fit an Ethernet cable so you shouldn’t require an IT professional. Your devices can be connected to the cable in the garden office.
Price: £20 (£100-200 if you require professional installation)
Finding the right solution for your garden office
Which of the above options is best for you depends on your individual circumstances. How often do you envisage using the internet in your garden office? Will it be occasional use, or will it be required daily for your home office?
At Garden Room Sanctuary we’ve helped countless customers extend their Wi-Fi to their new garden office room. We can advise you which may be the best option for you, and ensure everything is in place for you to work from home or simply obtain the internet access that you need.
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