WIFI Extender from a USB external aeiral input

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Grumwaru

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#224372 15-Nov-2017 09:16

I have an external/outdoor wifi aerial to USB to extend our home network to the office/workshop.

Can I use this aerial to provide input to a wifi repeater of some description and what would I need for hardware?

Mattmannz

471 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1901093 15-Nov-2017 09:27

Probably need to include some information around the aerial as typically antenna's don't have USB plugs on them.

As a general guide though you would need a wireless access point that accepts external antenna's and then ethernet cable the AP back to your main network.

deadlyllama

1264 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1901098 15-Nov-2017 09:34

The answer is "it's possible but would require a very high level of technical expertise." How far is the office/workshop from the house, what is it clad in (i.e. is there roofing iron on the walls, that blocks wifi pretty well)?

Spyware

3764 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1901101 15-Nov-2017 09:40

Grumwaru:

I have an external/outdoor wifi aerial to USB to extend our home network to the office/workshop.

Can I use this aerial to provide input to a wifi repeater of some description and what would I need for hardware?

Provide make and model of said antenna and/or photograph.

Spark Max Fibre using Mikrotik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+, CRS125-24G-1S, Unifi UAP, U6-Pro, UAP-AC-M-Pro, Apple TV 4K (2022), Apple TV 4K (2017), iPad Air 1st gen, iPad Air 4th gen, iPhone 13, SkyNZ3151 (the white box). If it doesn't move then it's data cabled.

Grumwaru

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1901190 15-Nov-2017 12:07

The aerial I am using was purchased from Jaycar and is the same as this: https://nz.dhgate.com/product/wholesale-outdoor-high-power-wifi-usb-adapter/401624433.html#hugsave-0-null

deadlyllama

1264 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1901192 15-Nov-2017 12:12

Grumwaru:

The aerial I am using was purchased from Jaycar and is the same as this: https://nz.dhgate.com/product/wholesale-outdoor-high-power-wifi-usb-adapter/401624433.html#hugsave-0-null

Yeah that's not much help unless we know what chip is inside it. There are a bunch of cheap USB wifi adapters that look identical to that, which have different chips in them. I know because I have an old (~10 years?) one.

To make this work you'd need to use a PC or a reflashed router (only certain makes & models will work) as a wireless access point, with software that supported the particular model chip that was in the wifi adapter you have purchased.

How much is your time worth, how confident are you that you could do this with forum-level handholding?

Grumwaru

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1901196 15-Nov-2017 12:20

I was looking for a quick off the shelf solution with low input on my part, I am not that confident technically.

The current setup is a SPARK router HG630b at the house - outdoor aerial mounted on top of the workshop (20m away) and then that is connected to my laptop USB port. I chose this setup as the long run cladding of the building is pretty effective in killing any direct wifi link to the house.

Thanks

deadlyllama

1264 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1901231 15-Nov-2017 12:53

The simple option is to mount an outdoor client wifi radio like this https://www.gowifi.co.nz/wireless-access-points-outdoor/ens202.html to the outside of your shed, and if it doesn't give good enough signal inside the shed, plug a wireless access point into it, inside the shed.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Crowdie

228 posts

Master Geek

#1902475 15-Nov-2017 22:05

How far is it from the point where the access point would be mounted and the users in the external shed? If it is quite a distance or there is large signal loss passing through the perimeter shed wall then you risk having a high data rate from the access point to the clients but a low data rate back. In this event you may be better to have an access point on the main building and the external shed.

Grumwaru

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1902500 16-Nov-2017 06:28

Thanks for all your input, I will try the outside wireless access point and also have trialed Connectify on the laptop that is working OK to xtend the wireless coverage to other devices in the office/shed. Great feedback team appreciate the input

webwat

2036 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1906406 23-Nov-2017 13:26

To be clear, you have not purchased a simple aerial. You have a "WiFi USB Adapter 150Mbps Wireless Network Card Signal Receiver" with an aerial on it. Its basically a wifi dongle that needs to plug into a computer that can install driver software to run it. You would then need to setup windows to connect to the house internal network, but it won't support a wireless printer or anything. If you have only a single computer in the office and no other network out there, it would be suitable to be permanently on the office computer with the aerial going outside the building. It probably still needs a better signal from the house than you have at the moment, hence the need for an access point at the house.

You may be able to move your existing wifi to another room that gives a better signal to the shed. You also want the USB cable going out of the shed in a way that creates a drip loop, to prevent rain dripping down the cable straight into your computer!

Time to find a new industry!

Grumwaru

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1906895 24-Nov-2017 08:38

Thanks for the clarity of your response, I now have a clear plan going forward and appreciate all the assistance.