Extend wifi to second house

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Extend wifi to second house

ashtonaut

614 posts

Ultimate Geek

#302633 7-Dec-2022 23:18

Two houses on same section (front, and back), same owner. Front house has fibre, back house won’t get it for months. Need a semi-permanent way to share connectivity with back house. Too far for a single device to provide wifi over both houses. Can run ethernet cable between houses, not pretty but can be done. Front house has Spark fibre with regular Smart Modem. Both houses on same SSID is initial preference. Both houses are small and will be fine with a single wifi providing device per house.

Any suggestions/preference between these options, or something else?

1) Find a second Smart Modem, locate in rear house and link front and rear house smart modems with Ethernet. Set up rear house smart modem as a wifi extender only.
2) Buy a Smart Modem 2 off TM, install in front house. Buy a Smart Mesh 2, install in rear house and link to front house with Ethernet.
3) Buy a standalone wifi AP and install in rear house with Ethernet link to front house.

I’m thinking #1 is probably cheapest and most straightforward. #2 gives flexibility to get rid of Ethernet link if I can get the devices close enough together for a wifi backhaul to work (not ideal, but Ethernet between houses will be ugly). I can’t see a good reason to choose #3 over #1…

If I went with #1, could I run a separate SSID and network for each house, or does that get too hard?

Thoughts welcome!

Scott3

3982 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3007126 7-Dec-2022 23:36

Suspect in option 1, you would set the second "Smart modem" to access point mode anyway, essentially becoming the same as option 3 (with separate SSID).

Option 2 sounds more expensive, but if the ranges overlap, gives the possibility devices will roam between the two houses. (not sure it that is of any value).

A 4th option would be to give a basic wi-fi range extender a go. They arn't great performance wise (backhaul consumes bandwidth), but are cheap, easy and neat.

pab

106 posts

Master Geek

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#3007133 8-Dec-2022 00:39

I'd be tempted to go with this kit https://www.gowifi.co.nz/wireless-systems/preconfigured-kits/rbwapg-60adkit.html (or similar) if you can run ethernet to each device.

insane

3242 posts

Uber Geek

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Trusted

#3007134 8-Dec-2022 00:54

I vote for #1 or #3

Possibly cheaper than the cost of the kit to do it properly via wireless bridges too.

toejam316

1466 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3007136 8-Dec-2022 03:11

pab has the right idea if you're anti-cabling, although it might also be worth considering if you could pop a pipe in and run a cable between the buildings underground with a trench?

I'd definitely install something like a wireless point to point like, and a wireless access point of your choosing - Cambium ones are quite good and affordable.

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

ashtonaut

614 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3007147 8-Dec-2022 06:50

Thanks everyone. I think I’ll give option 1 a go first as I can pick up a used smart modem for almost nothing and they are a reasonable device. Once that base config with wired backhaul is working I’ll then experiment with wireless range with the idea of potentially replacing the second smart modem with mesh units that cover the house gap, and the back house.

nztim

3829 posts

Uber Geek

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TEAMnetwork

Subscriber

#3007504 8-Dec-2022 21:40

Make sure you disable dhcp on the second modem

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

PJ48

297 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3007596 9-Dec-2022 08:15

second modem will need to be connected via LAN not WAN port, and switch off Nat and DHCP on it as well.

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Bung

6505 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3007651 9-Dec-2022 09:43

PJ48:
second modem will need to be connected via LAN not WAN port, and switch off Nat and DHCP on it as well.

When I setup 2 Smart Modem 1s I also fixed the ip of the one acting as the AP (not sure if required but). The one acting as router set the wifi details in the AP and originally in the management pages the 2nd modem was seen as an AP and the wifi frequency used by devices on the AP was reported. Since then I think the firmware has been updated to .23 and while it seems to be working the same the 2nd modem isn't seen as an AP but just a LAN connected unknown device. Anything connected to the 2nd modem wifi is reported as LAN connected by the main router.

Bung

6505 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3009068 12-Dec-2022 15:16

I've finally got around to power cycling the 2nd modem and it is back to showing as an AP in the management pages.