Mesh wifi for the garage - BT or TP or..?

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stevewestern

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Our year old BT router is at the front of the house and works fine throughout the house, but the concrete block garage which is out at the back, about 25 - 30m from the router gets no signal.
From what I've read here is seems a mesh wifi system is what we need, and hoftwi in the last post on this thread -
www.talkphotography.co.uk

Need advice regarding extending internet range

Our broadband main socket is in the lounge,we used to get bad signal from our study but after using the broadband extenders on both my husband and mine computers,it worked fine. Recently, husband renovated the garage and turned it into a workshop as we work at home. Bought a WiFi booster,it...
www.talkphotography.co.uk www.talkphotography.co.uk

....seems happy with his TP-Link Deco -

TP-Link Deco M4 Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System, Seamless and Speedy Up to 4000 sq ft Coverage, Work with Amazon Echo/Alexa, Router and Wi-Fi Booster Replacement, Parent Control, Pack of 3: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Shop for TP-Link PC products at the Amazon.co.uk Computers & Accessories store.
www.amazon.co.uk

It is a fair bit cheaper than the BT offering -

..so is there any reason to spend the extra ? All I want is a basic connection for emails and browsing. I assume I plug one into the router, one at the back of the house and the last into the garage ?
The garage is on the same supply, but it's own ring main, which may be irrelevant here, but I expect someone will suggest a powerline which I've discounted because of this.
Thanks for any help !

Edit - just seen that BT do a mini version -

..which is even cheaper..
 
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I wouldn't bother with mesh and just fit the correct coverage of access points. The backhaul on these mesh systems is often poor. Get decent access points and they will hand off to each other seamlessly.
 
robj20 said:
I wouldn't bother with mesh and just fit the correct coverage of access points. The backhaul on these mesh systems is often poor. Get decent access points and they will hand off to each other seamlessly.
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Can you explain please - what does that mean ?
 
stevewestern said:
Can you explain please - what does that mean ?
Click to expand...
Backhaul is the connection between the mesh units - and is typically via one of three options
1) Shared WiFi - in this case, the mesh units connect via the same wifi link that you use to connect to them.
2) Separate WiFi - More expensive mesh units have a dedicated wifi link to connect to other mesh units - this means you have much more bandwith to play with and (1).
3) Physical Ethernet -You can also connect them via a physical Ethernet cable (often one uint will be connected to the router via a cable, and the rest then connect to that via wifi, but some allow multiple units to connect via physical ethernet).

I have a set of 3 Deco M9+ mesh units in a house on 3 floors. There was an existing ethernet cable from the room with the BT router (ground floor) to my Office (top floor), so I have one unit by the BT router connected via cable, one in the top floor office also connected via cable to the BT Router, and one using their dedicated WiFi at the back of the house on the ground floor.
Not a cheap solution, but it provides excellent WiFi throughout the house and out to a garden office, on a single SSID with auto device switching (so as you move about the house, your tablet will seamlessly switch to the best signal).
 
Faldrax said:
Backhaul is the connection between the mesh units - and is typically via one of three options
1) Shared WiFi - in this case, the mesh units connect via the same wifi link that you use to connect to them.
2) Separate WiFi - More expensive mesh units have a dedicated wifi link to connect to other mesh units - this means you have much more bandwith to play with and (1).
3) Physical Ethernet -You can also connect them via a physical Ethernet cable (often one uint will be connected to the router via a cable, and the rest then connect to that via wifi, but some allow multiple units to connect via physical ethernet).

I have a set of 3 Deco M9+ mesh units in a house on 3 floors. There was an existing ethernet cable from the room with the BT router (ground floor) to my Office (top floor), so I have one unit by the BT router connected via cable, one in the top floor office also connected via cable to the BT Router, and one using their dedicated WiFi at the back of the house on the ground floor.
Not a cheap solution, but it provides excellent WiFi throughout the house and out to a garden office, on a single SSID with auto device switching (so as you move about the house, your tablet will seamlessly switch to the best signal).
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Thank you Jonathan, makes some sense now !
 
twist said:
Tenda
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As in Love me Tenda, love me do ?
So, why Tenda over others, bearing in mind that all I want is a basic connection in the garage.
Also, I didn't mention in my first post but running an ethernet cable isn't an option.
 
Is the garage on the same electric wiring as the main house?

If it is homeplugs and a cheap router as an access point would do the job too.
 
sep9001 said:
Is the garage on the same electric wiring as the main house?

If it is homeplugs and a cheap router as an access point would do the job too.
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It is on the same supply to the house, but on a separate ring/fuse. I was under the impression that if on a separate ring that homeplugs weren't an option...?
 
stevewestern said:
It is on the same supply to the house, but on a separate ring/fuse. I was under the impression that if on a separate ring that homeplugs weren't an option...?
Click to expand...

Yes in that case it may not work.
 
Mikesphotaes said:
Deco is what I use and very easy to set up.
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Which model Mike - one of the cheaper ones ?
I'm leaning towards the M4 at £100, largely down to the price, and the fact that I can try and return if necessary for a better version thanks to Amazons return policy.

sep9001 said:
Yes in that case it may not work.
Click to expand...
It seems to be a slightly grey area, as there is some implication that it might if on the same supply from what I've read, though clearly best on the same ring.
Thanks to everyone for the help, it's much appreciated !
 
stevewestern said:
Which model Mike - one of the cheaper ones ?
I'm leaning towards the M4 at £100, largely down to the price, and the fact that I can try and return if necessary for a better version thanks to Amazons return policy.


It seems to be a slightly grey area, as there is some implication that it might if on the same supply from what I've read, though clearly best on the same ring.
Thanks to everyone for the help, it's much appreciated !
Click to expand...
stevewestern said:
Which model Mike - one of the cheaper ones ?
I'm leaning towards the M4 at £100, largely down to the price, and the fact that I can try and return if necessary for a better version thanks to Amazons return policy.
...
Click to expand...

Deco S4 , I got them from Amazon for £110 a few weeks ago.
 
Homeplugs will work on a separate ring/fuse. I was using one in my shed which is on a separate RCD.
 
Mine doesnt - the Shed is on a seperate RCD on the main box and uses a seperate consumer unit in the shed as we have a power circuit and light circuit.
Home plug wont work via the wiring but will try in vain to mirror the wifi out of the house.

We have a BT Mesh with one in the downstairs front directly off the router and one upstairs in the back. We have disabled the wifi from the router and seemlessly connect to the 2 Mesh units and have a reliable usable signal in the shed/bottom of the Garden 25m from the house. In theory a 3rd unit in the the shed would give perfect coverage but at the time of purchase the 2 pack was being discontinued and purchased at a bargin price that meant I could add a 3rd unit if needed and save over buying the 3 pack. We spent 8 hours watching Le Mans live via a laptop at the bottom of the garden without a break in signal so havent bothered getting the third unit
 
AgentOrange76 said:
Mine doesnt - the Shed is on a seperate RCD on the main box and uses a seperate consumer unit in the shed as we have a power circuit and light circuit.
Home plug wont work via the wiring but will try in vain to mirror the wifi out of the house.

We have a BT Mesh with one in the downstairs front directly off the router and one upstairs in the back. We have disabled the wifi from the router and seemlessly connect to the 2 Mesh units and have a reliable usable signal in the shed/bottom of the Garden 25m from the house. In theory a 3rd unit in the the shed would give perfect coverage but at the time of purchase the 2 pack was being discontinued and purchased at a bargin price that meant I could add a 3rd unit if needed and save over buying the 3 pack. We spent 8 hours watching Le Mans live via a laptop at the bottom of the garden without a break in signal so havent bothered getting the third unit
Click to expand...
Ours is too, so thanks for your reply, as it just adds to the greyness of the homeplugs option.
I think I'll see what prime day offers there are and then get some sort of mesh.
 
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