[Misc] Technical solution needed. Can you help?

[Audax]

A previous ISP I was with supplied a cheap router and the wifi was dodgy in our upstairs study where I work. Initially I used powerline adapters to bring wired internet into the study and connected up to my work laptop. But then work decided to migrate us onto laptops that don't have wired internet capability. I happened to have in the loft an old BT router (also not capable of covering the whole house) that wasn't being used. I connected that BT router to the powerline extenders and used it to broadcast a second wifi network and connected my work laptop to that. Worked an absolute treat until we switched to a new ISP who provided a far, far better router that could reach the whole house.

It's not that hard to setup, and would then mean you have a wifi network in your cabin. If you don't have an old router lying around, I'm sure something could be picked up pretty cheap.

 

[Chicken Run]

This might be the most "First World Problem" I've ever read. What a faff. Can't you just mince your way down there in your dressing gown 20 minutes before you start work, and switch it on MANUALLY ?

There are people living in mud huts trudging 6-mile round trips to bring a bucket of water home on their heads.

His ‘Cabin’ is probably a mile away from the house, maybe Sim needs a Golf Cart to move about his Surrey Ranch

 

[Baldseagull]

So I work in a cabin at the bottom of my garden. It is out of range of my wifi, but I use ethernet/powerline cables to connect to the internet from my two laptops. This all works fine.

However, I also have an electric heater in this cabin. Now ideally I'd like this plugged into a smart plug in my cabin so that I can turn it on in the morning from inside the house using the wifi. Unfortunately, as I previously said, the cabin is out of wifi range so that won't work. Does anyone know of any combination of ethernet/powerline extender and smart plug that is on the market that might accomplish this?

This might do the job but I'm not sure and is out of stock anyway:
Amazon product

Thanks to anyone who can help!

Plug an access point onto one of your ethernet cables, use a PoE injector to power it if you want, you can use all your stuff on wifi then, including phone, so not using mobile data that might be costing you.

 

[KZNSeagull]

This might be the most "First World Problem" I've ever read. What a faff. Can't you just mince your way down there in your dressing gown 20 minutes before you start work, and switch it on MANUALLY ?

There are people living in mud huts trudging 6-mile round trips to bring a bucket of water home on their heads.

Good lord. Next you'll be saying that his summer house is actually a shack.

 

[ROSM]

Ha. Yes, as you know.

My eldest would turn on the heater, fire up your laptop, and spot and solve that glitch in your spreadsheet that had been annoying you for weeks.

My youngest would spot a squirrel halfway down the garden, and forget he was even on his way to the cabin, in the first place.

You have my kids as well!

 

[Simster]

This might be the most "First World Problem" I've ever read. What a faff. Can't you just mince your way down there in your dressing gown 20 minutes before you start work, and switch it on MANUALLY ?

There are people living in mud huts trudging 6-mile round trips to bring a bucket of water home on their heads.

And what if I had a garden as big as Steve Foster probably has? That's no solution is it?

 

[Bry Nylon]

This might be the most "First World Problem" I've ever read…There are people living in mud huts trudging 6-mile round trips to bring a bucket of water home on their heads.

What has this thread got to do with WALES?

 

[MJsGhost]

And what if I had a garden as big as Steve Foster probably has? That's no solution is it?

Steve Foster's garden would probably give the claim a severe test, but this should have enough oomph for your garden if you're not quite in his league (no shame in that, obvs)

Starlink | Residential

Reliable high-speed internet, wherever you live. $120/mo in most locations & hardware cost of $599.

www.starlink.com

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I use one of these to do the same thing: called a WAP = Wireless Access Point

Plug the Ethernet cable in from your Router [in the house] to the WAP [in the cabin] and then just edit the WiFi name and password on the WAP to match the Router and job's a gud 'un!

Cheaper models are available but this is duel-band and with the suggested config above will mean all devices will connect to your "home WiFi" and you can move seamlessly around your property between the two.

 

[FatSuperman]

Ha. Yes, as you know.

My eldest would turn on the heater, fire up your laptop, and spot and solve that glitch in your spreadsheet that had been annoying you for weeks.

My youngest would spot a squirrel halfway down the garden, and forget he was even on his way to the cabin, in the first place.

My 18 year old would say "what's a cabin" and then grunt, say the word 'huhhhmfff' once or twice and then go back to his pit.

 

[tstanbur]

If you’ve got an old router from a previous ISP contract lying around (or can get your hands on one) it’s quite easy to turn it into a wireless access point. Google /youtube for the make/model and you should find instructions.

This is exactly what I’ve done in my garden office that has an Ethernet feed - solid and stable wifi at no further expense. I use smart plugs in there too.

Edit : found this recent Which article which may well help.

Extend your wi-fi for free: how to turn an old router into an access point - Which? News

Got an old router gathering dust in a drawer? Power it up – we'll show you in six easy steps how to adjust its settings to improve your wi-fi signal

www.which.co.uk