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Accessing a high speed Internet connection from a distant room can be a challenge.
Wi-Fi signals diminish with distance, and they weaken further as they pass through walls and/or floors on the way to a distant computer.
There are several ways to extend your Internet connection to a distant room. Here are the two most common methods:
1 – You can run a long Ethernet cable from your router to the distant computer, but this can be quite a job and end up producing less than desirable results.
2 – You can install either a Wi-Fi range extender or a mesh Wi-Fi system, however range extenders don’t always work as well as they should and mesh Wi-Fi systems, while being the best option available, can be costly if you choose one of the most reliable brands and models.
While either of the two methods mentioned above will work, in my opinion the best option if you only need a single wired Ethernet connection is to use an inexpensive powerline networking kit.
These devices are extremely easy to install and use…
Simply plug the Bridge unit into an unused Ethernet port on the router and the nearest electrical outlet, then plug the Switch unit into the computer and its closest outlet. You’ll have instant Internet connectivity.
Most powerline networking adapters will work anywhere within homes ranging in size from tiny to 5,000 square feet. They will even allow you to access the Internet from a detached garage or outbuilding as long as it’s relatively close to the house and powered from the same electrical panel.
The prices of modern powerline networking kit are quite reasonable. For example, at the time of this writing Amazon has several of these kits starting at $50 or less, and many of them allow you to connect up to four devices on the distant end.
If you decide to go this route I recommend getting a kit rated for 1 Gbps minimum even if your Internet plan’s download speeds are a lot lower than that. The faster rated devices simply seem to work better while also providing room to grow should you ever decide to upgrade your Internet plan (and it’s a good bet that you will at some point.
If your primary concern is blanketing your entire home with a strong WiFi signal, your best option would be to skip the powerline networking kit and opt for a good mesh WiFi system.
The better mesh systems provide at least one wired Ethernet connection per node device (wired from the computer to the node device, not to the router). That effectively gives you multiple wired connections plus strong house-wide WiFi without having to run any long Ethernet cables.
A three-node WiFi mesh system is installed in my house with one node in my home office and two additional nodes in my den and garage.
I have also installed a powerline networking kit to provide a wired connection in one of my outbuildings for connecting a networked remote printer to the router inside my office. This setup was a breeze to install and it has worked well for me for several years.
Bottom line: While it’s true that most computers and other networked devices have WiFi capability these days, there are still times when it’s necessary to use a wired Ethernet connection. All of the methods mentioned above will provide the wired connectivity that you need.
Bonus tip: As mentioned above, you can use a powerline networking kit to extend a wired Ethernet connection to a detached garage or other outbuilding as long as it’s wired to the same electrical panel that’s inside your house.
If you need more information about this topic or have questions about anything I said in this post, feel free to contact me and ask away.
Click here to check out the large selection of powerline networking kits at Amazon.