How to extend WiFi to your garden

First things first: make sure that the problem is in fact your WiFi signal, and not your broadband speed. These are two different things. Speed is determined by the service offered by your broadband provider. WiFi refers to the radio waves that deliver that service to your internet-enabled devices. So is it speed or WiFi?

You’ll know if speed’s the problem if you’re getting poor internet service both inside – where you’re closest to your router – and outside. In this instance, you might want to look for a new broadband package with better speeds. This can help to improve your online experience, wherever you are at home.

However, if you’re experiencing a good service indoors, but you’re struggling to stay connected when you’re using your devices outside, WiFi is likely to be the issue. In this case, you’ll need to know how to boost your WiFi signal so that you’re able to connect to your internet when you’re in the garden.

Whether you're looking to work from your outdoor office or stream movies for the family in the garden, here are some helpful tips on how to improve WiFi to your outdoor spaces:

1. Move your router

The first thing you should try is moving your router closer to where you want to connect from outdoors. Signal strength is strongest closest to the router. If your router is in your living room at the front of the house, and you’re trying to access WiFi from your shed at the back of the house, you may struggle. Positioning your router closer to the garden is a quick, zero-cost method to try out.

2. Upgrade your router

If your router is now quite old, it’s possible that it’s not able to extend your WiFi as far as you need it to. This may be because the antenna has become damaged or worn over time, so it’s unable to perform as well as it once could. It could also be because your router is using older WiFi standards that have a shorter range than the more advanced hardware powered by the latest tech.

3. Plug in a broadband extender

A broadband extender is a simple plug-in device that takes the WiFi signal coming from your router and re-sends it from the extender’s location. This means that, if you place an extender halfway between your router and your garden, you should see improved signal, because the WiFi is being rebroadcast part way through its journey. This may result in a slight reduction in speed.

4. Use a mesh WiFi system

You may find that a broadband extender doesn’t quite do the job. In that case, a mesh WiFi system is the next option to explore. This creates a web of WiFi connectivity between multiple nodes placed around your home. By placing nodes in areas of your home closest to your garden, you should notice a difference in your outdoor WiFi signal. Just remember not to place nodes outside unless they’re weather-proof.

5. Change the frequency

Some routers are able to use two frequency bands for WiFi: 2.4 and 5 GHz. A lot of the time, people prefer to use the 5 GHz frequency because of improved performance and speed. However, the 2.4 GHz frequency typically offers a longer range. So if you have a dual-band router, and you’re willing to sacrifice a little performance and speed for a stronger outdoor signal, then this is something to try.

If you’re keen to work from a nice sunny spot in your garden, or chill out and stream Netflix from your summerhouse, have you considered not using WiFi at all? If you’re having trouble connecting from the garden, you might want to look into forming a wired connection using an ethernet cable.

This will generally offer the most reliable connection to your outdoor space. But as you’ll need a cable running from your device to your router, make sure you lay it carefully so it’s not a hazard.

How far your WiFi is able to extend from the router depends on the wireless standards that your router uses. Generally, most routers should be capable of extending WiFi 120 feet indoors, and 300 feet outdoors. It can travel further outdoors as there are fewer physical barriers like walls and doors.

However, with every new wireless standard comes some degree of range improvement. For example, WiFi 5 routers are typically able to extend WiFi further than their WiFi 4 and WiFi 3 counterparts. Now, with the launch of WiFi 6 routers like the Hub 5, WiFi range is becoming even longer.

By following the tips above, you should be able to extend WiFi to your garden. But it’s likely you’ll still notice that the signal isn’t quite as strong as it is inside. That’s completely normal. WiFi signal will almost always be weaker outside than it is inside. And it happens for three separate reasons:

1. Distance

You can’t place your router outside, so you’re never going to be able to use your device while sitting right next to it. You need to be within one metre of your router to see optimal WiFi signal strength.

2. Obstacles

If you’re trying to connect from inside a shed or summerhouse, remember that the signal has to go through the walls of your house, and the walls of your shed, getting weaker with every obstacle.

3. Interference

While there can be lots of things inside that can interfere with WiFi signal, there are plenty of sources of external interference, too, like brick garden walls, trees, sunspots and even rain.

WiFi signal is measured in decibels relevant to a milliwatt (dBm), on a scale from 0 (best) to -100 (worst). Ideally, you should be looking for a signal strength of at least -67 dBm in your garden. This should allow you to carry out basic activities like checking your email. To stream films or do any other high-bandwidth activities, you should be looking for a strength of -50 to -60 dBm in your garden.

Extending your WiFi into the garden doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether you opt for a simple router repositioning or invest in a mesh system, there’s a solution to suit every setup. And if you’re ready to supercharge your entire home network – indoors and out – upgrading to one of Virgin Media’s latest broadband packages could be the game-changer you’re looking for.

With cutting-edge WiFi 6 technology available in our Hub 5, faster speeds, and even mesh-compatible options, you’ll be better equipped to stay connected wherever you are – from the sofa to the summerhouse.

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