How to extend WiFi to a garden room

Garden rooms are a fantastic addition to your home, offering a versatile space as an office, additional living space or a hobby room. However, getting a strong WiFi signal in them can be tricky, especially if your garden room is far from your main house. Slow speeds and patchy coverage can disrupt your online meetings, streaming, or browsing. Thankfully, there are several solutions to help you extend WiFi coverage to your garden room. We’ll explore the pros and cons and likely costs of each. 

WiFi extender

A WiFi extender works by connecting to your existing WiFi network broadcast by your router, amplifying the signal to areas where coverage is weak, and then rebroadcasting the signal in the extended area. To boost the WiFi signal to your garden room, plug the extender into the mains in your home, ideally in a location that’s closer to the garden structure than your router is. You can then connect to the boosted signal. This solution is particularly effective if your garden room is within 20-30 metres of your house.

Pros

• Easy to install, often requiring no technical expertise.
• Affordable, making it a budget-friendly choice.

Cons

• Signal strength may weaken over longer distances.
• Speed can drop because the extender halves the bandwidth to retransmit the signal.
• May not work well in areas with thick walls or other physical obstructions.

Price

Expect to spend between £20 and £70 for a decent WiFi extender. Some higher-end models with additional features can cost more.

Powerline networking

Powerline networking uses your home’s electrical wiring to transmit data. You plug one adapter into a socket near your router and connect it with an Ethernet cable. A second adapter goes into the room in which you want to use it (in this case, your garden room), creating a direct connection through your electrical circuits. You can then connect your computer, TV or device to the adapter via an ethernet cable, via an additional wireless router, or some adapters even have built-in WiFi capabilities. 

Pros

• Reliable and stable connection, suitable for streaming and online gaming.
• Quick to set up.
• No need to run long cables through your garden.

Cons

• Performance depends on the quality of your electrical wiring and circuit layout.
• May struggle with very long distances or interference from high-power appliances.
• Requires available power sockets in both locations.

Price

Basic kits cost between £40 and £100. Higher-end models with better performance can exceed £120.

WiFi Point to Point (PtP)

WiFi Point to Point (PtP) is a wireless data communication method that connects two locations directly, allowing data to transfer between them, without the use of cables. The system uses two antennas to beam a wireless signal - via laser or radio frequency - between your house and garden room. It’s commonly used to create a dedicated, high-speed link between two specific points over a long distance.

Pros

• Provides a fast and stable connection, even over long distances.
• No need to bury cables or disrupt your garden landscaping.
• Handles high bandwidth activities with ease.

Cons

• Requires precise installation and alignment of antennas, which may need professional help.
• More expensive than other options.
• Requires a clear line of sight between the two antennas for optimal performance.

Price

A basic PtoP system starts at around £100. High-end systems with advanced features or greater range can easily exceed £1,000. Installation costs may add another £100-£200 if you hire a professional.

Ethernet cable

Out of all the options listed here, running an Ethernet cable directly from your router to your garden room will provide the most reliable connection. It eliminates issues like signal loss or interference, making it a great choice for bandwidth-intensive activities, like video calls, using cloud-based software applications, streaming music or playing online games. 

The best way to connect an ethernet cable is for our electrician to fit at the same time as building your garden room. You don’t want to retro trail a cable across your garden; instead, it should be buried and laid underground to protect it from the elements. This is a service we offer as standard!

If you already have a garden room and want to connect an ethernet cable, then there’s nothing stopping you doing so - it will just require some more work. 

Pros

• Fastest and most stable option for internet connectivity.
• No signal degradation over long distances, as long as the cable length is within reasonable limits (up to 100 metres for Cat5e or Cat6 cables).
• Supports high-speed connections for streaming, gaming and large file transfers.

Cons

• May require drilling through walls and likely burying the cable underground to protect it.

Price

Costs vary based on length and installation needs. Professional installation by the Outside In approved electrician, including trenching and weatherproofing, can add £350 depending on the complexity of the logistics but ensures you have a rock solid connection.

Thinking about adding your own garden room? At Outside In, we look after all the technology for you, including the option of setting up an ethernet cable as part of the build. 

Take a look at our case studies or get in touch to request a free quote.