CSNbbs

I would appreciate some advice:

I have a one-room studio/office about 100' from my house. It is covered in metal siding which eliminates a good signal inside. Inside I get one bar on my ATT iPhone most of the time. Outside the iPhone shows 3 bars and a wi-fi signal from the house. My cordless phone has a good signal outside, but none inside.

I have internet to this location from the house through a buried ethernet cable connected directly to my computer. I haven't set up wi-fi in the office.

I have been told that adding a cordless range extender won't help due to the metal siding. I need to get a cordless signal inside this room. What can I do?

It would also be helpful to have a stronger cell signal inside.

Please DM me if you can help or know where to go for advice. Thanks -- Guy

Guy, a trip to Fry’s would seem in order. Should be able to get an external antenna you can mount on the outside of the shed and hardwire it into a range extender on the inside.

Since you have ethernet to the shed you could use a mesh wifi system like Google WiFi with the access point in the shed connected to the ethernet.

Not so sure about the cellular connection. Some mobile providers used to offer a mini cellular access point that you connect to your home broadband network, but that seems overkill. Seems like you need to identify the nearest cell tower from your provider and install a window facing in that direction.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

You could rebuild the shed with wood siding!

(I guess that wasn’t much help, but folks already said what I might have suggested.)

Or build another, just like Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson.

Maybe it will be struck by lightning and Allstate will build you another she-shed.

(06-12-2019 08:23 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote: [ -> ]Or build another, just like Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson.

Obscure, yet apt.

(06-12-2019 10:15 AM)loki_the_bubba Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-12-2019 08:23 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote: [ -> ]Or build another, just like Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson.

Obscure, yet apt.

Had to look it up

Well, kinda like that...

There's so much expertise on this board. Thanks

Ok. Here is the cheapest solution if you know how to do it (you would also need a crimper to fix the connections)...

Ethernet uses 4 wires. Cat-5 cables are 4 twisted pairs (8 wires). If you have a wired phone signal in your home, you can connect both your internet signal and your phone signal using that one buried cable. For a few bucks, you can re-do the wiring, and then can use either a wired phone, or a new cordless phone.
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The easiest solution may be to buy a 4 port router (it could be wireless) and put it in your office, along with a device like ooma that gives you voice over IP (we've used Ooma for years, but don't use our home phone very much... cost per year is something like $25, mostly regulatory fees).
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I've got T-Mobile, and always have the option of using voice over wifi if connected, but I generally disable that since I generally get better quality using the LTE signal... all you would need to do is buy a wifi router and connect it to your buried wire, your computer to the wifi router, and connect your phone to wifi. Both AT&T and your cell phone would support voice over ip (VOIP)...I don't know the answer to that.

(06-11-2019 05:24 PM)Ricefootballnet Wrote: [ -> ]Guy, a trip to Fry’s would seem in order. Should be able to get an external antenna you can mount on the outside of the shed and hardwire it into a range extender on the inside.

(06-11-2019 09:38 PM)chrisc Wrote: [ -> ]Since you have ethernet to the shed you could use a mesh wifi system like Google WiFi with the access point in the shed connected to the ethernet.

My personal opinion is to just set up a different wifi network in your shed rather than try to use an extender or replace your home wifi. It doesn't need to be the same wifi system... The advantage to the mesh system (if it works well) is that you wouldn't have to switch back and forth between two wifi access points. My experience with an extender is not good... it seemed to cause more problems than it solved, but it is also connecting via wifi to the upstairs router.

(06-11-2019 09:38 PM)chrisc Wrote: [ -> ]Not so sure about the cellular connection. Some mobile providers used to offer a mini cellular access point that you connect to your home broadband network, but that seems overkill. Seems like you need to identify the nearest cell tower from your provider and install a window facing in that direction.

T-Mobile offered a solution like that. It is basically the same as connecting the phone via wifi, so I'm not sure how useful it really was...

(06-14-2019 03:08 PM)I45owl Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-11-2019 05:24 PM)Ricefootballnet Wrote: [ -> ]Guy, a trip to Fry’s would seem in order. Should be able to get an external antenna you can mount on the outside of the shed and hardwire it into a range extender on the inside.

(06-11-2019 09:38 PM)chrisc Wrote: [ -> ]Since you have ethernet to the shed you could use a mesh wifi system like Google WiFi with the access point in the shed connected to the ethernet.

My personal opinion is to just set up a different wifi network in your shed rather than try to use an extender or replace your home wifi. It doesn't need to be the same wifi system... The advantage to the mesh system (if it works well) is that you wouldn't have to switch back and forth between two wifi access points. My experience with an extender is not good... it seemed to cause more problems than it solved, but it is also connecting via wifi to the upstairs router.

(06-11-2019 09:38 PM)chrisc Wrote: [ -> ]Not so sure about the cellular connection. Some mobile providers used to offer a mini cellular access point that you connect to your home broadband network, but that seems overkill. Seems like you need to identify the nearest cell tower from your provider and install a window facing in that direction.

T-Mobile offered a solution like that. It is basically the same as connecting the phone via wifi, so I'm not sure how useful it really was...

I bought a small router and now have wifi in the office (shed). With just a few examples of use the AT&T wifi calling seems to work. This seems to solve one of my problems - weak mobile signal.

The other problem, getting a signal from my cordless phone into the office is unresolved. I don't understand the mechanics of modifying the Cat-6 cable to also provide a phone signal. Not sure what the connectors on each end would look like, or how to interject the phone signal into the Cat-6 cable on one end and extract it on the other.

(06-17-2019 10:32 AM)grol Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-14-2019 03:08 PM)I45owl Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-11-2019 05:24 PM)Ricefootballnet Wrote: [ -> ]Guy, a trip to Fry’s would seem in order. Should be able to get an external antenna you can mount on the outside of the shed and hardwire it into a range extender on the inside.

(06-11-2019 09:38 PM)chrisc Wrote: [ -> ]Since you have ethernet to the shed you could use a mesh wifi system like Google WiFi with the access point in the shed connected to the ethernet.

My personal opinion is to just set up a different wifi network in your shed rather than try to use an extender or replace your home wifi. It doesn't need to be the same wifi system... The advantage to the mesh system (if it works well) is that you wouldn't have to switch back and forth between two wifi access points. My experience with an extender is not good... it seemed to cause more problems than it solved, but it is also connecting via wifi to the upstairs router.

(06-11-2019 09:38 PM)chrisc Wrote: [ -> ]Not so sure about the cellular connection. Some mobile providers used to offer a mini cellular access point that you connect to your home broadband network, but that seems overkill. Seems like you need to identify the nearest cell tower from your provider and install a window facing in that direction.

T-Mobile offered a solution like that. It is basically the same as connecting the phone via wifi, so I'm not sure how useful it really was...

I bought a small router and now have wifi in the office (shed). With just a few examples of use the AT&T wifi calling seems to work. This seems to solve one of my problems - weak mobile signal.

The other problem, getting a signal from my cordless phone into the office is unresolved. I don't understand the mechanics of modifying the Cat-6 cable to also provide a phone signal. Not sure what the connectors on each end would look like, or how to interject the phone signal into the Cat-6 cable on one end and extract it on the other.

The first pic should make it obvious.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Hack-yo...one-over-/

(06-17-2019 11:14 AM)loki_the_bubba Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-17-2019 10:32 AM)grol Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-14-2019 03:08 PM)I45owl Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-11-2019 05:24 PM)Ricefootballnet Wrote: [ -> ]Guy, a trip to Fry’s would seem in order. Should be able to get an external antenna you can mount on the outside of the shed and hardwire it into a range extender on the inside.

(06-11-2019 09:38 PM)chrisc Wrote: [ -> ]Since you have ethernet to the shed you could use a mesh wifi system like Google WiFi with the access point in the shed connected to the ethernet.

My personal opinion is to just set up a different wifi network in your shed rather than try to use an extender or replace your home wifi. It doesn't need to be the same wifi system... The advantage to the mesh system (if it works well) is that you wouldn't have to switch back and forth between two wifi access points. My experience with an extender is not good... it seemed to cause more problems than it solved, but it is also connecting via wifi to the upstairs router.

(06-11-2019 09:38 PM)chrisc Wrote: [ -> ]Not so sure about the cellular connection. Some mobile providers used to offer a mini cellular access point that you connect to your home broadband network, but that seems overkill. Seems like you need to identify the nearest cell tower from your provider and install a window facing in that direction.

T-Mobile offered a solution like that. It is basically the same as connecting the phone via wifi, so I'm not sure how useful it really was...

I bought a small router and now have wifi in the office (shed). With just a few examples of use the AT&T wifi calling seems to work. This seems to solve one of my problems - weak mobile signal.

The other problem, getting a signal from my cordless phone into the office is unresolved. I don't understand the mechanics of modifying the Cat-6 cable to also provide a phone signal. Not sure what the connectors on each end would look like, or how to interject the phone signal into the Cat-6 cable on one end and extract it on the other.

The first pic should make it obvious.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Hack-yo...one-over-/

Of course someone makes an adapter. Why didn't I just assume that?
https://www.dualcomm.com/products/rj45-r...hone-lines

Great help. Thanks.a.lot!

(06-17-2019 11:30 AM)loki_the_bubba Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-17-2019 11:14 AM)loki_the_bubba Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-17-2019 10:32 AM)grol Wrote: [ -> ]The other problem, getting a signal from my cordless phone into the office is unresolved. I don't understand the mechanics of modifying the Cat-6 cable to also provide a phone signal. Not sure what the connectors on each end would look like, or how to interject the phone signal into the Cat-6 cable on one end and extract it on the other.

The first pic should make it obvious.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Hack-yo...one-over-/

Of course someone makes an adapter. Why didn't I just assume that?
https://www.dualcomm.com/products/rj45-r...hone-lines

Thanks! Step one was describing that it was possible. Step 2 was looking at what I had and whether I had the time to send something that would work. This last item makes it a lot easier... You would need two of these devices and two short cat-5/cat-6 cables.

Ordered the little splitters. Thanks again

(06-18-2019 10:03 AM)grol Wrote: [ -> ]Ordered the little splitters. Thanks again

Watch out for those little splitters -- they are devious!

(06-18-2019 10:19 AM)georgewebb Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-18-2019 10:03 AM)grol Wrote: [ -> ]Ordered the little splitters. Thanks again

Watch out for those little splitters -- they are devious!

You have to really avoid poor splitting.

(06-18-2019 02:50 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-18-2019 10:19 AM)georgewebb Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-18-2019 10:03 AM)grol Wrote: [ -> ]Ordered the little splitters. Thanks again

Watch out for those little splitters -- they are devious!

You have to really avoid poor splitting.

. . . . of infinitives?!

(06-18-2019 02:53 PM)georgewebb Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-18-2019 02:50 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-18-2019 10:19 AM)georgewebb Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-18-2019 10:03 AM)grol Wrote: [ -> ]Ordered the little splitters. Thanks again

Watch out for those little splitters -- they are devious!

You have to really avoid poor splitting.

. . . . of infinitives?!

You've got to get the joke without commenting on it. I was an English major and son of an English professor.