How to extend network to outbuilding

[Toweliechaos]

So I've just discovered that I have a working network socket (hiding in the back of a cupboard) in my summer house. I currently have a TP-Link wi-fi extender in the summer house that provides fairly limited wifi speed (e.g. at best 12mb when the house gets 50mb)

I'm on vodafone pro and already have 3 extenders in the house to provide full coverage. What can I do to make use of that network socket in the summer house to provide more than one socket (i.e. switch) and also supply the wifi signal from the main router so I get full speeds? I have a spare modem and router or two that I could repurpose. 

All help much appreciated.

I used to know all this stuff, but I've not worked in IT for years now so I'm well out of the loop.

[Ripshod]

Do you have a spare router with ap mode anywhere? Is that second socket actually connected back into your home network? You know what I'm getting at?

Even an older AC router off ebay in ap mode would be ideal for this, with the same WiFi details. Even an old netgear d7000 would do. 

[Cynric]

@Toweliechaos  Or even a PowerLine adapter if the mains cable is in good condition.

[CrimsonLiar]

If your TP-Link extender has an ethernet port, then try connecting that to the socket in the cupboard and back to the router.  Most TP-Link extenders will use wire backhaul given the opportunity.  Once you know that works you can play with the other extenders if you like.  Unless you have granite or thick concrete walls, or it a very large house 3 extenders inside the house is possibly too much WiFi!

[Toweliechaos]

The network socket on a powerline is for providing network throughput from the powerline i.e. you plug your laptop into that socket to get the wired network. If I plug a network cable into that from the main network socket, that will be the powerline trying to send network signals to the network, not wired backhaul (unless I've fundamentally misunderstood how these powerline things work?).

[Jayach]

---

@Toweliechaos wrote:

f I plug a network cable into that from the main network socket, that will be the powerline trying to send network signals to the network, not wired backhaul (unless I've fundamentally misunderstood how these powerline things work?).

---

I think you may have, most of these kind of device will check on power up for a DHCP connection on the Ethernet, and if found switch themselves to be Wi-Fi access points.

Don't know about the TP-Link, but one way to find out will be to give it a go.

And, yes, your original post didn't mention powerline, I assumed it was just a booster. 

[Toweliechaos]

So I tried to use my Zyxel in Bridge mode with the cable plugged into the WAN socket, but I could not get the Zyxel to accept the Bridge mode settings for some reason.

However, I re-tried the WPA4220 (which had previously done nothing) and now it seemed to be active. Bit of fiddling around with the sys page for it and by the end I had the wireless signal pumping out roughly the same speed as the main router. At this point, I decided to put the Zyxel back in the loft! Hopefully the adapter will continue to behave and not drop its connection as it was prone to previously when not backhauled.

Thanks for the suggestions and help.

[CrimsonLiar]

Which Zyxel router?  Confusingly Zyxel has used the term "bridge" to describe using their devices as modems and as APs (access points).  So following the wrong guide won't get a Zyxel to do what you are expecting it to do.

Also, maybe you should describe your whole network as it's starting to sound like a Frankenstein network!

[Toweliechaos]

It's a Zyxel VMG8924-B10A. I'm not entirely convinced it will act as would be required though.

As for the network - you asked!

• Vodafone router connected to phone line (whatever the latest version is)
• 1Gb switch connected to router for internal network points in the house (sadly not all working* now, thanks to rodents I would guess)
• TP Link TL-PA4010P off the router
• 3 x Vodapro boosters around the house, all backhauled using TL-PA4010 adapters
• Exterior - have now discovered a network cable in their as previously described and have a TL-WPA4220 plugged in and backhauled via that cable. The network sockets in there are also all now defunct

*a socket tester only returns some lights, not all, suggesting cabling deterioration

It's a fairly large but stone-built house with excellent insulation, hence needing 3 boosters to actually provide wifi in all rooms of the house. 

[Cynric]

@Toweliechaos That's an old Zyxel model as dished out by a number of ISPs. It'll be unlikely to do much, I have one of a different Zyxel model and it's OK only if you don't want to do anything complicated - but it's still better than the THG3000.