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Forum Discussion
petermorlion
Mar 27, 2023Aspirant
Will Orbi 6 work better through walls than Orbi 5?
I currently have an Orbi 5 (RBR50). It works fine in my home, but there is a smaller building separate from my house that needs internet as well. Internet there is spotty. It's never been superb, and...
- Mar 30, 2023
Oh, dear. 2m is "so close" and just screams out for an Ethernet cable between the buildings.
It was a smart move to try PowerLine. As you found out, however, there are serious limitations in that technology.
Would you happen by chance to have cable TV coax that is placed in both buildings? I have used MoCA units with great success.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_over_Coax_Alliance
It was also correct to purchase another satellite. Once you get a network connection from the primary building to the separate structure, having a "real satellite" inside the building will make a dramatic improvement in WiFi.
I would first try moving the satellite to be as close to the primary building as possible.
Some people are fortunate to have windows that face each other.
Those point to point wireless bridges are probably overkill for this situation, being rated for serious distance, which is ironically what sometimes allows them to be mounted indoors. The models that use Power over Ethernet (PoE) solve two problems: (1) getting power to an outside unit (because PoE is "low voltage" and can be run straight through an exterior wall without violating building codes, and (2) gets the network connection through the wall that has been blocking WiFi. In the US, Amazon offers a variety of models at ever price range. New Zealand may not have as many choices.
petermorlion
Jul 18, 2024Aspirant
I finally got round to trying out several options and in the end it was quite simple, as proposed in the reply I marked as answer. I moved two satellites so that they could "see" each other through windows. Before, the signal had to move through exterior walls. Now that there's a straight line between them that only passes through glass (even though they are about 5-10m further apart), it seems to be working much better.