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Is there an extender with external antenna that works with RBR40 router with RBW30 satellites
I have a pole barn for mechanical repair, welding projects, work benches. The building is grounded all metal walls and roof, concrete floor, no windows. I spend a lot of time in this building and would like to have a dependable wifi signal. During nice weather I can open the door and get a good wifi signal from my Orbi satellite in the nearby garage. During unfavorable weather with the door closed I cannot get a wifi signal. Years ago before Orbi, I had a Linksys router that my Netgear Extenders EX6100 and EX3700 would connect to. I drilled a hole in the steel wall and stuck an extender antenna out the hole and it worked great. Neither of these extenders will work with my Orbi system. I have not been able to identify an extender with external antenna that works with my Orbi system. In a perfect world I could buy a Orbi satellite with an optional external antenna to stick out the hole in the wall, however, no such thing. Can anyone suggest an extender with antenna that is simple to connect to an Orbi RBR40 router with RBW30 satellites? Simple is key, I'm not a skilled IT Tech. Best Regards, Ward
Maybe running an ethernet cable from the satellite in my garage to an access point in the pole barn would provide the most reliable wifi service to the pole barn. I have an old Netgear EX6100 that can be used as a hard-wired access point. However, running a wire will be a chore. Drilling through the garage wall, channeling under a concrete sidewalk with a water hose hooked to some 3/4" conduit, coming up through a concrete floor in the lawn shed. Once I get that far I have a conduit from the shed to the pole barn I can run the wire through. It even has a 15 year old chalk line string in the conduit to pull the ethernet wire. Hopefully it's not rotten and will take the stress of pulling the new wire through. Years ago I enjoyed the challenge of doing something like this. Now that I'm in my mid 70s it's more work than play, once I get on my knees .... it's hard to get back up standing. :-( Yeah, boo hoo, whoa is me ..... getting old sucks but it beats the alternative. One of my favorite quotes: "The spirit never ages, it's the body that ages, failing the spirit" George Harrison.
4 Replies
Hi Ward! Thanks for sharing the details about your setup. It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this.
Given your requirements and the need for simplicity, I understand why you're looking for an extender that works seamlessly with your Orbi system. Unfortunately, as you've discovered, Orbi systems are designed to work best with their own satellites rather than third-party extenders. This is because using an extender can create a separate SSID and potentially cause interference or connectivity issues.
However, if you're set on using an extender, you might want to consider the Netgear EX6150 extender, which is known to work with Orbi systems. While it doesn't have an external antenna, you could potentially use a USB Wi-Fi adapter with an external antenna to extend the signal Marlboro Points Rewards
Alternatively, you might want to explore the Orbi Outdoor RBS50Y satellite, which is designed to extend your Wi-Fi outside and can handle harsh weather conditions. It doesn't have an external antenna, but it might provide the coverage you need without the need for an extender
If it was me? And I spent a lot of time in a building and wanted a reliable signal?
I'd pickup a half decent point to point system from amazon. If you're needing faster speeds, I'd get a 5ghz based one but a 2.4ghz would work for basic needs. They can be picked up pretty reasonable and work great on the point to point part of it. You'd put one on the house and one on the exterior of your building. Then run the cable indoors and connect an orbi satellite. The version you have is pretty old and you can get satellites pretty reasonably used.
That'd make for a rock solid system with using the same ssid and great coverage.
Or bury an underground cable and be done with it 🙂
Maybe running an ethernet cable from the satellite in my garage to an access point in the pole barn would provide the most reliable wifi service to the pole barn. I have an old Netgear EX6100 that can be used as a hard-wired access point. However, running a wire will be a chore. Drilling through the garage wall, channeling under a concrete sidewalk with a water hose hooked to some 3/4" conduit, coming up through a concrete floor in the lawn shed. Once I get that far I have a conduit from the shed to the pole barn I can run the wire through. It even has a 15 year old chalk line string in the conduit to pull the ethernet wire. Hopefully it's not rotten and will take the stress of pulling the new wire through. Years ago I enjoyed the challenge of doing something like this. Now that I'm in my mid 70s it's more work than play, once I get on my knees .... it's hard to get back up standing. :-( Yeah, boo hoo, whoa is me ..... getting old sucks but it beats the alternative. One of my favorite quotes: "The spirit never ages, it's the body that ages, failing the spirit" George Harrison.
An ethernet wire IS the best option if you have it. Might try pulling a newer chalk/nylon string though with that old chalk line before pulling heavier wire :) Might save you some cursing. I have seen someone use a vacuum to suck a new line through a conduit before if you run into issues with the old line.
But again, if you've got the wire, an awesome option. Just make sure it isn't further than 300 ft. Thats all ethernet is rated for.
