Re: Outdoors coverage

WPJoe · ‎2020-05-31

Hi I was hoping someone might have a recommendatioin.

I currently have an Orbi RBR50. It covers my house fairly well. A couple of areas where the signal is weaker, but basically its fine.

I want to extend the coverage out into my yard. My deck and yard are not very far from the main Orbi router. My deck is about 15 feet away and the yard is another 30 feet.

I was thinking of getting the Orbi Outdoor Extender. But then I wondered, for a littl emore I can get something like the RBK53 or one of the units thats made to cover a larger home than mine. I guess that would provide a stronger signal in parts of my house and also, even though its going through a wall, provide signal further into my yard (which is not that far from the router location).

Is it worth spending a little more to just get a new stronger Orbi system for my house, with the idea that it should penetrate further into the yard as well? How much benefit would my 2500 sq ft home likely see from a 7500 sq ft Orbi product? Or will I see minimal benefit from something like that and I should just get the outdoor extender?

Thanks for any advice.

CrimpOn · ‎2020-05-31

@WPJoe wrote:
I currently have an Orbi RBR50. It covers my house fairly well. A couple of areas where the signal is weaker, but basically its fine.
I want to extend the coverage out into my yard. My deck and yard are not very far from the main Orbi router. My deck is about 15 feet away and the yard is another 30 feet.

The RBS50Y is the only WiFi unit that is rated for outdoor use. It appears to be "sealed" to prevent water getting in and is designed to mount to a wall and be "locked" to deter people from walking off with it. (Nothing will stop someone who is determined, but this is pretty close.)

You are correct that an indoor Orbi satellite located immediately next to the exterior wall will broadcast quite a bit to the outside. It will also cost a lot less than the RBS50Y. Even better, set it up in a windows (non-metallic glass, of course).

"RBK53" is the number of a "package" consisting of one RBR50 router and one RBS50 satellite. Since you have one router already, the router in such a package will become a "spare" because it cannot be deployed as a "statellite".

WPJoe · ‎2020-05-31

thanks for this reply - of course that makes sense. So since I already have the RBR50 as my main router, its not clear that thee is an obvious router upgrade that will meaningfully extend and address this issue right? in that case I should probably go in the direction of the outdoors WIFI mesh extender?

I guess what I am wondering is, is there a more powerful router in this lineup than the RBR50 that would both 1) bring meaningful benefit to the WIFI in my house (I have fios gigabit) and also 2) provide better coverage on my adjacent deck/yard.

CrimpOn · ‎2020-05-31

@WPJoe wrote:
I guess what I am wondering is, is there a more powerful router in this lineup than the RBR50 that would both 1) bring meaningful benefit to the WIFI in my house (I have fios gigabit) and also 2) provide better coverage on my adjacent deck/yard.

"More powerful" is strange concept. Every country regulates the maximum radio WiFi signal, taking into consideration the design of the antenna and frequency. Orbi broadcasts at the maximum power allowed in each country. It is not likely that there will be a WiFi router that covers a significantly larger area.

Adding an Orbi satellite adjacent to the wall is the simplest solution (as long as it is at least 25-30 ft. away from the base router) .

It keeps your WiFi "one system" with one SSID (name) and password.

That's the reason mesh systems are so popular.

There are dozens of less expensive "WiFi extenders" which can be used to extend range. Most will create a new SSID which means that you have to know which WiFi you want to use at any given time. For a geek such as myself, that's not especially difficult. For the family... not gonna happen.

WPJoe · ‎2020-06-01

thanks - the specific question I have is a little different.

My router is already the piece of my setup that is closest to the outdoor area.

I cant put a setallite there that would be 30 feet away - it would only me like 5-10 feet away.

So I am wondering whether I would get a lot of benefit if I just upgraded the Orbi system itself to a stronger router (I think they have routers that are intended to cover larger areas than the RBR50) and then maybe that router would give the coverage needed in the adjacent yard?

But I dont know if thats realistic...

CrimpOn · ‎2020-06-01

@WPJoe wrote:
So I am wondering whether I would get a lot of benefit if I just upgraded the Orbi system itself to a stronger router (I think they have routers that are intended to cover larger areas than the RBR50) and then maybe that router would give the coverage needed in the adjacent yard?.

I really do think that router "coverage" is a function of the transmission power and the antenna shape. Transmission power is strictly regulated, so there will not be router with "more power". There are WiFi devices with "directional" antennas specifically intended to broadcast in one direction. You might be able to find one of those to use as a WiFi "extender" and mount it on a wall outside.

Sorry I don't have any better ideas.