23
votes
Ethernet + wifi to make one network
Don't use "extenders". Buy a WiFi mesh system such as Eero. If the cables in your house are at least Cat5, connect the mesh nodes to one another with the cables for even better performance....
- 25.5k
15
votes
Getting internet to second floor without running a cable we have Wi-Fi but the upstairs computer does not have Wi-Fi
There are a number of ways to do this:
Power line adapters - I have used these a few times. They piggyback a network signal on the electrical wiring. One adapter connects to your router and the other ...
14
votes
Detecting mail in the mailbox, too far for WIFI
I have two suggestions that seem, to me, to be very simple:
Walk to the mailbox to check for mail. Very few people get enough exercise, so a few extra laps will, most likely, be beneficial. Of course,...
- 37.3k
14
votes
Adding wifi router next to structured media enclosure
If the builder put that structured media enclosure in place, then they obviously provided at least a few runs of inside wire (Cat 5/6/etc). Might as well put it to use.
Because those wiring ...
- 5,833
10
votes
Accepted
Should I have cat6 and wireless installed in my house to be built?
I bought a pro-sumer wifi unit for about $300 on Amazon (Amplifi is the brand and came with 2 repeaters). It's low configuration and self-meshes with repeaters for total coverage. It's overkill for a ...
- 22.6k
10
votes
Detecting mail in the mailbox, too far for WIFI
This driveway alert is what I use. Put the sensor in the box, and it will beep when the mail carrier opens the door. My mailbox is 600 feet away.
- 556
10
votes
Ethernet + wifi to make one network
You can think of this as being one of three potential ways to set up - Extenders, Access Points or Mesh… so, as simply & non-technically as I can explain it…
The difference between an Extender ...
- 7,260
9
votes
Detecting mail in the mailbox, too far for WIFI
There's a very simple, non-electronic solution to this.
A large, typically spring-loaded (could also be gravity/counterweighted) flap or flag, (can't make the mailbox too hard to open or you violate ...
- 166k
9
votes
Getting internet to second floor without running a cable we have Wi-Fi but the upstairs computer does not have Wi-Fi
If the non-wifi computer has a USB port, you could use a USB-Wifi dongle. The dongle contains a two-way radio (just like a wifi-enabled computer) to connect to the wifi signal. Plug the dongle into ...
- 1,592
6
votes
Accepted
How can I make my home internet router work with a battery?
Get a UPS
No, not that UPS. An uninterruptible power supply, also known as a battery backup. This is a box that takes normal AC (e.g., 110-120V in the US) and uses it to charge a battery and power ...
6
votes
Detecting mail in the mailbox, too far for WIFI
There are rf-solutions that have further range than wifi though at lower bandwidth (not an issue for a yes/no issue like yours). For example LoRa, individual modules are available that you could work ...
- 9,282
6
votes
Ethernet + wifi to make one network
The existing Ethernet cables are definitely of use to Wi-Fi, if you add Wi-Fi access points at the end of the cable.
Wi-fi-capable routers can be set to act as non-routing "Wi-Fi access points&...
- 2,666
5
votes
light switch conversion 3 gang to 1 gang
The simplest way is to install blanks into the unneeded openings, they are commercially available:
- 546
5
votes
Tungsten wattage vs resistive wattage for Smart WiFi outlets?
Tungsten loads have inrush issues resistive loads don't
Tungsten (incandescent/filament) light bulbs have a positive temperature coefficient of resistance. This means that as the bulb heats up ...
- 78k
5
votes
Can I enhance Wi-Fi with a parabolic reflector?
Maybe, but there are lots of details about digital signal processing that are more complicated than just using a reflector.
Luckily, one of them is a simple off-the-shelf solution: your antenna. Most ...
- 9,042
5
votes
Accepted
Can I enhance Wi-Fi with a parabolic reflector?
It can work. It works much better if there are no obstructions in the beam path - using a reflector or other beam-concentrating antenna does not make "the problems with trees and buildings in the ...
- 166k
5
votes
Help on Wifi Thermostat Wiring Guide
You'll need a WiFi controller specific to your make and model of air conditioner
Your air conditioner is of a type called a "mini-split", which generally uses a proprietary protocol between ...
- 78k
4
votes
Why did my switch spark when I installed it in a metal junction box?
Don't downgrade to a plastic box. Metal boxes are better and what's more, they are often essential in distributing grounding to other boxes. Further in some cities (e.g. Chicago) they are required ...
4
votes
light switch conversion 3 gang to 1 gang
Get a switch plate that has 2 blank spaces in it, like this one (link for illustration only, not a recommendation):
- 8,714
4
votes
Can I buy a 24v transformer with a dedicated common c-wire feed?
Um, I don't know where you got the term "power stealing". What you describe as that, is exactly the normal way to do that thing, and the right way... unless you are aware of some capacity issue on ...
4
votes
How do I connect a WiFi enabled wall switch?
The problem you have is that your current switch is wired as a switch loop. This means that a hot lead comes into the switch box and a switched hot lead leaves the box. There is no neutral wire in a ...
- 33.5k
4
votes
Wifi light switch needs neutral wire. Why? AND Can that wire be a skinny one?
Because unlike a normal switch, the wifi switch needs power, so it needs a neutral wire to complete a circuit at the switch between the unswitched hot wire and neutral for that power.
The neutral ...
- 166k
4
votes
Wifi light switch needs neutral wire. Why? AND Can that wire be a skinny one?
That is correct. In the mains power world, we have 3 wires.
EQUIPMENT SAFETY GROUND/EARTH which is not used for anything ever (except during a fault condition, of course)...
HOT which is what ...
4
votes
My first home network Cat 5e, fiber 1 gig internet
Although it is true that Ethernet is bidirectional, it is still necessary that the packets from your fiber bridge reach the router before going to your other devices (and visa versa). This is because ...
- 11.1k
4
votes
Accepted
Connect 3 black wires to new switch
The line wires are the two black wires going into the bottom of your old switch. Cut, strip and connect those to the line wire from your smart switch with a wire nut. The load wire is the one going ...
- 69k
4
votes
Adding wifi router next to structured media enclosure
if your router has screw in antennas (or a spot to connect one) you can use a wifi antenna extension cable. (or buy an antenna with such a cable attached)
That way the router can remain inside the ...
- 9,282
4
votes
Accepted
2-pole wifi circuit breaker?
This is clearly an X-Y problem. You are trying to use a circuit breaker as a switch (which is in and of itself OK as most branch circuit breakers are switch-rated) and then throw remote access on top. ...
3
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to access an internet enabled cctv camera only over wifi
You should be able to access it over WiFi, and most require you to set them up via a local network. To disable internet viewing, you simply block the IP from outside access (use a static IP for the ...
- 2,302
3
votes
Should I have cat6 and wireless installed in my house to be built?
I would suggest you go for the conduit option suggested by others and negotiate on it with the builder. Go price the conduit and boxes for yourself so you can reliably say "materials for what I want ...
- 508
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible