I have a Netgear extender (WN3000RP) right now, and it's only borderline usable in the next building.  At my PC that's wired into the router -> modem, I get 17mb down.  But in the next building, I'm only getting about 1mb down on a variety of wireless devices.  I have the extender mounted up in a window that's facing the other building, which is only about 50' away, and only has 1 wall that the signal is going through.  And the devices that are connected are right on the other side of that wall.

The router I'm using is a Netgear WNDR3400v2, which is only about about 15' away from the extender in the window.  Speeds coming out of the extender are the same as the speed at the PC/router (my phone connects to the extender and I ran a speed test while right near the extender).  The extender just isn't pushing the signal far enough out for my needs.


What other extenders should I be looking at?  I'd say that $200 is the max I want to put into this.  But closer to $100 would be ideal.

Directional panel antennas.



Kinda like this.

run cat 5 over there and put another router in the other building

or if its on the same elec panel, i have used powerline ethernet adapters that worked well

I got your extender right here...

In my experience, wifi range extenders suck. Any way to run a cat 5 cable over there?

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You know... I have to agree

 

If Wifi is the only option, the directional antenna is a good idea. Are your antennas external or inside the router?

- Running cable underground would be a pain due to the rocky hillside between the buildings.
- The antenna on the router are internal.  Antennas on the extender are external.  2 little antennas.
-Different power panel.


I'm not even trying to get near the full speeds at the PC, on the extender.  But 17mb dropping to 1mb over a span of 50' with only 1 wall as an obstruction seems drastic for an "extender".  If I could even get 5mb down at the other building, that's more than adequate for my needs.



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Try the directional antennas first. May be the path of least resistance.

I just put up one of those little outdoor Ubiquiti picostation wireless access points at each location I have at work to cover the property. If you follow the instructions on Amazon, it works. I'm surprised how good it is for an $80 thing.

I've got a similar issue, trying to get cameras in another building on my property. Thinking about doing two access points set up in bridge mode with directional antennas myself. They would be dedicated to the wireless link to maximize available bandwidth, and then I was going to use a PoE switch at the remote end for IP cameras.

First, try moving it away from the window - some modern low-e windows will block more of the signal than a typically constructed wall or roof.



If you still need more, look at Ubiquiti's products.



An outdoor WAP from them might be sufficient or you could use two bridged pico stations with a wap in the remote building.



 

why not get a router that has external antennas that can be swapped for a higher db, you know longer length ones.
higher db for transmit / receive?

I had that same router you have, never did like it. got a WRT1900AC. much better getting through walls and distance.

Don't laugh - they work.  And they're cheap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWBanew1wn8

It's been said before, but find an AP with an external antenna jack.  Get an outdoor mounted omni or directional antenna.  I've installed them and they work wonderfully.

If you can find a Ubiquiti Power APN router, that thing will do 1W tx power.  Has RP-SMA connectors for the antennas.  Or, just look around for higher power routers or AP's with removable antennas.  Most of them use RP-SMA connectors.  Using directional antennas are the way to go, point them towards each other to create a link between routers.



 

I used an ancient Netgear router from my box of outdated junk to make an access point.
Beats the shit out of my attempts to find a cheap extender.
I have a TP Link extender I'll send you for free.

 
If you go the high-power AP route, be sure to use them in pairs as a bridge. If you have a standard power endpoint and a high power AP, the endpoint will be able to hear the AP yelling, but the AP will not be able to hear the whispers of the endpoint.

I guess I'll try the tinfoil directionals first and see where I'm at.

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