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Mesh WiFi for a detached garage or backyard
Updated
If the garage is within about 50 feet of a node in the house with few walls between, a node inside the garage may link over the air. If it is farther, or the walls are brick or metal, run an Ethernet cable to a node in the garage. That wired node does not care about distance.
Option 1: a node in range
eero and TP-Link both give 50 feet as the most they advise between nodes linked over the air. Two outside walls sit in that path, plus whatever the garage is made of. eero lists metal among the materials that are hard for WiFi, and a metal garage door or metal siding is a big block.
- Put a node in the house on the side that faces the garage, up off the floor. eero lists windows and other glass among things that can interfere, so test the spot before you commit.
- Put the garage node on the side facing the house, up on a shelf.
- Check the link in the app. TP-Link aims for 2 bars. On an Orbi, amber means fair and magenta means move closer.
A garage node that links poorly still gives you a weak signal. It cannot pass on more than it gets.
Option 2: a cable to the garage
Both eero and TP-Link say spacing is more flexible when nodes are wired together, because the node no longer relays the signal over the air. With a cable, the garage node works like the one in your living room. This is the most reliable way to get a shop or garage online.
A cable between buildings may need to go underground or overhead and must be rated for it. That work can fall under local building and electrical codes. Hire a licensed installer if you are unsure.
Option 3: an outdoor rated unit for the yard
Do not put an indoor node outside. eero says never to use indoor eeros outdoors, and warns that direct sun and heat hurt performance. A summer garage gets hot too, so keep the node off a sunny window sill.
For a backyard, look for a unit built for outdoors. TP-Link's Deco FAQ describes the Deco X50-Outdoor as a pole or wall mount unit with an IP65 rating that joins a Deco mesh. We have not reviewed its listing, so it is not in our picks.
Kits that fit
- TP-Link Deco X55: wired backhaul supported and three ports per node, so the garage node can also feed a wired device. Caveat: Gigabit ports only.
- NETGEAR Orbi 770: tri-band with a band for backhaul, and add-on satellites exist. Caveat: 1 year warranty on the listing.
Count the garage as part of your home in the node calculator, then compare the systems.