6 ways to improve wi-fi in the garden or outdoors

If you're working on your laptop in the sunshine, streaming media for a gathering in your garden, making a video call outside or anything else that's a bit too far from your router, your wi-fi might not be up to the task.

Weak signals ruin the enjoyment of taking devices outside, which could mean you end up relying on mobile data or just giving up and going back inside.

However there are several fixes you can try that will boost your signal and allow you to keep your whole property networked from corner to corner – including an option that costs nothing at all. 

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1. Change your router band and channel – free fix to try first

Pros 

• It costs nothing
• You can do it immediately
• Ideal if you live in a busy area with lots of people around

Cons 

• It won't help if the problem is due to insufficient hardware or slow service from your provider
• It can be difficult if you aren't used to changing your router settings
• You could make the problem worse if you pick a busier channel
• Not possible on all devices

This advice is useful for more than just using your wi-fi outside; it's an evergreen tip to help boost your speed and improve your connection. To avoid signals getting congested, routers use different channels, 2.4GHz routers can use 11 channels, 5GHz routers can use 45 and 6GHz routers can use 59.

Changing the wi-fi channel is the first thing you should try if you're getting poor wi-fi speeds. You can do this in the settings page – open a web browser and type your router's IP address into the address bar. You should be able to find this on the back of your router. However, an easier option is simply to turn the router off, wait a couple of minutes and turn it back on again. It should then choose a less crowded channel automatically.

If that doesn't work, inside that settings page you'll also be able to change your router band. You should be able to choose between the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies (unless it's an older single-band device), and in some rare cases the 6GHz frequency. 

2.4GHz offers better range – ideal for getting signal in your garden. However, the 5GHz band is faster and less crowded, so if this band is working well for you, stick with it. For the most modern devices, a 6GHz frequency may be included. This provides even faster possible speeds, but poorer coverage.

Read our router reviews to find out which internet service provider offers the best free router, as well as which third-party routers offer the fastest connections.

2. Buy a wi-fi extender – a cheap and easy way to boost wi-fi in a specific location

Pros

• Ideal if your modem and router are positioned in an inconvenient spot in your home
• A quick fix which requires minimal set up
• Cheaper potential fix

Cons 

• Must be within coverage range of your router
• An extender can reduce your network speed

A wi-fi extender typically plugs into the mains and then repeats your router's signal. It's a good, quick fix to boost your coverage if your modem and/or router are placed at the other end of your home.

A wi-fi extender isn't going to radically change the coverage of your network, but a strategically placed one can improve the service of nearby connected devices. If you're relying on a signal emitted from an extender, you'll probably be getting more modest speeds than you could if you were near the router.

You can place a wi-fi extender near your door if the router is at the other end of the house, or ideally at a midway point between the router and the device you want to use. 

A solid extender needn't cost a lot – we've uncovered good models for less than £30, including the budget friendly TP-Link RE315.

Read all our wi-fi extender reviews to find alternative models and see which get our Best Buy and Great Value recommendations.

3. Mesh systems – complete home wi-fi

Pros 

• The most thorough way to provide whole-home coverage and beyond
• Largely reduces differences in wi-fi quality in different spots around your home
  

Cons 

• Can be fiddly to set up at first
• Typically expensive (especially two-pack and three-pack versions)

A mesh system is a much more powerful way of boosting your network coverage compared to a wi-fi extender.

It's made up of different 'nodes' that are positioned around your house – rather like taking your router, splitting it into two, three or more separate routers, and spacing them about.

A mesh system works as one system to keep your network running, but rather than your data coming and going from one point (your router), data will be sent and received from the nearest node. They're ideal if one router is struggling to cover your whole house. In the summer, a node placed near the garden will increase the quality of service within a perimeter around that node. 

You'll pay around £100 per node for most mesh systems. They're the best way to extend your coverage – and our lab tests have shown that they're highly capable of giving you reception in outside areas. But if it's only your garden reception you're struggling with, a simple and cheaper wi-fi extender might be enough for a garden bash or for watching your favourite streaming service outdoors. 

Mesh systems such as the Netgear Orbi RBK853 Mesh Wi-fi 6 also provide lots of ethernet ports, allowing you to use this method of connection in remote areas of your home. 

Read and compare all our mesh system reviews to find the right model to help you boost coverage and speed around your whole home. 

4. Use an ethernet cable – simple, cheap and effective

Pros 

• Creates a high-quality and stable connection between your router and another device
• Cheap solution

Cons 

• Creates a messy wired connection
• Some devices don't have compatible ports

An ethernet cable is a thick wire that connects your router to another device. This wired connection is a brilliant way to get the fastest possible network speeds from your broadband and router to another device. 

It's stable because wireless signals are replaced by data transmitted through the cable at an exceptionally fast speed – making it a great solution for uninterrupted streaming and gaming. It also eliminates the issue of distance. You can get ethernet cables of different lengths, but if one end is connected to the other, the physical distance of a router and a device is irrelevant. 

The problem? Ethernet cables are clumsy, they require a device with a LAN port and they remove the convenience of a wireless connection. But if you're using a device with a compatible port and you don't mind running a cable from indoors to outdoors, it's a quick solution guaranteed to end the issue of wireless signals struggling to travel to your garden.

Ethernet cables can be fairly cheap and you should be able to pick one up for around £10. 

5. Buy a powerline adaptor – good in the right circumstances

Pros 

• Useful for creating connections far away from your router
• Relatively cheap solution

Cons 

• Condition of the electrical wiring of your property can determine effectiveness
• Requires outdoor spaces to be on the same circuit

A powerline adaptor uses your electricity cabling to convey broadband from one spot to another. One adaptor gets plugged into the mains and connected to your router with an ethernet cable, and another gets plugged into the mains elsewhere. Then client devices are plugged into that adaptor to access the internet. 

This is handy if your router is very far away from your devices and you need to establish a strong connection – and while you'll need any plug you use outdoors to be on the same circuit as your home, a plug close to the outside area can make for an effective solution alongside an ethernet cable. 

Some adaptors can also create a wireless network, working like wi-fi extenders, rather than using ethernet cables. 

Read more about powerline adaptors to see if they could be the right solution for you.

6. Buy point-to-point wi-fi – a pricey but long-term solution

Pros

• The best way to establish wi-fi in two separate buildings on the same property (for example a home and a shed)

Cons

• Complicated and time-consuming and to set up
• Expensive

Wi-fi point-to-point (P2P) is a great long-term solution if you want to connect a shed, outhouse, or any kind of other garden building to your home network. 

A wired device close to your modem is mounted at a vantage point, such as an antenna, and it needs a clear line of sight to a receiver device – a second antenna. From this second antenna, a LAN cable is used to connect it to devices in the second space. This eliminates the need to run a cable from one structure to another.

This is a complicated method that may require a professional installer. But it's a long-term solution that will create a network between two different buildings. The nodes themselves range in cost from around £30 to £300, but if professional installation is needed then it's the most expensive option we've listed here. 

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