TJ in KY
Member
I decided to go with a power line extender and got a TP-link AC1200 WIFI Range Extender for a little over $100.
I followed the directions and plugged it in the same circuit (at the house)and paired the two units and it worked anywhere in the house. Then I took it to the barn and nothing. There is a shop building between the barn and the house and I plugged it in there and it worked. (all buildings are on the same transformer)
My feed comes in from the transformer and splits to the house and the shop (about 100 Ft apart). There is a breaker box in the shop and a 30 amp breaker feeds the barn (about 200 feet additional)
I apologize if I am not using all the right terms. I remember reading (not in the instructions) that both sender and receiver need to be on the same leg of the power line feed. So at the shop we put the breaker for the barn on the other side of the box (different leg) and it still did not work.
So then my son and I stretched out about 150 feet of extension cords toward the barn and it worked, but still would not work at the barn.
The 10 gauge wire from the shop to the barn is on its own 30 amp breaker. So (I know it is probably not legal) I tapped the feed to the breaker box in the barn and put an outlet in there before it feeds the main breaker. And it all worked. The breaker in the shop on feed to the barn will protect the single outlet for the WI-FI extender.
I don’t know why it would not work but the signal would have had to go thru 3 main breakers (house shop and barn) and when we took one of the main breakers out of the mix it worked. I did try it on both legs of the breaker box at the barn and it did not work
When it was in the shop 24 ‘by 36’ we had Wi-Fi everywhere, good strong signal. At the barn 40’ by 60’ had a good strong signal also. There is an addition to the barn about 24’ by 40’ with a partial wall (metal) and the signal was one bar less but still worked.
Thanks for all the suggestions and help. This is a temporary situation where I wanted Wi-Fi at the barn for the next 4 months or so for some temporary living arrangements.
I followed the directions and plugged it in the same circuit (at the house)and paired the two units and it worked anywhere in the house. Then I took it to the barn and nothing. There is a shop building between the barn and the house and I plugged it in there and it worked. (all buildings are on the same transformer)
My feed comes in from the transformer and splits to the house and the shop (about 100 Ft apart). There is a breaker box in the shop and a 30 amp breaker feeds the barn (about 200 feet additional)
I apologize if I am not using all the right terms. I remember reading (not in the instructions) that both sender and receiver need to be on the same leg of the power line feed. So at the shop we put the breaker for the barn on the other side of the box (different leg) and it still did not work.
So then my son and I stretched out about 150 feet of extension cords toward the barn and it worked, but still would not work at the barn.
The 10 gauge wire from the shop to the barn is on its own 30 amp breaker. So (I know it is probably not legal) I tapped the feed to the breaker box in the barn and put an outlet in there before it feeds the main breaker. And it all worked. The breaker in the shop on feed to the barn will protect the single outlet for the WI-FI extender.
I don’t know why it would not work but the signal would have had to go thru 3 main breakers (house shop and barn) and when we took one of the main breakers out of the mix it worked. I did try it on both legs of the breaker box at the barn and it did not work
When it was in the shop 24 ‘by 36’ we had Wi-Fi everywhere, good strong signal. At the barn 40’ by 60’ had a good strong signal also. There is an addition to the barn about 24’ by 40’ with a partial wall (metal) and the signal was one bar less but still worked.
Thanks for all the suggestions and help. This is a temporary situation where I wanted Wi-Fi at the barn for the next 4 months or so for some temporary living arrangements.