These days, work and Wi-Fi go hand in hand for many people – especially those who recently became remote workers because of the current coronavirus pandemic. As a remote worker, we are certain you must have heard of Google WiFi before. However, if you haven’t, Google WiFi is one of the best Wi-Fi systems that offer a host of amazing features and great benefits while also keeping things affordable.
One of the benefits of using Google WiFi is that it provides its users with reliable Wi-Fi coverage throughout their homes. But here’s a burning question; is Google WiFi reliable and effective for use outdoors?
Google WiFi isn’t reliable outdoors. Apart from the fact that it isn’t rated for outdoor use, it also doesn’t have great protection from environmental factors, such as rain. However, with a couple of options, you can extend your Google WiFi network to other parts of your home, including in your garden.
With the help of wireless extenders and mesh devices, you’ll be able to extend the range of your Google Wi-Fi network. However, it’s worth noting that these devices may not work with your Google WiFi if they are not compatible. That said, in the rest of this post, we’ll be further sharing with you everything that you need to know about how you can achieve a better connection outside your home with your Google WiFi.
Can Google WIFI Be Used Outdoors?
Although Google WiFi can’t be used outdoors, you can always place an access point very close to the area (outdoor) where you want the wireless connection to reach.
Also, several devices, such as wireless WiFi extenders, out there that you can use to extend your WiFi signal to the outdoor parts of your home. With a good and compatible wireless extender, you can easily extend your Google WiFi network for outdoor use.
Speaking of wireless extenders, they are plug-in devices that help extend or broaden your Google WiFi home network coverage. Furthermore, these devices work by helping you to regenerate a signal from your router for outdoor use. However, just like many other systems, these devices also have their weaknesses.
For instance, the effectiveness of wireless extenders can be restricted or limited by a couple of factors. Some of them include the speed of your Google WiFi network inside your home, the distance of the router, your WiFi demand, and a few others.
Another problem with WiFi extenders is that they defeat the purpose of a mesh networking solution, such as that of Google WiFi. That’s so because these devices only create a separate network for your devices, not the usual mesh network solution. As earlier mentioned, there are many wireless extenders out there; however, only those that support client mode, AP client mode, ProxySTA, can work perfectly with your Google WiFi, according to Google.
How Far Can Google WiFi Reach?
OnHub was google’s previous home router before the introduction of Google WiFi in 2016. When Google WiFi was introduced, it came more like an evolution of the former system (OnHub). That said, for OnHub, you can have only a single unit, but this is not the case for Google WiFi, as you can get up to three hardware units.
Furthermore, for a single hardware unit, you only have a WiFi point capable of reaching approximately 1,200 sq. ft. However, with a set of three identical hardware units, you can get points capable of covering about 4,000 square-foot or more.
Does Google WIFI Go Through Walls?
In case you encounter bad signal coverage in your apartment, most times, the cause of the issue is poor building materials used for the walls. That said, the wall that acts as the worst WiFi signal is the type made with concrete – either with or without metal reinforcement.
Now, to the burning question of whether Google WiFi can go through walls, the answer is Yes, but this is theoretically. As mentioned earlier, in reality, it all depends on the type of wall used in your home. In some buildings, the walls might be thicker. However, in other buildings, there might be concrete acting as additional reinforcement for the wall.
In many cases, these concrete walls can hinder the penetration of Google WiFi signals. Furthermore, when you have wood or glass materials acting as the wall, Google WiFi signals can easily go through.
That said, depending on the apartment where you’re using the WiFi system, the fact remains that Google WiFi can broadcast signals in all directions. However, another problem is you might not get a very reliable signal if you have many walls lying between your access points.
How To Extend Google WIFI Outside?
In case you don’t know, there are a lot of options when it comes to extending Google WiFi outdoor. As mentioned earlier, you can always place an access point inside your home, but pretty close to the outdoor area where you want the signal connection. Apart from that, you can also take advantage of the power of wireless WiFi extenders to extend the signals outdoors.
Furthermore, you can also use a mesh router, especially if you need high speed and are looking to increase signal coverage throughout the outdoor area of your home. Although all of the aforementioned options have their advantages, it’s also worth noting that they have their weaknesses as well. For instance, the first option of placing an access point close to the outdoor area is that having a great outdoor signal is slim.
Speaking of wireless WiFi extenders, three factors can hinder their effectiveness. As mentioned earlier, they include your Google WiFi network’s speed inside your home, the distance of the router, your WiFi demand, and a few others.
In case you don’t know, WiFi extenders don’t act to improve the signal coverage in your home. Instead, it makes use of it and extends it outside to the outdoor area. That said, if your Google WiFi home signal isn’t too strong, you’ll most likely have a very weak coverage outdoors when you make use of extenders.
Surely, when extending your Google WiFi signal outdoors, using a mesh router is the best option. The problem, however, is that it’s expensive.
