WiFi range to nestbox cams
Discussion
On Virgin broadband
have two wifi nestboxes in garden about 25ft and 45ft from rear of house
The netgear AC1200 which is in a covered extn about 30ft from the virgin box appears it does talk to the box, but not the nest boxes, which are now about 15ft and 35ft from it both are nearly line of site from it Has been like it since may but can now only get to the boxes to clean them out etc power to both is ok
Is there a n extender/booster that has a better range than this available, or should i start faffing about resiting the netgear?
Any gardenbirders into nextbox cams out there with suggestions
have two wifi nestboxes in garden about 25ft and 45ft from rear of house
The netgear AC1200 which is in a covered extn about 30ft from the virgin box appears it does talk to the box, but not the nest boxes, which are now about 15ft and 35ft from it both are nearly line of site from it Has been like it since may but can now only get to the boxes to clean them out etc power to both is ok
Is there a n extender/booster that has a better range than this available, or should i start faffing about resiting the netgear?
Any gardenbirders into nextbox cams out there with suggestions
megapgone
SSID is Virgin VM1234567
The router is Netgear AC1200 and pops up with either VM1234567_2GEXT and VM1234567_5GEXT
The birdcam tell me to use 2.4ghz which i guess id the _2GEXT
All three show on my phone
,
The netgearAC1200 in on a line of sight ish.. through a wooden door to box2 about 30ft max ( which is green fingers 3rd gen) the other box is, if some apple tree branches were cut back, is on line of sight through glass and about 45ft
I have followed the instructions
I have turned off the mobile data app on the phonr ( samsung S9 android)
the connected phone to VM1234567_2GEXT
Triple clicked the button on camera cable
I have to connect my phone to the IPC-xxxx wifi network ( which doesn't shown on phone but i think it is the camera ID
the rest is the connection details from birdbox to phone and tells me that the app scans for the camera hotspot
at this point it just repeats hotspot not found
I might add that both boxes went 'off air' at or about the same time. which makes me think it is the router I cannot try box2 as mrs fox or her brother kindly cut through the power lead so i have to fit a next jack plug to it!!
Which is why i am leaning to the router wifi although the AC1200 is working OK well all the rightr lights arer showing lol
SSID is Virgin VM1234567
The router is Netgear AC1200 and pops up with either VM1234567_2GEXT and VM1234567_5GEXT
The birdcam tell me to use 2.4ghz which i guess id the _2GEXT
All three show on my phone
,
The netgearAC1200 in on a line of sight ish.. through a wooden door to box2 about 30ft max ( which is green fingers 3rd gen) the other box is, if some apple tree branches were cut back, is on line of sight through glass and about 45ft
I have followed the instructions
I have turned off the mobile data app on the phonr ( samsung S9 android)
the connected phone to VM1234567_2GEXT
Triple clicked the button on camera cable
I have to connect my phone to the IPC-xxxx wifi network ( which doesn't shown on phone but i think it is the camera ID
the rest is the connection details from birdbox to phone and tells me that the app scans for the camera hotspot
at this point it just repeats hotspot not found
I might add that both boxes went 'off air' at or about the same time. which makes me think it is the router I cannot try box2 as mrs fox or her brother kindly cut through the power lead so i have to fit a next jack plug to it!!
Which is why i am leaning to the router wifi although the AC1200 is working OK well all the rightr lights arer showing lol
Can’t specifically help with the range issue, but the fact that you haven’t changed the default SSIDs to ones of your own choosing concerns me. And I wonder whether you’ve changed the default passwords?
You should always change the default SSID and the default wifi password and the default admin passwords for any routers and access points that you own.
Changing passwords is a no-brainer. You don’t want to be relying on the manufacturer to have a robust scheme for assigning passwords, and relying on there not being a data breach.
Changing default SSIDs is also important IMHO. Leaving them as default tells anybody in range which broadband provider you’re using (yours has “Virgin” in it, so I wonder which it could be…), and this narrows down the list of router models hugely, making it much easier for a malicious person to exploit known vulnerabilities in your hardware.
Have a read of this…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57156799
You should always change the default SSID and the default wifi password and the default admin passwords for any routers and access points that you own.
Changing passwords is a no-brainer. You don’t want to be relying on the manufacturer to have a robust scheme for assigning passwords, and relying on there not being a data breach.
Changing default SSIDs is also important IMHO. Leaving them as default tells anybody in range which broadband provider you’re using (yours has “Virgin” in it, so I wonder which it could be…), and this narrows down the list of router models hugely, making it much easier for a malicious person to exploit known vulnerabilities in your hardware.
Have a read of this…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57156799
Mike
I will admit to being totally computer illiterate,to the point that if it doesn't work... thats it!! I can use stuff like Microsoft office, Excel, but in its simplest form, and also am reasonably good with Autocad 2007, but when it comes to the real inside techy stuff ,i get the 1000yd stare
so here are ,for me , the absolutely top notch 100% thick dumb questions
By SSID is that the VM1234567 number on the side of the main virgin box. The pw of XYZ123456 i can understand
It has not been amended since being installed
You say i can change both SSID and pw how would i start to do this? and how would this affect the wifi signal from the birdbox cam The cam has a small 'aerial' on it so i would guess that it does send out some sort of signal
It is 'mains' powered
Also what is the extender to the mesh? that is a new one on me, but then most computer stuff is!!!
I have read that you can put things in the ring main that will extend the range, but the TV/broadband is on the ring main and the shed were the power is is on a seperate spur from the cct breaker to another cct breaker in the shed where there is a mini ring main covering all the power sockets there
The current NetgearAC1200 is in the leanto and runs off a socket from the kitchen cct! From what i can gather the wifi signals have trouble busting through a paper bag
I will admit to being totally computer illiterate,to the point that if it doesn't work... thats it!! I can use stuff like Microsoft office, Excel, but in its simplest form, and also am reasonably good with Autocad 2007, but when it comes to the real inside techy stuff ,i get the 1000yd stare
so here are ,for me , the absolutely top notch 100% thick dumb questions
By SSID is that the VM1234567 number on the side of the main virgin box. The pw of XYZ123456 i can understand
It has not been amended since being installed
You say i can change both SSID and pw how would i start to do this? and how would this affect the wifi signal from the birdbox cam The cam has a small 'aerial' on it so i would guess that it does send out some sort of signal
It is 'mains' powered
Also what is the extender to the mesh? that is a new one on me, but then most computer stuff is!!!
I have read that you can put things in the ring main that will extend the range, but the TV/broadband is on the ring main and the shed were the power is is on a seperate spur from the cct breaker to another cct breaker in the shed where there is a mini ring main covering all the power sockets there
The current NetgearAC1200 is in the leanto and runs off a socket from the kitchen cct! From what i can gather the wifi signals have trouble busting through a paper bag
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
Can’t specifically help with the range issue, but the fact that you haven’t changed the default SSIDs to ones of your own choosing concerns me. And I wonder whether you’ve changed the default passwords?
You should always change the default SSID and the default wifi password and the default admin passwords for any routers and access points that you own.
Changing passwords is a no-brainer. You don’t want to be relying on the manufacturer to have a robust scheme for assigning passwords, and relying on there not being a data breach.
Changing default SSIDs is also important IMHO. Leaving them as default tells anybody in range which broadband provider you’re using (yours has “Virgin” in it, so I wonder which it could be…), and this narrows down the list of router models hugely, making it much easier for a malicious person to exploit known vulnerabilities in your hardware.
Have a read of this…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57156799
Before panicking as a result of this - what is the actual model of your Virgin Media box/router thing? Anything remotely modern (last 5 years) will have a robust password dedicated to that device, that comes back when you press the reset button. There aren’t any “master lists”, and the passwords are robust from the factory. Yes, someone could have written the password down at the factory in China, but then they would have to find your router ….You should always change the default SSID and the default wifi password and the default admin passwords for any routers and access points that you own.
Changing passwords is a no-brainer. You don’t want to be relying on the manufacturer to have a robust scheme for assigning passwords, and relying on there not being a data breach.
Changing default SSIDs is also important IMHO. Leaving them as default tells anybody in range which broadband provider you’re using (yours has “Virgin” in it, so I wonder which it could be…), and this narrows down the list of router models hugely, making it much easier for a malicious person to exploit known vulnerabilities in your hardware.
Have a read of this…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57156799
The security issues are actually linked to the use of an old fashioned encryption standard called WEP, that is breakable in minutes, If you’re using that (you’re probably not if modern), then it is certainly worth changing it to WPA2 - it’s a tick box exercise on the router admin pages.
On to nest boxes. We have one that is 120 meters from the house and works fine, but that is a fairly involved set up. As noted above, the camera transmission is generally the weak point - it will be able to receive (probably) but the device in the house won’t be able to hear the answers.
This is what I would do:
1) Take the cameras out of the nest boxes (you should be cleaning them out about now anyway), and bring them closer - do they magically work?
2) I think you have a range extender - test that this is actually doing anything. Get the nest boxes working, then unplug the extender - does it actually make a difference? “Bolt on” range extenders need a bit of configuration which you may not have done - more modern systems from the ISP tend to just “work”.
rxe
Many thanks for all that. Bad news is i am on crutches for the next 6 weeks and am forbidden to climb any ladders. so that is the greefeather 2nd gen cam out of bounds lol us it is 15ft up a tree
However the 3rd gen cam can be reached..just as it is on the north wall of the garage. Bad news is 'someone' when cutting the ivy, sliced through the power cable and i am onto Gren feathers to see if they can supply a replacement loom
Will keep you updated but dont expect to do so for a couple of weeks
Many thanks for all that. Bad news is i am on crutches for the next 6 weeks and am forbidden to climb any ladders. so that is the greefeather 2nd gen cam out of bounds lol us it is 15ft up a tree
However the 3rd gen cam can be reached..just as it is on the north wall of the garage. Bad news is 'someone' when cutting the ivy, sliced through the power cable and i am onto Gren feathers to see if they can supply a replacement loom
Will keep you updated but dont expect to do so for a couple of weeks
There maybe interference from other routers.
How is the two routers connected?
I have a £30 wavlink outdoor repeater/access point. I'm using it as a repeater and can access it line of sight full signal both 2,4ghz and 5ghz 130 meters away.
Having said that my nearest neighbour with internet is 3/4 of a mile away.
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