# How can I work around very poor - nonexistent Wi-Fi?



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I have been away from the hobby so long that I have forgotten how to operate much of it (track power, MTS, Revolution, Airwire etc.). The main layout is in the crawl space where Wi-Fi does not work. I’ve tried repeaters and extenders with very poor results. The Wi-Fi provider is Suddenlink. It drops in and out partially and totally all the time.

My plan involves pushing a camera car to find visible shorts and to show the upcoming track in time to prevent a derailment. My current problem is a USAT F3 that snagged a building and derailed.

I am no longer agile enough to crawl up and around the layout.

The camera car must be able to transmit its images 100’+. Wi-Fi does not reach 90% of the track.

Without Wi-Fi my plan is to put an iPhone on the front of a loco and FaceTime it to another iPhone (I haven’t sorted it out yet). Cellular may or may not work.

I found a Swann Micro Cam III (no camera yet) in a closet but forget why I gave up on it.

Has anyone found a successful way to boost, retransmit or replace Wi-Fi throughout your homes or businesses? I already have two Suddenlink systems. The internet is less important than transmitting video from a train car to the operator’s station when there is no Wi-Fi.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Jerry. Nice to hear from you again.


Jerry McColgan said:


> in the crawl space where Wi-Fi does not work.


I suspect you have a well-insulated floor with metal foil on the insulation. I had a home with an added master suite, and the signal wouldn't go through the wall, as it used to be an outside wall and they hadn't removed the insulation when they added on to the house.


Jerry McColgan said:


> Without Wi-Fi my plan is to put an iPhone on the front of a loco and FaceTime it to another iPhone (I haven’t sorted it out yet). Cellular may or may not work.


You might be able to use Bluetooth to link your phone camera to a computer. You can also get WiFi extenders that will work in the crawl space and connect to the main network with a cable, which resolves the insulation issue.

This article is very easy to read and may give you some good ideas:
Can You Connect an Ethernet Cable to a Wi-Fi Extender? - Sorta Techy

The Swan security camera should include a wireless receiver, which feeds video to your TV on RCA plugs (according to their docs.) Without knowing your physical setup, that's about as good as I can go.


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## Exador (Jan 24, 2020)

Can you run some cat5 down and run another router off that?

Duh, realized Pete said this...


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Over the years I have tried just about everything including Ethernet. Bluetooth does not have enough range. I think the main loop is about 300’ as it runs the length and 3/4 the width of the house above the layout.

I have not found the Swann camera/transmitter yet but it must be here somewhere.

Currently I am wondering about the Google Nest. I have a lot of Amazon Echo stuff that works pretty well but is not Wi-Fi.

SortaTechy was good and Mesh Networks like Google Nest may be what I need but I don’t quite understand it.

Is anyone using the Google Nest? If so, how well does it work?

I used to have drawings of the layout (they may be on MLS somewhere) but I have no idea where they might be.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Exador (Jan 24, 2020)

There are extenders that use the house wiring to carry the signal and then convert to wifi.


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## zephyra (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry McColgan said:


> Over the years I have tried just about everything including Ethernet. Bluetooth does not have enough range. I think the main loop is about 300’ as it runs the length and 3/4 the width of the house above the layout.
> 
> I have not found the Swann camera/transmitter yet but it must be here somewhere.
> 
> ...


Try a Mesh WIFI system. I've used Eero successfully to extend wifi throughout the house. Recently I switched to Ubiquiti as it has better range and is more configurable - I was able to use it to create a wifi link to the entrance to my property where I have a couple of cameras in a vain attempt to deter the mailbox thieves. 

Ubiquiti is not easy to set up and really designed for professionals to install.

The Eero system was much easier but, like Google and other Mesh systems, works best if it doesn't have to co-exist with other routers and wifi access points. They will work in so-called bridge mode where they live downstream of the main router but this causes you to use some functionality.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I went ahead and just ordered the Google Nest system (2 routers & 2 points). It’s a bit overkill but I’m tired of messing with it.

The main reason I bought the Google Nest was the simple setup (apparently just plug and play). As I get older (now 77) I can no longer handle complicated installations.

Hopefully it will work.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

Another for vote for Eero. I have a two story house and a basement with radiant heat using a product called *Warmboard* that uses aluminum clad panels for radiating the heat. The Eero, one router and two extenders, immediately addressed the issue between the floors. Nice thing about it was that is was returnable, purchased through Amazon, for 30 days if it was unsatisfactory.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

*"Without knowing your physical setup, that's about as good as I can go."*

This was most of the crawl space, garage and deck layouts 15 years ago - most of it is the same today:

It includes the layouts where I need the Wi-Fi to work.











The crosshatching is where there are over and under layers with ramps going from one level to the other.

Last year I tore down much of the outside part as I could no longer maintain it (big mistake as many large Aristo diesels (E-8 etc.) cannot run on the indoor curves).

All the track and turnouts indoors are LGB brass and outdoors are Aristo stainless track with LGB nickel plated turnouts.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

If you have the older bluetooth, the first one had a 30 foot max range but averaged 10 feet. The next generation after that had a 100 foot spec, but 30 foot average. Hopefully you can find a bluetooth that has better specs than these older units. check out this link for info.









What Is The Range of Bluetooth And How Can It Be Extended?


There seems to be a range of distances within which two or a mesh of devices can comfortably converse, but as we will find out, this distance is not fixed and is constrained by several factors.




www.scienceabc.com


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Thanks Dan,

Hopefully the Google Nest will fix my Wi-Fi problem.


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## zephyra (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry McColgan said:


> Thanks Dan,
> 
> Hopefully the Google Nest will fix my Wi-Fi problem.


Just one thing to watch out for. Google Nest, like other mesh systems, expects to be the router. It is easy to set up if you simply connect it to a cable modem. However, in some cases, the modem supplied by your cable company will include a router and a wifi access point and this complicates things. If this is the case, you need to disable the router that comes with the cable modem so that only one is active otherwise you can see unexpected network issues. 

Good ,uck and let us know how it goes. (Impressive track setup BTW!)

Robert


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

zephyra said:


> Just one thing to watch out for. Google Nest, like other mesh systems, expects to be the router. It is easy to set up if you simply connect it to a cable modem. However, in some cases, the modem supplied by your cable company will include a router and a wifi access point and this complicates things. If this is the case, you need to disable the router that comes with the cable modem so that only one is active otherwise you can see unexpected network issues.
> 
> Good ,uck and let us know how it goes. (Impressive track setup BTW!)
> 
> Robert


Thanks Robert. Suddenlink did provide a modem/router so you probably saved me from some major problems.

The layout is a good example of building beyond the capability of the builder to maintain it as he/she gets older and less physically capable (mentally & physically).

It is not just me. I built the layouts with help from friends and we had a small club that enjoyed the hobby together. This has dwindled down to just 3 of us that are 70+ and 2 of us seldom drive anymore.

Fortunately I built the layouts to support my size & weight and I built them with materials that will outlast me. Most of the track & trains are LGB so they have held up well.

Now my goal is to stay fit enough to keep at it until I get the basics running again. The good news is that the frequent trips to and working on the layout is already making me healthier. I was in a rehab center that focused on steps to exercise on. Now, every day I climb up and down the stairs to the layout.

Jerry


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

To clean your tracks it seems like an engine equipped with large super caps or even a battery for backup power would be very handy. Of course this would not help for fallen debris, just for dirty track.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)




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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I have finally been able to clean the track pretty well with my LGB 20670 Track Cleaning Locos..










Unfortunately none worked right at first.

One had out-of-round cleaning wheels (I replaced the wheel), the next needed a new track shoe spring (I finally got one from a USAT motor block), and the third has a decoder but I forgot how to operate it (It is still not working).

The outer mainline track is now 100% operational and that gives me access to the sidings where most of the trains are parked.

I finally got a few locos to work with cellular FaceTime iPhones giving me the ability to visually confirm that turnouts are properly switched before moving trains through them.

No Wi-Fi yet as our iced over driveway is preventing delivery of the Google Nest etc.


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