Wi-Fi that works outside the house
Wi-Fi outdoors is a different job from Wi-Fi upstairs, and it is not solved by adding one more indoor box. Tell us where you need coverage and we will work out the right kind of answer first — then, and only then, talk about kit.
Checked 13 September 2026. We never publish a maker's range figure as a coverage promise: those numbers are measured in open air with nothing in the way, and your garden has walls, trees and neighbours in it.
Where do you need Wi-Fi?
Working in a garden building all day? Go straight to the garden-office comparison.
The six kinds of answer
Pick where you need coverage above and we will put these in the order that suits your home.
Move or add an indoor mesh point
Put one of your existing Wi-Fi boxes near the back of the house so more signal leaks outside.
- How hard
- Anyone can do it
- How reliable
- Very dependent on your house and garden
- Rough cost
- £0 if you already have mesh, otherwise around £150–£250 for a kit
Advantages and disadvantages
- + Costs nothing if you already have mesh
- + Keeps one Wi-Fi name and your existing app
- + Nothing to drill, nothing outdoors to weatherproof
- − Signal still has to pass through an outside wall
- − Rarely enough for a separate building
- − Coverage drops off quickly once you are away from the house
A weatherproof mesh satellite
A mesh box made to live outside, joining the same Wi-Fi name as the rest of the house.
- How hard
- A confident DIYer
- How reliable
- Usually fine for browsing, less so for work
- Rough cost
- around £150–£350 per unit
Advantages and disadvantages
- + Same Wi-Fi name and same app as indoors
- + No cable needed if it can hear the house well
- + Set-up is the usual add-a-node flow
- − The wireless link back to the house is the weak point
- − Fewer models are genuinely weather-rated
- − Needs a weatherproof outdoor socket unless it takes power over the network cable
An outdoor access point
A weatherproof Wi-Fi point mounted on a wall, fed by one network cable that also powers it.
- How hard
- Practical DIY, or an installer
- How reliable
- Holds up well for work and video calls
- Rough cost
- around £90–£220 per point, plus cable and fittings
Advantages and disadvantages
- + Made for rain, sun and cold
- + Powered down the same cable, so no outdoor socket
- + Far steadier than a repeater because the link home is wired
- − Someone has to run a network cable outside
- − Needs a small power injector or a network switch indoors
- − Usually a separate app or controller from your provider's app
A wireless bridge between buildings
Two small dishes that face each other and behave like an invisible network cable across the garden.
- How hard
- Practical DIY, or an installer
- How reliable
- Holds up well for work and video calls
- Rough cost
- around £100–£300 for a pair, plus mounts
Advantages and disadvantages
- + No trench or cable across the garden
- + Handles long distances far better than mesh
- + Gives the outbuilding a proper wired connection at each end
- − Needs clear line of sight between the two points
- − Power needed at both ends
- − Aiming and set-up is fiddlier than a mesh box
A cable to the building, then Wi-Fi inside it
Run one outdoor-rated network cable (or fibre) to the outbuilding and put a normal Wi-Fi point inside.
- How hard
- Practical DIY, or an installer
- How reliable
- As solid as it gets at home
- Rough cost
- around £60–£150 in cable and fittings, plus a Wi-Fi point, plus labour if you get help
Advantages and disadvantages
- + The most reliable answer by a wide margin
- + Weather never affects it once it is in
- + The Wi-Fi point indoors can be an ordinary mesh node on your existing network
- − Digging or clipping a cable run is real work
- − Needs outdoor-rated or armoured cable, not indoor cable
- − Going through walls and near mains work is installer territory
Have it designed and installed for you
Someone surveys the garden, designs the coverage and installs it, with the safety work done properly.
- How hard
- Use an installer
- How reliable
- As solid as it gets at home
- Rough cost
- typically £300–£1,500 depending on distance and cabling
Advantages and disadvantages
- + The design is based on measurements, not guesswork
- + Cabling, mains and mounting done to a safe standard
- + One person to go back to if it stops working
- − The most expensive route
- − Quality of installers varies a lot
- − You may be tied to their choice of kit
When to get someone in
Cable running outside the house
Outdoor cable has to be UV-stable and, where it can be damaged, protected in conduit or armoured. Indoor cable perishes within a couple of years outside.
DIY is reasonable if you are practical.
Drilling through a wall
You have to know what is behind the wall — cables, pipes, insulation — and the hole must be sealed and sloped so water runs out, not in.
Use a qualified person for this part.
Mains power outdoors
Outdoor sockets and any new circuit are notifiable electrical work in UK homes. This is for a qualified electrician, not a DIY job.
Use a qualified person for this part.
Poles and masts
Anything on a pole has to survive wind loading, and working at height on a mast is a specialist job.
Use a qualified person for this part.
Anything mounted on the roof
Roof work means working at height and risking the weatherproofing of the roof itself. Use someone insured to do it.
Use a qualified person for this part.
Surge and lightning protection
A cable between buildings can carry a surge indoors and destroy the router. Outdoor links should be earthed and surge-protected properly.
Use a qualified person for this part.
Long cable runs
Ordinary network cable stops working reliably past about 100 metres, and buried runs need the right cable and depth first time.
DIY is reasonable if you are practical.
Links between two buildings
Two buildings can sit at different earth potentials. Joining them with copper without protection is a real fire and equipment risk — fibre or a wireless bridge avoids it.
Use a qualified person for this part.
We will not give electrical instructions. Anything involving mains power outdoors, work at height, or a new circuit is for a qualified electrician — in UK homes that work is notifiable.
What outdoor kit actually is
Weatherproofing, power and how it is managed matter more at home than raw performance. Business-grade kit is not automatically better for a household — sometimes it is worse, because somebody has to look after it.
| Kit | Type | Weather rating | Wi-Fi | Powered by cable | Same Wi-Fi name | Looking after it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deco X50-OutdoorTP-Link | Household | IP65 | Wi-Fi 6 | Yes | Yes | Lowest of the outdoor options — it appears in the app you already use for the house. |
| Omada EAP610-OutdoorTP-Link | Enthusiast | IP67 | Wi-Fi 6 | Yes | Yes | You take on a second system alongside your provider's router — fine if you enjoy settings. |
| UniFi U7 OutdoorUbiquiti | Enthusiast | IP55 | Wi-Fi 7 | Yes | Yes | Highest of the home-friendly options: it expects a UniFi console and someone who likes detail. |
| UniFi Building-to-Building BridgeUbiquiti | Enthusiast | unable-to-verify | 60GHz building-to-building link | Yes | No | Set once and largely forgotten, but the aiming has to be right. |
| Wireless Wire kitsMikroTik | Enthusiast | unable-to-verify | 60GHz building-to-building link | Yes | No | Aimed at people who work with networks for a living. Not a household product. |
| Meraki outdoor access pointsCisco | Business kit | unable-to-verify | Unable to verify | Yes | Yes | Every access point needs a paid licence to keep working. That alone rules it out for most homes. |
| Calix outdoor Wi-Fi (via your provider)Calix | Via a provider | unable-to-verify | Unable to verify | Unable to verify | Yes | The lightest of all, because your provider owns the problem — but only if your provider actually sells it. |
| Outdoor-rated or armoured network cableVarious | Household | Not applicable | Unable to verify | Yes | No | None once it is in. This is the part worth spending effort on. |
Full detail for each piece of kit
TP-Link Deco X50-Outdoor
Family controls and the maker's security features, from the same Deco app as indoors.
- Mounting: Yes on a wall, yes on a pole. Aerial: Internal.
- Wired link home: Yes. Wireless link home: Yes. Mesh: Yes.
- Guest network: Yes. Separate networks (VLANs): Unable to verify. Roaming between points: Yes.
- Fitting: A confident DIYer. Rough cost: around £120–£170.
- Note: Only joins an existing Deco system — it will not extend another maker's mesh
- Note: Wireless backhaul means the link to the house is still Wi-Fi; a cable is better where possible
TP-Link Omada EAP610-Outdoor
Guest isolation, separate networks and per-network rules, set in the Omada controller.
- Mounting: Yes on a wall, yes on a pole. Aerial: Internal.
- Wired link home: Yes. Wireless link home: Optional or extra. Mesh: Yes.
- Guest network: Yes. Separate networks (VLANs): Yes. Roaming between points: Yes.
- Fitting: Practical DIY, or an installer. Rough cost: around £90–£120, plus cable and a power injector.
- Note: Needs a network cable back to the house — that cable is the whole job
- Note: Runs its own Wi-Fi name unless you deliberately match it to your router's
Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Outdoor
Separate networks, guest portals and per-device rules, from the UniFi console.
- Mounting: Yes on a wall, yes on a pole. Aerial: Internal, with a directional option in the range.
- Wired link home: Yes. Wireless link home: Optional or extra. Mesh: Yes.
- Guest network: Yes. Separate networks (VLANs): Yes. Roaming between points: Yes.
- Fitting: Practical DIY, or an installer. Rough cost: around £150–£200, plus a console, cable and power injector.
- Note: Really wants the rest of a UniFi setup to be worth it
- Note: Overkill for a patio; excellent for a big or awkward plot
Ubiquiti UniFi Building-to-Building Bridge
It is a link, not a Wi-Fi point — security stays with whatever you plug in at each end.
- Mounting: Yes on a wall, yes on a pole. Aerial: Built-in directional.
- Wired link home: Yes. Wireless link home: Yes. Mesh: No.
- Guest network: No. Separate networks (VLANs): Yes. Roaming between points: No.
- Fitting: Practical DIY, or an installer. Rough cost: around £200–£320 a pair.
- Note: Needs clear line of sight — a mature tree in the way will ruin it
- Note: Gives the outbuilding a network socket; you still need a Wi-Fi point inside it
MikroTik Wireless Wire kits
Configured by hand — powerful, and unforgiving if you do not know the software.
- Mounting: Yes on a wall, yes on a pole. Aerial: Built-in directional.
- Wired link home: Yes. Wireless link home: Yes. Mesh: No.
- Guest network: No. Separate networks (VLANs): Yes. Roaming between points: No.
- Fitting: Use an installer. Rough cost: around £100–£250 a pair.
- Note: The software is professional-grade; there is no friendly home app
- Note: Best chosen for you by an installer rather than bought blind
Cisco Meraki outdoor access points
Full business-grade controls from the Meraki dashboard.
- Mounting: Yes on a wall, yes on a pole. Aerial: Model dependent, internal or external.
- Wired link home: Yes. Wireless link home: Optional or extra. Mesh: Yes.
- Guest network: Yes. Separate networks (VLANs): Yes. Roaming between points: Yes.
- Fitting: Use an installer. Rough cost: hardware plus an ongoing per-device licence.
- Note: Stops being manageable if the licence lapses
- Note: Designed for organisations with IT support, not for households
Calix Calix outdoor Wi-Fi (via your provider)
Where a provider offers it, family and security policies extend outdoors in the same app as the house.
- Mounting: Unable to verify on a wall, unable to verify on a pole. Aerial: Unable to verify.
- Wired link home: Unable to verify. Wireless link home: Unable to verify. Mesh: Yes.
- Guest network: Yes. Separate networks (VLANs): Unable to verify. Roaming between points: Yes.
- Fitting: Anyone can do it. Rough cost: set by your provider.
- Note: Being on a Calix platform does not mean your provider sells the outdoor unit
- Note: Ask your provider directly — we mark each provider separately below
Various Outdoor-rated or armoured network cable
Nothing to manage — it is the most private, most reliable part of any outdoor plan.
- Mounting: No on a wall, no on a pole. Aerial: Not applicable.
- Wired link home: Yes. Wireless link home: No. Mesh: No.
- Guest network: No. Separate networks (VLANs): Yes. Roaming between points: No.
- Fitting: Practical DIY, or an installer. Rough cost: around £40–£120 for a typical garden run, plus fittings.
- Note: Must be outdoor-rated, and armoured or in conduit where it could be dug into or strimmed
- Note: Runs over about 90 metres need fibre or a switch part-way along
What outdoor Wi-Fi adds to your bill
This is an optional extra scenario, kept completely separate from the cost of your broadband. It compares only the additional spend needed to get the outdoor result you asked for.
Your provider's own outdoor option
Outdoor coverage on the same managed service, same app, provider keeps responsibility.
Monthly, set by the provider. No published UK consumer price we can verify yet.
Your provider's indoor mesh, repositioned
Some outdoor signal near the house. Rarely enough for a separate building.
Usually £0 extra if you already have it.
Your own outdoor access point
Strong, reliable outdoor coverage that you own and manage.
One-off kit cost, plus cable and fittings. No monthly fee.
Professional design and installation
The outcome you asked for, installed safely, with someone accountable.
One-off labour on top of kit. Quotes vary widely by distance and cabling.
We never assume you need to buy third-party kit if your provider already offers an equivalent managed option — and we never fold retail hardware into a provider's own cost.
Measure it before you buy anything
Add the patio, garden, garden office or garage as test spots in the tools you already have here. A weak reading outdoors is only a problem if you wanted coverage there — we will not call it a fault otherwise.
Want someone to do the outdoor work for you?
Cabling to a garden office, an outdoor access point or power outside is often a job for a professional. We can pass on what you tell us — you keep control of what is shared.
Finding someone to do it
We do not have an installer directory yet, and we are not going to publish a list of names we have not checked. When we do, these are the jobs it would be organised around.
Home Wi-Fi survey
Measuring what you actually get, room by room, before anything is bought.
Can often be done remotely.
Garden Wi-Fi
Coverage across outdoor space, usually one or two weatherproof points.
Needs someone on site.
Garden-office connectivity
Work-grade connection to a separate garden building.
Needs someone on site.
Outdoor access point installation
Mounting, cabling, sealing and powering a weatherproof Wi-Fi point.
Needs someone on site.
Ethernet installation
Running outdoor-rated or armoured cable, indoors or across a garden.
Needs someone on site.
Point-to-point wireless
Aligning a wireless bridge between two buildings, with surge protection.
Needs someone on site.
Mesh installation
Placing and wiring a mesh system properly rather than guessing.
Needs someone on site.
Wi-Fi optimisation
Tuning channels, placement and settings on kit you already own.
Can often be done remotely.
What we would have to publish about any installer
- Postcode or area covered
- Certifications held, and who issued them
- Vendors they are trained on
- Verified customer ratings
- Remote or on-site
- How the referral works, disclosed on the page
- WiFiXpert Certified status — only once a real scheme exists
If you install this kind of work for a living, tell us.