No internet

[sir john]

Hi I am thinking of buying railmaster but my laýout is in a shed at the bottom of the garden no wi-fi. I know I need to be connected to set it up but does it need to be connected to run the layout thanks in anticipation sir jobn

[RDS]

Hi John and welcome to the Forum

No it does not need the Internet to run the layout but as you say, you need it to set it up and occasionally to update the software.

[sir john]

EDS thanks for your reply very helpful will give it a go 

[96RAF]

You can download updates in the house onto a memory stick and update the shed from that.

[sir john]

Ok thanks for the advice 

[2e0dtoeric]

How about a wifi range extender unit?

I don't use railmaster, but my lappie can talk to my wifi from about 50 yards away, through three walls.

[sir john]

Might work but railwaý 200 feet from router can get signal on my phone sometimes but comes and goesp

[Somerset Modeller]

If you have power in the shed that is connected from the house, you can get ethernet and wifi by using your electrical wiring.

basically connect one plug into the mains and router and the other plug into your shed and you will have ethernet and/or wifi.

https://www.johnlewis.com/tp-link-300mbps-av600-powerline-extender-starter-wi-fi-kit-tl-wpa4220-kit-v1-20/p3118009?sku=236693705&tmcampid=66&tmad=c&s_pccid=pc_kl_200_20000&

[sir john]

Thanks Peter I'll certainly look into that

[Belah]

If you have power in the shed that is connected from the house, you can get ethernet and wifi by using your electrical wiring.

basically connect one plug into the mains and router and the other plug into your shed and you will have ethernet and/or wifi.

https://www.johnlewis.com/tp-link-300mbps-av600-powerline-extender-starter-wi-fi-kit-tl-wpa4220-kit-v1-20/p3118009?sku=236693705&tmcampid=66&tmad=c&s_pccid=pc_kl_200_20000&

Don't both sockets need to be on the same ringmain though? I haven't been able to make it work on two different ringmains even though they are both through the same circuit breaker.

[Augustus Caesar]

@Sir john

 

Being a network engineer and technician of many years standing I can offer the following information.

 

Don't go straight down the route of mains extenders or any other extenders when first operating your wireless network. It is wise to see what, if any, obstructions are getting in the way, again if any. This can often be a total waste of money unless proven necessary when a signal is weak or lost due to interference. You may not have any or not a great deal so test first. Tests should be carried out when use of other electricals that may interfere with your signal to the shed are in use such as fluourescent lighting in particular.

 

This guide is valid for Wi-Fi indoors and outdoors: Your router is almost certainly 2.4 GHz rather than the newer 5 GHz and although I offer information on both the former is the one used by the vast majority of folk.

Indoors your signal should reach around 46 metres which is approximately 150 feet and outdoors it goes further... around 92 metres which is approximately 300 feet. If you are going from the house where the router sits then you will possibly lose around 25% maximum of your signal, which could be up to 12 metres or so, at most when connecting through a metal or wooden shell for the shed and brick walls from the house. The nearer the outside wall closer to the shed the router is situated the better obviously.

Your router will either be an 802.11g or more likely an 802.11n version. 5 GHz versions are more prone to signal loss than those at 2.4 GHz and other obstructions to your signal will range from: thick walls, metal in the walls etc, fluourescent lighting, fridge freezers, microwaves, infra red controls and much more.

 

Make sure you attempt to do a download over wireless of a file (doesn't have to be important - but should be large enough to test for a few minutes) when the laptop (I assume) is in the shed and connected to your network. The steady flow of data is a good sign of a decent connection.

You should also consider a static IP from your router to the laptop so no other equipment will obtain that IP and conflict. You are far less likely to lose the wireless signal this way too.

Another important consideration is changing the default channel of your wireless connection from 6 or 11 (dependant upon router manufacturer) to something like 8 as this will keep your signal well away from neighbours who don't change their defaults and will almost certainly be stuck on 6 or 11 with whatever equipment they use wirelessly.

 

That should keep you going for a short time and will learn you loads before jumping in with range extenders/boosters and the likes. Makes of extenders to consider? Netgear are excellent closely followed by TP-Link. If you do purchase this equipment do make sure you match the extender GHz range to that of your own router... 2.4 GHz to 2.4 GHz for example.

 

Hope this helps...

 

[sir john]

Thanks for the advice will give it a try can access the internet via my smartphone in the shed so fingers crossed

[Fishmanoz]

But as Rob told you first up, it’s not essential to have an internet connection all of the time (this seems to have been lost in the lengthy discussion of how to connect), you just need to have a connection somewhere to download updates then transfer them on USB to the shed.  If you need to send emails to HRMS, you can also do this where you are connected using support@rail-master.com. 

[sir john]

I agree and will do that first only wondered about the internet in case it didn't work first time and I needed to change things at 74 years of age it's a long walk from shed to house and back again so will take all advice on board and see where it gets me

[Augustus Caesar]

First things first though...

 

It is clearly no good attempting to do anything without clearly making sure you have a connection to the Internet at any given time. Setting up the layout and getting it running is important but if you also don't wish to have to mess about later with lost connections it is best done at the start. So ensuring that signal is strong enough when required is paramount. At least to myself would be. It's like trying to boil a kettle with a broken cable with intermittent power in the wall.

 

While Fishy, you are correct in that a connection is not required all the time, it is far better to have this done and dusted so no worries crop up later.

 

Get the connection ticked off and then when updates are ready for install you won't need to fiddle about with the wireless signal at all at a later time. Also you may not even know an update is ready if no signal is getting to the laptop or is not regular.

[96RAF]

Remember yelrow with his combination of French Windows 7 on his laptop, a French iffy ISP and a French farmhouse with dodgy single and three phase electrics and two foot thick anti-WiFi walls to contend with trying to get a reliable internet connection into his remotely situated train room.

 

In the end he climbed the stairs and walked the walk with his laptop each time he needed the trains and the internet to talk to each other.

 

Rob

[RDS]

I improved the WiFi to my garage significantly, just by moving the Router slightly.

[Augustus Caesar]

That's all it takes sometimes - a  simple move of your router. Doesn't have to be drastic thus recabling etc... but merely a foot or so can be remarkably good.

All you are doing is removing the single barrier (in the wall most likely) that is between the router and laptop elsewhere.

Therefore lots of room for experimentation.