Why I don’t bother with outdoor Wi-Fi (but why you might)

In other pieces about Wi-Fi, I’ve stressed the need to maximize coverage and minimize interference. It’s an obvious goal, at least for anyone who’s ever owned their own router. Practically speaking, though, most of us need to choose what “maximum coverage” looks like, since we don’t have infinite cash. I might like the idea of my garage having Wi-Fi equal to my living room or office, but since I’m only ever in there to drive, pull something out of storage, or maybe practice on my electric unicycle, I’ll settle for whatever signals the rest of my mesh network can muster.

If you’re here, it’s likely that you’re a new homeowner (or renter) and wondering about that same decision for your yard. I’ve owned a few homes myself, and I’ve come to the realization that even on many larger properties, it’s usually not worth extending Wi-Fi to every square foot. There are exceptions, naturally. But there’s no need to be a completionist for the sake of flexibility, much less maxing out your home improvement budget.

Why you probably shouldn’t invest in outdoor Wi-Fi

Making do is probably more than good enough

Whether you live in a house or an apartment, there’s a decent chance you’ve got one or more smart home accessories active. And if there’s anything a person is liable to have beyond smart bulbs, it’s an outdoor-facing doorbell or security camera. Something like a smart dehumidifier tends to be useful, but optional — if you’re at all worried about break-ins or harassment, though, a cheap camera on your porch or balcony can be vital. It’s even better to enhance that security with motion and glass-break sensors.

Here’s the thing — I’ve invested in all of the above, and not once did I need to add an outdoor Wi-Fi router or extender into the mix. That’s because, as a rule, any accessory designed to protect your home tends to be directly attached, or at least within a few feet of your walls. That should be well within the range of any indoor router that’s properly positioned. The worst trouble I ever had was with a Ring Floodlight Cam mounted over a detached garage, and even that was able to hold a signal well enough to be useful.

If you’ve got a large enough property for a hammock, gazebo, gym shed, or any other outdoor space where you might spend a few hours, outdoor Wi-Fi still has questionable value. Like me, you probably carry your smartphone almost everywhere you go, and even my pre-paid cellular plan includes 60GB of 5G data. That’s plenty for streaming music and video in the rare circumstances that I’m outdoors, yet not so far away that cellular is a given. It’s rarer still that I’ll be somewhere with a device that can’t possibly tether to my personal hotspot.

Potentially overriding everything is, of course, cost. It’s not just the price of one or more weatherproof routers or extenders, though those can get expensive in a hurry if you choose something high-end like the Eero Outdoor 7. Depending on your property, you may also need to string long, weatherproof power and/or Ethernet cables, or build additional shelter for your electronics. It hardly matters how moisture- or temperature-resistant a router is if it gets covered in snow or ice, or hit by a once-in-a-lifetime storm. I used to live in Austin, where rain is scarce most of the time — but when it comes, it can be accompanied by hail, or turn so violent that you can barely see the car ahead of you when you’re driving. I’m not about to risk hundreds of dollars to test out a router maker’s IP rating.

So when does an outdoor Wi-Fi system make sense?

Literal and figurative edge cases

Some people really do own properties large enough that they have essential devices beyond the range of indoor Wi-Fi or their phone. I’m not just talking about celebrities or corporate executives, either. If you’re a farmer, or otherwise own an isolated rural property, you might need 24/7 Wi-Fi for equipment in a barn, a paddock, a shed, or simply the end of your driveway. No one wants to trek through snow for five minutes just to check if there’s mail, or if all the goats are safe and warm for the night.

If you have a camper or guest house where people spend days at a time, it just makes sense to extend your Wi-Fi so guests aren’t limited by their phones. You won’t automatically require outdoor hardware for this, but that might be the most practical option if there’s no way a separate indoor router/extender will be able to link back to your primary residence.

Exceptions exist in ordinary suburban settings, too. Returning to the gym shed idea, it might be that you use a TV for your ritual viewings of Rocky IV and Conan the Barbarian, in which case a phone hotspot won’t cut it. If you live somewhere with unbearable heat or cold, automated heaters and air conditioners can ensure that an outside structure is comfortable before you step inside — and that it doesn’t suffer severe damage, say if there’s a chance pipes or electronics might freeze over.

Lastly, some settings have unusual security demands, regardless of how urban or rural they are. You might, for example, have an alley next to your home that’s a potential burglary threat, but can’t be covered well by cameras in ordinary positions. In that scenario, I’d worry about additional Wi-Fi or security gear being damaged or stolen, but I’m not about to dismiss its practicality out-of-hand.

Ultimately, it’s your money, safety, and convenience that’s on the line with any Wi-Fi setup. If you want to splurge on a $400 router to make sure your iPad and robot lawnmower are constantly online, go nuts. Just don’t complain if the money isn’t there when you want to buy something new to use on that network.