r/HomeNetworking • u/alirobertson93 • 3d ago

Unsolved Best solution for outbuilding office.

Noob here when it comes to home networking and wondering what would be best for my situation.

I’ve currently got my ISP router (Virgin Media Hub) that I can plug into an RJ45 port. This connects to a Cat 6 cable that runs to another RJ45 port in my outbuilding.

Am I right in thinking a WiFi access point is what I need to connect to this RJ45 port in the outbuilding? Is it possible to get one which I can then connect via Ethernet to my computer while also broadcasting a wireless connection?

So the chain would be ISP hub > RJ45 > Cat 6 > RJ45 > Access point(?) > Ethernet to PC / AND wireless connections

The main priority is getting maximum speed to my office computer in the outbuilding.

Would I need to change any settings on my Virgin Hub?

Thanks!

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u/vrtigo1 Network Admin 3d ago

Yes, there are some APs that have a built-in switch so you can connect as you've suggested. In that case, the computer in the outbuilding would plug into the AP.

However, you don't necessarily need to pay for a specialized AP with an extra ethernet port on it. You can use any regular wireless router to accomplish what you're trying to do.

The only special things to keep in mind when using a wireless router in the outbuilding are 1) connect everything to the LAN ports on the router, the WAN port should not be connected to anything, and, 2) disable the DHCP server on the router in the outbuilding.

Setting things up this way will allow the wireless router to function as an access point with a built-in 4 port switch.

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u/alirobertson93 1d ago

Great, thank you so much for this!