How to extend your home’s Wi-Fi with a mesh network

Get a perfect signal all the way in your backyard with this easy DIY project.

By Vox Creative Jun 25, 2018, 2:44pm EDT

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Part of Home of the Future

This is the third episode in our six-part video series where Bob Clagett of I Like to Make Stuff takes on home DIY projects inspired by the features of the new Ford F-150.

It’s a classic summer conundrum: You want to sit back and enjoy a movie with the family, but you also don’t want to waste a beautiful summer night cooped up indoors. Why not solve it with an outdoor movie night? In this episode, Clagett shows you how to extend your home’s Wi-Fi signal throughout the house and into the backyard, making it possible to stream a movie in HD or even just work on your laptop in the great outdoors. This DIY project was inspired by the Ford F-150’s Sync Connect feature, which turns the truck into a Wi-Fi hotspot with a 50-foot radius that can accommodate up to 10 devices.

Want to stay connected in your own backyard? Watch the video above and follow these simple steps.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Wi-Fi modem
Eero system
Projector
Bluetooth speaker
Phone, tablet, or other streaming device
Extension cord
HDMI cable or transmitter

Step 1: Understand the Wi-Fi weak spots in your house

The strength of your Wi-Fi signal in any given area of your home depends in great part on the houses’s construction. Brick or stone walls and steel studs in your walls could be causing problems with your network. Run a speed test from your backyard to get a baseline reading.

Step 2: Plug in the main gateway to your modem

Connect one Eero unit to your modem with an ethernet cord and plug in the power cord to a power outlet.

Step 3: Add nodes to extend the network

Plug in the remaining Eero nodes into power outlets throughout your house where your normal Wi-Fi signal is weakest.

Step 4: Add a node that will reach outside

Since you’re trying to extend your Wi-Fi to the outdoors, plug in one of the Eero nodes to an outlet closest to the backyard.

Step 5: Hook up the projector, set up the screen, and hit play

Hook up your projector to power (you might need to use an extension cord) and use an HDMI cable or transmitter to connect your streaming device. Connect your streaming device to your Bluetooth speakers, set up the project screen, and start the movie!

In just a few simple steps, you now have an outdoor movie theater in your own backyard. Stay tuned for more DIY episodes inspired by the Ford F-150.