TL;DR: Double brick walls block radio waves like a soundproof wall thus making standard extenders useless. The only sure ways are to run your Internet through your house’s existing electrical wiring (Powerline) or to go for a pricey Mesh system with the nodes in the hallways.
So, the Australian classic: you sign up for a mega-fast NBN plan but as soon as you step into the back bedroom of your 1970s double-brick house, your Internet disappears. Most probably, you have already been through the whole thing of getting a cheap 'booster' from the store.
Conclusion? It can’t even load an email, 4K is not in the cards. That’s because the problem is not your Internet provider; it is the very nature of your house. Dense clay bricks are like kryptonite for WiFi signals. They soak up the frequency, completely stopping the signal.
We cannot continue to try breaking through the walls with our signal. Instead, we should avoid the brick work and get the signal through Powerline adapters or by clever positioning.
Here’s how you can have your back room fully covered with excellent signal.
Table of Contents:
Why Your $50 Range Extender is Likely a Paperweight
We have obviously all gone through that. You buy a cheap WiFi range extender from a shop, plug it into your back bedroom, and expect a miracle. Instead, you just keep on buffering.
Here's the hard truth: your double-brick walls are basically Faraday cages. There is a lot of clay, the iron oxide and may be even a metallic foil in the insulation, these walls are really hostile to radio waves.
A typical extender operates by grabbing a signal and rebroadcasting it. If you put it in a room where there is already no signal, the device is merely shouting a whisper. It can't amplify what it doesn't have.
To solve this, don't attempt anymore to force wireless signals through the brick. Instead, go around or under the bricks.
The Signal Audit
Before you invest more money, draw a map of your house; Start at your router and head towards the dead zone. Notice your WiFi icon very carefully. Mark the exact place where it changes from 5GHz (fast, short-range) to 2.4GHz (slow, long-range).
This point of change is where the struggle happens.
The 'Secret' Copper Highway in Your Walls
You can't drill holes in your rental and turn it into Swiss cheese, can you? No worries. Most of the time, you probably have a concealed data network right behind your skirting boards. It is your electrical wiring.
That's where the Powerline Adapter comes in. This technology is an absolute lifesaver for the Australian households wanting to have a hardwired connection without spending on renovations. Instead of trying to force a radio wave thru solid masonry, these adapters transmit data thru the existing copper wires in your walls.
Here is the drill: Plug unit A into a power outlet next to your router and connect via Ethernet. Plug unit B into your dead zone (like that back bedroom). Sync them up. The brick density has no significance anymore.
Just a little warning: The performance will vary with your electrical wiring. If your wiring is as old as the time of the gold rush, you might get electrical "noise." However, Powerline communication in most cases will result in lower latency and greater stability than a wireless connection through a double-brick wall.
Strategic Mesh Placement: The Line-of-Sight Rule
Thinking about getting a wireless Mesh system? Then wait a little before you make up your mind. In the house made of double bricks, the factor determining whether you can watch 4K videos or have to endure buffering is where you put the mesh nodes.
You cannot just place a node in the bedroom at the back. The bricks will take and weaken the signal points as if they were their breakfast.
That is why you have to learn the Line-of-Sight rule first. Radio waves are similar to light in that they are able to reflect, refract, or even be blocked. Thus, when the satellite node is not able to visually "see" the main router (or at least close to it), the connection decreases or disappears.
Put the nodes in the hallways. Give the signal a chance to speed through the open corridor and bounce through the doorways, rather than trying to break through the wall.
In the end, it's not a great idea to cheap out on the equipment. Make sure that you get a Tri-Band system. This technology allocates one specific radio band for the nodes to communicate with each other, which is referred to as the backhaul. This keeps your speed fast even when the building structure is not helping you.
Final Thoughts
Let’s be honest: double brick walls are a killer for a strong signal. But please, stop wasting money on those awful $50 range extenders. They promise so much but in reality, all you get is frustration and constant buffering.
If you have a house, just do it right from the start. Get a professional installer to put an Ethernet data point in your dead zones. That is the ultimate way to achieve a hardwire connection and it is very reliable.
What if you are renting or unable to drill in the masonry? You still have options. Purchase a good Tri-Band Mesh system. Use a fast Powerline adapter kit.
Yes, these two options are more expensive than a cheap repeater. However, given how dependent we are on the NBN, your mental health is worth it. Sort it out properly today and stop yelling at your modem.
FAQ: How to Boost WiFi Signal in Double-Brick Homes in 5 Steps
1. Do cheap WiFi boosters work in brick homes?
Usually, cheap WiFi repeaters do not work in brick homes. They only transmit the signal that they receive. So, if a brick wall blocks the signal before reaching the booster, the most that a booster can do is to broadcast a dead signal.
2. Is 2.4GHz or 5GHz better for double-brick?
2.4GHz has the ability to penetrate through solid objects better and also has a greater coverage area, but it is slower and can get interfered with more easily. Although 5GHz allows for much faster speeds, it has a hard time passing through even a single layer of double brick.
3. What is the difference between Mesh and an Extender?
Extenders are devices that create a separate network (commonly named 'WiFi-EXT') and, in fact, halve your speed. Mesh on the other hand makes a single unified network and seamlessly transfers your device to the closest node without dropping the connection.
4. Can I just use a stronger router?
Well, not exactly. The transmission power of WiFi has been limited by law in Australia. Even though a 'gaming' router may have better antennas, it still cannot change the laws of physics that dictate radio waves when they hit dense clay brick.
5. How much does a good Mesh system cost?
For a double-brick home, you will be looking at a price range of between $400 and $900 AUD. In order to deal with the signal loss that the walls cause, you will need a system with 'dedicated backhaul' (Tri-band).
