Modern telecommunication systems have made working from home so much easier than it used to be. Broadband has opened up the types of work you can do with home and this is reflected in the growing number of garden offices sold each year. We love the idea that you can connect with anywhere in the world from the bottom of your garden.
We are often asked “can you have broadband & telephone in a garden office” and the answer is yes! The option of piping broadband and telephone to a garden office is available to all buyers, although it should be said that its not often a feature you see ‘as standard’ in specifications. Most suppliers offer hard wired solutions (which are the best) as an optional extra or there are a variety of methods you can use to tap into your home wifi.
There are several ways to get broadband & telephone to a garden office
If you are looking for reliable connections your best bet is to spend at the start and buy a communications package from your office supplier. They will incorporate CAT 6 data cabling and telephone line into the office structure with wall outlets for you to plug into. These cables are then channelled back to your house and connected to the main telephone point and your broadband router.
Another quite successful route for getting broadband & telephone to a garden office is to use a power line adapter often called Home Plugs. You can get these for broadband or telephone connections.
These Home Plug systems work by transferring the signals through the electrical system in your house. You plug one plug in near your broadband router or telephone point and connect a ethernet or phone cable to it from the mains point. You then plug the other plug in in your office. Some adapters offer wireless connections, but in both instances you have one unit in your house and another in your office.
We use this system here at Garden Office HQ to enable us to have a good broadband signal in an extension of the house, and its always been very successful – just remember not to switch the Home Plug off!
If this is a system you opt for check the details on the adapters about its range – we have seen systems with 300 meter range and the speed of data transfer. You’ll also want to make yourself aware of things that can interrupt the data transfer. We have heard that plugging in a mobile phone charger nearby can effect the quality of the signal.
Can I not just use my home wifi & telephone
Because garden offices are situated some way away from your house and the fact that they are so highly insulated you may find that simply tapping into your home wifi and cordless phone system is not a option. The distance and levels of insulation in the walls will weaken the signals from the house. This would result in a very patchy connection.
If this is an option you want to try you can buy boosters for your router which can extend its range, but you would probably be better spending your money on a Home Plug system.
As you can see its quite easy to run broadband and telephone into a garden office. Talk to your supplier about their packages. Its then just a case of moving into your new office, plunging in and starting work.