Answers · data checked 2026-09-15
Will my Wi-Fi reach a camera on a detached garage or shed?
Often not. With the router inside and a camera on a detached garage, the signal passes through the house wall and the garage wall. By our estimate that stays usable to about 20 ft with wood walls and less with brick. Beyond that, add a mesh node in a window facing the garage, or run an Ethernet cable and use a PoE camera.
Estimated signal at the camera
Router inside the house, one inside wall on the way out. Good is -65 dBm or better; borderline is down to -75 dBm. Outside walls cost 10 dB (wood) or 15 dB (brick), inside walls 4 dB.
| Distance | 1 wood wall | 2 wood walls | 1 brick wall | 2 brick walls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | -61 dBm | -71 dBm | -66 dBm | -81 dBm |
| 40 ft | -68 dBm | -78 dBm | -73 dBm | -88 dBm |
| 60 ft | -72 dBm | -82 dBm | -77 dBm | -92 dBm |
| 80 ft | -74 dBm | -84 dBm | -79 dBm | -94 dBm |
| 100 ft | -77 dBm | -87 dBm | -82 dBm | -97 dBm |
Estimates only. Foil-backed insulation, metal siding and stucco over wire mesh can cost much more. Check with your phone's Wi-Fi at the exact spot before buying.
Ways to get a signal out there
- Move the router or add a mesh node in a room on the garage side, ideally near a window facing it. Glass costs less signal than walls.
- An outdoor-rated access point on the house wall facing the garage.
- Run a cable. One Ethernet cable in outdoor-rated conduit powers a PoE camera and carries video, with nothing to recharge and nothing to jam. Set "Can run new cable" in the planner.
- Use a base-station system whose hub can sit closer to the garage than your router.
Related questions
Why won't my camera connect after I got a new mesh router?
Most cameras only connect on 2.4 GHz. Many mesh systems merge 2.4 and 5 GHz under one network name, and some cameras refuse to join. Turn on a separate 2.4 GHz network, or temporarily turn off 5 GHz while pairing.
Is a Wi-Fi extender or a mesh node better?
A mesh node from the same system as your router hands devices off cleanly and is easier to manage. A brand extender, like Ring's Chime Pro, only extends that brand's own devices.
This is the general answer. Your house has its own.
Pick your layout and rules, and see the cameras, blind spots and 3-year cost for your home.