We need a range extender for the cameras to the homebase

#14

Hey message #5

Use an old router, you can get them free or not far off free, and follow the repeater guides, e.g.

So remember that electromagnetic energy drops to the square of distance (it’s actually to the cube but at shorter range the directional antennae makes it more to the square.

So to not scare you with maths:

  • suppose you had to get a signal to 10 meters away but it was feeble, well that is 1/100th the strength of 1 meter away
  • at 5 meters away its 4 times stronger than 10 meters away
  • so place a repeater at 5 meters from base router, it re-transmits so your 10 meters at 1/100th of 1 meter is then 1/25th, 4x stronger.
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#15

This is great @professor
However, eufycam uses a proprietary wireless signal to connect cameras to Home Base. Home Base is connected to the internet router via Ethernet.
So the range issues is mainly to the cameras from Home Base. Hence eufy stated some time ago that they are working on launching range extenders to increase the wireless range between eufy cameras and Home Base.
Internet Router and its wireless signal range/strength is completely out of this picture.

I do agree with your other idea that using a concave dish like metal object near the Home Base may boost signal in the direction you desired to.have.

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#16

That is 100% correct!

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#17

Hi @AnkerSupport, please confirm timeline. I noted in the most recent product roadmap you had, it appears the range extender has dropped off. Is that correct? With such a short range, this is a real drawback of the product which would otherwise be spot on. Please look at this as a matter of priority.

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#18

The more networks, bluetooth , dab, etc. the more walls etc, the less the range is.
The power of transmission power is limited by law.

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#19

True. But some times we cannot avoid it. People have to live in downtown for a reason. Lucky me to be able to manage to shift to a suburban neighborhood.

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#20

It 's not possible for everyone to live at this place he wants to.
So you are really lucky and should enjoy it at all.

#21

Well sort of.

It is true that the maximum transmission wattage is limited for many good reasons:

  • the lower power transmitters are less likely to blow up and so fewer fatalities
  • the Internet itself is only so fast so a typical 100mW radio signal is fine for typical homes

and the radio spectrum is limited for good reasons:

  • its sold, monetized by the governments, so restricting it drives its price up, something we the consumer pay for in the products
  • the spectrum is kept for discrete purposes, TV, police, emergency services, etc.

Correct radio signals do interfere, but you got some techniques:

  • radio signals in domestic situations drop off to the square of distance, meaning your Wifi route 5 meters from you is 4x more powerful than your neighbours’ Wifi 10 meters from you. The inverse-square naturally forgives. I understand this camera is not using Wifi but the principals mostly apply.
  • Wifi has the concept of “Auto channel” and there are 3 many channel groups meaning if you leave a Wifi router, or similar technology, all to itself, it will pick a less busy channel, less interference so on average your 5 meters away transmitter is only on the same frequency as say someone 15 meters from you so your signal is 9x stronger than the transmitter on the same frequency a few doors down. This homebase product probably does something similar.
  • You can also embrace newer technology, the more people who move from 2.5Ghz to 5Ghz the better, higher frequencies pass through walls less well meaning if everyone was on 5Ghz, that 15 meter away transmitter would have to pass through multiple walls and be absorbed more so the total competition is reduced, this is the ideal answer in dense housing situations, use all those walls to keep the signals near to the transmitter and no further. I doubt Anker using higher frequencies for this product as its going to behave badly through walls, so means its more vulnerable to interference from those using the same frequency in the immediate vicinity.
  • those who move to 5Ghz first will get the better experience faster.
  • Radio signals go in all direction, but up close they go out mostly in the direction of the right-angle to the aerial, so pointing your aerial straight up gets the signal stronger to its side, less than the above, but this effect drops off at distance and eventually becomes inverse-cube. As it does go in all directions, reflecting the signal away from where you don’t need towards where you do need it by placing a metal sheet on the side away from your home will reflect more back to your home. This last idea is the best one if its a proprietary radio signal, simply focus it at the camera.
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#22

On December 6, 2018, Anker Support stated the above.

We are now more than half-way into Q2 of 2019, when will the promised range extender be available?

It might be nice for Anker/eufy to stop for a short while producing and releasing new devices and complete the testing and finally release devices/products that pledge…

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#23

Sad to hear, but it is true. @AnkerSupport, @AnkerTechnical any idea where the range extenders are ??

#24

We should start a party as soon as the delayed range extender will arrive!

I just hope we backers will get at least ONE for free as we have to live with the “pain in the ass range” since 7 months already and can’t use the eufycams as promised in the campaign … reminder: me, personally, got a maximum range of 12(!) meters in downtown setting!

This “range” really sucks and is not really starting a firework in my pants :smiling_imp:

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#25

WIth the Arlo Pro 2, you can buy a second home base (connected via ethernet to an Orbi satellite closer to those cameras), and that works as “range extender” of sorts. In reality, you just have all your cameras and hubs in your Arlo account, and you can view them all together. You don’t need a mesh network, just a wired ethernet connection to the second (or 3rd, 4th, etc.) Home base. The second home base would have its own set of cameras, but you can look at all the cameras together on the app as if it were one system. I currently do this with 5 Arlo Pro 2 cameras (3 on one base station on one side of the house, and 2 on the other at the other side of the house). I know it is not an ideal solution, but the range stinks and there is not much you can do about it.

I just ordered my Eufy cameras, and they will be at opposite sides of a moderately large house. I wonder if you can buy a second Eufy Home Base (or, another camera with Home Base) and do the same thing. The Eufy app looks and appears to work just like the Arlo app, and you can add all sorts of devices. Presumably Eufy will have a doorbell, and other security devices soon. Ideally Eufy will have a reasonable range extender, but a second Home base may be a workaround if you can get an ethernet connection at this base.

I actually like the Arlo system, but I am moving and I am buying a new security camera system for the new house. I was considering the Ring system, but then decided on Eufy based on battery life (my Arlo’s would only last a week, so they are all hardwired now) and upcoming HomeKit support (in addition to Google and Alexa). To me Eufy appears to be Arlo on steroids (even in its admittedly current beta state).

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#26

Nice to hear that from an Arlo user…

I haven’t heard from any body if you can connect 2 homebases together and see all cameras in one place, it might be possible and work like that.
However, the promised range extender would resolve all short range issues and there may not be a need to buy another homebase as one homebase can support upto 16 cameras which is fairly enough for any house hold use.

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#27

So… Has anybody heard about the release date of a repeater? Can’t be true we’re still waiting.

#28

No, nothing … nothing new, no updates about it … no words … no pics, no details, no tech specs, since months!
We all wait anxiously and pray to god that something will happen soon.

Yoda would say: "Range Extenders we need!"

#29

Hi @all !

Just for notice, i have started TWO POLLS about the eufy cam range extender which you may want to participate:

#30

I’m super stoked for those range extenders coming out in Q1 of 2019. Happy New Year everyone, lol!

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#31

Any news on the range extender?! :astonished:

#32

According to Support there are no plans in the foreseeable future for one to be released, they are preferring to go the route of adding another Homebase into the mix or better positioning of your current Homebase…

#34

I have a mesh wi-fi network that provides excellent signal strength throughout my property, but if the cameras us a proprietary signal, then they will have a very restricted range, which seems to be the main complaint on this forum. Is there any way the regular wi-fi could be used.