Question AP guidance

[requiredAlias]

This is my first post here. Hope I'm in the right place.
I have a router with a cabled? (looks like a telephone jack) Ubiquiti AP on the other end of my house - a 70' run. Works well inside my house.
On the opposite wall from the AP is my garage and, behind that, a patio. I've found, using my android phone, the signal 3' from the AP is ~31dBm. In the garage and on the patio - one interior wall and 15-20' away - the signal is ~80dBm.
I'm told I need to add another AP at the mutual wall between the garage and patio. Now for my questions.

Any way I can confirm I need an additional AP??
Can I split the cable to the existing AP and cable to the new one?
Any suggestions on brand/features?

 

[kanewolf]

This is my first post here. Hope I'm in the right place.
I have a router with a cabled? (looks like a telephone jack) Ubiquiti AP on the other end of my house - a 70' run. Works well inside my house.
On the opposite wall from the AP is my garage and, behind that, a patio. I've found, using my android phone, the signal 3' from the AP is ~31dBm. In the garage and on the patio - one interior wall and 15-20' away - the signal is ~80dBm.
I'm told I need to add another AP at the mutual wall between the garage and patio. Now for my questions.

Any way I can confirm I need an additional AP??
Can I split the cable to the existing AP and cable to the new one?
Any suggestions on brand/features?

Your "confirmation" is a -80 signal strength. Below (greater negative number) -70 your performance will be poor.
Can you "split"? Not easily. An AP needs power. That means either a POE injector or a POE switch.
Ubiquiti hardware requires software to configure it. Do you have that running on your phone? Or on a PC?
Which exact model is the existing AP ?

 

[requiredAlias]

If I can use a new AP is will be 4-6" from a power outlet. No problem with power.
I'm quite confused by the Unifi app. The Netgear router shows it's address as xxx.xxx.x.##. Logging in to the device through my PC browser results in 'bad username or passowrd.' when I log into the android unifi app (same username/password) , it, in fact, connects and shows a device at that address. Touching the device name results in an error - can't connect. Yet, I can have 4--5 devices changed to connect to the Ubiquiti AP and all connect and work flawlessly.
What have I learned?

 

[requiredAlias]

Your "confirmation" is a -80 signal strength. Below (greater negative number) -70 your performance will be poor.
Can you "split"? Not easily. An AP needs power. That means either a POE injector or a POE switch.
Ubiquiti hardware requires software to configure it. Do you have that running on your phone? Or on a PC?
Which exact model is the existing AP ?

Model - UAP-AC-LR

 

[kanewolf]

Model - UAP-AC-LR

One thing you could test is using wireless uplink to another UniFI AP. Put it on the outside wall as close to the inside AP as possible.
The AC-LR access point does not have a second ethernet port to allow you to extend the wired network. Is it possible to pull a second ethernet cable ?

 

[requiredAlias]

I've learned a little. Important or not, I don't know.
All following numbers are fictional. My Netgear router (Firefox browser o PC) shows the AP with an IP address of xxx.xxx.x.20 - my android Nighthawk app show a different IP for the AP - xxx.xxx.x.31. Does that matter?
It appears the devices in question connect to the AP for 1-2 days then disconnect for 1-2 days, then reconnect.
Does the above help solve my problem?
I know I can't split the cable. Can I add a networks switch to the current and new (if I need it) AP.

 

[kanewolf]

I've learned a little. Important or not, I don't know.
All following numbers are fictional. My Netgear router (Firefox browser o PC) shows the AP with an IP address of xxx.xxx.x.20 - my android Nighthawk app show a different IP for the AP - xxx.xxx.x.31. Does that matter?
It appears the devices in question connect to the AP for 1-2 days then disconnect for 1-2 days, then reconnect.
Does the above help solve my problem?
I know I can't split the cable. Can I add a networks switch to the current and new (if I need it) AP.

I don't know if that is significant or not.
But the original question was about signal strength and an additional AP.
This work for a couple days and then not work for a couple days is a different problem. What this sounds like is that you have multiple DHCP servers somewhere in your network.
Local IPs (192.168.x.y or 10.x.y.z) are not unique. You don't risk any security by including them in your post.

 

[requiredAlias]

"sounds like is that you have multiple DHCP servers somewhere in your network. "
OK, unfortunately you're over my head. How do I confirm/refute multiple DHCPs?

 

[kanewolf]

"sounds like is that you have multiple DHCP servers somewhere in your network. "
OK, unfortunately you're over my head. How do I confirm/refute multiple DHCPs?

Start by listing ALL the network hardware you have. Typical home networks use the router as the DHCP server. Do you have more than one router connected anywhere in your network ?

 

[requiredAlias]

I have one Netgear router set up as AP. No others.
FWIW, the Netgear Nighthawk app lists the offending AP 2 times consecutively . . .
Once under 5GHz
192.168.1.26 with a MAC NOT for the AP
--------------------------
The remainder under 'Wired'
192.168.1.50 with the correct MAC
----------------------------
By listing, you mean make ME a list, or make a list and post it?

 

[kanewolf]

I have one Netgear router set up as AP. No others.
FWIW, the Netgear Nighthawk app lists the offending AP 2 times consecutively . . .
Once under 5GHz
192.168.1.26 with a MAC NOT for the AP
--------------------------
The remainder under 'Wired'
192.168.1.50 with the correct MAC
----------------------------
By listing, you mean make ME a list, or make a list and post it?

One Netgear router setup as an AP doesn't make sense. What is the primary router? An ISP provided router?
The device listed as .26 is a device connected to the AP. The .50 is the IP of the access point.

 

[requiredAlias]

Setup is a Netgear router cabled to my ISP provided modem. A Unbiquiti AP cabled from modem and Netgear router set as AP cabled from router. FWIW, a Synology NAS cabled from router. All other devices are wireless.
Again, if I run a cable from the router to a switch, can I run two APs through the switch? Would it help? The current AP can apparently 'reach' the smart switches 2-3 days then, apparently, lose contact 1-2 days. I have found the devices losing signal are two switches and a Honeywell thermostat. All three one wall and 20-25' away from the AP

 

[kanewolf]

Setup is a Netgear router cabled to my ISP provided modem. A Unbiquiti AP cabled from modem and Netgear router set as AP cabled from router. FWIW, a Synology NAS cabled from router. All other devices are wireless.
Again, if I run a cable from the router to a switch, can I run two APs through the switch? Would it help? The current AP can apparently 'reach' the smart switches 2-3 days then, apparently, lose contact 1-2 days. I have found the devices losing signal are two switches and a Honeywell thermostat. All three one wall and 20-25' away from the AP

Sure, you can run two APs from a switch. If you get a POE switch, it can power both APs. Will it help? I don't know. We don't have a root cause for why the devices work some times and not other.