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Wi-Fi and network installation in Albany
MacGregor bungalows and Albany Hill condo towers. Alameda County, California.
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Homes in Albany
Albany is a small city, and a large share of its houses came from one builder. Charles MacGregor put up some 1,500 homes here, mostly in the 1920s and 1930s. Many have a Mediterranean look, with archways, a large picture window in the front living room, an ornate tiled fireplace and built-ins, and his cottages are known for split-level designs.
Houses of that period often have stucco outside and plaster inside, and garages tend to be small. On the west side of Albany Hill the two Gateview condominium towers, finished in 1977, rise 15 and 17 stories. The University of California's University Village, which began as wartime worker housing in 1944, is home to students who are married or have dependents.
The city incorporated in 1908 as Ocean View and took the name Albany a year later. Builder Charles MacGregor put up some 1,500 houses here, mostly during the 1920s and 1930s, and they still set the look of the city.
What that means for your Wi-Fi
Stucco exteriors keep Wi-Fi from reaching the yard
Stucco is usually applied over wire mesh, which blocks signal at the outside wall. If you want coverage on the patio or in a backyard studio, we mount an outdoor access point and cable it back to the house.
Split-level MacGregors have awkward dead spots
Half flights of stairs put rooms on different levels, and signal often suffers between them. We wire two or three small access points so each level has its own, with cable run through the crawl space or attic.
High-rise condos are crowded with networks
In a high-rise you can often see dozens of neighboring networks, and little signal passes between rooms. We use in-wall access points on existing cable where we can, and tune channels to stay clear of neighbors.
Around Albany
- Solano Avenue: Albany's principal shopping street runs west to east through town and is lined with pedestrian-oriented shops.
- Albany Hill: The hill, once called El Cerrito de San Antonio, is the city's most prominent geographic landmark.
- Albany Bulb: A former garbage landfill on the shoreline that was turned into parkland as part of Eastshore State Park.
Questions about Wi-Fi in Albany
Why is the Wi-Fi patchy in my split-level MacGregor house?
It is usually the half flights of stairs. They put rooms on different levels, and signal often suffers between them. We wire two or three small access points so each level has its own, running cable through the crawl space or attic where the house has one.
Can I get Wi-Fi in my Albany backyard through stucco walls?
Not reliably from an indoor router. Stucco is usually applied over wire mesh, and that mesh blocks signal at the outside wall. We mount an outdoor access point for the patio or a backyard studio and cable it back to the house.
What can be done about weak Wi-Fi in a Gateview condo?
Quite a lot, even without new cable. In a high-rise you can often see dozens of neighboring networks, and little signal passes between rooms. We use in-wall access points on existing cable where we can and tune channels to stay clear of the neighbors.