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Wi-Fi and network installation in El Sobrante
Semi-rural valley houses on deep, hilly lots. Contra Costa County, California.
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Homes in El Sobrante
El Sobrante is an unincorporated community strung along San Pablo Dam Road and San Pablo Creek. Early in the 1900s it was a set of small ranches, and as roads were paved and homes built it became semi-rural instead of a planned suburb. Much of the housing dates from the middle of the 1900s.
Lots can be large, and many are on hillsides above the creek. Houses on slopes are sometimes tri-level, cut into the hill, and single-story houses of this period usually have crawl spaces. Additions are common in houses of this age. Long driveways, detached garages and workshops mean the area to cover is often much bigger than the house.
The land was the Rancho El Sobrante, granted to the Castro family in 1841, its name meaning the leftover area between other grants. It broke into small ranches, then filled with homes in the mid-1900s.
What that means for your Wi-Fi
Deep lots with workshops and detached garages
Signal from the house rarely reaches a shop at the back of a deep lot. We run buried cable in conduit, or set up a point-to-point bridge when the ground is too steep to trench.
Tri-level houses cut into the hill
Half flights of stairs and a level set into the slope break up coverage. We wire an access point for the lower level and another upstairs, linked by Cat6 through the crawl space.
Mesh kits lose speed across spread-out houses
Houses that grew by additions have long, bent floor plans, and each wireless hop cuts speed. We replace mesh kits with access points on Ethernet, run through the attic or crawl space.
Around El Sobrante
- Gurdwara Sahib of El Sobrante: The Sikh temple in the hills above San Pablo Dam Road is known for its large golden dome.
- Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area: The 222-acre park at the base of San Pablo Dam, created in 1967, has picnic areas among large eucalyptus trees.
- Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve: The 277-acre preserve, created in 1985, sits on land that was once part of the Rancho El Sobrante grant.
Questions about Wi-Fi in El Sobrante
How do I get internet to a workshop at the back of my El Sobrante lot?
Wire it or bridge it. Signal from the house rarely reaches a shop at the back of a deep lot. We run buried cable in conduit where we can trench, and set up a point-to-point bridge when the ground is too steep.
Why does my mesh system slow down in a house with additions?
Each wireless hop cuts speed, and houses that grew by additions have long, bent floor plans that need several hops. We replace the mesh kit with access points on Ethernet, run through the attic or crawl space, whichever the house gives us.
Can you cover both levels of a tri-level house on a slope?
Yes. Half flights of stairs and a level set into the hill break up coverage from a single router. We wire one access point for the lower level and another upstairs, and link them with Cat6, often through the crawl space.