Wi-Fi and network installation in Emerald Hills

Former cabin lots turned hillside neighborhood. San Mateo County, California.

Homes in Emerald Hills

Emerald Hills started in the early 1920s as two resort subdivisions, Emerald Lake and Emerald Hills, sold to San Franciscans as a weekend escape. For decades the housing was vacation homes and cabins on septic tanks, and by 1968 the neighborhood had about 430 families.

Growth was held back by the septic limits and by a building moratorium that ran from the late 1970s to 1986. A sewer system installed in 1982 made expansion possible, and by 1992 there were roughly 1,400 homes. So the community today is a mix of older cabins and houses with many larger, newer and more expensive homes, set among oak-studded hills between Woodside, Redwood City and San Carlos. On the steeper lots, houses are often built on several levels.

Developers George Irvine and Charles Holt and builder George Leonard created the lake subdivisions in the early 1920s and bused San Franciscans in for free picnics. A sewer system in 1982 opened the way to larger homes.

What that means for your Wi-Fi

Houses that step down the hill

A home on three or four levels cannot be covered from the top floor alone. We wire an access point on each level, using closets and stacked chases to carry the cable down.

Old cabins grown into full-time homes

A cabin expanded several times has mismatched framing and no continuous attic. We plan each cable run individually and use in-wall access points where a ceiling mount is not possible.

Decks are the yard on a steep lot

Outdoor living on a slope happens on decks, beyond the reach of indoor signal. A wired outdoor access point mounted under the eave covers them without relying on a mesh hop.

Around Emerald Hills

Edgewood County Park: The 467-acre preserve of grassland and woodland is known for its spring wildflower displays.
Easter Cross: The 94-foot cross was built in 1929 at the crest of California Way and can be seen from a distance.
Handley Rock Park: The half-acre park holds a 50-foot sandstone monolith, the largest formation of its kind in San Mateo County.

Questions about Wi-Fi in Emerald Hills

How do you cover an Emerald Hills house on three or four levels?

Not from the top floor alone. On the steeper lots, houses are often built on several levels. We wire an access point on each one, using closets and stacked chases to carry the cable down through the house.

Can an old Emerald Hills cabin be wired for Ethernet?

Usually, one run at a time. A cabin expanded several times has mismatched framing and no continuous attic. We plan each cable run individually and use in-wall access points where a ceiling mount is not possible.

How do I get Wi-Fi on a deck over a steep slope?

With a wired outdoor access point. Outdoor living on a slope happens on decks, beyond the reach of indoor signal. We mount a unit under the eave to cover them, without relying on a mesh hop.