Wi-Fi and network installation in Portola Valley

Ranch houses on acreage and clustered hillside homes. San Mateo County, California.

Homes in Portola Valley

Portola Valley was ranchland until after World War II. The Westridge neighborhood came from the 1947 subdivision of Ormondale Ranch, and it set the pattern of spread-out houses on large lots, including a sprawling 1957 Cliff May ranch house built for Bill and Jean Lane of Sunset magazine. Single-family homes are about 81 percent of the housing.

Portola Valley Ranch, developed in the 1970s along Alpine Road, is different: about 200 earth-toned houses clustered on 435 acres, with more than 200 acres kept as open space. Elsewhere, Woodside Highlands, Blue Oaks and Central Portola Valley round out the town, and larger properties often have a detached garage, a guest house or a barn set apart from the main house.

Ranches began giving way to homes after World War II, starting with Westridge in 1947. Residents incorporated the town in 1964 with single-family zoning, and Sunset publisher Bill Lane served as the first mayor.

What that means for your Wi-Fi

Low, wide ranch houses stretch signal thin

A sprawling single-story house can run a long way from end to end. We wire ceiling access points along its length so the far bedroom wing gets the same speed as the kitchen.

Outbuildings sit far from the main house

On a large lot, the guest house or barn may be beyond any Wi-Fi signal. We trench cable where the ground allows, and use a point-to-point wireless bridge where slopes or tree roots rule it out.

Trees and terrain block signal outdoors

Trees and hillsides absorb Wi-Fi, so a patio or pool below the house often has none. Outdoor access points placed with a clear view of those areas solve the problem.

Around Portola Valley

Alpine Inn: The roadhouse, also called Casa de Tableta, dates to about 1852 and still operates as a bar and restaurant.
Our Lady of the Wayside Church: The 1912 church is a California Historic Landmark and one of the oldest buildings in town.
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve: The open space preserve is one of the town's best known natural landmarks, along with Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve.

Questions about Wi-Fi in Portola Valley

How do I cover a long single-story Portola Valley ranch house?

With several wired access points rather than one router. A sprawling single-story house can run a long way from end to end. We wire ceiling access points along its length so the far bedroom wing gets the same speed as the kitchen.

Can you get internet to a barn or guest house on a large lot?

Yes. On a large lot the guest house or barn may be beyond any Wi-Fi signal. We trench cable where the ground allows, and use a point-to-point wireless bridge where slopes or tree roots rule that out.

Why is there no Wi-Fi at the pool below my house?

Trees and hillsides absorb Wi-Fi, so a patio or pool below the house often gets none from indoors. We place outdoor access points with a clear view of those areas and wire them back to the main network.