Wi-Fi and network installation in San Mateo

Estate-era neighborhoods, Hillsdale tracts and Eichlers. San Mateo County, California.

Homes in San Mateo

San Mateo's first town plat dates from 1862 and its first subdivisions from 1888, so the neighborhoods near downtown are old. Baywood was subdivided from the Parrott estate and Shoreview from the Howard lands, both by D. A. Raybould, and the 19th century estates of the Borel and Hayward families gave their names to other parts of the city.

The south end is David Bohannon's work. He bought 848 acres in 1940 and built Hillsdale in stages, with houses, garden apartments and the shopping center. Joseph Eichler added 19th Avenue Park, a tract of single-story glass-walled houses, and more than 700 Eichlers stand in the Highlands, an unincorporated community on the ridge just west of the city. Bay Meadows, begun in 2012 on the old racetrack, is the newest neighborhood.

San Mateo incorporated in 1894 after decades as a railroad town surrounded by San Francisco families' country estates. Those estates became subdivisions, and David Bohannon's Hillsdale reshaped the south end after World War II.

What that means for your Wi-Fi

Older houses in Baywood have signal-blocking walls

Plaster over lath and stucco over wire mesh are common in older houses, and both absorb Wi-Fi. We wire several access points instead of asking one router to push through them.

Eichlers in 19th Avenue Park and the Highlands

These houses have post-and-beam construction, flat or gently sloped roofs and typically no attic to work in. We plan exterior conduit runs and in-wall access points so the cabling stays out of sight.

Bay Meadows homes are usually pre-wired

Newer townhomes and condominiums tend to have Ethernet runs to a panel in a closet. We test them, reuse what passes, and add wired access points so every floor is covered.

Around San Mateo

Hillsdale Shopping Center: David Bohannon's shopping center has more than 120 stores and sits near the Hillsdale Caltrain station.
Downtown San Mateo: One of the larger suburban downtowns on the Peninsula, it has more than 800 shops and restaurants, many in historic buildings.
Bay Meadows: The 83-acre transit-oriented neighborhood replaced the horse racing track that closed in 2008.

Questions about Wi-Fi in San Mateo

Why is Wi-Fi poor in older Baywood houses?

Plaster over lath and stucco over wire mesh are common in older houses, and both absorb Wi-Fi. One router cannot push through them reliably, so we wire several access points and place them in the rooms where you need coverage.

Can you run Ethernet in a San Mateo Highlands Eichler?

Yes. These houses have post-and-beam construction, flat or gently sloped roofs and typically no attic to work in. We plan exterior conduit runs and in-wall access points so the cabling stays out of sight.

Does a Bay Meadows townhome need new cable for good Wi-Fi?

Often not. Newer townhomes and condominiums tend to have Ethernet runs to a panel in a closet. We test them, reuse what passes, and add wired access points so every floor is covered.