WiFi Extenders (yes, again)

[JonathanRyan]

[So I searched but couldn't find a specific case like mine....]

I live in a pretty large newish build house. Downstairs is one massive room, upstairs there are 4 bedrooms. Internal walls are mostly plasterboard but there's a solid chimney stack running up the middle. I suspect there's a lot of insulation in the walls. "Broadband" comes in via a Three 4G modem (it's the only viable option) in an upstairs room with the computers in. We have Alexa all over the house and watch TV on streaming via a Firestick.

WiFi throughout the house is patchy. Firestick often lags but I can watch the same thing OK on the Mac.

I put 2 hardwired plug socket + wifi extenders in and it improved the telly but everything else was worse. Laptop that works anywhere didn't work downstairs. Mac and PC kept falling off the net etc. Echo dot plugged right into the booster socket kept failing to contact internet. Took out the extenders.

What should I replace them with? I want something that works, isn't too ugly and doesn't cost over the odds (kind of in that order - I'll pay for something that works - I'll pay more if it looks good). I want to get it right this time - what should I buy that will definitely work?

(BTW can't use powerline - Firestick is wifi only)

 

[sep9001]

I do not think there is anything that is 100%, it is an expensive test.

I have tried various routers, home plugs with a router as an access point, in the end have go for a unifi ap Pro and LR which seems to give the best WiFi, but they are not cheap new.

 

[scott199]

Possible to run an ADSL line from you existing router to another located downstairs, change the downstairs router to an access point ?

 

[srichards]

Mesh routers might be a better option.

I'd also try with one wifi extender rather than two. Some of them are cack and will make wireless problems worse. The dlink one I had was rubbish. I got a tpLink dual band one and it's much better.

What make and model is the current wifi router?

 

[JonathanRyan]

I do not think there is anything that is 100%, it is an expensive test.

I have tried various routers, home plugs with a router as an access point, in the end have go for a unifi ap Pro and LR which seems to give the best WiFi, but they are not cheap new.

If I Googled the right thing then the price is fine. It's just.....I have no idea how I would implement that It seems perfect, but I don't know how to set it up

Possible to run an ADSL line from you existing router to another located downstairs, change the downstairs router to an access point ?

I remember when I used to understand computers...... ADSL - is that phone line? We have no (wired) phone in the house and I'd rather avoid running cables. But I may have totally misunderstood you.

Mesh routers might be a better option.

I'd also try with one wifi extender rather than two. Some of them are cack and will make wireless problems worse. The dlink one I had was rubbish. I got a tpLink dual band one and it's much better.

What make and model is the current wifi router?

Been looking at Mesh - they are pricey but look a better option. Current router is a Huawei AI Cube.

 

[scott199]

If I Googled the right thing then the price is fine. It's just.....I have no idea how I would implement that It seems perfect, but I don't know how to set it up



I remember when I used to understand computers...... ADSL - is that phone line? We have no (wired) phone in the house and I'd rather avoid running cables. But I may have totally

Basically it’s the cable you plug into the back of your router, you would have a super long one, and then another router but this means running a cable which I can understand you not wanting to do

 

[sep9001]

Basically it’s the cable you plug into the back of your router, you would have a super long one, and then another router but this means running a cable which I can understand you not wanting to do

If you do have a spare router, you can buy some homeplus and use the second router as an ap in another room. Similar to the Unifi stuff but cheaper.

So one homeplug goes near the main router with an ethernet into it. Another homeplug in the second location, with the second router connect to make it to an access point.

 

[sep9001]

This may help

View: https://youtu.be/REiL6r00GC8

 

[sirch]

If you do have a spare router, you can buy some homeplus and use the second router as an ap in another room. Similar to the Unifi stuff but cheaper.

So one homeplug goes near the main router with an ethernet into it. Another homeplug in the second location, with the second router connect to make it to an access point.

I've got a reasonable sized house with lots of internal brick walls and I have the set-up that @sep9001 suggests. Homeplugs are the easiest way of getting a wired network to another part of the house. I also run the main TV and the boy's XBox off home plugs, the less stuff you have contending for Wireless bandwidth the better.

 

[sphexx]

I've got a reasonable sized house with lots of internal brick walls and I have the set-up that @sep9001 suggests. Homeplugs are the easiest way of getting a wired network to another part of the house. I also run the main TV and the boy's XBox off home plugs, the less stuff you have contending for Wireless bandwidth the better.

But the OP says no homeplugs “(BTW can't use powerline - Firestick is wifi only). Though I’m not sure what that phrase means. It seem he’s saying no power line because Firestick is WiFi but a powerline/homeplug can have WiFi output too.

 

[sirch]

But the OP says no homeplugs “(BTW can't use powerline - Firestick is wifi only). Though I’m not sure what that phrase means. It seem he’s saying no power line because Firestick is WiFi but a powerline/homeplug can have WiFi output too.

But he can use homeplugs to create another WiFi access point at a different place in the house and then use WiFi to connect the Fire TV Stick to which ever WAP is nearest the Fire stick

 

[Cockney]

If you're unlucky and have outside interference like a cab firm or radio ham in the area you're going to struggle. I've had customers with wifi issues when you can see the router across the hallway.
Dect phones are the main wifi killer. Keep your base station phone as far away from your router as possible.
Download a free wifi signal app for your phone. Then you can wander the house and see how strong the signal is in different rooms and configurations. It will also show any neighbouring networks and what channel theyre on. Most routers auto select a channel but forcing yours to select a particular empty one can pay dividends.
I tend to use tp-link powerline av600 wifi regenerators. I dont clone them. I use the original id from the router and call the upstairs one "cockneynet" or similar, but with the same wifi code for ease. I find some devices hold on to the weak signal rather than the stronger signal from cloned networks.
Plasterboard walls are often as bad as stone. Many have a chicken wire backing turning the room into a virtual faraday cage.

 

[sphexx]

But he can use homeplugs to create another WiFi access point at a different place in the house and then use WiFi to connect the Fire TV Stick to which ever WAP is nearest the Fire stick

Or just a homeplug with WiFi.

 

[scott199]

But the OP says no homeplugs “(BTW can't use powerline - Firestick is wifi only). Though I’m not sure what that phrase means. It seem he’s saying no power line because Firestick is WiFi but a powerline/homeplug can have WiFi output too.

Yes as stated, the power line plugs are just to create another WiFi spot elsewhere in the house, power line WiFi is a little hit and miss but a dedicated router to fire another WiFi signal will be better

 

[JonathanRyan]

Thanks everybody for your help, let me clarify some things....

But the OP says no homeplugs “(BTW can't use powerline - Firestick is wifi only). Though I’m not sure what that phrase means. It seem he’s saying no power line because Firestick is WiFi but a powerline/homeplug can have WiFi output too.

Exactly. There's no Cat5 socket on my Firestick so we need some way of getting a solid wifi signal near the telly. I hadn't thought of another access point so I guess that might work.

Basically it’s the cable you plug into the back of your router, you would have a super long one, and then another router but this means running a cable which I can understand you not wanting to do

Ah got you Yes - fitted carpets upstairs, tiles downstairs. I really want a cable free solution.

If you're unlucky and have outside interference like a cab firm or radio ham in the area you're going to struggle. I've had customers with wifi issues when you can see the router across the hallway.
Dect phones are the main wifi killer. Keep your base station phone as far away from your router as possible.
Download a free wifi signal app for your phone. Then you can wander the house and see how strong the signal is in different rooms and configurations.

I know we can't get a TV reception probably because of all the 4G knocking around. I don't think there's a radio ham around but a bloke down the road keeps pigeons so who knows? Didn't know about DECT phones - interesting. We don't use them here but I bet all the neighbours do.

I've used a signal finder to "prove" that there are some very low spots in the house - yes neighbours' wifi is stronger than ours in some places.

But he can use homeplugs to create another WiFi access point at a different place in the house and then use WiFi to connect the Fire TV Stick to which ever WAP is nearest the Fire stick

Makes sense - I'll look into that. I have to say the "push a button and it works" promise of Google WiFi is looking awfully attractive

 

[scott199]

Thanks everybody for your help, let me clarify some things....



Exactly. There's no Cat5 socket on my Firestick so we need some way of getting a solid wifi signal near the telly. I hadn't thought of another access point so I guess that might work.



Ah got you Yes - fitted carpets upstairs, tiles downstairs. I really want a cable-free solution.



I know we can't get a TV reception probably because of all the 4G knocking around. I don't think there's a radio ham around but a bloke down the road keeps pigeons so who knows? Didn't know about DECT phones - interesting. We don't use them here but I bet all the neighbours do.

I've used a signal finder to "prove" that there are some very low spots in the house - yes neighbours' wifi is stronger than ours in some places.



Makes sense - I'll look into that. I have to say the "push a button and it works" promise of Google WiFi is looking awfully attractive

The 2nd router is the option I would use, had the same type of issue as you many years ago when my kids gamed online a lot, apparently in these games the better the interweb connection the more "pro" you are, kids hey

But anyway, the idea is you use the HomePlug instead of the 'gert' long cable, so one HomePlug next to your main router, plug that in with a cable, then another home plug where you'd like the new/2nd router to be, wire/plug it into the second router (homeplugs don't need to be wireless as your using the 2nd to fire the signal around)

Then you set the 2nd up as an access point which will give you the same coverage as if your main router was in that spot.

Sound's difficult, but its really just put HomePlug in and connect them up with short ADSL cables, depending on the 2nr router, you may have to go into settings and tell it to be an access point, but thats simple enough, plenty of tutorials on most routers. (2nd hand routers are pennies as well)

 

[Cockney]

The 2nd router is the option I would use, had the same type of issue as you many years ago when my kids gamed online a lot, apparently in these games the better the interweb connection the more "pro" you are, kids hey

But anyway, the idea is you use the HomePlug instead of the 'gert' long cable, so one HomePlug next to your main router, plug that in with a cable, then another home plug where you'd like the new/2nd router to be, wire/plug it into the second router (homeplugs don't need to be wireless as your using the 2nd to fire the signal around)

Then you set the 2nd up as an access point which will give you the same coverage as if your main router was in that spot.

Sound's difficult, but its really just put HomePlug in and connect them up with short ADSL cables, depending on the 2nr router, you may have to go into settings and tell it to be an access point, but thats simple enough, plenty of tutorials on most routers. (2nd hand routers are pennies as well)

Make sure the 2nd router is the same standard as your main. Eg "n" series wireless. Not an old b/g one.

 

[Neilc28]

Be very careful with WiFi Extenders, if the AP's aren't aware of each other then they won't handle the roaming of your devices across the wireless, so what you'll see is a device connected to an AP that could be the furthest one away, the intelligence to move to another AP that's closer simply isn't there. In this case the mesh systems are fantastic for this, and in some case can provide you with ethernet ports for additional connectivity.

Long-before a lot of these mesh systems existed I was recommending Cloudtrax (Open Mesh) as a viable solution, I think they've since been taken over by Datto but I meshed a series of holiday flats together with one broadband connection for isolated guest-access.

Definately look at mesh-systems, powerline kits are good-enough for situations where running cable isn't viable, but for wireless the investment into a mesh system is a no-brainer.

 

[Stephen L]

As an aside, my DECT phone main station is literally next to my wi-fi router. I’ve had no problems. We have fibre-to-cabinet, and my wi-fi signal is around 67Mbps. However, if I use power-line adapters that fails after about three days and I have to unplug all CAT5 cables to restore any sort of signal. So I’m sticking to wi-fi as it just works.

 

[AMcUK]

I put 2 hardwired plug socket + wifi extenders in and it improved the telly but everything else was worse. Laptop that works anywhere didn't work downstairs. Mac and PC kept falling off the net etc. Echo dot plugged right into the booster socket kept failing to contact internet. Took out the extenders.

Did you try just one extender? It's possible they were interfering with each other.
I have run multiple access points in both our last houses - old brick built internal walls. Now I have wired connections between them.
Using the same SSID throughout but choosing non overlapping WiFi channels so that devices connect to one AP at a time and roam between them.

In one place I had to reduce the power of one AP to force devices to connect to the other one - there was a spot in our bedroom where the signal from 2 APs was similar so the devices flipped back and forth making them very unreliable and sometimes just refusing to do anything.

If you need both extenders then try putting them as far apart as possible.

 

[JonathanRyan]

Did you try just one extender?

I didn't. I understood so little extenders that I automatically fell for the "more = better" trap . You're right, it's possible that one would have been better than 2.

I'm now trying to decide whether to do without wifi (it turns out you can cable a Firestick) or go for a mesh.

 

[Russdaz1]

I use a Netgear Nighthawk set up as a STAND ALONE wifi hot spot to extend my wifi, with the added bonus I can connect a printer or in my case a shared HDD via usb and usb3. Works a treat. All fixed items are plugged in to one or other of the routers, and my mobile devices just select the strongest signal.

Wifi download speeds of around 200mb.

The stand alone idea my make it easier to make the fire stick stick to the strongest signal by only setting it to log into the strongest signal.

At home I use a cable between the two routers, but I did the samething at my parents house using the power line sockets to connect the two routers up

 

[JonathanRyan]

Update: I went for the BT Whole Home mesh system. 3 devices (1 in the router, 2 essentially extenders). £130 quid - sorted. (just checking Amazon - it's £100 now )

 

[AgentOrange76]

I have the BT system, John Lewis were selling off the 2 packs - these seem to be being dropped leaving only the 3 pack starter option. 2 months in and once set up has worked flawlesly.
One with router in the front lounge and the extender in the upstairs back bedroom gives me full house coverage (semi detached 1930's 3 bed) and importantly full coverage over the 75ft garden including the man cave in at the bottom.