Wifi range extender - so many options...
Discussion
Live in a townhouse, Virgin Media router (Hub 3.0) in mancave on first floor.
Basic TV in the lounge (next to mancave) with Amazon firestick connected, that worked fine.
Had a new extension build on the ground floor and bought my first smart TV (Samsung ue65nu7400) and that seems to connect to the internet ok-ish (no tv aerial downstairs) but it does need a few seconds to loads things sometimes.
Plugged in my fire stick in the new tv, and when trying to connect that to the internet it tells me the signal is 'marginal' and fails to connect most times.
Had a read online about renaming the 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz band to give them both an individual name (so the stick doesn't keep trying to jump between both) but that didn't help. I can see them both in the list but both are shown as 'marginal' signal and won't connect.
Then tried to watch amazon prime through the tv (without the fire stick) but the picture quality was ****, so I guess i need to boost my wifi signal downstairs so the TV and firestick can connect better, and hopefully i'll also have a good wifi signal in the garden then as always struggled to connect the laptop in the garden (which is kinda where the new extension is now).
So, looking online there are a load of different types of wifi extenders.
Some website said this Argos 'TP-Link 300Mbps Wi-Fi Range Extender & Booster' for £ 18, was fine, and others recommend some £ 200, Netgear thing that uses the electrical sockets in the house.
Any suggestions/recommendations on what type I'd need to boost to signal to one floor below where the router is ? And does it have to be 2.4 or 5 ghz, or a certain minimal speed ?
So many different ways of doing it with interchangeable names.
Simple repeaters just connect to your wifi and repeat it out but tend to loose 1/2 the bandwidth
I would either run a Cat 6 down to your TV, or go netgear Orbi. A mesh is extendable, allows you to boost in areas where wifi is weak, and means you can walk about with your tablet and let the mesh hand off the signal automatically rather than have your Ipad hang on to a weak signal and have to be forced to swap to the stronger signal with a different SSID.
But I do have a separate wifi access point, hard wired on the top floor and it works well (I use a Hap AP2) but I would choose a mesh these days (with hardwired for permanently sited equipment if possible)
Simple repeaters just connect to your wifi and repeat it out but tend to loose 1/2 the bandwidth
I would either run a Cat 6 down to your TV, or go netgear Orbi. A mesh is extendable, allows you to boost in areas where wifi is weak, and means you can walk about with your tablet and let the mesh hand off the signal automatically rather than have your Ipad hang on to a weak signal and have to be forced to swap to the stronger signal with a different SSID.
But I do have a separate wifi access point, hard wired on the top floor and it works well (I use a Hap AP2) but I would choose a mesh these days (with hardwired for permanently sited equipment if possible)
Will all powerlines in a house normally be connected in some way ?
Our rooms are spread over 3 floors, with only the kitchen and new extension (where the new tv is) on the ground floor. I read something that the powerlines have to be "on the same ring", for this powerline range extenders to work, is there any way to test that somehow ?
Our rooms are spread over 3 floors, with only the kitchen and new extension (where the new tv is) on the ground floor. I read something that the powerlines have to be "on the same ring", for this powerline range extenders to work, is there any way to test that somehow ?
Yes, your ground, 1st and 2nd floor are separate rings, but they come back and connect together (well, all the positives connect to the solid positive bar, and the negatives connect to the negative bar) in the junction box, so the high frequency signal superimposed onto the 240V AC will get to where you need unless its a Really long run. I had powerline adapters and managed to connect to a neighbours printer !
Didnt like them though. Seemed to have higher latency than other connections.
Didnt like them though. Seemed to have higher latency than other connections.
Edited by Gary C on Tuesday 12th February 19:57
I've been using Netgear Orbi for a couple of years and it's proven rock solid.
It creates a mesh network rather than just extending a WLAN and as such is going to perform better than a lan extender.
Wasn't cheap when you look at basic wifi extenders but the reliability and performance were more important for me
HTH
Steve
It creates a mesh network rather than just extending a WLAN and as such is going to perform better than a lan extender.
Wasn't cheap when you look at basic wifi extenders but the reliability and performance were more important for me
HTH
Steve
Thought i start with buying something cheap and then move up if it doesn't work, but it seems to have done the trick.
Bought this Netgear EX6150 Wifi range extender for £ 40, on Amazon and now the smart tv and fire stick get good connection and stream everything fine.
Done a few speed tests to see what difference it would make :
Main computer, connected via ethernet cable to the router :
Laptop, on same floor as router but in different room :
Laptop next to new smart tv that was struggeling with streaming :
Laptop in same postion (by new smart tv), but now connecting to that wifi extender thing placed in the hallway on the ground floor :
So download speed has more then doubled, and TV and firestick now work as they should, so thanks for the input people, I can now enjoy The Grand Tour in 4K on my new tv
Bought this Netgear EX6150 Wifi range extender for £ 40, on Amazon and now the smart tv and fire stick get good connection and stream everything fine.
Done a few speed tests to see what difference it would make :
Main computer, connected via ethernet cable to the router :
Laptop, on same floor as router but in different room :
Laptop next to new smart tv that was struggeling with streaming :
Laptop in same postion (by new smart tv), but now connecting to that wifi extender thing placed in the hallway on the ground floor :
So download speed has more then doubled, and TV and firestick now work as they should, so thanks for the input people, I can now enjoy The Grand Tour in 4K on my new tv
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