Wifi vs ethernet options
Discussion
I need to address poor wifi upstairs in my house. 2 of the bedrooms have bad signal, I've tried one of the plug in extenders. Works for a bit but keeps dropping out.
A mesh system is a non starter as there is nowhere suitable to plug one in where it would be best placed. Unless anyone knows of a battery operated one?!
I know the best option is ethernet which I'd like but that could mean ripping up carpets or walls.
Anyone got any advice or done the ethernet cable?
A mesh system is a non starter as there is nowhere suitable to plug one in where it would be best placed. Unless anyone knows of a battery operated one?!
I know the best option is ethernet which I'd like but that could mean ripping up carpets or walls.
Anyone got any advice or done the ethernet cable?
First things first before you start hacking walls, get a wifi network signal checker app, free one like https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=abde...
Check the channel graph to see if your wifi is overlapping other networks, if you are able to change your 2.4, 5 or 6ghz channels on your router to others for a clearer signal and less interference.
If that helps your signal be stronger and doesn't drop then you don't need to put cable in. If you router doesn't allow to change to the channels that would be clearer or it doesn't change then ethernet is the way to go and I'll leave that to someone else to give best advice.
Check the channel graph to see if your wifi is overlapping other networks, if you are able to change your 2.4, 5 or 6ghz channels on your router to others for a clearer signal and less interference.
If that helps your signal be stronger and doesn't drop then you don't need to put cable in. If you router doesn't allow to change to the channels that would be clearer or it doesn't change then ethernet is the way to go and I'll leave that to someone else to give best advice.
Not all plug-in extenders are equal, but generally they are usually crap.
If you don’t want to go down the mesh route, you could try this and return them if they don’t work for you.
TP-Link AV1000 Gigabit Passthrough Powerline ac Wi-Fi Kit, Dual Band Speed Up to 1200 Mbps, Wi-Fi Extender/Booster, Extra Power Socket, No Configuration Required (TL-WPA7617 KIT) (Renewed) https://amzn.eu/d/0esm8Md5
I use a pair of Devolo powerline adaptors, 10 years old, one is plugged into a socket in the lounge, the other plugged into a socket in the garage and it allows me to view my cctv system remotely in 4k. The two sockets aren’t even on the same ring main, but have a rock solid connection to each other.
If you don’t want to go down the mesh route, you could try this and return them if they don’t work for you.
TP-Link AV1000 Gigabit Passthrough Powerline ac Wi-Fi Kit, Dual Band Speed Up to 1200 Mbps, Wi-Fi Extender/Booster, Extra Power Socket, No Configuration Required (TL-WPA7617 KIT) (Renewed) https://amzn.eu/d/0esm8Md5
I use a pair of Devolo powerline adaptors, 10 years old, one is plugged into a socket in the lounge, the other plugged into a socket in the garage and it allows me to view my cctv system remotely in 4k. The two sockets aren’t even on the same ring main, but have a rock solid connection to each other.
Ed Boon II said:
Not all plug-in extenders are equal, but generally they are usually crap.
If you don t want to go down the mesh route, you could try this and return them if they don t work for you.
TP-Link AV1000 Gigabit Passthrough Powerline ac Wi-Fi Kit, Dual Band Speed Up to 1200 Mbps, Wi-Fi Extender/Booster, Extra Power Socket, No Configuration Required (TL-WPA7617 KIT) (Renewed) https://amzn.eu/d/0esm8Md5
I use a pair of Devolo powerline adaptors, 10 years old, one is plugged into a socket in the lounge, the other plugged into a socket in the garage and it allows me to view my cctv system remotely in 4k. The two sockets aren t even on the same ring main, but have a rock solid connection to each other.
That is similar to what i had and didnt really work for me.If you don t want to go down the mesh route, you could try this and return them if they don t work for you.
TP-Link AV1000 Gigabit Passthrough Powerline ac Wi-Fi Kit, Dual Band Speed Up to 1200 Mbps, Wi-Fi Extender/Booster, Extra Power Socket, No Configuration Required (TL-WPA7617 KIT) (Renewed) https://amzn.eu/d/0esm8Md5
I use a pair of Devolo powerline adaptors, 10 years old, one is plugged into a socket in the lounge, the other plugged into a socket in the garage and it allows me to view my cctv system remotely in 4k. The two sockets aren t even on the same ring main, but have a rock solid connection to each other.
We run a combination of mesh/wired, with Unifi gear.
There's a wired AP downstairs fairly close to the incoming gateway. This meshes to an AP upstairs which has a wired connection to a second upstairs AP.
The APs are all ceiling mounted and use POE to simplify wiring. Luckily there's sockets in the loft, so a POE hub in the loft powers both the upstairs APs.
There's a wired AP downstairs fairly close to the incoming gateway. This meshes to an AP upstairs which has a wired connection to a second upstairs AP.
The APs are all ceiling mounted and use POE to simplify wiring. Luckily there's sockets in the loft, so a POE hub in the loft powers both the upstairs APs.
silentbrown said:
We run a combination of mesh/wired, with Unifi gear.
There's a wired AP downstairs fairly close to the incoming gateway. This meshes to an AP upstairs which has a wired connection to a second upstairs AP.
The APs are all ceiling mounted and use POE to simplify wiring. Luckily there's sockets in the loft, so a POE hub in the loft powers both the upstairs APs.
Sorry, what is an AP and POE? Probably being thick here. Just had a thought though. I do have a socket in the loft.
Wonder if that would work
There's a wired AP downstairs fairly close to the incoming gateway. This meshes to an AP upstairs which has a wired connection to a second upstairs AP.
The APs are all ceiling mounted and use POE to simplify wiring. Luckily there's sockets in the loft, so a POE hub in the loft powers both the upstairs APs.
Sorry, what is an AP and POE? Probably being thick here. Just had a thought though. I do have a socket in the loft.
Wonder if that would work
Guv10 said:
silentbrown said:
We run a combination of mesh/wired, with Unifi gear.
There's a wired AP downstairs fairly close to the incoming gateway. This meshes to an AP upstairs which has a wired connection to a second upstairs AP.
The APs are all ceiling mounted and use POE to simplify wiring. Luckily there's sockets in the loft, so a POE hub in the loft powers both the upstairs APs.
Sorry, what is an AP and POE? Probably being thick here. Just had a thought though. I do have a socket in the loft. There's a wired AP downstairs fairly close to the incoming gateway. This meshes to an AP upstairs which has a wired connection to a second upstairs AP.
The APs are all ceiling mounted and use POE to simplify wiring. Luckily there's sockets in the loft, so a POE hub in the loft powers both the upstairs APs.
Wonder if that would work
POE - Power over Ethernet (so no 'local' power point required).
so no cable and no power and you dont want to install a cable
what about a power station with 3 pin socket and blue tooth so you can turn it on an off when needed and a mesh extender?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUETTI-Elite-30-V2-Cable...
cheaper smaller one
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUETTI-Portable-Recharge...
what about a power station with 3 pin socket and blue tooth so you can turn it on an off when needed and a mesh extender?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUETTI-Elite-30-V2-Cable...
cheaper smaller one
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUETTI-Portable-Recharge...
Dave Hedgehog said:
so no cable and no power and you dont want to install a cable
what about a power station with 3 pin socket and blue tooth so you can turn it on an off when needed and a mesh extender?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUETTI-Elite-30-V2-Cable...
cheaper smaller one
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUETTI-Portable-Recharge...
I'm happy to install a cable but ideally that would be last resort.what about a power station with 3 pin socket and blue tooth so you can turn it on an off when needed and a mesh extender?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUETTI-Elite-30-V2-Cable...
cheaper smaller one
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUETTI-Portable-Recharge...
The tp-link stuff is good, I have one in the loft that the cctv is plugged into. I have an eero router though and just bought another 3 to extend the signal round my house, grage and garden.
The main thing to remember with extenders though is to plug it in where the signal is good. No point plugging it in in the bedroom where its bad as it's just extending a bad signal.
The main thing to remember with extenders though is to plug it in where the signal is good. No point plugging it in in the bedroom where its bad as it's just extending a bad signal.
Guv10 said:
I need to address poor wifi upstairs in my house. 2 of the bedrooms have bad signal, I've tried one of the plug in extenders. Works for a bit but keeps dropping out.
A mesh system is a non starter as there is nowhere suitable to plug one in where it would be best placed. Unless anyone knows of a battery operated one?!
I know the best option is ethernet which I'd like but that could mean ripping up carpets or walls.
Anyone got any advice or done the ethernet cable?
Was it a wifi "extender" you tried? If it worked for a bit then dropped out, then it's probably good enough for a mesh setup (and you must have been able to plug it in somewhere). That's the first thing I'd try. They are 100x better than "wifi extenders".A mesh system is a non starter as there is nowhere suitable to plug one in where it would be best placed. Unless anyone knows of a battery operated one?!
I know the best option is ethernet which I'd like but that could mean ripping up carpets or walls.
Anyone got any advice or done the ethernet cable?
If the signal really is poor e.g. you have walls made of 6ft of rubble, then use Powerline/Homeplug. Deco do a good little "P9" system, which sends the signal through the power cables. Works pretty well, obviously not as good as a real ethernet cable, but fine for most users.
RacingStripes said:
The tp-link stuff is good, I have one in the loft that the cctv is plugged into. I have an eero router though and just bought another 3 to extend the signal round my house, grage and garden.
The main thing to remember with extenders though is to plug it in where the signal is good. No point plugging it in in the bedroom where its bad as it's just extending a bad signal.
The extenders were just no good for me. Kept dropping out.The main thing to remember with extenders though is to plug it in where the signal is good. No point plugging it in in the bedroom where its bad as it's just extending a bad signal.
Think I'm just going to have to go with a cable
biggiles said:
Was it a wifi "extender" you tried? If it worked for a bit then dropped out, then it's probably good enough for a mesh setup (and you must have been able to plug it in somewhere). That's the first thing I'd try. They are 100x better than "wifi extenders".
If the signal really is poor e.g. you have walls made of 6ft of rubble, then use Powerline/Homeplug. Deco do a good little "P9" system, which sends the signal through the power cables. Works pretty well, obviously not as good as a real ethernet cable, but fine for most users.
It was a powerline adapter. It would work great for 80% of the time but just drop out and random timesIf the signal really is poor e.g. you have walls made of 6ft of rubble, then use Powerline/Homeplug. Deco do a good little "P9" system, which sends the signal through the power cables. Works pretty well, obviously not as good as a real ethernet cable, but fine for most users.
FourWheelDrift said:
First things first before you start hacking walls, get a wifi network signal checker app, free one like https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=abde...
OP: do this first as it will cost you nothing & it may reduce the problem - it did for me. I found that all my neighbours were on the same channel so I moved to an unused one & stopped getting dropouts.We also need a bit more information: what model is your router, where is it located, can you wire an AP to it & fix it to the downstairs ceiling?
Mr Pointy said:
OP: do this first as it will cost you nothing & it may reduce the problem - it did for me. I found that all my neighbours were on the same channel so I moved to an unused one & stopped getting dropouts.
We also need a bit more information: what model is your router, where is it located, can you wire an AP to it & fix it to the downstairs ceiling?
Router is a new sky one. By the front door right at the bottom of the stairs. Which is why I cant understand why the WiFi is so poor upstairs. We also need a bit more information: what model is your router, where is it located, can you wire an AP to it & fix it to the downstairs ceiling?
Guv10 said:
Router is a new sky one. By the front door right at the bottom of the stairs. Which is why I cant understand why the WiFi is so poor upstairs.
Quite often, the wifi quality of the bundled routers from the ISPs is rubbish. In terms of range, signal quality and handling network congestion. My very first BT hub had simply awful range - mind you this was a couple of decades ago. But even so, compared to a dedicated wifi router of the time it was pathetic. Also had a really useless Virgin superhub at one point that provided a very inconsistent signal with poor range..A good solution is a stand-alone mesh setup. Just plug the 'master' station into the back of the router and then strategically put the other (usually) two stations around the house.
I don't understand why you can't use mesh devices? They only need a power point, plus an ethernet cable for the "master".
Get a 3 pack. Plug one directly into your router with an ethernet cable.
Plug one in somewhere near your problem area
Plug the third one in halfway between the other two.
Create a new WiFi network using the mesh devices, and connect to that.
I'm using TP Link Deco devices. The app is a bit rubbish, but the devices work perfectly.
Get a 3 pack. Plug one directly into your router with an ethernet cable.
Plug one in somewhere near your problem area
Plug the third one in halfway between the other two.
Create a new WiFi network using the mesh devices, and connect to that.
I'm using TP Link Deco devices. The app is a bit rubbish, but the devices work perfectly.
How big is the house and the distances?
Average 3 bed semi or PH powerfully built directors mansion with the coverage not extending to the servants quarters?
I'm not clear whether the issue is distance or something that should work right now doesn't which would suggest something is broken.
Average 3 bed semi or PH powerfully built directors mansion with the coverage not extending to the servants quarters?
I'm not clear whether the issue is distance or something that should work right now doesn't which would suggest something is broken.
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