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Post by novisnick on Jul 11, 2021 22:09:30 GMT -5
Hi guys, Id like to tag on to this thread and ask another question about a suggestion. Im having problems with my current router and I believe it at end of life. My cable modem is at one end of the house on the second floor and I need a suggestion for a new router to reach the other end of the house on the first floor. The house is 2,800 sf amd the distance across the house is about 44’. I too have a lot of gadgets to connect via WIFI. What are your suggestions my friends. garbulky , If you like I’d be happy to start another thread but thought you may be interested as well. Thanks all Do you have any CAT6 or Coax running between the two ends of the house? Unfortunately no, my main theater and cable modem are on the second floor. No cat 5/6 anyway in the house. |
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Post by garbulky on Jul 11, 2021 22:15:58 GMT -5
Hi guys, Id like to tag on to this thread and ask another question about a suggestion. Im having problems with my current router and I believe it at end of life. My cable modem is at one end of the house on the second floor and I need a suggestion for a new router to reach the other end of the house on the first floor. The house is 2,800 sf amd the distance across the house is about 44’. I too have a lot of gadgets to connect via WIFI. What are your suggestions my friends. garbulky , If you like I’d be happy to start another thread but thought you may be interested as well. Thanks all I don't know enough about this stuff. But I believe your answer will lie in a mesh network like the Amazon Eero. This way you can can support numerous smart home devices and have better coverage over the two floors. |
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Post by adaboy on Jul 11, 2021 23:29:39 GMT -5
Hi guys, Id like to tag on to this thread and ask another question about a suggestion. Im having problems with my current router and I believe it at end of life. My cable modem is at one end of the house on the second floor and I need a suggestion for a new router to reach the other end of the house on the first floor. The house is 2,800 sf amd the distance across the house is about 44’. I too have a lot of gadgets to connect via WIFI. What are your suggestions my friends. garbulky , If you like I’d be happy to start another thread but thought you may be interested as well. Thanks all I use Asus routers for just this purpose aimesh will make your life easier. I have the GTAX1100 as my main and AX6000 as the node. My reason is because my cable modem is on one side of the house and I wanted equal coverage on the opposite side. You can either hard wire cate5 them together or it will use a dedicated wireless signal to link them as one. The best part is that you can choose which routers you want as they are all compatible. I'd recommend that you use the AX models vs the RT. AX are the latest generation. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2021 23:54:13 GMT -5
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Post by novisnick on Jul 12, 2021 8:48:09 GMT -5
These devices need to be on the same electrical line. They do work great if one has that option, sadly I don’t. Thanks for your input. |
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Post by novisnick on Jul 12, 2021 8:56:24 GMT -5
Hi guys, Id like to tag on to this thread and ask another question about a suggestion. Im having problems with my current router and I believe it at end of life. My cable modem is at one end of the house on the second floor and I need a suggestion for a new router to reach the other end of the house on the first floor. The house is 2,800 sf amd the distance across the house is about 44’. I too have a lot of gadgets to connect via WIFI. What are your suggestions my friends. garbulky , If you like I’d be happy to start another thread but thought you may be interested as well. Thanks all I use Asus routers for just this purpose aimesh will make your life easier. I have the GTAX1100 as my main and AX6000 as the node. My reason is because my cable modem is on one side of the house and I wanted equal coverage on the opposite side. You can either hard wire cate5 them together or it will use a dedicated wireless signal to link them as one. The best part is that you can choose which routers you want as they are all compatible. I'd recommend that you use the AX models vs the RT. AX are the latest generation. Did you mean a GTAX11000 ? For $470. And then I need another unit, the AX6000? Another $300. ? $850 including tax is a bit more then I was thinking of spending. Maybe a more economical solution. Thanks so much. Side note, I don’t game. |
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Post by LuisV on Jul 12, 2021 9:10:40 GMT -5
Hi guys, Id like to tag on to this thread and ask another question about a suggestion. Im having problems with my current router and I believe it at end of life. My cable modem is at one end of the house on the second floor and I need a suggestion for a new router to reach the other end of the house on the first floor. The house is 2,800 sf amd the distance across the house is about 44’. I too have a lot of gadgets to connect via WIFI. What are your suggestions my friends. garbulky , If you like I’d be happy to start another thread but thought you may be interested as well. Thanks all If you can run an ethernet cable to the other side of the home, attic or crawl space works perfectly for this, install a wireless access point, or two, in the ceiling and all of your wireless issues will disappear. I have 2 Ubiquiti APs in my 2,300 sf home. Currently have 37 devices connected, 16 wired and 21 wireless, including iPhones, security cameras, computers, TVs, streamers, hubs for pool automation, garage doors and lights, etc. etc. I work from home and have 2 college age kids that have been taking courses remotely for the last year due to COVID... so its common for us to have multiple Zoom calls at the same time throughout the day. We're an internet only 1GB FIOS customer and when the house was built, I had CAT6 run to every room and multiple runs to my home office / man cave. Everything that can be connected via Ethernet is and what can't is obviously wireless. We average 3 - 5 TB of data per month, zero issues for the last 2.5 years... screenshot is total data since 1/1/21.  I made the same recommendation to my parent's for their new home... they have CAT6 in all rooms, 2 wireless access points, the ISP modem / router was never connected and they have the same result... zero wireless issues. They have a 250GB FIOS plan, no TV plan, stream everything are are using a small Ubiquiti setup... USG 3P, 8 Port switch and 2 WiFi 6 APs.  My recommendation is to purchase wireless access points from TP-Link or Ubiquiti and turn off the wireless function of your ISP or all in one router. You can use Powerline network equipment, but I've found them to be noisy and not as reliable as wired access points. |
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KeithL
Administrator 
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Post by KeithL on Jul 12, 2021 9:30:34 GMT -5
I'm afraid WiFi just isn't as effective as a good old wire.... and that's doubly true if you don't want to spend a fortune on fancy WiFi gear.
HOWEVER, it's also worth noting that WiFi is EXTREMELY sensitive to interference and physical obstructions. And this is especially true if you have metal beams, or metal pipes, or even lots of wiring in your walls. (As an example, with a single basic router, a 12" aluminum pie tin, standing directly between the router and computer or other device, can block the WiFi signal.)
HOWEVER, sometimes you can greatly improve the situation without too much effort. Try moving your router even a few feet one way or the other.
Try placing your router HIGHER if possible.
If your router has an antenna that unscrews, try purchasing a separate antenna, with a wire, that you can try in different locations. (If you have a desktop computer its WiFi card may also accept an external antenna with a wire... which will often help.)
Try reorienting your devices (most devices have one or two antennas on one side... and the body of the device itself may block the signal if you turn it the wrong way). Make sure neither your router or device is sitting very near a source of interference (a cordless phone base station or a microwave oven).
I would also suggest restarting an older router periodically... For example, it its a cable modem, unplug it and force it to fully reboot once every week or two... Some older devices have limited routing tables, or limited caches, which can become filled up, and will perform significantly better after being rebooted.
(This is especially true if you have a lot of devices connected to it.)
Hi guys, Id like to tag on to this thread and ask another question about a suggestion. Im having problems with my current router and I believe it at end of life. My cable modem is at one end of the house on the second floor and I need a suggestion for a new router to reach the other end of the house on the first floor. The house is 2,800 sf amd the distance across the house is about 44’. I too have a lot of gadgets to connect via WIFI. What are your suggestions my friends. garbulky , If you like I’d be happy to start another thread but thought you may be interested as well. Thanks all If you can run an ethernet cable to the other side of the home, attic or crawl space works perfectly for this, install a wireless access point, or two, in the ceiling and all of your wireless issues will disappear. I have 2 Ubiquiti APs in my 2,300 sf home. Currently have 37 devices connected, 16 wired and 21 wireless, including iPhones, security cameras, computers, TVs, streamers, hubs for pool automation, garage doors and lights, etc. etc. I work from home and have 2 college age kids that have been taking courses remotely for the last year due to COVID... so its common for us to have multiple Zoom calls at the same time throughout the day. We're an internet only 1GB FIOS customer and when the house was built, I had CAT6 run to every room and multiple runs to my home office / man cave. Everything that can be connected via Ethernet is and what can't is obviously wireless. We average 3 - 5 TB of data per month, zero issues for the last 2.5 years... screenshot is total data since 1/1/21. View Attachment I made the same recommendation to my parent's for their new home... they have CAT6 in all rooms, 2 wireless access points, the ISP modem / router was ever connected and they have the same result... zero wireless issues. They have a 250GB FIOS plan, no TV plan, stream everything are are using a small Ubiquiti setup... USG 3P, 8 Port switch and 2 WiFi 6 APs. View AttachmentMy recommendation is to purchase wireless access points from TP-Link or Ubiquiti and turn off the wireless function of your ISP or all in one router. You can use Powerline network equipment, but I've found them to be noisy and not as reliable as wired access points. |
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Post by AudioHTIT on Jul 12, 2021 13:46:55 GMT -5
Do you have any CAT6 or Coax running between the two ends of the house? Unfortunately no, my main theater and cable modem are on the second floor. No cat 5/6 anyway in the house. No coax for TV either? You can create a MoCA network connection between locations with an extra RG-6 or similar cable. |
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Post by LuisV on Jul 12, 2021 13:59:23 GMT -5
I'm afraid WiFi just isn't as effective as a good old wire.... and that's doubly true if you don't want to spend a fortune on fancy WiFi gear. HOWEVER, it's also worth noting that WiFi is EXTREMELY sensitive to interference and physical obstructions. And this is especially true if you have metal beams, or metal pipes, or even lots of wiring in your walls. (As an example, with a single basic router, a 12" aluminum pie tin, standing directly between the router and computer or other device, can block the WiFi signal.)
HOWEVER, sometimes you can greatly improve the situation without too much effort. Try moving your router even a few feet one way or the other.
Try placing your router HIGHER if possible.
If your router has an antenna that unscrews, try purchasing a separate antenna, with a wire, that you can try in different locations. (If you have a desktop computer its WiFi card may also accept an external antenna with a wire... which will often help.)
Try reorienting your devices (most devices have one or two antennas on one side... and the body of the device itself may block the signal if you turn it the wrong way). Make sure neither your router or device is sitting very near a source of interference (a cordless phone base station or a microwave oven).
I would also suggest restarting an older router periodically... For example, it its a cable modem, unplug it and force it to fully reboot once every week or two... Some older devices have limited routing tables, or limited caches, which can become filled up, and will perform significantly better after being rebooted.
(This is especially true if you have a lot of devices connected to it.) You listed a bunch of reasons why you need a wireless access point closer to and with minimized obstructions to the wireless device... exactly why a WAP is a better solution and the preferred location for a WAP is on a ceiling. Why reboot a modem? In my eyes that's a band-aid. Does it work, sure, but you're simply masking the issue. Plenty of options out there... Untangle, Ubiquiti, pfsense, TP-Link's Omada... list goes on. |
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Post by jbrunwa on Jul 12, 2021 14:09:07 GMT -5
I'm afraid WiFi just isn't as effective as a good old wire.... and that's doubly true if you don't want to spend a fortune on fancy WiFi gear. HOWEVER, it's also worth noting that WiFi is EXTREMELY sensitive to interference and physical obstructions. And this is especially true if you have metal beams, or metal pipes, or even lots of wiring in your walls. (As an example, with a single basic router, a 12" aluminum pie tin, standing directly between the router and computer or other device, can block the WiFi signal.)
HOWEVER, sometimes you can greatly improve the situation without too much effort. Try moving your router even a few feet one way or the other.
Try placing your router HIGHER if possible.
If your router has an antenna that unscrews, try purchasing a separate antenna, with a wire, that you can try in different locations. (If you have a desktop computer its WiFi card may also accept an external antenna with a wire... which will often help.)
Try reorienting your devices (most devices have one or two antennas on one side... and the body of the device itself may block the signal if you turn it the wrong way). Make sure neither your router or device is sitting very near a source of interference (a cordless phone base station or a microwave oven).
I would also suggest restarting an older router periodically... For example, it its a cable modem, unplug it and force it to fully reboot once every week or two... Some older devices have limited routing tables, or limited caches, which can become filled up, and will perform significantly better after being rebooted.
(This is especially true if you have a lot of devices connected to it.) You listed a bunch of reasons why you need a wireless access point closer to and with minimized obstructions to the wireless device... exactly why a WAP is a better solution and the preferred location for a WAP is on a ceiling. Why reboot a modem? In my eyes that's a band-aid. Does it work, sure, but you're simply masking the issue. Plenty of options out there... Untangle, Ubiquiti, pfsense, TP-Link's Omada... list goes on. Most people don't realize that wifi is radio, and on a given channel only one radio can transmit at a time, and every wifi device (radio) that transmits can potentially create interference. It's frankly amazing science that so many devices can transmit using time and band interleaving and that it is as reliable as it is. It's a good thing that radio waves are invisible.  |
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KeithL
Administrator
Posts: 10,256
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Post by KeithL on Jul 12, 2021 15:13:28 GMT -5
I have a lot of experience with network design - both personal and commercial.
And I personally prefer the speed and reliability of a wired connection... so that's what I use whenever possible.
And, when I do resort to WiFi, for phones and laptops, the WiFi on my cable modem is actually quite fast and reliable. (Comcast XFinity's latest high-end WiFi router is actually quite nice... )
However, rebooting an older cable modem every few weeks can do a lot to improve its performance, which makes doing so a very economical band-aid. (Not everyone wants to spend hundreds of dollars on home network infrastructure.)
I'm afraid WiFi just isn't as effective as a good old wire.... and that's doubly true if you don't want to spend a fortune on fancy WiFi gear. HOWEVER, it's also worth noting that WiFi is EXTREMELY sensitive to interference and physical obstructions. And this is especially true if you have metal beams, or metal pipes, or even lots of wiring in your walls. (As an example, with a single basic router, a 12" aluminum pie tin, standing directly between the router and computer or other device, can block the WiFi signal.)
HOWEVER, sometimes you can greatly improve the situation without too much effort. Try moving your router even a few feet one way or the other.
Try placing your router HIGHER if possible.
If your router has an antenna that unscrews, try purchasing a separate antenna, with a wire, that you can try in different locations. (If you have a desktop computer its WiFi card may also accept an external antenna with a wire... which will often help.)
Try reorienting your devices (most devices have one or two antennas on one side... and the body of the device itself may block the signal if you turn it the wrong way). Make sure neither your router or device is sitting very near a source of interference (a cordless phone base station or a microwave oven).
I would also suggest restarting an older router periodically... For example, it its a cable modem, unplug it and force it to fully reboot once every week or two... Some older devices have limited routing tables, or limited caches, which can become filled up, and will perform significantly better after being rebooted.
(This is especially true if you have a lot of devices connected to it.) You listed a bunch of reasons why you need a wireless access point closer to and with minimized obstructions to the wireless device... exactly why a WAP is a better solution and the preferred location for a WAP is on a ceiling. Why reboot a modem? In my eyes that's a band-aid. Does it work, sure, but you're simply masking the issue. Plenty of options out there... Untangle, Ubiquiti, pfsense, TP-Link's Omada... list goes on. |
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Post by novisnick on Jul 12, 2021 15:33:45 GMT -5
Unfortunately no, my main theater and cable modem are on the second floor. No cat 5/6 anyway in the house. No coax for TV either? You can create a MoCA network connection between locations with an extra RG-6 or similar cable. I do have coaxial cable throughout the house. It enters at the furthest point from my modem on the first floor. My main theater (there are two full theaters) is in what I call the cave. The cave has all (more) of my toys. Cave also has a digital two channel system as well as analog which doesn’t require internet! LOL Another win for analog! So there is the cable modem and a router which supplies the switch and wifi. Mrs theater has an Apple tv, 4K player cable tv and a need for wifi. Is there a way to supply the switch with internet access via my router or modem/router? This system has been pretty reliable for some time but always on the edge of a distance too far. I currently own; Arris SBG6580-G228 Netgear R6300 wifi Router Netgear WN3000RP Rang extender |
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Post by AudioHTIT on Jul 12, 2021 16:35:48 GMT -5
No coax for TV either? You can create a MoCA network connection between locations with an extra RG-6 or similar cable. I do have coaxial cable throughout the house. It enters at the furthest point from my modem on the first floor. My main theater (there are two full theaters) is in what I call the cave. The cave has all (more) of my toys. Cave also has a digital two channel system as well as analog which doesn’t require internet! LOL Another win for analog! So there is the cable modem and a router which supplies the switch and wifi. Mrs theater has an Apple tv, 4K player cable tv and a need for wifi. Is there a way to supply the switch with internet access via my router or modem/router? This system has been pretty reliable for some time but always on the edge of a distance too far. I currently own; Arris SBG6580-G228 Netgear R6300 wifi Router Netgear WN3000RP Rang extender My thoughts are to join two WiFi devices with a wired connection. The first would be where your ISP delivers service, your cable modem and WiFi router (either existing or something new). If you have an unused piece of coax (or two pieces you could link together) between the two ends of the house, you could get two MoCA adapters to make the ‘wired connection’ I referred to. You could then try to use your existing router and extender, I’d probably try the two Netgear’s first even though the Arris might be a better router. Another thing to look for is whether your current cable or satellite boxes already have MoCA — my DirecTV boxes do — so that everywhere I have DTV, I also have a network connection (there’s actually an RJ-45 connection on the back of the box). Here are a couple of MoCA adapters to consider. www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=moca+adapter&_dyncharset=UTF-8&_dynSessConf=&id=pcat17071&type=page&sc=Global&cp=1&nrp=&sp=&qp=&list=n&af=true&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960&keys=keys |
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Post by garbulky on Jul 12, 2021 17:31:54 GMT -5
Hi guys! So good news!  I setup the router. And.. it works! It connected to all my devices including some devices that were sporadically dropping out on my old connection. My iphones are connecting at ridiculous speeds (nearly 650 mbps on 5g band). Over 45 wifi devices connected simultaneously with no drops so far. The old router had terrible skips on facetime. On a brief test facetime appears to be fine. In terms of speed my connection is specified for 50mbps though it does go a little faster. Here's ethernet  Here's wifi  Even the latency is about the same! So far, I count this as a success. I would like to thank everyone for their help and I really mean it. It helped me brainstorm ideas and arrive at a solution. Thanks AudioHTIT KeithL @luisv novisnick Boomzilla routlaw 405x5 BigE wilburthegoose vcautokid cawgijoe adaboy klinemj housetech and any others that I missed. |
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Post by novisnick on Jul 12, 2021 18:05:45 GMT -5
I do have coaxial cable throughout the house. It enters at the furthest point from my modem on the first floor. My main theater (there are two full theaters) is in what I call the cave. The cave has all (more) of my toys. Cave also has a digital two channel system as well as analog which doesn’t require internet! LOL Another win for analog! So there is the cable modem and a router which supplies the switch and wifi. Mrs theater has an Apple tv, 4K player cable tv and a need for wifi. Is there a way to supply the switch with internet access via my router or modem/router? This system has been pretty reliable for some time but always on the edge of a distance too far. I currently own; Arris SBG6580-G228 Netgear R6300 wifi Router Netgear WN3000RP Rang extender My thoughts are to join two WiFi devices with a wired connection. The first would be where your ISP delivers service, your cable modem and WiFi router (either existing or something new). If you have an unused piece of coax (or two pieces you could link together) between the two ends of the house, you could get two MoCA adapters to make the ‘wired connection’ I referred to. You could then try to use your existing router and extender, I’d probably try the two Netgear’s first even though the Arris might be a better router. Another thing to look for is whether your current cable or satellite boxes already have MoCA — my DirecTV boxes do — so that everywhere I have DTV, I also have a network connection (there’s actually an RJ-45 connection on the back of the box). Here are a couple of MoCA adapters to consider. www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=moca+adapter&_dyncharset=UTF-8&_dynSessConf=&id=pcat17071&type=page&sc=Global&cp=1&nrp=&sp=&qp=&list=n&af=true&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960&keys=keysSo, my cable modem runs off of the one and only coaxial cable coming into the cave. Can I run the data via MoCA back down that same cable? |
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Post by AudioHTIT on Jul 12, 2021 18:15:55 GMT -5
My thoughts are to join two WiFi devices with a wired connection. The first would be where your ISP delivers service, your cable modem and WiFi router (either existing or something new). If you have an unused piece of coax (or two pieces you could link together) between the two ends of the house, you could get two MoCA adapters to make the ‘wired connection’ I referred to. You could then try to use your existing router and extender, I’d probably try the two Netgear’s first even though the Arris might be a better router. Another thing to look for is whether your current cable or satellite boxes already have MoCA — my DirecTV boxes do — so that everywhere I have DTV, I also have a network connection (there’s actually an RJ-45 connection on the back of the box). Here are a couple of MoCA adapters to consider. www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=moca+adapter&_dyncharset=UTF-8&_dynSessConf=&id=pcat17071&type=page&sc=Global&cp=1&nrp=&sp=&qp=&list=n&af=true&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960&keys=keysSo, my cable modem runs off of the one and only coaxial cable coming into the cave. Can I run the data via MoCA back down that same cable? Sorry, no, especially since if that's how your modem connects, that piece of Coax goes back to Comcast or whoever your ISP is. You need an unused cable that goes elsewhere in your house. If you can't or don't want to run a cable, preferably CAT6 if you're going to the trouble, I think you're down to the Ethernet over Power adapters, or a two router WiFi Mesh solution. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 12, 2021 19:24:34 GMT -5
Curious...
Here's what I got:
WIRED
Download = 177.6 MbPS
Upload = 10.2 MbPS
WIRELESS
Download = 128.0 MbPS
Upload = 8.41 MbPS
Why is my connection faster?
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Post by novisnick on Jul 12, 2021 19:31:23 GMT -5
So, my cable modem runs off of the one and only coaxial cable coming into the cave. Can I run the data via MoCA back down that same cable? Sorry, no, especially since if that's how your modem connects, that piece of Coax goes back to Comcast or whoever your ISP is. You need an unused cable that goes elsewhere in your house. If you can't or don't want to run a cable, preferably CAT6 if you're going to the trouble, I think you're down to the Ethernet over Power adapters, or a two router WiFi Mesh solution. Thanks so much for your time and effort, Ethernet over power-line requires the use of the same circuit. That won’t work. Running a line of any type would require going on the outside of the house which wouldn’t be pretty from the street. Especially with my grave being unmarked in the yard somewhere. As you might guess, I’m not thrilled about that option. 🤭😢 I’ll try moving the router closer to the middle of the house. I may be able to move it a couple of feet. Maybe that will help. Wish me luck! I may end up with a mesh system. |
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Post by novisnick on Jul 12, 2021 19:38:14 GMT -5
Curious... Here's what I got: WIREDDownload = 177.6 MbPS Upload = 10.2 MbPS WIRELESSDownload = 128.0 MbPS Upload = 8.41 MbPS Why is my connection faster? I’ve never had a wireless connection that was as fast as a wired one. |
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