How to get good wifi throughout house

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › How to get good wifi throughout house

mb82

223 posts

Master Geek

#289869 5-Oct-2021 07:07

I know someone with an adsl modem/router at one end of the house which has an ethernet connection to desktop and on demand freeview box in the same room. Modem/router is an older model I can't even find on google. Halfway down the house there is a comfast repeater, small with twin antennas, i tried to link but apparently gear best is a bad word?

Problem is basically getting good reliable wifi from one end of the house to the other, through walls etc. Singal to repeater is average. Halfway down the house it is questionable if you will get reliable wifi, at the end of the house (25-30m away) opposite the modem/router wifi can barely be detected by phone and on laptop it is slow and keeps dropping.

By asking here I hope to get more nz specific info about brands / shops rather than just googling. So how do I get wifi throughout house

1) Will a decent modem/router work?

2) If I use a second modem/router halfway down the house which is ethernet linked to the main one does it have the same connection name and password or do you have to switch between the two depedning where you are in the house like with the extender?

3) Is a better extender worthwhile or a waste of time?

4) I have heard of powerline adapters. Do they have to be on the same fuse? Do they have the same name and password or do you have to switch between the two connections?

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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#2789515 5-Oct-2021 07:39

First of all WiFi repeaters are a total waste of time that actually won't work well in most situations, and in many cases will often make things worse, not better.

The typical situation in which you're describing is exactly the problem with WiFi repeaters. They need to be positioned somewhere where the signal is strong - placing one somewhere where the signal is weak means they're simply unable to connect to the main AP at a good speed and will also suck all the airtime from your main router which will mean poor performance for devices connected locally that do have good signal strength.

Your two options are multiple cabled access points, or multiple access points using powerline connectors. If you're using the same SSID on each access point there is no need to change networks as you move around the house, however unless you buy hardware with true roaming you still run the risk of devices not roaming correctly if you are moving around, but this won't typically be an issue for fixed devices.

scuwp

3885 posts

Uber Geek

#2789534 5-Oct-2021 07:57

What about a mesh system? Relatively cheap (or even free from some ISP's if you sign up for a term), simple to set up, no wires, and none of the issues of repeaters.

Sounds like a modem upgrade could be a worthwhile thing as well. Again depending on the ISP this could be quite cheap or even free.

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Handsomedan

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#2789546 5-Oct-2021 08:17

scuwp:
What about a mesh system? Relatively cheap (or even free from some ISP's if you sign up for a term), simple to set up, no wires, and none of the issues of repeaters.

Sounds like a modem upgrade could be a worthwhile thing as well. Again depending on the ISP this could be quite cheap or even free.

I’ve just started using a mesh system from Slingshot and it has improved the wifi signal throughout the house a lot.

No more dead spots and very good speeds in every room.

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jonathan18

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#2789557 5-Oct-2021 08:36

Yeah, I think a out-of-the-box solution like a mesh system is the way to go in a situation like this - I get that networking experts like those on this forum will often not think much of these systems, but for many households who can't, or don't know how to or just don't want to lay Ethernet cable through the house, or spend money on powerline adapters that may not even work in the situation or provide the expected speeds, they're a great option.

I suggest checking what the home resident's ISP is and whether they offer a mesh package. For example, with Slingshot the mesh add-on connects to their current router so it may be an opportune time to get an upgrade of that as well. Vodafone's is a two- or three-piece mesh add-on that connects to their router, with the router's wifi needing to be switched off. That said, even in such a situation it's still worth asking the ISP if they'll replace the router with something more contemporary.

dukester

475 posts

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#2789586 5-Oct-2021 09:09

I have a long house and use the Orbi mesh system. I have the main unit at one end, have run a data cable to the either end plus one to the garage under the house. All I can say is it works brilliant. No wifi dead spots anywhere. With the two degree wifi phone calling option on, I can still talk on phone when going from main house to garage without dropping the call. Thoroughly recommended.

raytaylor

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#2790762 6-Oct-2021 20:25

TPLink WPA4220Kit

Plug them in, set the wifi extender unit to the
same SSID/passkey/wpa security type
and different channel then enjoy.

Ray Taylor

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shrub

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#2790763 6-Oct-2021 20:32

ISP's are giving away mesh kits. Or I have just installed the TPLink deco M5 kit for a non tech mate that was constantly complaining about wifi drops and fortnite kids killing netflix. Super easy and works well no complaints since.

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Jashan

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#2790797 6-Oct-2021 22:21

This is something I have been recommending to my customer for home use.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETTPL9006/TP-Link-Deco-M5-Whole-Home-Mesh-Wi-Fi-System---2-P

I have had no issues with it so far. One unit can be used as a router and wireless the other unit meshes with it. The whole thing is super easy to set up via the deco app.

1101

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#2793633 12-Oct-2021 09:34

assuming the Mesh units are NOT cabled in ...
Isnt a Mesh just a bunch of repeaters . Its literally just repeating the signal

Repeaters often get trashed here , so why the love of Mesh systems ?
how can a repeater be so bad , yet a Mesh be so good ?

quickymart

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#2793727 12-Oct-2021 10:27

1101:

Repeaters often get trashed here , so why the love of Mesh systems ?
how can a repeater be so bad , yet a Mesh be so good ?

Paging @sbiddle

SATTV

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#2793764 12-Oct-2021 11:01

1101:

assuming the Mesh units are NOT cabled in ...
Isnt a Mesh just a bunch of repeaters . Its literally just repeating the signal

Repeaters often get trashed here , so why the love of Mesh systems ?
how can a repeater be so bad , yet a Mesh be so good ?

To answer your question, yes they are a repeater but rather than using the wifi channel as a repeater they use a bunch of different frequencies to repeat leaving the wifi channels free to do wifi.

They are still not perfect but a whole lot better than the cheap wifi extenders.

Does that make sense?

John

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shk292

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#2793841 12-Oct-2021 12:19

Also, Mesh units are extremely easy to cable together and provide seamless handover between units throughout your house.

I use the TP-Link units, all connected by cable and get great coverage. Previously one was wirelessly connected with no loss of speed noticed on mobile devices