The router is all the way upstairs, and wifi can be very slow on the downstairs level, and outside.


Would a better router be the issue, or an extender, or something else?

Also, I read advice to move the router - doesn't it have to be plugged into the modem?
Are there wireless routers that will work, if moved to a different location than near the modem?


Thanks!

What size/layout is your place?
What router do you have now?
How many other APs can you see?
How much are you willing to spend on solving this issue?

Ideally you'd add a second (or more as needed) access point with a hardwired connection back to the main router. Having a "shouty" router that broadcasts at super high power mostly just makes things worse for other airspace users. Upgrading the transmitter power on your router gets a louder signal to your devices, but your devices aren't transmitting with any more power than before so your overall experience still isn't great.
With the right hardware and config, you can still use a single SSID name and your devices roam between APs as you move through the coverage. This type of setup can be more complex to set up and maintain and tends to cost more.

What size/layout is your place?
- 4 floors with router on top floor, next to modem. There is a basement too so service there would be a plus.

What router do you have now?
-Not sure, I'm not at that house at the moment. Standard router from cable company. I will try and find out.

How many other APs can you see?
- ummm.....1 I think? Not really sure how to find this out.

How much are you willing to spend on solving this issue?
- $50-$100



Does this info help at all?

comcast basically made me upgrade my setup to an all in one, its actually pretty good tho. when i was looking to buy my own, price was a bit higher than that, more like 150-200 for a good one. i will check the speed later if i remember but i get wifi until about the end of the driveway which is a good 100+ft from the modem. they charge $10/mo to "rent"

have you tried it in the middle floors ever?

It does help, Brad22, but your budget is on the low side to make much happen.
You can move your cable modem/router anywhere there is a cable outlet in your house. Moving to a middle floor would help some.

If you're on Xfinity/Comcast, the quick and dirty option is just buying a 3 pack of their extenders.https://www.xfinity.com/learn/intern.../xfi-pod-3pack
These need to be placed in between the area with weak signal and the router. They need to be in an area that still has pretty good signal because they communicate over wifi with both the devices connecting and the base router. There are similar products not tied to Comcast if you're with another cable company.

The APs seen can be checked by how many options are in the list when you go to connect to a new wifi name on your computer. The more APs you can see, the more congested the 2.4GHz spectrum is and the more important getting good 5GHz coverage is. This doesn't seem to be a problem in your case and isn't really in play to go after hard with your budget.

i was getting ~235mbps in my bedroom, 1 room/3 walls away from router, 100+ feet outside was getting ~60 still, using my phone. depending on your isp you may be able to either rent something similar, try a product like above, or even call and complain and see what they can tell you. might have issues on either end that they'd be able to see that arent apparent to you at home.

WiFi propagation/signal quality varies a lot depending on construction materials and other users in the WiFi RF bands. Steel studs or masonry walls eat up signal. My apartment building is super noisy in the 2.4GHz spectrum (lots of other APs) so I run 2 access points and have considered adding a third for full 5GHz coverage of 940 sqft.

Thx for the replies guys!

Not currently in that house, but will take all of your suggestions when I'm there and see what I can fix.

Will report back.

Hey again, so ended up getting a new router with a better signal, that seems to have fixed the issue.


Thx again for the help, will keep the other tips/devices in mind if anything else comes up.

If OP were to set up a cable from the 4th floor to the 2nd floor and install an additional wifi router, would it be possible to set up a single wifi that chooses from the closest router?

not sure how it would work being the same "network" but usually it needs to lose signal before it looks for another i think

Quick networking nitpick: You don't want a second router on the same network segment. For most practical purposes, an entire home will have one and only one router in a functional network. Some routers can be reconfigured as access points by disabling all routing and DHCP functionality in the firmware config.

You can add a second access point, the ability to share a single SSID and how roaming clients are handled varies widely depending on the hardware deployed and how its configured. If your serious about setting up a multi access point setup, check out Ubiquiti's UniFi lineup and similar products. Most devices that do a decent job of this are more in the small business targeted devices.

Fixed your wording. The answer to your question is "Yes."


The best option would be to run an ethernet cable from 4th floor to 2nd (or 1st) floor and add a wireless access point there. If that's impractical, then you have two credible options:

A mesh network (Eero Pro, circa US$400) which uses wireless to connect between a whole series of base stations, or a powerline wireless extender (this, for circa US$150).

gonna have to re-haul the wi fi in my apartment, can't wait to get out of the 1y left contract with Telekom EU, pos isp if I've ever seen one, constant 10s disconnects drive a poker player insane.

There's one more option, if the house is wired for cable TV.
MOCA is generally faster and more reliable than powerline. Powerline speeds vary tremendously based on the wiring topology and quality in the house.
Connection quality, in my opionion: Ethernet>Moca>Powerline
WiFi backhaul extenders/mesh setups depend on how busy the frequency bands are in a given location as well as building construction/layout.
https://www.actiontec.com/wifihelp/w...nning%20wires.
https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bon...s%2C338&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Adap...s%2C338&sr=8-6

Re mesh systems, I picked up a Netgear Orbi a few months ago (RBR50) and am very happy with it.