wifi range extender/s

[redrex]

Just picked THIS ONE up. $19.99 after rebate. Wifi router/Access Point/Repeater. And it's name brand. What more do you want?

[InFamous20]

Ooooh might use that as an AP in my room(wired). Main router is in the living room.

[elx144]

What are you running as your router? If it's not N or better you should start there. It's not always just about the signal, the newer protocols help too.

I've heard these work good if you need more than one radio, but you need to have all Ubiquity devices for the repeater/mesh to work.

OpenWRT would be a good OS to run if you want to make older equipment work. There's a nice GUI so you don't have to learn how to use Linux.

[Dawgfan]

Any recommendations for a range extender? Do they actually work?

Not looking to increase speed; just the range throughout our home.

Thanks,
August

Look into Ethernet over power & 2nd router in bridge mode. Another option if you have FIOS or MOCA enabled router is bridge mode router off MOCA adapter.

Can you tell I've done this?

If you go Ethernet over power get AV2 (newer) & AC pass-through helps.

Extenders are a joke. Imagine your signal signsl starts at 10 & degrades to 0 as you move away from it. If you plug an extender in at distance/level 4 you can only extend strength of 4.

[Dawgfan]

I run 2 Apple Airport Extremes with network name & pw the same. 2.4 & 5 channels all different. If house isn't too big you could use primary router & $50 secondary router in bridge mode. Apple Airport routers are pricey but reliable & can be managed via iPhone app.

[Dawgfan]

Cheapest option is set router to N/performance mode & put router in center of house. Wifi is globe-like in signal. Floors aren't an issue. Walls are.

[Dawgfan]

I've considered staring a business doing this for people. Theory is folks with houses large enough to need it can afford it. I just fixed wifi at our church & preschool. Two buildings was a new challenge. Hardwire was required. Still used secondary in bridge mode though.

[Dawgfan]

Put router in center of the house?

Extend via MoCA to another router if network wiring is unavailable.
(NIM-100, Actiontec adapters, etc.)

Main router must be MoCA enabled.

[the86d]

Main router must be MoCA enabled.

If you are saying that your main router must be MoCA enabled, then you probably can use another device, connected via MoCA in another room so you could use a MoCA to Ethernet adapter there...

If you are saying that my reference wouldn't work because this would require the main router to be MoCA enabled, this would be false. You can go Ethernet-MoCA at the main router (via a MoCA bridge [i.e. NIM-100]), then do the reverse in another room, providing that it does not interfere with TV service, but I think they auto-negotiate comm. channels over MoCA by default.

VZ didn't have MoCA enabled routers when they dropped FiOS initially. They used one port of the DI-604 (then later Di-624) to go Ethernet, dropped a NIM-100 MoCA bridge in, and that passed the streaming media and guide to the STBs over coax. You can then use another bridge to convert back to Ethernet in another room.

You could then install another router in "other"/"another" room, and decrease latency via coax-hard-wire, as wireless hops are slower to pass/extend traffic... generally.

[Dawgfan]

Sounds complicated. Why go MoCA at all when EOP AV2 often works. The only reason I use a MoCA bridge is to hardware into PS4 without bothering my other 2 routers (other rooms). To help the OP I would look into 1. Central location of router or 2. Main router into EOP then EOP into second router in bridge mode.

I can say I have pretty recent FIOS equipment and my MoCA adapter doesn't play well with TV & PS4 at the same time. I know I could splice but I'd rather plug/unplug from wall when I use PS4/TV in that room.

[Dawgfan]

With MoCA enabled router I only need one MoCA adapter, not one tied to main router.

[Dawgfan]

What router do you use? I actually use my old routers as extenders. I highly recommend using DD-WRT as your router's firmware. It is open source and very powerful. Although it may void your warranty, I firmly believe it is worth it. Not that difficult to do either. Takes about 20 minutes and I can help you if you need. PM me if you have other questions.

Exactly. This is what I mean by bridge mode & I connedt the 2 routers via Ethernet over power adapters. Hardwired Ethernet cable is optimal if possible.

[five.five-six]

I needed to boost the wifi signal so it would reach my detached garage. I got one of these, and it works great.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-PicoS...r+Access+Point

I didn't know that you could get into ubiquity that inexpensively. nice find.