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Thread ID: 140406 2015-10-06 06:25:00 Improve UFB wifi better router or an extender? Digby (677) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1409497 2015-10-06 06:25:00 Hello
A friend of mine has a large rambling house.
They got UFB a while ago and now want to access it from a remote part of their wooden house.
But their isp supplied wireless router does not seem to have the range.

Should they buy their own more powerful router or buy an extender?
Digby (677)
1409498 2015-10-06 09:06:00 See my post below;


pressf1.pcworld.co.nz

Might be helpful.
chiefnz (545)
1409499 2015-10-06 16:19:00 thanks for share that.let me check it also.thanks greatperson (17408)
1409500 2015-10-06 19:46:00 Should they buy their own more powerful router or buy an extender?

Neither, both are often a waste of money for this sort of thing

Buy a WIFI Powerline KIT. Make sure you get a wifi one, and one that you can buy extra units for.
Just dont plug it into surge protectors

No point getting a 5Ghz system either, unless all your devices support it. Chances are 5ghz will have even worse performance going through wall etc in a large multiroom house


www.tp-link.com
1101 (13337)
1409501 2015-10-06 22:33:00 Our fibre modem/router is downstairs, and there is very efficient insulation between the two floors, including a tinfoil layer. I assume that is why the signal upstairs was too poor to stream Lightbox. When the Chorus guy did the install, I asked him what the likely signal upstairs should be. He thought it would be OK, but said that if it turned out to be poor, in his opinion, there was only one way to fix it (short of wiring the whole house I guess). That was the Powerline Kit referred to by 1101. He even showed me one to buy, but unfortunately it wasn't WIFI which is what I needed upstairs for both Herself and me to use tablets. He strongly urged me not to buy a WIFI extender - total waste of money was his opinion.

I chose this one: www.pbtech.co.nz

Dead easy to set up, and it works a treat. The pass through feature is handy as well. I get almost the same speed test results upstairs on my tablet that I get downstairs on the laptop which ethernet connected to the modem/router. Streaming problems have ceased (thus far...).
John H (8)
1409502 2015-10-06 22:46:00 You're better off running a second wired Wi-Fi access point. WTF at no point in 5G...pretty much anything less than 3-4 years old will support 5G. If you live in a congested WiFi area, it is certainly worth investing in 5G gear.

At my folks place they have a UniFi AP at each end of the house, it works really well.
Alex B (15479)
1409503 2015-10-06 22:53:00 Have you compared the second wired WIFI access point with the Powerline option? As far as I am concerned, there is no contest, as far as cost and convenience is concerned. The thought of wiring the house for an extra AP seems daft, when you already have a perfectly good set of wires already in place - the powerlines. John H (8)
1409504 2015-10-06 23:06:00 You're better off running a second wired Wi-Fi access point. WTF at no point in 5G...pretty much anything less than 3-4 years old will support 5G. If you live in a congested WiFi area, it is certainly worth investing in 5G gear.

At my folks place they have a UniFi AP at each end of the house, it works really well.

Yes wtf with 5G
if he has signal stength issues at the other end of the house, 5G will be worse .

5G has LESS ability to penetrate walls, that will be his issue " a large rambling house" , "a remote part of their wooden house" , "supplied wireless router does not seem to have the range"

Sure a wired access point is allways the better option, but most houses arnt network wired so that usually a nogo.
1101 (13337)
1409505 2015-10-06 23:09:00 I don't think replacing the AP that's there with a dual band one was suggested - more adding one down the other end of the house and connecting it to the rest of the network (potentially with an EoP kit).

If you can get an EoP kit that has a dual band AP at one end, then why not?
wratterus (105)
1409506 2015-10-07 06:20:00 I use powerline adapters and its better than extenders, but try and find ones that work with the plug you will put it into, the designs, shapes and sizes makes picking the right one hard.

My plugs were all awkward for their uses that I ended up redoing and installing new outlets that suited the placement for powerline adapters that I used. It was necessary anyways, old house with a lack of plugs.

Cheers,

KK
Kame (312)
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