Electronics & Appliances WIFI extender

Hoping someone with a bit more technical knowledge can give some advice if a WIFI extender is worth purchasing.

The house does have a serious amount of reinforcing steel so I figure that isn't helping; the router is in the master bedroom (which is where it belongs) signal is decent in the living room and kitchen but towards the front of the house it starts to weaken. Outside, short of next to the window of the master bedroom the signal is pretty much gone. It would be nice to have a signal in the back yard but would really love to have a signal upstairs.

I'm planning on picking one up from the PX before I head home, but if it is unlikely to get a signal I'll scrap the idea (one less thing to bring back as well).

Thanks,

Shawn

 

I picked one up from Ace-logic, p1,195 and got one of the technicians to set it up, p350 he charged. The extender is called Tenda.
My router is on the second floor and the extender is about 30 meters away outside on a second house. had it about 3 months. works well.

 

Along the lines of the powerline kit there are also adapters that use the coax cable using MOCA. You might also want to look at the those whole house mesh network kits. (Google wifi, Netgear Orbi, etc). These are really easy to setup and just work from what my friends have told me.

The Best Wi-Fi Mesh Network Systems of 2018

With the explosion in popularity of smart home devices and countless streaming media services like Hulu, Netflix, and Spotify, whole-house Wi-Fi coverage has become a must. Many of the latest wireless routers can provide strong coverage to most rooms of a typical medium-size house, but larger homes and dwellings with dense walls, multiple floors, metal and concrete substructures, and other structural impediments may require additional components to bring Wi-Fi to areas that the router can't reach. Range extenders do a good job of filling in dead zones, but typically provide only half the bandwidth that you get from your main router. Access points offer more bandwidth than range extenders, but require a wired connection to the main router. And both solutions typically create a new network SSID that you have to log in to as you move from one area of the house to another.

If all this sounds too complicated, consider installing a Wi-Fi system instead.

 

Actually did not know you could change the frequency on the router...I will look at that when I get home. Things are still pretty spread out between me and our neighbors and I'm guessing not too many of them have internet.

We pretty much lose cell phone reception in the house as well...doesn't bother me as I don't get many calls but drives the wife nuts.

I really like the idea of the powerline network adapter; if I read correctly you need 2 of them? Once close to the router and the other where you want the signal? Not sure if they will have something like this at the PX at Camp Walker as it is limited. I'll ask one of my Korean co-workers if something similar is available locally. I would guess so; they run fiber mostly but the buildings are generally concrete or CMU construction.

I have a spare conduit from a central junction point to the second floor of the house...could I run a Cat5 cable from the existing router and put in another router upstairs? I was planning to run some coax through that conduit to get the AFN decoder I picked up working in the bedroom; I can pull a Cat5 cable through at the same time.

Thanks for the replies!

Shawn

 

Most routers these days have two radios that broadcast at both 2.4 Ghz or 5.4 Ghz. Usually both radios are on and they broadcast the SSID with -2.4G (SSID-2.4G) or -5G (SSID-2.5G) appended to the end by default. You can hide the SSID or change it if you like. You can turn the radios off individually if you like and they can have unique passwords. You can also use both at the same time on different devices. It's not really a function of changing the frequency, but a function of selecting the correct SSID.

Each frequency has it's place depending on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are going through dense thinks like concrete, 2.4 is better. It may be better to go with an adapter if each room is essentially a concrete box with windows and a door. I use the Actiontec equipment over COAX because that's what Verizon FIOS provided me. It works well and I just place extenders at various cable outlets.




They also make ADSL routers if you get your connection over a phone line. You will need some kind of modem to connect the router to depending on your connectivity.

What is the difference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless frequencies? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

The primary differences between the two frequencies are the range (coverage) and bandwidth (speed) that the bands provide. The 2.4 GHz band provides coverage at a longer range but transmits data at slower speeds. The 5 GHz band provides less coverage but transmits data at faster speeds.

The range is lower in the 5 GHz band because higher frequencies cannot penetrate solid objects, such as walls and floors. However, higher frequencies allow data to be transmitted faster than lower frequencies, so the 5 GHz band allows you to upload and download files faster.

Your WiFi connection on a particular frequency band can also be faster or slower because of interference from other devices. Many WiFi-enabled technologies and other household devices use the 2.4 GHz band, including microwaves and garage door openers. When multiple devices attempt to use the same radio space, overcrowding occurs. The 5 GHz band tends to have less overcrowding than the 2.4GHz band because fewer devices use it and because it has 23 channels for devices to use, while the 2.4GHz band has only 11 channels. The number of channels that are available to you depends on the regulatory domain. If you’re experiencing a lot of interference from other devices, consider using the 5 GHz band.

 

I'm leaving this Saturday and even with Amazon Prime I don't think it would make it in time.

I can run Cat5e/6 (and fiber) and terminate it, but after that it is FM to me. I read a couple articles and it does not seem like it would be too terribly difficult; then again I have no networking skills so basic would be a stretch.

Unfortunately all we have in Tanjay is 2 wire phone line for internet (and the "required" phone). The internet company provides the router. Would this make hooking up 2 WiFi routers with Cat5 cable an issue?

I have a few more days before I have to pull the trigger on picking something up. If I decide to go with 2 routers, can you find the crimpable connectors and crimping tool in Dumaguete or should I pick it all up in Korea?

Thanks again,

Shawn