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OT: Wi-fi extenders

bdgan

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2008
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Are they all the same or are some more effective than others? I see 2.4 ghz 300 mbps units for under $20. I also see 800-1200 mbps units for $50.

My devices aren't more than 50' from my router and I seldom have a problem. That includes streaming on my cell phone. But I do occasionally lose connection to my video doorbell or smart plugs and I am forced to reset them.

Thoughts?
 
Are they all the same or are some more effective than others? I see 2.4 ghz 300 mbps units for under $20. I also see 800-1200 mbps units for $50.

My devices aren't more than 50' from my router and I seldom have a problem. That includes streaming on my cell phone. But I do occasionally lose connection to my video doorbell or smart plugs and I am forced to reset them.

Thoughts?
It might not be your in-home network. With so many urchins learning from home, the networks (i.e. AT&T, Comcast) with their antiquated copper wire delivery can bog down under excessive volume to the point your modem, router, or end devices drop out.

It might not be an in-home network problem....it very well could be an upstream volume/demand problem.
 
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If it’s more of having to reset the modem it sounds like a modem issue or ISP issue.
 
If it’s more of having to reset the modem it sounds like a modem issue or ISP issue.
I'm not resetting the modem. Some of my devices occasionally lose their connection and don't reconnect without manual intervention. Other devices almost never have that problem.
 
It might not be your in-home network. With so many urchins learning from home, the networks (i.e. AT&T, Comcast) with their antiquated copper wire delivery can bog down under excessive volume to the point your modem, router, or end devices drop out.

It might not be an in-home network problem....it very well could be an upstream volume/demand problem.
I have Verizon FIOS, about 6 weeks ago, devices were losing connectivity unless close to the router. Put extenders all over the house, really did not help. Then one day, everything worked great again. I am assuming it was a Verizon problem for about a week.
 
In my experience, smart devices like cameras and plugs and wireless printers sometimes don't have very good wifi radios.

Wifi extenders are kind of a clumsy band-aid. They can boost signal but at a cost of more overhead and complexity. I have not had good luck with them.

By contrast, a mesh system (which is a much more elegant solution than an extender) totally solved my device problems. I can't tell you why, but mesh is better.

One thing to keep in mind, mesh systems have come down in price considerably. You can get good quality 3 unit mesh systems under $200 now -- TP-link is about $180, and the Amazon Eero sometimes goes on sale under $200. I don't know anybody who has done mesh and wasn't pleased. It's a great technology.
 
We have a whole house NetGear mesh, connected to Google Fiber.
Solved every problem we had.
 
It’s also crazy how easy a mesh system is to set up. I still remember having to really dial the settings in and mess around with things to get my first wireless network up. The mesh system was done via an app on my phone.
 
Are they all the same or are some more effective than others? I see 2.4 ghz 300 mbps units for under $20. I also see 800-1200 mbps units for $50.

My devices aren't more than 50' from my router and I seldom have a problem. That includes streaming on my cell phone. But I do occasionally lose connection to my video doorbell or smart plugs and I am forced to reset them.

Thoughts?

Go to speedtest.net and check your network speed close to the modem and then 50' away. You need to check often and at different times during the day. After a week or so, you'll get a sense if you need an extender, 50' sounds like a distance you'll likely have a significant drop off in signal strength.

ps... I've tried a Eero (owned by amazon) mesh system and didn't get good results, I've also tried extenders and didn't have much luck with them either.
 
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Meh.....stop complaining, we are stuck with DSL and have no other viable options until Musk's Starlink is fully operational.
 
Agree mesh. I had a unit named ubiquiti NY amplifi and it was great. A dual band mesh. I put it in a house I was building and bought a eero tri band. It is faster but the ap UI is not as good.
With both you can turn devices on or off. You can also optimize for gaming, streaming or other.
I have the base unit and two extenders. I get a good signal from the front walkway to the edge of the back yard
 
Agree mesh. I had a unit named ubiquiti NY amplifi and it was great. A dual band mesh. I put it in a house I was building and bought a eero tri band. It is faster but the ap UI is not as good.
With both you can turn devices on or off. You can also optimize for gaming, streaming or other.
I have the base unit and two extenders. I get a good signal from the front walkway to the edge of the back yard


We upgraded to the Eero Pro Mesh. Sooooo much better than the patchwork router and extenders I had. Better speed and better reliabilty.
 
Has anyone on Verizon bought the new router G5 ($300) plus extender ($200) and have a comment? Currently, have an older router and Orbi with extender and still have dead spots in my older stone house?
 
Don't know your setup, space and if wifi is required, but I recently got a couple of power line adapters, and they've been fantastic.
 
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