How to get better coverage downstairs?


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The router and modem all in one is on the 3rd floor. There's no coverage downstairs on the 1st floor. I've been using using a wifi extender and it drops out often and it's not as fast. The wifi extender is placed on the staircase on the 1-2 staircase because the 2nd floor gets wifi with no problems. How can I solve his problem?

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I would personally use another router in repeater mode before going to an extender. I have a 4200 square foot house, and extenders were nothing but problems for me. Additionally, If you can't run new wire, and the electrical in your house is in good condition, go with a powerline adapter, or a powerline adapter to a router in repeater mode. This is from personal experience, we'll see what other have to say.

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Repeater mode is same automatic /2 of your bandwidth..

The proper way to cover any area with wifi is multiple AP.. Run a wire to your router and connect an AP in the area that needs coverage.  I would suggest a real AP like something from unifi, they are very reasonable in price.. The new lite AC mode is $89..  They are POE so you don't need power.  They are deployed in the ceiling for best coverage, etc..

If you can not run a wire, then powerline to where you need the AP at for best wifi coverage.  Normally a large house like yours you would have multiple AP, especially if you have multiple floors.  I have a small home and I have 2, 1 in the center and the other need my patio door in the kitchen..  Mostly to give better 5ghz on my patio but it really boosted my kitchen signal as well where I normally sit when having to do work from home, etc.

5ghz while much faster, does not have as much range.  So if your looking for nice AC coverage in your home your going to need multiple AP properly placed with a wire to your network.  The unifi are sold in 3 packs ;)

https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/

Here is the new AC lite model https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-ac-lite/

There is also LR and Pro models that are bit more, but provide more features..  I currently have a ACv2 (older model) and new LR model running..

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I would personally use another router in repeater mode before going to an extender. I have a 4200 square foot house, and extenders were nothing but problems for me. Additionally, If you can't run new wire, and the electrical in your house is in good condition, go with a powerline adapter, or a powerline adapter to a router in repeater mode. This is from personal experience, we'll see what other have to say.

Repeater mode is same automatic /2 of your bandwidth..

The proper way to cover any area with wifi is multiple AP.. Run a wire to your router and connect an AP in the area that needs coverage.  I would suggest a real AP like something from unifi, they are very reasonable in price.. The new lite AC mode is $89..  They are POE so you don't need power.  They are deployed in the ceiling for best coverage, etc..

If you can not run a wire, then powerline to where you need the AP at for best wifi coverage.  Normally a large house like yours you would have multiple AP, especially if you have multiple floors.  I have a small home and I have 2, 1 in the center and the other need my patio door in the kitchen..  Mostly to give better 5ghz on my patio but it really boosted my kitchen signal as well where I normally sit when having to do work from home, etc.

5ghz while much faster, does not have as much range.  So if your looking for nice AC coverage in your home your going to need multiple AP properly placed with a wire to your network.  The unifi are sold in 3 packs ;)

https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/

Here is the new AC lite model https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-ac-lite/

There is also LR and Pro models that are bit more, but provide more features..  I currently have a ACv2 (older model) and new LR model running..

 

Can I just plug the original router into a new router via ethernet cord and put the new router downstairs? Would that work? So basically it would be a WiFi extender using ethernet to bridge the two routers.

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Can I just plug the original router into a new router via ethernet cord and put the new router downstairs? Would that work? So basically it would be a WiFi extender using ethernet to bridge the two routers.

That will works also, However, you will need to configure the second router properly so that it acts as an AP, and disable DHCP.

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any wifi router can be use as just AP, just connect it to your network with one of lan ports and disable its dhcp server.  Set its lan IP to be on your network = AP.  Normally you would setup its wifi to match your other routers settings, ie same ssid and same psk while using a different channel so they don't interfere with each other.  Allows you to easy roam between them.

Problem is with most wifi routers is they are not designed to be mounted in the ceiling, and they are not POE so you have to have power for them..  But sure they can work in just AP mode with those simple settings.  If you really want good wifi its best to go with some actual AP like the unfi I mentioned are very reasonable in price.  They are poe so its much easier to place in them the proper locations for best coverage area.  They come with power injectors so you don't need a poe switch, etc.

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you don't get what??  How do use a wifi router as just an AP?  Or that there are better devices for wifi coverage out there then your typical off the shelf home wifi router?

You don't know what POE is? (power over ethernet)  You supply power on the ethernet cable via a power injector that you connect at the switch port..

POE.jpg

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