Wireless Repeater

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Hi,

 

My parents home is a 3 story place with the modem and router in the basement. We are having different kinds of issues with playing Plex (remotly into my server)

 

We have tested pretty much everything. So at this point we are trying a different chromecast (as devices themselves seem to work better). If this does not make a difference, I am thinking maybe just over all where the TV is and router in the basement, its just causing problems.

 

Do Wireless Repeaters work, what is the best out there, and how does it work exactly?

[Brian M. Veteran]

They do work, but remember that each time you repeat, you cut the available bandwidth in half.

 

A better solution would be if you can run an ethernet cable up a couple of floors (if you can't drill, a flat cable under stair carpets works ;)) to install a second access point which serves the upper floors.

 

You could also use home plugs - but I find them to be very hit and miss (depends on the quality of your wiring).

[Xerino]

I just picked up a Range Extender from amazon for like $18, got lucky on it, don't get the cheap ones, I got this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FDXMJS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Though I hear good things from the Netgear ones with the dual antenna too, my wifi works all the way to the back house now, well enough to play WoW and stream Netflix in HD, on a 50mb connection, I have tested my speed at 26mb and the main router is a good way away from the back house. Setup was super easy, just hit the WPS on your router, the WPS on the extender, and forget about it, I haven't had any dropped connections even in nasty weather.

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Remember, its a Chromecast, so Ethernet is not possible.

[TAZMINATOR]

Take a look here: http://www.ampedwireless.com/family/repeaters.html

[pack34]

Here's some really good ones

 

http://routerboard.com/

http://www.ubnt.com/

[daorbed9]

Hi,

 

My parents home is a 3 story place with the modem and router in the basement. We are having different kinds of issues with playing Plex (remotly into my server)

 

We have tested pretty much everything. So at this point we are trying a different chromecast (as devices themselves seem to work better). If this does not make a difference, I am thinking maybe just over all where the TV is and router in the basement, its just causing problems.

 

Do Wireless Repeaters work, what is the best out there, and how does it work exactly?

 

No they don't work.  If you used them in a long hall then yes but in a house with walls and lots of mass, the issue is the mass.  When you get to a point where you have a major signal drop the repeater won't get through well either.

[techbeck]

I used DD-WRT and converted some older Linksys wireless routers in to wireless bridge/repeaters.  Work great and best of all, they were free.  Just recycled old equipment.  They are only 54mbs, but what I use them for....does need to be super fast.

 

I use one at my parents house.  Older house with wiremesh in the walls.  Does hell to a wireless signal.  My moms shop is downstairs and, no signal.  So I used the Wifi Analyzer app on my cell to figure out the best place to put the repeater and now the whole house has WiFi.

[+BudMan MVC]

"Remember, its a Chromecast, so Ethernet is not possible."

 

You run a wire and connect a AP near the wireless device - does not matter if the device can use a wire or not.

 

If you can not run a wire to somewhere close so you can better place an AP, then use powerline adapters as your wire - and plug your switch and or AP into the powerline adapter.

 

Any time you repeat a wireless signal you /2 the bandwidth.. Not a good solution..

 

Any $20 wireless router can be used as AP.. So this can really be done on shoestring budget - running a wire normally takes a couple of hours on a weekend to do.  Worse case you can quite often hire someone to do it for a few dollars more than what say powerline adapters would cost.  Now your cooking with gas ;)  Or most people know a handy man sort of guy - invite them over for some beers and wire running party ;)

 

Other options - move into prewired home, or downsize to home where 1 AP will cover your whole house ;)

[daorbed9]

Any time you repeat a wireless signal you /2 the bandwidth..

 

And that's the bandwidth you get at the repeater which is already considerably lower.

[+BudMan MVC]

^ exactly!! Your repeater is already sharing bandwidth other wifi clients, and people tend to put it at the edge of access to max the extension range, etc.

 

If you need more wifi be it bandwidth or coverage you add more AP, so you can cut the number of clients on each AP, or give yourself wider coverage.  What you could do depending on the AP your using - home routers unlikely to support, nor do I think you can do this with dd-wrt even??

 

Is you have a dual band AP, and you use say the 5ghz band for the uplink connection and put the clients on the 2.4 band.  This way your not using the same band for clients bandwidth.  Your talking higher end AP at this point - if you can afford those - run a wire ;)  Or other way around use the 5 for clients near the uplinked AP, and use the 2.4 band as uplink.  Still not optimal setup, wire uplink is always best - but this is better than using the same pipe you use for clients as your uplink, etc.