802.11ac Bridge

enigmo · 26 Dec 2014 at 16:49

I already have a Nighthawk R7000 downstairs feeding wireless quite happily everywhere, but unfortunately have powerline adaptors feeding from there to my home office upstairs. I currently have 152MB VM BB, but the powerline doesn't do faster than 50-60mbps. I've been thinking about taking out the two powerline adaptors and instead having a second 802.11ac router in bridge mode, or a dedicated bridge. Has anyone any experience of this? Specifically, I've been looking for stats on what is faster in the real world:
A second Nighthawk in bridge mode
A dedicated bridge e.g. one of the Linksys jobbies

Am I likely to see any benefits for the increased costs of a second Nighthawk?

Cenedd · 26 Dec 2014 at 17:31

Can't answer all your questions exactly but you'd need to check whether the 2nd router you're thinking of using will act as a bridge nicely. Last time I looked there was no evidence that they would - but that may have changed and there wasn't evidence that they wouldn't either...I just wasn't willing to buy something and hope it might work. If you've already got one you can check the interface to see if it's possible.
Also worth checking whether you'll get any faster performance via ac wireless over the distance you're looking at by using a client (laptop maybe) as the 600 Mbps they like quoting is only if you're in an anechoic chamber, 1 mm apart with nothing else electrical for a 10 mile radius and a following wind. Pretty much the same as the 600Mbps powerline figures as you've seen.

Steveocee · 26 Dec 2014 at 18:08

Run a cable to an upstairs wireless access point.

If you aren't using wireless upstairs already (due to stability or lack of range) then a bridge would be just as bad.

enigmo · 26 Dec 2014 at 21:50

Steveocee said:
Run a cable to an upstairs wireless access point.

Can't. The delicious combination of a wife and a rented house means I can no longer run cables with cheery abandon.

Steveocee said:
If you aren't using wireless upstairs already (due to stability or lack of range) then a bridge would be just as bad.

I have a server, a desktop, and a NAS upstairs. AC wifi adaptors for all three would be more than the cost of a bridged router.
I have tested wifi reception over the whole place with an AC enabled laptop and get 180mbps at the furthest corner upstairs away from the Nighthawk downstairs. Everywhere in between is at least that fast (200-230+). Reception isn't an issue, the powerline adaptors were used because that's what I had spare when I moved in.

Cenedd · 26 Dec 2014 at 22:16

If that's your measured throughput, it's higher than the broadband so all should be good. As long as the Night hawk (or something else) can do the bridging you're onto winner. I've had problems previously with Wifi bridging where ARP and DHCP didn't work properly across the link but hopefully that's only the TPLink kit and not all of it. Check the Web interface on your existing Nighthawk to see if it's capable before you buy another.