Upgrade router or buy better WiFi extender

Drollic

Drollic

Drollic

Soldato
Joined
24 Feb 2013
Posts
4,267
Location
East Midlands
Currently using virgin fibre 100 line with default virgin 3 super hub. Wired via cable to a pc upstairs it has been flawless. Average speeds in excess of advertised wired up.

Issue is using a tp link WiFi extender that's plugged into the kitchen in the connecting room. This is giving fairly poor speeds and not a great connection into the adjoining conservatory which I use a bike trainer in hooked up to an apple 4k TV that uses this signal from the extender. The speeds are as low as 12mbps. Occasionally even worse. This is with all the doors open and even a window open from kitchen into conservatory to try and improve things?

Am I better off spending more on a top end extender of some kind or buying a high quality router and using the superhub in modem mode I think it is? Current tp link model wasn't particularly expensive but it's supposed to handle much faster speeds than what I'm getting. Signal bars in green, still bad speeds...
 
If the issue is WiFi then the answer is usually installing a wireless access point in a suitable location. Given ‘conservatory’ often translates to ‘we cut a hole in the external double course wall and ‘wireless repeater’ is a euphemism for ‘whatever bandwidth is available is now cut in half’, I would suggest running a cable to the conservatory and putting an AP in it if that’s the only area you are bothered about. My normal go-to option would be an Unifi AC-Lite, but the 6-Lite is the better option now, given the VAT situation I would have to suggest the Honor Router 3 or Huawei AX3 are the best value option, set them up in AP mode and run a cable for backhaul and they are frankly unbeatable value for money at sub £40, they will even mesh nicely if you want to install more.
 
Avalon said:
If the issue is WiFi then the answer is usually installing a wireless access point in a suitable location. Given ‘conservatory’ often translates to ‘we cut a hole in the external double course wall and ‘wireless repeater’ is a euphemism for ‘whatever bandwidth is available is now cut in half’, I would suggest running a cable to the conservatory and putting an AP in it if that’s the only area you are bothered about. My normal go-to option would be an Unifi AC-Lite, but the 6-Lite is the better option now, given the VAT situation I would have to suggest the Honor Router 3 or Huawei AX3 are the best value option, set them up in AP mode and run a cable for backhaul and they are frankly unbeatable value for money at sub £40, they will even mesh nicely if you want to install more.
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It would be really awkward running a cable through under the carpet, then kitchen floor for an access point. Do you think the problem is extenders or just a poor WiFi signal from the hub itself?
 
Drollic said:
It would be really awkward running a cable through under the carpet, then kitchen floor for an access point. Do you think the problem is extenders or just a poor WiFi signal from the hub itself?
Click to expand...

Both. The general rule of thumb on Wireless LAN is anything more than 1 wall or floor/ceiling in the way and you get unacceptable signal quality. Whatever you had before, you’ve now added a thick external wall and that’s why your WLAN is so poor.

The cheapest option is to move your existing wireless router to a higher, more central location. That will help. But it almost certainly won’t solve your problem. Drill a hole out through the wall behind your wireless router and run a cable outside to the conservatory then mount a UniFi AP-AC-M somewhere near the conservatory. That gets you great Wi-Fi in the conservatory and garden. Even if you get an aerial installer in to do the job it shouldn’t cost you more than £200 all-in. And while he’s at it, spend the £100 for a UAP6-Lite as suggested by @Avalon, ceiling mounted at the top of the stairs. I can 99.9% guarantee all your WLAN issues will disappear.
 
WJA96 said:
Both. The general rule of thumb on Wireless LAN is anything more than 1 wall or floor/ceiling in the way and you get unacceptable signal quality. Whatever you had before, you’ve now added a thick external wall and that’s why your WLAN is so poor.

The cheapest option is to move your existing wireless router to a higher, more central location. That will help. But it almost certainly won’t solve your problem. Drill a hole out through the wall behind your wireless router and run a cable outside to the conservatory then mount a UniFi AP-AC-M somewhere near the conservatory. That gets you great Wi-Fi in the conservatory and garden. Even if you get an aerial installer in to do the job it shouldn’t cost you more than £200 all-in. And while he’s at it, spend the £100 for a UAP6-Lite as suggested by @Avalon, ceiling mounted at the top of the stairs. I can 99.9% guarantee all your WLAN issues will disappear.
Click to expand...

Terraced sadly at the moment otherwise probably would go external. I was hoping either a better extender or router or both would do the job? I don't expect the same speeds as wired but currently it's bordering on a joke at times. The lounge to kitchen has large double doors that stay open and the conservatory door is also wide open. Window as well as mentioned.
 
Then run the cable along the skirting board. The absolute maximum thing you need to drill is a door frame, and even then not always if you use a flat Ethernet cable.
 
As above, white cable can easily run in the channel of skirting or along the top with minimal aesthetic impact, failing that flat cable (while technically not compliant) will normally be fine for 30m+ runs and only requires the very edge of the carpet be lifted to loose it underneath. If you don’t want to go all the way, you could always run to a point that has line of sight via the doors to the devices in question, it’s not as ideal, but siting an AP in that sort of location may give you the boost you are looking for and be easier?
 
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