# new home wifi help



## copenhagen69 (Aug 29, 2019)

So I am tired of the dead zones around my house, not a huge house (2200sq ft) but 2 stories and a good amount of walls. Where the Charter Spectrum router is to my bed I dont get full bars. Roku struggles keeping the picture HD 100% of the time as well in the bedroom. When I am in our master bathroom, it is like 1 bar. 

So I am trying to look into extenders or something to help with that. I tried 1 range extender from TP link but it wouldnt stay connected and would freeze and it was 1 unit that plugged into an outlet and the when cleaning the vacuum loved to knock it off the socket.

So maybe I just need a better extender? Do I need the fancy mesh system ... what should I be looking at?


----------



## FreedomEclipse (Aug 29, 2019)

If you got a spare power socket you could use the powerline wireless access points/extenders like the TP-Link TL-WPA4220. If you dont have powerline adapters they also sell them as part of a kit. You could have as many WAP4220 units as you want on the same network so long as they are sync'd up to the one non-wifi plug hooked up to the router.


----------



## copenhagen69 (Aug 29, 2019)

Ya I had another version of TP link like that, but it gets knocked out of the outlet. Are there things with possibly a cord that I could at least get it off the ground?


----------



## FreedomEclipse (Aug 29, 2019)

copenhagen69 said:


> Ya I had another version of TP link like that, but it gets knocked out of the outlet. Are there things with possibly a cord that I could at least get it off the ground?



Yeah.







These come in all shapes and sizes. and can be tucked away else where depending on cable length.

Do make sure you by the Extensions and not Surge Protector types. Surge Protectors have a history of messing with powerline adapters.


----------



## eidairaman1 (Aug 29, 2019)

Make sure you have no metal around the router, set it central on top floor of home.

A mesh network might help otherwise run cat 5/6/7 from top floor to bottom snd have a secondary router.

I had to do that in homes with people who had too much money and little sense.


----------



## Bill_Bright (Aug 29, 2019)

copenhagen69 said:


> but 2 stories and a good amount of walls.


Yeah, barriers (walls, floors and ceilings) make a huge difference. And not just the number of barriers, but their composition (wallboard and wood studs, wallboard and metal studs, concrete, brick, thickness, etc.) as well as their contents (if full of metal wires and metal pipes, or not). Interference from nearby devices (metal sides of refrigerators, cell or microwave towers, big screen TVs and other EMI/RFI emitting devices) can all effect wifi performance. So can other nearby wireless networks.  

I recommend using Ethernet where possible. Besides being inherently more secure, wired connections don't suffer from many of the problems associated with RF (wireless) connections.

You described your house but you did not explain where your WAP (wireless access point - typically integrated with a wireless router) is located in the house. Ideally, as noted by eidairamana1, you want it up high and centrally located between all your wireless devices. 

Channel crowding can affect performance - especially in a crowded wifi neighborhood and large apartment complexes. Use a "sniffer" to view your wifi environment. I use XIRRUS WiFi Inspector to see what wireless channels are in use and available. NirSoft's WifiInfoView is another good one. Also popular is inSSIDer. If possible, pick an unused channel. If all are used, use the same as the weakest in use. If there are open channels, pick one with no adjacent channels in use. 

You also did not give us a model number of your router so we don't know its capabilities (if 802.11ac, for example). So I cannot get specific. But you typically can easily change the channel in your router's admin menu. You don't have to change any setting on your wireless devices, but you may have to reboot them. 

If your router has external antennas, move them around and see if that helps. Many can be removed and with the use of extension cables, mounted high up the wall. If your router has internal antennas, just rotating the router 90° may help. 

If your router and connected devices support dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz), try to set the distant wireless devices to 2.4GHz and those closest to the router to 5GHz. 5GHz offers much better performance, but unfortunately has a very limited range. 

If you have many "smart" devices in your home, disable those that don't need 24/7 wifi access. These may include smart TVs, smart Blu-ray players, smart refrigerators, smart light bulbs, Alexa/Siri, thermostats, cell phones and more.

If none of that helps, and if that wireless router supports dual-band 11ac already, then you may have to go with an extender of some sort. But if the router is old, I would look at a new simultaneous dual band 802.11ac router. See https://www.cnet.com/topics/networking/best-networking-devices/802-11ac/ for ideas. You don't have to go for the most expensive, but if you go with a budget model, you tend to get budget performance.


----------



## copenhagen69 (Aug 30, 2019)

so I have the basic new Spectrum router, not sure on model I can grab it tomorrow.

The router is in the media closet on the first floor on 1 side of the house. There is not a upper middle spot in the house that could be used, they are all kids bedrooms ... I dont have a lot of smart devices, just phones and laptops. It does support dual band I have that setup now.


----------



## Bill_Bright (Aug 30, 2019)

Media closet? Do you mean there several other electronic devices nearby? They could be causing some interference, or their metal cases could be blocking and hindering your signal strength. Being on 1-side of the house is probably not good either - especially if your master bedroom is on the other side, and upstairs. 

You can check your signal strengths by walking around your house with a notebook running one of those sniffer programs.


----------



## phanbuey (Aug 30, 2019)

just get an extender they're like 30-50 bucks.







						Amazon.com: WiFi Range Extender - 1200Mbps WiFi Repeater Wireless Signal Booster, 2.4 & 5GHz Dual Band WiFi Extender with Ethernet Port, Simple Setup: Computers & Accessories
					

Buy WiFi Range Extender - 1200Mbps WiFi Repeater Wireless Signal Booster, 2.4 & 5GHz Dual Band WiFi Extender with Ethernet Port, Simple Setup: Repeaters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



					www.amazon.com
				




I use that one and it extends my 5ghz band across 2500 sq ft house.

The mesh stuff is so overpriced.  I got the gryphon set and the things kept dropping device connections (horrible) sent both back, got my $400 back and just used my old ac1300 and that $47 extender and it works much better than the two piece gryphon mesh (also no janky phone app).  Tv has no issues connecting to the network now.


----------



## micropage7 (Aug 31, 2019)

copenhagen69 said:


> So I am tired of the dead zones around my house, not a huge house (2200sq ft) but 2 stories and a good amount of walls. Where the Charter Spectrum router is to my bed I dont get full bars. Roku struggles keeping the picture HD 100% of the time as well in the bedroom. When I am in our master bathroom, it is like 1 bar.
> 
> So I am trying to look into extenders or something to help with that. I tried 1 range extender from TP link but it wouldnt stay connected and would freeze and it was 1 unit that plugged into an outlet and the when cleaning the vacuum loved to knock it off the socket.
> 
> So maybe I just need a better extender? Do I need the fancy mesh system ... what should I be looking at?


that type of extender, since tplink sometimes hit and miss and how many devices that connected to it?


----------



## copenhagen69 (Aug 31, 2019)

here is my media closet I built ...


----------



## TheLostSwede (Aug 31, 2019)

copenhagen69 said:


> here is my media closet I built ...
> 
> View attachment 130507


That looks sweet, just don't keep your Wi-Fi AP in there, as everything in there is likely to interfere with it. Wi-Fi AP's need lots of open space to broadcast a good signal.
One thing you might want to consider, is a ceiling mounted Wi-Fi AP, as long as you can bring an Ethernet cable and power to it. PoE might be one way of reducing cable clutter, assuming you have a suitable switch or would consider getting one, or getting an injector, but make sure it's one that can work at Gigabit speeds and that is suitable for the AP, as not all delivers the same power.


----------



## Bill_Bright (Aug 31, 2019)

copenhagen69 said:


> here is my media closet I built ...


That's very nice but if me, I think I would put two large air vents in that door, one low with a furnace dust filter and one high. And I might even mount a few quiet, 12V case fans behind the bottom vent to pull cool air in through the furnace dust filter. You don't need a lot of air flow to get some very effective cooling. So with 4 quality 140mm fans, for example, you can set them to spin at a low RPM so they remain very quiet and still get enough air flow to prevent excessive heat buildup. 

If you have to keep the WAP in there, I would put it on the top shelf all by itself. 

If the spacing around each shelf is tight (especially with the door closed, you might consider drilling a bunch of holes in each shelf to let the heat escape up and the air to flow through the shelves too.


----------



## eidairaman1 (Aug 31, 2019)

Bill_Bright said:


> Media closet? Do you mean there several other electronic devices nearby? They could be causing some interference, or their metal cases could be blocking and hindering your signal strength. Being on 1-side of the house is probably not good either - especially if your master bedroom is on the other side, and upstairs.
> 
> You can check your signal strengths by walking around your house with a notebook running one of those sniffer programs.



I never put the modem in a smart panel due to emi, I only do such if there is a secondary router outside of the cabinet.


----------



## Bill_Bright (Aug 31, 2019)

eidairaman1 said:


> I never put the modem in a smart panel due to emi,


Did you mean modem? I don't worry about wired devices. I just make sure my wall outlets are properly wired and have a good path to "earth" ground, and I make sure all my cables and cable connectors and connections are good. My wireless devices, on the other hand, I do try to keep them located away from other electronics as much as possible. Now I wouldn't put a modem or router right next to a microwave oven, or inches away from a fluorescent light, but pretty sure you didn't mean that either.


----------



## eidairaman1 (Aug 31, 2019)

Bill_Bright said:


> Did you mean modem? I don't worry about wired devices. I just make sure my wall outlets are properly wired and have a good path to "earth" ground, and I make sure all my cables and cable connectors and connections are good. My wireless devices, on the other hand, I do try to keep them located away from other electronics as much as possible. Now I wouldn't put a modem or router right next to a microwave oven, or inches away from a fluorescent light, but pretty sure you didn't mean that either.



For the Wifi of a gateway yes I keep it out less they have a separate wifi router to put out somewhere


----------



## copenhagen69 (Sep 1, 2019)

So I can bought a netgear range extender to try out .. I have no idea what is going on though .. I can search on google, how clicking on any site, it says it cant find it. What setting is messed up?


----------



## mrthanhnguyen (Sep 1, 2019)

Why dont you try a mesh router? No more dead zone for me?


----------



## silkstone (Sep 1, 2019)

Mesh or powerline is your way to go. With regular extenders, each one you add will cut your bandwidth.


----------



## copenhagen69 (Sep 1, 2019)

mrthanhnguyen said:


> Why dont you try a mesh router? No more dead zone for me?





silkstone said:


> Mesh or powerline is your way to go. With regular extenders, each one you add will cut your bandwidth.



what kinds? I have looked and heard mixed reviews on almost everything ... 


Also any ideas why I am hitting the issue above with my extender?


----------



## silkstone (Sep 1, 2019)

copenhagen69 said:


> what kinds? I have looked and heard mixed reviews on almost everything ...
> 
> 
> Also any ideas why I am hitting the issue above with my extender?



It depends on how much you want to pay. Low - TP-Link are fine, Mid - Google ones are meant to be okay, High - Ubiquity

I'm not sure what is going on with your extender. Does it work better closer to your main router? It has to have a good enough signal to your main router to pick up (and repeat) that signal. You can't put it in a place that you don't get any signal and expect it to work.

If you have Cat6 wiring around your house, it's actually really cheap, easy and simple to set up full wifi coverage. Without cabling, then mesh or powerline is really the only way to get proper coverage.


----------



## TheLostSwede (Sep 1, 2019)

copenhagen69 said:


> what kinds? I have looked and heard mixed reviews on almost everything ...
> 
> 
> Also any ideas why I am hitting the issue above with my extender?


It seems like your requests aren't being forwarded to the DNS server.









						Wi-Fi System Roundup - SmallNetBuilder
					

Updated - We finally have our new Wi-Fi System test process up and running and ran the latest products from NETGEAR, TP-Link and eero through it.




					www.smallnetbuilder.com


----------



## copenhagen69 (Sep 1, 2019)

silkstone said:


> It depends on how much you want to pay. Low - TP-Link are fine, Mid - Google ones are meant to be okay, High - Ubiquity
> 
> I'm not sure what is going on with your extender. Does it work better closer to your main router? It has to have a good enough signal to your main router to pick up (and repeat) that signal. You can't put it in a place that you don't get any signal and expect it to work.
> 
> If you have Cat6 wiring around your house, it's actually really cheap, easy and simple to set up full wifi coverage. Without cabling, then mesh or powerline is really the only way to get proper coverage.



It is all green saying it has good connection, it is not too far from it. Google and google searching work, however specific links it does not.



TheLostSwede said:


> It seems like your requests aren't being forwarded to the DNS server.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



hmmm why would it not do that? Any good links to correct this? been looking and have not found anything helpful just yet....


----------



## TheLostSwede (Sep 1, 2019)

copenhagen69 said:


> hmmm why would it not do that? Any good links to correct this? been looking and have not found anything helpful just yet....



Couldn't say, too many variables. Could be anything from a firmware bug, to a wrong setting somewhere.


----------



## remixedcat (Sep 2, 2019)

"mesh" networks are just fancy range extenders. All hype and not a stable answer. Always best to wire in some APs.


----------



## silkstone (Sep 2, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> "mesh" networks are just fancy range extenders. All hype and not a stable answer. Always best to wire in some APs.



I'm pretty sure they have some good load balancing that helps bandwidth. I've only read good things about mesh systems whereas range extenders come with a lot more issues, especially if you aren't technical enough to go digging around in the settings.


----------



## TheLostSwede (Sep 2, 2019)

silkstone said:


> I'm pretty sure they have some good load balancing that helps bandwidth. I've only read good things about mesh systems whereas range extenders come with a lot more issues, especially if you aren't technical enough to go digging around in the settings.



There are some minor differences between the two, but the trick with range extenders, at least from my personal experience, is to use the same brand as your main router or AP. Mixing and matching brands seems to be quite hit and miss.

I live in a fairly small, but tall house built with a lot of metal and concrete and have had issues with range extenders. As we were re-doing the first floor, I changed a few things around and keep my main router on the first floor, which is wired to an AP on the second floor and a wireless range extender on the third floor. Previously the router was on the middle floor, talking wirelessly to two devices, both being different brands than the main router. I often lost connection to the two wireless devices, for no apparent reason. Now, the wireless extender is talking to an AP from the same brand and it hasn't lost connection in over two months, whereas before, it used to lose connection about once every week or two. This is still using the same Wi-Fi chipset manufacturer in all the devices, which tend to help as well, but apparently not enough.

Anyhow, just saying, there are a lot of weird issues with Wi-Fi and sometimes it works great and at other times, it's really hard to pin-point why things aren't working. This is not taking the OP's current issue into account.

This is also where getting a mesh system might help for a lot of consumers, as it's been built to work well as a kit.


----------



## silkstone (Sep 2, 2019)

TheLostSwede said:


> There are some minor differences between the two, but the trick with range extenders, at least from my personal experience, is to use the same brand as your main router or AP. Mixing and matching brands seems to be quite hit and miss.
> 
> I live in a fairly small, but tall house built with a lot of metal and concrete and have had issues with range extenders. As we were re-doing the first floor, I changed a few things around and keep my main router on the first floor, which is wired to an AP on the second floor and a wireless range extender on the third floor. Previously the router was on the middle floor, talking wirelessly to two devices, both being different brands than the main router. I often lost connection to the two wireless devices, for no apparent reason. Now, the wireless extender is talking to an AP from the same brand and it hasn't lost connection in over two months, whereas before, it used to lose connection about once every week or two. This is still using the same Wi-Fi chipset manufacturer in all the devices, which tend to help as well, but apparently not enough.
> 
> ...



Yeah, I've heard there can be issues mixing Broadcom with Qualcomm or Atheros, even on DD-WRT. I have wired range extenders all operating on different channels and I rarely get any issues. All different brands, but all on DD-WRT.


----------



## TheLostSwede (Sep 2, 2019)

silkstone said:


> Yeah, I've heard there can be issues mixing Broadcom with Qualcomm or Atheros, even on DD-WRT. I have wired range extenders all operating on different channels and I rarely get any issues. All different brands, but all on DD-WRT.


Well, wired is obviously the best way of doing things, as you don't tend to have much in terms of issues. Unfortunately I don't have any Ethernet cabling running up to the third floor, nor and blueprints of the wiring in the house. I've tried finding the right cable ducts, but so far, with no success...


----------



## Bill_Bright (Sep 2, 2019)

eidairaman1 said:


> For the Wifi of a gateway yes I keep it out less they have a separate wifi router to put out somewhere


Okay, but I think to clear up confusion, folks need to understand modems and routers are not wireless/wifi devices. 

Sadly, marketing weenies, in their attempts to name products in clever ways, have totally ignored technical accuracy and have obfuscated the correct technical terminologies. 

Routers, modems, WAPs (wireless access points), and 4-port Ethernet switches are totally discrete (separate) network devices even if they are integrated into a single box. 

Routers, all routers, are wired only and they connect (or isolate) two networks. Typically those two networks are our local network which is everything on our side of the router, and the Internet.​​The modem, also wired only, serves as the "gateway" device to connect our local network to the ISP/Internet. Technically, we can connect one computer via Ethernet to the modem and access the Internet. No router, WAP, or Ethernet switch needed. That scenario would make that one computer a local network consisting of just one computer.​​The WAP provide access for our wireless devices. The WAP connects via wire to the router.​​The 4-port Ethernet switch lets us connect 4 or more wired (Ethernet) devices to the router.​
"Wireless router" is marketing term only. There is no such thing, technically speaking, as a "wireless" router. A wireless router is simply an integrated device that integrates the router, WAP and 4-port switch onto a common circuit board in one box that shares a single power supply. 3 discrete devices that serve 3 discrete functions integrated into one box. A wireless router connects to a separate modem via an Ethernet cable. 

A wireless router is similar to a stereo or surround sound audio/video "receiver". Instead of a separate tuner, pre-amplifier and amplifier, all three devices are integrated into one chassis and is "marketed" as a stereo or A/V "Receiver".

"Residential gateway" is another marketing term for an integrated device that integrates the modem in with the wireless router. 4 discrete devices that just happen to share a circuit board, case and power supply.

Some "residential gateway" devices include a 5th discrete device, a VoIP device to provide Internet telephone service. 

Clear as mud.

So if one has a wireless router, a residential gateway device, or a separate wireless access point, then those devices should be physically located away from other electronic devices when possible. And if possible, up high, in a central location, and away from large barriers like the side of a refrigerator.


----------



## copenhagen69 (Sep 5, 2019)

so I sent back the netgear extender ... I just couldnt figure out why I could get to google and search but could not actually get to any websites ... frustrating!! 

So I guess the search continues ...


----------

