Home WiFi Suggestions

[Rich]

I currently use a Linksys router that my family is finding to be inadequate in certain parts of our (not all the big) house. Part of the problem, I think, is that the router is at one end of the first floor so there are parts of the first floor, basement and second floor that have deadzones. I was thinking of splurging for a mesh network such as Eero or Luma (although Luma still on pre-order).

Does anyone have any experience with such a network or have any suggestions for expanding the wifi in my house? I've heard negative things about range extenders and I'd rather not go with a system where you have to switch the network based on where you are in the house -- my family just isn't that sophisticated. It seems the mesh networks have seemless handoffs (or at least that's what's advertised). I'm only sort of a mild techie so please keep it simple. Thanks.

[-jk]

I currently use a Linksys router that my family is finding to be inadequate in certain parts of our (not all the big) house. Part of the problem, I think, is that the router is at one end of the first floor so there are parts of the first floor, basement and second floor that have deadzones. I was thinking of splurging for a mesh network such as Eero or Luma (although Luma still on pre-order).

Does anyone have any experience with such a network or have any suggestions for expanding the wifi in my house? I've heard negative things about range extenders and I'd rather not go with a system where you have to switch the network based on where you are in the house -- my family just isn't that sophisticated. It seems the mesh networks have seemless handoffs (or at least that's what's advertised). I'm only sort of a mild techie so please keep it simple. Thanks.

I've heard good things about the eero, but I just use two APs (not routers). I have a dd-wrt router handling that part.

For a few months I rented a house (while we put our second floor on), and found that I had full signal in one part of the master bedroom, but three feet away gave me no signal. Between the router and that part of the room were two bathrooms (with large mirrors), two flues, a kitchen's worth of appliances, and a brick wall.

You can only ask so much of wifi.

As part of my second floor addition, I planned for an AP on the main floor on one end of the house and a second upstairs on the other end. Both with 2.4 and 5 GHz and the same credentials. (Yeah, sometimes if I'm streaming and roam between them, it hiccups. I survive...)

Other than that occasional handoff hiccup, it's been rock solid. (Eero is supposed to take care of those hiccups.)

I also did something similar with my brother's house - added a second AP on the far end. He got bonus patio coverage! He also has four kids routinely streaming 6 to 8 devices...

Bottom line: if you want good coverage, use two APs and think about the angles.

-jk

Forgot to add: the main AV system components are hard-wired, as are the printers, to cut down on unnecessary wifi traffic.

[fuse]

I have a friend with the eero.
Short summary is he likes it, and finds it expensive.

I pre-ordered a competitor product from Ubiquiti, called the Amplifi.
Cheaper than eero, can't tell you how it works yet (probably won't ship for 2-3 weeks).

My key concern is that TWC is leasing me horrible cable modems.
My next hurdle is convincing my better half to give up TWC VOIP.
(Anyone have any "good" E911 stories?)

I have my eye on the Arris (former Motorola) Surfboard 6190, which TWC (and most providers) say they will support.

I have a Ubee, and I'm convinced that its wifi is interfering with the wifi from my Asus. I've asked TWC numerous times to disable the Ubee wifi and put the cable modem in bridge mode to no avail.

On topic- I have an Asus N capable wifi router (N-66?) that is pretty decent, along with some 500 Mbps powerline network boxes and an Asus extender.

The Ubiquiti Amplifi solution indicates coverage with the main box plus two extenders at way more than I need (20,000 square feet?) at a reasonable cost.

The real question on eero, Amplifi and other mesh network is if they are well engineered enough to do effective handoffs and maintain low latency and good throughput.
https://amplifi.com/

[moonpie23]

the TWC modem is crap for wifi...however, our TWC VOIP has been fine...

[fuse]

the TWC modem is crap for wifi...however, our TWC VOIP has been fine...

I think the TWC modem is crap in general. I can recall once upon a time being impressed with TWC service. That faded a while ago.

[Rich]

I have a friend with the eero.
Short summary is he likes it, and finds it expensive.

I pre-ordered a competitor product from Ubiquiti, called the Amplifi.
Cheaper than eero, can't tell you how it works yet (probably won't ship for 2-3 weeks).

The Ubiquiti Amplifi solution indicates coverage with the main box plus two extenders at way more than I need (20,000 square feet?) at a reasonable cost.

The real question on eero, Amplifi and other mesh network is if they are well engineered enough to do effective handoffs and maintain low latency and good throughput.
https://amplifi.com/

Thanks fuse, more competition in this space is definitely a good thing. The Ubiquiti Amplifi seems like a reasonable (and reasonably priced) alternative. I can't tell from the website what the back of the main router looks like and whether there are any ports for hardwiring. The Eero only has one port so I would need to use a bridge since I have a few things hardwired. If you can post a review once you have it I'd be interested in reading it.

[freshmanjs]

I currently use a Linksys router that my family is finding to be inadequate in certain parts of our (not all the big) house. Part of the problem, I think, is that the router is at one end of the first floor so there are parts of the first floor, basement and second floor that have deadzones. I was thinking of splurging for a mesh network such as Eero or Luma (although Luma still on pre-order).

Does anyone have any experience with such a network or have any suggestions for expanding the wifi in my house? I've heard negative things about range extenders and I'd rather not go with a system where you have to switch the network based on where you are in the house -- my family just isn't that sophisticated. It seems the mesh networks have seemless handoffs (or at least that's what's advertised). I'm only sort of a mild techie so please keep it simple. Thanks.

We had similar issues with a Linksys. Replaced it with a new version Apple Airport Extreme that sits in the basement. It now covers our entire house well. Basement + 2 floors. 4k square feet. Might be worth a try before going with a mesh. The new Asus routers have good range and reputations too.

[fuse]

Thanks fuse, more competition in this space is definitely a good thing. The Ubiquiti Amplifi seems like a reasonable (and reasonably priced) alternative. I can't tell from the website what the back of the main router looks like and whether there are any ports for hardwiring. The Eero only has one port so I would need to use a bridge since I have a few things hardwired. If you can post a review once you have it I'd be interested in reading it.

Screenshot of the back of the Amplifi (go to the store link) shows 4 hardwired ports.

I agree $350 Amplifi compared to $600 eero seems more cost reasonable. Ubiquiti has a pretty decent name as a low cost enterprise player, whereas eero is completely new. Hard to tell in this consumer space who has the advantage, particularly given I don't have either hardware.

I'll post back to this thread late June or early July on my experience.

[fidel]

I use powerline to extend APs in our house (same issues as -jk with the chimney flues). Router in basement (ClearOS), Surfboard as modem.

I also have done the powerline/APs for neighbors...everyone reports improved access and happy(er?) teenagers.

I do NOT recommend wifi extenders. They are like that old SNL skit for the deaf...someone reads the news, someone else shouts the same words over the top. May increase distance, but overall throughput is knocked way back (shouting/talking at the same time can make the info indecipherable).

Best is if you can link APs/router with an ethernet cable, but power line works amazingly well.

[gus]

My next hurdle is convincing my better half to give up TWC VOIP.

Any particular reason she wnats to hold on to it?

I used to love my VOIP (vonage), but we got rid of it years ago. I thought it would be useful to keep the phone number though, so I ported it over to google voice. We still periodically get calls on it (which I have routed to my cell phone).

[fuse]

Any particular reason she wnats to hold on to it?

I used to love my VOIP (vonage), but we got rid of it years ago. I thought it would be useful to keep the phone number though, so I ported it over to google voice. We still periodically get calls on it (which I have routed to my cell phone).

E911 is the primary reason.

[BigWayne]

I would not waste time with fancy new technology. Your bottleneck is almost assuredly your ISP connection, presumably a cable modem. You just need access.

I have used TPLINK routers and APs the last couple years and they have worked flawlessly for a really nice price. I have a wired connection to the other end of the house and have one of these placed there so I get access from both ends of the building.

If you don't have a wired connection available, you can use range extenders like these that just plug into an electrical outlet:
TPLINK WA850
TPLINK WA855

You would need to place these somewhere in the middle of the house where they can pick up a signal from the main unit.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

We had similar issues with a Linksys. Replaced it with a new version Apple Airport Extreme that sits in the basement. It now covers our entire house well. Basement + 2 floors. 4k square feet. Might be worth a try before going with a mesh. The new Asus routers have good range and reputations too.

I second the Apple Airport Extreme. I actually use the Time Capsule to support centralized backup. Plus two strategically placed extenders on other side of house and upstairs. Apple never has issues with stability like I had years ago with Linksys that I constantly had to reboot.

[-jk]

I would not waste time with fancy new technology. Your bottleneck is almost assuredly your ISP connection, presumably a cable modem. You just need access.

I have used TPLINK routers and APs the last couple years and they have worked flawlessly for a really nice price. I have a wired connection to the other end of the house and have one of these placed there so I get access from both ends of the building.

If you don't have a wired connection available, you can use range extenders like these that just plug into an electrical outlet:
TPLINK WA850
TPLINK WA855

You would need to place these somewhere in the middle of the house where they can pick up a signal from the main unit.

In suburbia, I've found home geometry matters far more than the tech (except for streaming while roaming - a special case). I had a client recently having trouble with netflix on a wifi-connected apple tv box. We moved her wifi router about a foot (it had been hiding behind her big honkin' imac) and problem solved. I still strongly encourage hardwiring dedicated AV stuff whenever possible. First, it's more stable; second, it's a huge wifi drain for everything else.

Having two strategically placed APs can make a world of difference in your coverage. Too many things in a house will stymie a single wifi signal - appliances, duct work, mirrors, etc., they create coverage holes. Really big houses might need a third. My ISP connection is modest - 30 down on the hardwired connection. My wifi is also reliably 30 down from the internet from anywhere in the house. Way faster within the house. (If you live in a dense apt/condo space, you have extra issues. Getting everyone to play nice with channels is paramount. Some idiot always thinks "Hey! No one's using channel 2," screwing it up for almost everyone else. InSIDDer is helpful for researching these issues.)

That special streaming case: if you want seamless streaming as you carry your tablet around the house, you'll need the "fancy new technology" that can actively manage handoffs between APs. I don't wander enough to worry about it - I can handle the occasional bump when I head to the (... never mind).

-jk

[fuse]

Spurred by this thread, I took another tilt at TWC and my cable modem config.

I asked them to put my cable modem in bridge mode.

Prior attempts (3), no joy.

This time, TWC managed to disable the 2.4 GHz, while leaving the 5 GHz on.

In any event, even testing using fast.com I see a major improvement.
Iphone not the best throughput test, and still went from strugging to push 19 Mbps to an easy 50Mbps.

I'm not expecting a full 300/30 over wifi.

Now if I can just get TWC to shut the 5GHz off the cable modem, I think my not yet completed purchase of the Amplifi will be unnecessary.

It will be interesting to see moving from N to AC if there is a tangible difference.

[fuse]

Spurred by this thread, I took another tilt at TWC and my cable modem config.

I asked them to put my cable modem in bridge mode.

Prior attempts (3), no joy.

This time, TWC managed to disable the 2.4 GHz, while leaving the 5 GHz on.

In any event, even testing using fast.com I see a major improvement.
Iphone not the best throughput test, and still went from strugging to push 19 Mbps to an easy 50Mbps.

I'm not expecting a full 300/30 over wifi.

Now if I can just get TWC to shut the 5GHz off the cable modem, I think my not yet completed purchase of the Amplifi will be unnecessary.

It will be interesting to see moving from N to AC if there is a tangible difference.

Cable modem wifi now completely off.
Will be interesting to see if the Amplifi takes this to the next level.

[Jarhead]

For anybody who is changing their own configuration from TWC, you should consider this announcement from Charter, aka Sprectum. Most of us in this part of North Carolina will be involved. I am hopeful.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I use powerline to extend APs in our house (same issues as -jk with the chimney flues). Router in basement (ClearOS), Surfboard as modem.

I also have done the powerline/APs for neighbors...everyone reports improved access and happy(er?) teenagers.

I do NOT recommend wifi extenders. They are like that old SNL skit for the deaf...someone reads the news, someone else shouts the same words over the top. May increase distance, but overall throughput is knocked way back (shouting/talking at the same time can make the info indecipherable).

Best is if you can link APs/router with an ethernet cable, but power line works amazingly well.

I also use a powerline and it works great for me. And its cheap.

SoCal

[Rich]

I also use a powerline and it works great for me. And its cheap.

SoCal

Powerline getting good reviews here, but we recently did a second floor addition in which we have a separate circuit board for the new space. As a result, I don't think the powerline option will work in my case, at least for the second floor. I believe the router and the powerline extender need to be on the same circuits.

[brevity]

For anybody who is changing their own configuration from TWC, you should consider this announcement from Charter, aka Sprectum. Most of us in this part of North Carolina will be involved. I am hopeful.

I know it's a typo, but "Sprectum" can be a great way to label that Charter service once the honeymoon is over and customers start to complain.

Yay anagrams! Go Barves!