Home WiFi Solutions?

[Jerry1]

I’m not seeing any reduction in speed as I move around my house. I have the Orbi system with one satellite and I get the speed I’m paying for (30MBps) throughout the house. The main thing the Orbi did for me was handle a problem that I think was being caused by the ISP. Frequently, I would lose the signal and I would have to reboot the router. Now, with the Orbi, I will notice that sometimes I don’t have a signal, but I quickly comes back on without any intervention on my part.

[kgtest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 Background: Live in a home that isn't necessarily large, but it is one story and spread out quite a bit and 4 sided brick. Currently using a modem supplied by cable ISP Cox "Panoramic" and it is a terrible piece of equipment. The biggest issue is getting a usable WiFi signal outside on the patio. I have attempted to change settings on the modem (such as using channels that have stronger signals both on 2.4 and 5.0 bands) but as soon I update it, the modem will resort back to the original bands, which according to my WiFi analyzer are terrible. The internet works perfectly fine if connected via ethernet, so I am considering another WiFi solution and seems like the "mesh" type system is the go-to these days. I don't want an extender, we have used these in the past and well...they are terrible. So, any of the smart folks out here use a mesh system? I would like something that can be connected via ethernet to the modem and then that device (not the modem) and it's companions would be the WiFi source. Seems like the Plume system is rated pretty well on Amazon, but I am leery of Amazon reviews of late.

So the last time I went down this journey of best quality it went like this...

Step 1. Cut my line to the box "on accident" with a shovel... comcrook tech was there same day to fix it free. Ran a brand new line from the box at the street to my house straight to the cable modem. PERFECT!
Step 2
Then, I got the latest cable modem (it was some DOCS 5.1 or something I had to look out for).
Step 3 I ran a speed test straight from the brand new CAT5 plugged into the cablemodem...YEPP Super fast but wait, not 1GB/sec like they say on wireless...OHHH cuz my laptop doesn't support 1GB/sec wireless speed it's OLD!
Step 4 Upgrade Router to Asus DocSIS 5.1 and find a laptop that supports 1GB/sec for my speedtest
Step 5
Add in Wireless repeaters upstairs and main level (ideally router and modem should be at highest point in home, but mine is at lowest).
Step 6 with NEW cable, NEW cable modem, NEW router, NEW x2 WAP DocSIS 5.1 repeaters and NEW laptop that supports 1GB/sec wireless...INDEED, I do get 1GB/sec near my router downstairs.
I re-arranged the wireless access points and found one worked better in the one location than the other did so I swapped.

Step 7. Occasionally I re-run a SSID Channel sweep using an app on my phone to see if my neighbors are near my channels on the WAP and routers if they are, I re-configure my channels and go silent SSID again as if my network never existed

EDIT to add Step 8. I defined some QoS policies in my Routers so that the MAIN TV IP address get's priority, therefore any streaming service run on that takes priority, followed by DW laptop. Yepp, we know where I rate, hell it's defined right into my her router's QoS policy.

[kgtest]

Oh, and a final LAST ditch effort to get WIFI without the repeater up into my garage, which is through multiple concrete foundations transmitting from the basement to the upstairs garage succeeded when I physically mounted my router to my ceiling in my downstairs office, right behind the door, as close as I could to the rest of my livable housing AND Mancave garage! I have a Laptop standing desk in my garage. And YES it has fast wifi.

[TrvlBug]

Has anyone installed Orbi or the like with fiber? Wondering how easy the install is as with fiber we also have a 'box' on the floor/wall in addition to the modem/router on the desk. The installer had no clue. We just upgraded to fiber to the house and are lucky to get 100mpbs in the area we mostly use the toys...certainly nowhere near the 1000mpbs advertised although I'm sure it's in the teeny tiny fine print that this only refers to hardwired and not wireless .

ETA: we did buy an extended and that's how we get up to approx. 100mpbs!

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobra9777 Current pricing on Amazon is $245 for Orbi and $139 for Tenda (similar 3-node systems covering 6K sqft). Google WiFi is $259. I paid $129 for the Tenda system in mid-Dec 2018 after hearing Clark Howard mention it on his podcast as being half the price of Google WiFi. Anyway, if you're willing to pay 76% more to get a different shape, then go for it. BTW, the Orbi system has the "Amazon Choice" label, not the Tenda.

I will own up to the Orbi having the "Amazon Choice"...sort of. The Tenda *also* has the same label (see attached pic). The price for the Orbi was $209 *after* a $40 coupon (also see same pic), so not actually a "76% premium." I appreciate that you are looking out for my finances, but I think I got it covered.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobra9777 That's been my basic experience with mesh as well, although I wouldn't say "much worse." Bandwidth performance was sometimes better, sometimes worse, but always with a stronger signal. I kept the mesh system just because it filled in all the dead spots that I need for IOT devices on the periphery of the property like cameras, smartplugs, and (soon to be) a smart door lock.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobra9777 I tested using the same device at the same location, while switching between the old (traditional router) and new (mesh) networks. As I posted previously, about half the time (meaning half the locations I tested), the older network had better bandwidth performance despite a weaker signal. I'm just reporting some real-world results, new system vs old. At least one other poster seems to have similar results. I will keep the mesh system because I need the better coverage for IOT devices. But 6 months later, I still have the old network running with some devices connected to it, for various reasons (some Echo devices don't seem to play well with the mesh network).

And, it sounds like you may not be enjoying the benefits of better bandwidth performance, so maybe the lower cost also has something to do with degraded performance.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrvlBug Has anyone installed Orbi or the like with fiber? Wondering how easy the install is as with fiber we also have a 'box' on the floor/wall in addition to the modem/router on the desk. The installer had no clue. We just upgraded to fiber to the house and are lucky to get 100mpbs in the area we mostly use the toys...certainly nowhere near the 1000mpbs advertised although I'm sure it's in the teeny tiny fine print that this only refers to hardwired and not wireless . ETA: we did buy an extended and that's how we get up to approx. 100mpbs!

I don't think it would matter. We are on fiber, but not paying the gig speed cost...but all I would have to do is click a button on the Cox webpage and we would have GIGABLAST (or whatever they call it). The modem we are using is the one required to handle fiber/gig service here.

[target2019]

One characteristic to focus on is performance. The difference in price spread over 3-5 years is negligible. The security aspect, in future updates and support, is important.

[Cobra9777]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 I will own up to the Orbi having the "Amazon Choice"...sort of. The Tenda *also* has the same label (see attached pic). The price for the Orbi was $209 *after* a $40 coupon (also see same pic), so not actually a "76% premium." I appreciate that you are looking out for my finances, but I think I got it covered...

I'm not entirely sure what your picture represents. It shows the Tenda system at the top and purchase of the Orbi system at the bottom. If you actually got it for $209, that's a reasonably good deal, but still 50% more than the Tenda system. In any case, as of this writing, the current Amazon price for Orbi is $286.91, with a $40 coupon. So, $246.91 (after coupon)... which is a 76% premium over the Tenda system. And it includes the "Amazon Choice" label.

The Tenda system is currently listed at $139.99 with no "Amazon Choice" label.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 ...And, it sounds like you may not be enjoying the benefits of better bandwidth performance, so maybe the lower cost also has something to do with degraded performance.

I've been very upfront about both the pros and cons of the Tenda mesh system throughout this thread. FWIW, the other poster with similar issues was using a MeshForce system.

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 ...The difference in price spread over 3-5 years is negligible. The security aspect, in future updates and support, is important.

Excellent points.

[pc95]

UBNT's mesh system:

https://www.amazon.com/AmpliFi-Ubiqu...gateway&sr=8-6

Pricey, but has good reviews.

[gauss]

I had similar problems with my mid-century ranch house.

I have two cheap linksys wrt54g routers on the opposite sides of my house that are connected by a cable that runs through the basement.

The one router sits behind the cable modem in a normal NAT configuration. One of the LAN ports on the first router is physically connected to one of the LAN ports on the 2nd unit. WAN port is not used on the 2nd unit. 1st unit does all the DHCP etc. Both the 1st & 2nd units have WIFI turned on and the same SSID on each. Both units have individual static IP addresses on the same subnet.

This seems to be a simple solution that works well if you can manage to connect the 2 units via a CAT 5 cable.

No reduction in speed over a traditional system -- but I did set different RF frequencies on the 2 units.

-gauss

[Ian S]

I've had success with the latest Powerline variants for stationary items like TVs/Rokus and desktops. That's assuming your equipment has ethernet connections which most of ours does. (Ethernet to USB adapters are cheap.) Powerline generally much cheaper and likely more secure than WiFi. Still have wifi for phones and laptops but haven't needed expensive mesh setups for them. YMMV.

[imoldernu]

Most of the thread is over my head. Going back to my earlier post, my house is 1560 s.f. . Between my living room computer, and the modem/router, 35ft apart...there are 2 wood walls, one door, one brick wall, and a large sofa. Until I bought the aforementioned USB "antenna" , the speed was 25Mbps at most. Here is what I get now for under $25.
Am I missing something.

[RunningBum]

A mesh system doesn't require you to attach an antenna to your laptop. If you don't find it awkward, great. I probably would. Plus it doesn't help your smart TV or Firestick/Roku TV attachment, and you'd need one for each laptop you're having trouble with.

[euro]

I'm late to the discussion but since I didn't see MY system mentioned, I'll offer it up: I bought a Linksys Velop mesh system end of last year and I have been very pleased with its performance. I can't compare to anything else at all, but for me it does the job extremely well. It is a bit pricey though. Oh well, blow that dough......!

[imoldernu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum A mesh system doesn't require you to attach an antenna to your laptop. If you don't find it awkward, great. I probably would. Plus it doesn't help your smart TV or Firestick/Roku TV attachment, and you'd need one for each laptop you're having trouble with.

oops... I don't use a laptop...

A sign of the times... Everyone expects a laptop, a tablet, an Ipad and a smartphone...

I feel like I belong in the last century.

My TV's... Smart/Fire/Roku have no problem connecting.

[Jimmie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtweath exactly. mine covers my spread out ranch home and the entire basement underneath.

I just put in eero too. 4000sf, 3 story. amazing speeds. full signal everywhere, even back and front yards. Easiest install ever. Very happy with purchase.

[robnplunder]

I've just bought Orbi (1+2) system for $300 at Costco.



- It sucks to get old story:

I spent an hour trying to get Orbi wifi to work. At the end, it was b/c I misread the very small WIFI password written on the machine. I used a very large magnifier and still could not read letter 'e' from 's.' The fonts were just too damn small.

- Other than that, things went very smooth. Here are my findings.

I have Xfinity 60 mbps service. When connected to Orbi ethernet ports, I've got speeds up to 70 mbps, same as what I get from Xfinity router's ethernet ports.

When connected to Orbi WIFI, it gave me about 50% speed improvement in most cases. I get anywhere between 10 - 50 mbps using Xfinity wifi depending on various factors, time of the day, distance from router, .... With Orbi, I get 15 - 55 mbps.

Given the above, I've connected to Orbi ethernet ports wherever I can. Only a few devices are on Orbi wifi. Orbi also gave me 4 ethernet ports per sat. vs Google's 2. That's 1 + 13 ethernet ports vs Costco's Google WIFI which come with 1 + 7 port ('1' is used to connect to the internet modem). Costco's Google wifi comes with 1 + 3 sats for $280.

I am happy with the Orbi purchase vs Google WIFI. It'd given me one more sat. but may be slower than Orbi per all the reviews I've read.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robnplunder - It sucks to get old story:

Believe me, I completely understand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robnplunder I spent an hour trying to get Orbi wifi to work. At the end, it was b/c I misread the very small WIFI password written on the machine. I used a very large magnifier and still could not read letter 'e' from 's.' The fonts were just too damn small.

Maybe you have already thought of this, but anyway I have the same problem once in a while and have found that a good approach for me is the following. I take a photo of the password with my cell phone, upload the photo to my laptop, and enlarge it until I can see it. Just thought I'd pass this idea on, since it has been helpful to me.

[robnplunder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Maybe you have already thought of this, but anyway I have the same problem once in a while and have found that a good approach for me is the following. I take a photo of the password with my cell phone, upload the photo to my laptop, and enlarge it until I can see it. Just thought I'd pass this idea on, since it has been helpful to me.

I am a bit smartphone challenged . I will have to remember using it as an impromptu magnifier.

[target2019]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robnplunder I am a bit smartphone challenged . I will have to remember using it as an impromptu magnifier.

Can place the password in a contact card or text message, too.