NBN Home Internet Slow Speeds When Far from Modem

Lyeetasaur on 22/08/2018 - 19:05

Hey guys,

I just signed up with Aussie Broadband on their NBN 50/20 plan and the speeds are great at a consistent ~45/15 mbps which I'm happy with but this is only when I connect my laptop via ethernet or when my device is very close to the modem. My dekstop PC, phone and all other devices when used from a further distance is a lot slower when compared to being in close proximity to the modem.

The modem is at the front of garage at near the front of my house and I'm in a 2-storey house with my room upstairs at the back of the house. I tried using a Wi-Fi Range Extender and connecting it via ethernet to my PC from that repeater andI tried out an ethernet connection via power adapters but both methods still have slow speeds. (sticking to power adapters for now)

My priority is to get the maximum speed output to my main desktop PC upstairs and second priority is for my family to get the highest speed possible when using their phones/ipads from anywhere in the house. I already got 2 Wi-Fi Extenders/Repeaters but those have slow speeds on all phones and iPads.

The only (partial) solution I know is to run a long ethernet cable from the modem to my room or I can call an electrician to do a cable job through the attic or something.

I still got my Optus Cable Broadband active as well as my Aussie Broadband NBN internet but I need to decide which one to cancel based on the speeds and reliability of the connection.

Just wondering if anyone knows another way (i.e. a high-end modem would fix it or not?) to get the most out of my connection? Thanks

Internet

Comments

  • whooah1979 on 22/08/2018 - 19:20
    +2

    Extenders

    Extenders will reduce the speed of the nodes that are connected to it by >50%.

    • yeetasaur on 22/08/2018 - 23:52

      I see. I was using them even while on Cable Broadband with Optus, and they were just a little under the typical speeds but since connecting to NBN, it's been a different story.

  • holoz0r on 22/08/2018 - 19:20
    +2

    hardwired ethernet, cat6 is your most cost effective option and the most future proof way of doing this.

    you could try ethernet over power, but it isn't great

    • yeetasaur on 23/08/2018 - 01:11

      Yeah, I learned just today that ethernet over power isn't that great. I know that running a long cable from my modem to my PC which involves an electrician to come out which is a bit annoying but it is definitely a good investment for the long run. That is my last option should I not find another alternative but I'm also in need of solving the problem of decent speeds over Wi-Fi for my family to use on their phones and tablet devices.

  • scrimshaw on 22/08/2018 - 20:04

    I'd get your home wired up with Ethernet ports or look into a mesh networking solution. Google WiFi (sold in packs of three) or Asus Aimesh

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/google-wi-fi

  • sane on 22/08/2018 - 20:22

    Look at what other wifi channels are used and what the neighbours are doing. Sounds like as the signal strength falls with distance, the interference is killing bandwidth.

    • yeetasaur on 22/08/2018 - 23:59

      I don't understand/know too much about Wi-Fi channels except the 2 different networks each modem has which shows 2.4 gHz and 5 gHz. Would you mind explaining what to do or refer me to a good website?

      • sane on 23/08/2018 - 09:23

        OK, taking your 2.4Ghz wifi. There are in theory 13 channels, but in reality they overlap and there are only really three independent channels, and less if you use broad bandwidths (40 & 80Ghz).

        If you have your modem on the same channel as a closeby neighbour, then as you move away from your model you can move closer to the neighbours, and thus your device see more interference and drops down in modes to try and deal with it.

        Which is what it sounds like.

        Obviously it gets move complicated than that, and there can be other interference sources, but the first thing is to do a survey and find out what people around you are using. You can get "Wifi Analyser" apps for your smartphone.

        In theory, when you can identify where the interference is coming from, you can then shift what channels you are using to avoid it.

  • follow on 22/08/2018 - 20:25

    Since you have powerline adapters, grab another modem and turn it in to an access point.

    • yeetasaur on 22/08/2018 - 23:57

      I have a Wireless AC1200 Dual Band Gigabit Range Extender set up as a Repeater. I remember when setting it up I could do it as an Access Point in the admin settings.

      1. Is this what you are referring to?

      2. Would this make a difference in comparison to the set up as a repeater?

      • follow on 23/08/2018 - 17:44

        Does it have lan ports are back?

  • scrimshaw on 22/08/2018 - 22:17

    You might be interested in this deal. It normally costs $249, now 165.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/398457

    • yeetasaur on 22/08/2018 - 23:55

      I am currently using 2 x Wireless AC1200 Dual Band Gigabit Range Extender (https://www.dlink.com.au/home-solutions/DAP-1650-wireless-ac…) in my house. Do you know if this product compared to my current one guarantee or highly likely increase my download/upload speeds?

      • scrimshaw on 23/08/2018 - 01:54

        Your wifi extender is pretty decent. Don't buy a new one.

        You're probably placing the wifi extender in a spot where it can't receive strong signals. Wifi extenders need to have a strong signal with the main router otherwise all it will do is push weak signals around.

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