Need Help Deciding How to Fix My Poor Wi-Fi Strength

LSoupe Opera on 13/08/2023 - 00:20
Last edited 16/08/2023 - 15:50 by 1 other user

Bought an established home (just moved in) that is FTTP with one ethernet port connected to the NTD. The position of the ethernet port is a wall away from the garage at the front of the house. Our offices are at the back, passing through at least 5 walls plus cupboards to reach the modem. We are currently using an old iinet 2017 Technicolor modem. I bought and tried a TP Link ARCHER AX10 AX1500 but it turned out to be worse which was very surprising.

In this situation would a higher AX, say AX5400 provide a strong enough signal to the back?
I have read mixed reviews about mesh systems mainly that they're amplifying an already weak signal so a bit unsure on that.
There are no other ports to run another router in the house.

Back at my parents my dad just drilled a hole in the roof and wired the ethernet through but I'd like this setup to be neat.

Internet Broadband FTTP nbn Wireless Router

Comments

  • jaffar on 13/08/2023 - 01:23

    No idea about the mesh system but you could try a wifi powerline adapter. Instead of using a wired ethernet cable for connection, it uses your ac sockets to create an internet connection.

    They come in sets of 2. One goes in the ac socket near your original ethernet connection front of house and you plug it into your router there. The other you plug it in at the back of the house and it'll give you an ethernet port out - you can then ethernet cable directly to your computer or to a router to make the wifi signal from there.

    I had a similar situation to yours and this solution worked surprisingly well (had dropouts, lag on some online games). It was pretty cheap to try too (~$15 for a set of used foxtel powerline adapters from eBay). Plugged them in at either end and it pretty much started working like you'd expect.

    • [Deactivated] on 13/08/2023 - 13:22
      +2

      Powerline is a stopgap, not a solution. The technology works by essentially using the house's powerlines as a giant antenna, one that's very susceptible to interreference even in the best case scenario. Its also not very fast, you're looking at 50-150mbps realistically unless both adapters are on the same breaker, and worse if your wiring is old. Really shitty when you can get Gigabit on FTTP for about as much as you'd pay for Unlimited download on ADSL2+ on Zone 2 just a couple of years ago.

  • MrHyde on 13/08/2023 - 07:25
    +4

    I'd go with a mesh system. Set up the main mesh device at the NTD and the other device somewhere mid way in the house. If needed, you could add a third device in your office.

    • Sinnerator on 13/08/2023 - 08:52

      second this, mesh systems are awesome

  • thatonethere on 13/08/2023 - 07:50

    If there is a crawl space under the house (or in the ceiling) you could just bite the bullet and get a cabler to run two outlets from router to the office and then pop up a wifi mesh router in the office (and direct cable your pc/laptop/dock to the router). Much less mucking around in the short and long term.

  • AlienC on 13/08/2023 - 08:59

    I fixed dead spots in my house by just bridging a router to the main router or ntd.

    Used a decent WiFi ac capable netgear nighthawk x6 R8000 at the time to future proof my network and still going strong.

    This was a couple of years ago.

    Realising now could have probably gotten away with something cheaper but didn't want to resell it or get stuck with underperforming junk.

    You just Ethernet cable all the routers together either at the main router or ntd.

    Your devices should automatically connect to the nearest router.

  • Sal in SA on 13/08/2023 - 09:19
    +2

    Run cables - switch in office etc with cable run to nbn, then cable runs to pc's - cable run or 2+ to main lounge area - 1 x Tv, 1 x shield/apple etc, 1 x games. Also plan ahead for security PoE cameras etc and get the runs done.

    Do it once, do it right.

  • mbck on 13/08/2023 - 10:17

    Using 2 mesh on a 4 floored townhouse. Works like a charm.

    It's the Samsung smarthings wifi too, nothing fancy.

  • Twix on 13/08/2023 - 10:47

    Since you don't want ethernet purchase a mesh system and if you can afford it get one that's tri-band. How much do you want to spend?

  • [Deactivated] on 13/08/2023 - 13:26
    +1

    Running Ethernet backbone for a wifi mesh system is the way to go. If you have a phone line running through the house, that could be reused as well if its Cat 5e/Cat 6, just need to replace the jack.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 13/08/2023 - 13:41

    Rental or purchased? I'd recommend just getting cabler to install a run to the back office. Fix it once and for all.

  • raytriplej on 13/08/2023 - 17:50

    I have a google mesh system over a big house with concrete block internal walls. It works great. I have the "google wifi" but it has been superseded with "google nest" which is essentially the same. Netgear Orbi is another brand worth looking at as well. I don't use any other modem, the google mesh unit etherner plugs into the NBN NTD.

  • borgainerz on 14/08/2023 - 08:59

    Buy a Google Nest Wifi Router + 1 (or 2 access points) on Facebook marketplace. Google is not super popular in OZ, so many Google items sells for cheap on Facebook (often company unwanted gift, so basically new).

    to date I got:
    - 1 Google Wifi Router + 1 Access point for $100
    - 1 Google NestHub Max for $100
    - 1 Google Nest hub + 1 Google Chromecast 4K for $100

  • Cheaplikethebird on 14/08/2023 - 10:38

    If you're in a rental you can get creative with running ethernet and get it pretty damn clean. If you've got carpet you can push the cable between the carpet and wall so it's completely hidden. I have wood floors so I'm using flat lay ethernet cable and cable clips to run the cable along the skirting boards.

  • the Unforgiven on 26/08/2023 - 00:48

    I had a mesh system in the house, and it worked grouse
    But I wanted a signal in the garage/workshop

    So I bought one of these and tied it to the post just outside the back door,
    it has a 200m metre range (it would do inside as well I suppose)
    https://www.wavlink.com/en_us/product/WL-WN572HP3_en.html
    If that one is not strong enough, you can get one that works up to 2000m
    https://www.wavlink.com/en_us/category/OUTDOOR.html

    I needed a better router than my Ubiquiti one, so I bought a TP-Link AX20
    And ran cat5e (which is the same as cat6) from my AX20 which I put about 4' off the ground,
    and nearly in the middle of the room) from the AX20 along the corner of the house to the back door which is 20m away.
    I got the creme coloured cable which blended in, the blue cable would have stuck out like dog's balls.
    The 20m of cable was 2 x 10m cable with a really good ethernet cable joiner.

    The cable & joiner all up cost less than $30
    The Ubiquiti router cost $112
    The AX20 cost $144
    I bought everything from eBay
    And everything works great with my StarLink set-up

  • Soupe Opera on 27/08/2023 - 01:37
    -1

    Thanks for all the suggestions! I have gone with a TP-Link AX2000 powerline adaptor that I had Officeworks price beat to under $160. I repurposed an old modem from my parents and made it an access point by disabling any DHCP and making the SSID, security, and passwords the same as the modem at the front of the house. Now as you walk through the house there is only a drop in signal strength of one bar in the middle of the house while using the 5ghz network. I'm very very happy at how seemless it is now, thanks you! I hope someone trying to make the same decision sees this post for help

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