Computer q: boost WiFi range via newer router or extender or ...?

**Jonathan S.** · 06-22-2016, 05:28 PM

Our home setup has also suffered from weak reception in two extremes located relatively far away from the router.
(And unfortunately the router can't just be located in between the two extremes.)
I now realize that our router is ten years old:
Buffalo WHR-HP-G54
Would a newer router model boost the reception?
I also somewhat belatedly learned of the option for an extender using the electrical wiring ... or a repeater instead?
Or some combination?!?
Thanks in advance for any feedback -- I read up on the differences among all the different options, but hard to get a handle on the best option ... unless they're all equally helpful?
(The oldest of our computers has b/g/n -- any other specs I need to provide? And the house is same age at the router, so relatively new wiring.)

**SeatownSlackey** · 06-22-2016, 06:00 PM

Absolutley time to upgrade.

I just replaced my 5-6 year old router with a new AC router and it blew the door off of my old linksys N router especially since i use a NAS over our WLAN. file transfer speeds are night and day.

shopped a bunch and went with this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

**bigdude2468** · 06-23-2016, 05:00 AM

I added a $35 WIFI booster in our ski house which is a wide ranch style house and it made a huge difference. Netflix would barely work on a TV in one bedroom on the other end of the house. With the booster it never pauses and works great.

**geoffers** · 06-23-2016, 06:52 AM

If you upgrade your router, don't ditch the old one - you can run an Ethernet cable (or use an electrical extender plug) upstairs or wherever, turn off dhcp IP address allocation in the old router's settings then use it as a second remote wifi access point and/or Ethernet hub.

**hoypaloy** · 06-24-2016, 05:52 AM

Old routers and APs are like the hard drives that got put into RAID arrays. Ideally, you can follow exactly that strategy by using diverse make/model/years devices and create an extended network broadcasting (or responding to) the same SSID. I sometimes think the only finicky part can be the creation of a proper mesh wifi network in which switchovers between accesspoints is most efficient.

Sometimes one would think it would be as simple as disabling DHCP (both taking and giving) and setting it to broadcast the same SSID. It's not always so easy, and it helps to read both the manufacturer's user and/or service manual once, as well as observing experiences of others as relayed on forums and personal/tech websites. Third party firmwares/softwares, like DD-WRT, can help bridge the technological insufficiency that manufacturer firmware purposely creates, but you will also need to do a good read through the DD-WRT instructions because they are usually pretty feature-filled and you don't have to finangle with many of the options.

The parameters that determine what WIFI (as a licensed technological product and standard) is, describe the point of the network as having the quality of many APs and that kind of mesh. Sometimes you can find that older repeaters and client bridges mess up a smooth WIFI scheme because either the clients are other brands of WIFI tech that expand upon standard or interpret in different way, or the repeater/bridge is doing the same and the clients don't get it. Pay attention to channel saturations and other local site interference, also.

**RShea** · 06-24-2016, 07:45 AM

Those Buffalo routers were bomber in their day. I'd go with a new AC router to start with (2 antenna's at a min- 3 may give you a bit better performance depending on the materials used in walls of the 10 year old house. There are some other options too, but I'd start with a newer more modern router.

If after the new router is in place and there are still issues, then 2 suggestions would be to use the old Buffalo Router as an AP- that model has a switch on it I believe to go from router mode to wired AP extender. You may need a Powerline (Electric) Ethernet Adapters if you did not distribute the house with Cat 5e or 6 when you built the house. I do not think that old of a router from them supports being used as a wireless AP extender.

**Benny Profane** · 06-24-2016, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by bigdude2468

I added a $35 WIFI booster in our ski house which is a wide ranch style house and it made a huge difference. Netflix would barely work on a TV in one bedroom on the other end of the house. With the booster it never pauses and works great.

And, what brand and model is this device?

**Jonathan S.** · 06-26-2016, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by RShea

Those Buffalo routers were bomber in their day. I'd go with a new AC router to start with (2 antenna's at a min- 3 may give you a bit better performance depending on the materials used in walls of the 10 year old house. There are some other options too, but I'd start with a newer more modern router.

Okay, thanks, but ...
... everything I've read confirms that an AC router will still work with an old b/g/n adapter.
However, will a b/g/n computer be any faster with an AC router?
My 2011 laptop must be b/g/n, but I'm having trouble figuring out what adapter is on my wife's laptop.
(It's relatively new, but very cheap-o.)

Originally Posted by RShea

[...]You may need a Powerline (Electric) Ethernet Adapters if you did not distribute the house with Cat 5e or 6 when you built the house.[...]

Unfortunately I didn't think about any of that at the time, and neither did the developer, sigh...

**Viva** · 06-26-2016, 05:50 PM

Stick a wire hanger in it. That used to work for our old TV when I was a kid.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 06-26-2016, 08:31 PM

You can get a new router, but you need a new(er) computer too. Network connections are a 2-way street.
Assuming your devices are all recent, they are most likely N or AC.
Get an AC router.
If your devices are all old, it doesn't matter. Maybe a repeater.
Anything multiantenna and at least N will probably work well for you.
AC will keep you covered for another few years. Most smartphones are ac, now, I believe. Never mind friends and relatives coming over with their stuff.
You always want to have capacity.

**RShea** · 06-26-2016, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by Jonathan S.

Okay, thanks, but ...
... everything I've read confirms that an AC router will still work with an old b/g/n adapter.
However, will a b/g/n computer be any faster with an AC router?
My 2011 laptop must be b/g/n, but I'm having trouble figuring out what adapter is on my wife's laptop.
(It's relatively new, but very cheap-o.)

Unfortunately I didn't think about any of that at the time, and neither did the developer, sigh...

It is not just about the speed of the connection. The Wireless AC should have better antenna(s) and reach longer distances than your existing 10 year old router. You state there are areas of the house that you do not get coverage and you want to try and eliminate those gaps. Starting with a newer AC router would be my first recommendation of smart money spent. (But what do I know after 34 years of networking and computer experience).

Speed you have 3 variables- the WAN speed- that provided by your ISP and delivered to the main router, this could be wired devices or wireless devices off that main router. Then you have the wireless speed- highest speeds will typically be available to devices closest to the router and as you get further away the traffic speed will decrease because the signal strength is lower and therefore to maintain the marginal connection it slows it down vs keeping it at the highest speed and having packets drop or have to be repeated.

The computer or wifi device is the 3rd part of the equation. At the other end of my house which happens to be my bedroom, I get OK and aceptable wifi on my laptop computer- 24 Mbps typically. But my old cell phone more times than not would drop the connection and I would be using cellular data unless I had the door opened. I also would have to check the channels being used by neighbors wifi. AC is a dual band supporting both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. There are more antennas, and if the device is old then it in fact can be the limiting factor. You can read about the AC advantages and comparisons in this article:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinio...the-difference

Of course you can also go out and buy a bunch of newer computers and devices (like my new cell phone now is typically showing a Fair connection at 2 Mbps by the way in the bedroom instead of the maximum 13 Mbps of when the signal strength is showing Excellent when I am nearer the router) instead of the "Poor" connection my old phone would get. Or you can get new USB wireless network cards for the computers- BUT I'd only recommend that if there is a specific issue like streaming of movies or other shortcomings that are evident only a single specific device and not all connections at that area of the house.

That 10 year old router does not owe you anything and if you want to keep it and continue to complain about areas of the house that have no wifi- keep on using it as your main router.

**RShea** · 06-26-2016, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

You can get a new router, but you need a new(er) computer too. Network connections are a 2-way street.
Assuming your devices are all recent, they are most likely N or AC.
Get an AC router.
If your devices are all old, it doesn't matter. Maybe a repeater.
Anything multiantenna and at least N will probably work well for you.
AC will keep you covered for another few years. Most smartphones are ac, now, I believe. Never mind friends and relatives coming over with their stuff.
You always want to have capacity.

He does not need a new computer if all he wants to do is get wifi coverage everywhere in the house. Routers with better antennas, Repeaters, Powerline adapters or additional access points are the tools of more complete coverage. Wireless AC adapters either inside a newer computer, or via a USB or expansion card inside a desktop, etc. are the tools needed if he wants to play games, stream video and the like, etc. over the wifi network at faster speeds (again assuming the signal strength issues are not present)....

AC routers are backwards compatible and can offer up to 8 antennas (compared to the 1 antenna he probably has on the existing router model. http://www.techradar.com/us/news/net...o-know-1059194

**bern43** · 06-27-2016, 07:39 AM

As suggested, I'd start with the new router and see if that helps. The newer router should have better antennas. If that doesn't work you can set up your old router in a different location using powerline adapters. I recently did this, and it helped a lot.

**Garth Bimble** · 06-27-2016, 01:15 PM

When we moved into our current home I had to put the router in my office above the garage which is a pretty good distance from our main living areas, not to mention lots of walls in between so I got one of these:

http://www.netgear.com/home/products...aspx?cid=gwmng

Works great...had a horrible signal before, couldn't stream any video but now it works fine. Cheap ($30 on Amazon) and easy to set up.

edit: I should probably add that my router is new so if the OP's is 10 years old this might not help but it's worth a try for $30...if it doesn't work just send it back.

**RShea** · 06-28-2016, 08:46 AM

Still need to extend the coverage after doing a new router then there are some deals out there like:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...67124730521sbe which is $21.99 and a promo code takes $7 off and there is a $5 mail in rebate. Free shipping also if you pick the slowest method. It does not have an external antenna like the one linked above by Garth, but for a small area of added coverage, it should be just fine.

**Jonathan S.** · 07-01-2016, 10:02 AM

Many thanks to everyone for all the info!
I ordered a three-antenna model and will report back on Tuesday once I'm home again.
(Kind of funny how I've of course upgraded our computers and phones over the past decade, but was entirely clueless about the advances over that period in WiFi routers, doh! Also makes me realize that the only gear I've been using the past four days that is so old would be my glacier glasses and Grivel Condor self-arrest pick...)

**comish** · 07-01-2016, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Garth Bimble

When we moved into our current home I had to put the router in my office above the garage which is a pretty good distance from our main living areas, not to mention lots of walls in between so I got one of these:

http://www.netgear.com/home/products...aspx?cid=gwmng

Works great...had a horrible signal before, couldn't stream any video but now it works fine. Cheap ($30 on Amazon) and easy to set up.

edit: I should probably add that my router is new so if the OP's is 10 years old this might not help but it's worth a try for $30...if it doesn't work just send it back.

The wife wanted wifi in the garage to do Yoga. Put one of these puppies in the neighboring wall and presto, wifi in the garage works well now. Cheap and easy.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 07-01-2016, 09:34 PM

Wtf does that have to do with yoga?

**Jonathan S.** · 07-06-2016, 11:26 AM

Just installed the new AC router -- looking at the signal strength in the readout on my phone, definitely better in the dining room, although kind of on the edge in the basement ski shop.

Might still get that cheap extender at NewEgg since it's so, well, cheap!

As for WiFi and yoga, maybe yoga practitioners post pictures of their activities just like skiers do?
(Here's Hood's Snowdome from last week.)

**PNWbrit** · 07-06-2016, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by Jonathan S.

Just installed the new AC router -- looking at the signal strength in the readout on my phone

get the speedtest app.

**Jonathan S.** · 07-06-2016, 12:48 PM

^ Great, thanks!

The more accurate results show far less fade:
- At the source, i.e., office above garage = 6.68/0.93
- In the dining room, i.e., one floor down, at opposite end of house = 6.80/0.45
- Ski shop, i.e., another floor down in basement, but close to directly underneath source = 6.60/0.79

I also turned on Airplane mode (with WiFi enabled of course) to ensure that I wasn't using cell signals.
I ran a few add'l trials, and essentially the download variation across sites is within the range across different trials.
Ditto for the upload variation from source to ski room, although dining room is consistently slower.

**MESH** · 07-06-2016, 01:50 PM

If you have an Android phone and want to check the actual signal strength in different rooms WiFi Analyzer by Farproc works well. An internet speed test won't give the whole picture since it's only a small fraction of your wireless speed.

**Jonathan S.** · 07-06-2016, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by MESH

If you have an Android phone and want to check the actual signal strength in different rooms WiFi Analyzer by Farproc works well. An internet speed test won't give the whole picture since it's only a small fraction of your wireless speed.

Okay, thanks, so now, high 20s to 30 at the source, and high 60s to 70 at the two more remote locations, which would seem to be just barely good enough according to this:
https://support.metageek.com/hc/en-u...gnal-Strengths

**RShea** · 07-07-2016, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

get the speedtest app.

No much better tool for this is a wifi analyzer as it will show the strength of the signal and the other signals from neighbors and the dBm. Speedtest will only analyze the wan speed and internet connection side of things. Inssider for Windows or a number of apps for cell phones out there.

**McDee** · 07-07-2016, 09:26 AM

Just a heads up on the Powerline extenders. They don't like it when you transfer files over ~3GB over the line, at least older dLAN versions don't. Wont be an issue if you aren't using them to connect to network storage. In my experience they tend to freeze up and you have to go unplugg and plug them back in again. Might be worth checking on with newer models if you intend to use the connection for that.