Using Range Extender To Increase Speed Over WiFi

[Midevil Chaos]

Anywhere in the apartment, my speed according to Ookla is 50 Mbps over WiFi. Now, if I plug my laptop into the router via my cat5 cable, it's roughly doubled ~100 Mbps. So, I was wondering, if I bought this range extender seen below (which have Ethernet ports) and hooked up my laptop to one of the Ethernet ports, would my download speed increase to ~100 Mbps since it would be tethered to the range extender? Here is the one I may want to buy:

 

https://www.zyxel.com/us/en/products_services/AC2100-Dual-Band-Wireless-Gigabit-Access-Point-Range-Extender-ARMOR-X1/photos

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, Midevil Chaos said:

Anywhere in the apartment, my speed according to Ookla is 50 Mbps over WiFi. Now, if I plug my laptop into the router via my cat5 cable, it's roughly doubled ~100 Mbps. So, I was wondering, if I bought this range extender seen below (which have Ethernet ports) and hooked up my laptop to one of the Ethernet ports, would my download speed increase to ~100 Mbps since it would be tethered to the range extender? Here is the one I may want to buy:

 

https://www.zyxel.com/us/en/products_services/AC2100-Dual-Band-Wireless-Gigabit-Access-Point-Range-Extender-ARMOR-X1/photos

No one will be able to say, because the connection between the extender and router is still wireless. 

[goto10]

the range extender helps in terms of coverage, but if the modem has weak wifi or is transmitting on a channel that has many other wifi signals it wont help

 

you can install in your smartphone wifi analyzer and see how the networks on the area are using the channels, if you have access to the modem change the wifi channel to a one less occupied, see if that helps first before buying anything

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

13 minutes ago, Midevil Chaos said:

Anywhere in the apartment, my speed according to Ookla is 50 Mbps over WiFi. Now, if I plug my laptop into the router via my cat5 cable, it's roughly doubled ~100 Mbps. So, I was wondering, if I bought this range extender seen below (which have Ethernet ports) and hooked up my laptop to one of the Ethernet ports, would my download speed increase to ~100 Mbps since it would be tethered to the range extender? Here is the one I may want to buy:

 

https://www.zyxel.com/us/en/products_services/AC2100-Dual-Band-Wireless-Gigabit-Access-Point-Range-Extender-ARMOR-X1/photos

So essentially you want to use it in Client Mode?

 

You'll still be limited to 50Mbps as the Extender is still relying on the WiFi connection from your router. What you should really look into is a Ethernet Switch so you can "extend" the length of your wired connection. It's not exactly what a switch was designed for but it will work. But depending on the lay out of your house/apartment, that might not be preferable. 

 

[Midevil Chaos]

@goto10 Thanks for the tip, exactly what I needed to know

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

So essentially you want to use it in Client Mode?

 

You'll still be limited to 50Mbps as the Extender is still relying on the WiFi connection from your router. What you should really look into is a Ethernet Switch so you can "extend" the length of your wired connection. It's not exactly what a switch was designed for but it will work. But depending on the lay out of your house/apartment, that might not be preferable. 

 

 

Thank you very much for this idea. You got me thinking about something. I actually got myself to look at the cable in my office space. I was wondering about the cable was hooked up, and where it came from. It basically originated behind the wall, and came through another part of the wall into the office. So, I hooked up my modem and router in there instead. Now I can plug my work laptop directly in the router. All that a no cost... unless I decide to pay a few extension pieces to have my stuff hooked up on the desk later on.

 

EDIT: And now my wifi signal is WAY stronger, since the coax cable only travels a meter instead of like 10 meters or so.