Problems with wifi

[blazinred]

Hi, Im having issues with my wifi. I do astrophotography as a hobby and a youtube channel so i have a dedicated mini pc outside at my telescope. Recently i adopted a puppy from a local rescue and he has taken a liking to specifically ethernet cables he chews through them every time. I have replaced my 100ft cable 3 times and done everything i can to protect the cable short of digging a long trench and running it through cable pipes to my mount. I decided to try to rely on wifi as my source of internet he cant chew a radio signal after all lol. My mount computer (GUZILA-CK6) is approximately 75 feet away from my router ( Netgear Nighthawk R6700) but i get only 20mbs download and 12mbs upload despite having a 150mbs isp speed. I figured there was to much range between the router and mount computer so i purchased a Netgear range extender EX-3700 and placed it half way between the router and mount computer. This did nothing im still stuck with 20mbs download and 12mbs upload despite all 3 items ( computer, router, and range extender) being 802.11ac compatible. I would expect a slow down due to wifi but a 85% decrease in internet speed seems like a huge slowdown. Can i fix this and if so how can i fix it?

[Donut417]

5 minutes ago, blazinred said:

etgear range extender EX-3700

Range Extenders by design cut your bandwidth in half. 

 

12 minutes ago, blazinred said:

I would expect a slow down due to wifi but a 85% decrease in internet speed seems like a huge slowdown.

There are a lot of factors here. One, speed will highly depend on what band you're connected to 2.4 vs 5 Ghz. However you also have to consider interference. Walls (Dry wall is easier than Concrete/Metal to penetrate) and objects between the computer and router, other devices that use the WiFi bands (Cordless phones, Baby monitors, Microwaves, Bluetooth, Weather Radar, etc) and even the weather to an extent can effect the signal, especially on 2.4 Ghz. Another thing is antenna design. If the antennas on the router or device are small they can cause performance issues. 

 

One thing you can try, move your router closer is possible. If not see about elevating it. Elevating it might help spread the signal better. You stated you had a cable ran, I can understand not wanting to trench to run a cable. If your able, you can try running the cable inside to the point where it needs to go outside and just install an outdoor Access Point. Granted you will still need to protect the cable inside from the dog, but you wouldn't have to trench. The added bonus is your yard then would have WiF connectivity. 

[blazinred]

34 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

There are a lot of factors here. One, speed will highly depend on what band you're connected to 2.4 vs 5 Ghz.

I intentionally used the 5ghz band because it gives better speed. Also it has only 1 wall made of drywall between the router and extender with only a smart tv between the two.

37 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

If your able, you can try running the cable inside to the point where it needs to go outside and just install an outdoor Access Point. Granted you will still need to protect the cable inside from the dog, but you wouldn't have to trench. The added bonus is your yard then would have WiF connectivity. 

Could i use the netgear range extender as an access point i saw in setup it does give that option or is there a better wat to do that. Also i have to say my main reason for getting as high of speeds as i can is after a night of imaging i have to transfer about 15Gbs of images from my mount pc to my main pc. With the wired connection this usually took 30 to 40 minutes but with wifi it takes hours and hours. Is there a better way to do this?

 

[Donut417]

3 minutes ago, blazinred said:

smart tv

Thats made of glass, metal and plastic. So it could very well block some of the signal. Its just like a computer case made out of metal can block WiFi for a computer if the computer case is between the WiFi card and the router. 

 

4 minutes ago, blazinred said:

Could i use the netgear range extender as an access point i saw in setup it does give that option or is there a better wat to do that

I honestly dont know. I know better than to buy a range extender so I have never used one. The only thing is the Access Point need to be wired to your router. But keep in mind that the suggestion I was giving was an OUTDOOR AP. I wouldn't recommend trying to put that range extender outdoors. Firstly an outdoor AP most likely would use POE (Power over Ethernet), meaning data and power would happen over the Ethernet cabling. 

 

4 minutes ago, blazinred said:

Is there a better way to do this?

Basically when it comes to networking here is the hierarchy: 

 

1) Fiber

2) Ethernet 

3) Coax (specifically Moca Adapters) 

4) This is a toss up between power line adapters and WiFi. 

 

Fiber is always the best option but costs more. Ethernet is the next best thing as its going to be a drop in solution, but could require more work. Power line is useful for getting a wired connection in a remote place in your home BUT it highly depends on the quality of your wiring and speeds can be slower than WiFi. Further more WiFi will never be as fast as Ethernet. Router router might state it can do 1300 Mbps on 5 Ghz, but thats a pipe dream. Ethernet is always going to be consistent, Fast and reliable. If speed is a factor then you need to use Ethernet. 

[blazinred]

7 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

Thats made of glass, metal and plastic. So it could very well block some of the signal. Its just like a computer case made out of metal can block WiFi for a computer if the computer case is between the WiFi card and the router. 

 

I honestly dont know. I know better than to buy a range extender so I have never used one. The only thing is the Access Point need to be wired to your router. But keep in mind that the suggestion I was giving was an OUTDOOR AP. I wouldn't recommend trying to put that range extender outdoors. Firstly an outdoor AP most likely would use POE (Power over Ethernet), meaning data and power would happen over the Ethernet cabling. 

 

Basically when it comes to networking here is the hierarchy: 

 

1) Fiber

2) Ethernet 

3) Coax (specifically Moca Adapters) 

4) This is a toss up between power line adapters and WiFi. 

 

Fiber is always the best option but costs more. Ethernet is the next best thing as its going to be a drop in solution, but could require more work. Power line is useful for getting a wired connection in a remote place in your home BUT it highly depends on the quality of your wiring and speeds can be slower than WiFi. Further more WiFi will never be as fast as Ethernet. Router router might state it can do 1300 Mbps on 5 Ghz, but thats a pipe dream. Ethernet is always going to be consistent, Fast and reliable. If speed is a factor then you need to use Ethernet. 

Ok i know i have cox internet which is advertised as fiber optic however the cable going to my modem is a coaxial cable. I think i will probably put the cable in a metal pipe and just bury it an inch or so in the ground. he cant chew through metal lol. And thank you so much for the help!!!

 

[Donut417]

11 hours ago, blazinred said:

fiber optic however the cable going to my modem is a coaxial

Cox like all cable providers have a hybrid fiber coax network. Also if you have deep pockets they will probably run fiber to your home.