Range Extenders

[ZeusXI]

So i have this Router - With Comcast internet

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Certified-Xfinity-Comcast-Spectrum/dp/B00IF0JAYE

and i was wondering if there would be a way to extend the range so i have a better connection from across the house with a wifi extender or repeater.

the router has 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands. I use the 5Ghz, while the rest of my family uses the 2.4Ghz (their laptops dont support 5Ghz, and the apple TV only sees the 2.4Ghz)

 

i was looking at these

• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C93BJ6K/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073RFR7JX/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1
• https://www.amazon.com/Extender-ELEGIANT-Wireless-Repeater-Amplifier/dp/B01LMXIMZS/ref=pd_bxgy_147_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01LMXIMZS&pd_rd_r=9018e8d6-8b86-11e8-bc22-5d0e7f4bb9cf&pd_rd_w=X2kD7&pd_rd_wg=RCJC2&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1475879231140687736&pf_rd_r=5F4KSJ2XG5DY7QPVCA8M&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=5F4KSJ2XG5DY7QPVCA8M

but im not sure if any of these would be compatible with the router. 

and i can put a cable to my room because it would be about 35-40 feet of cord to my room. the router is in the room directly above me, and winds around the house and what not. Parents said i cant drill a hole, or add an access point to the wall in my room so i can have a direct cable. so extending wifi, or getting a repeater with shorter cable so its closer to my room would be the best option i think.

Any thoughts?

 

[EarthWormJM2]

Those are OK, but in my experience are not that great and introduce a bit of lag. They are compatible with pretty much any router, but again, are not that great.

 

What you are in the market for (since you can't drill a small hole straight up..  ) is ethernet over power: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-ethernet-Adapter-TL-PA4010KIT/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_147_bs_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3VMPPJ6C47CHAFYN9C3R It uses your homes copper in the walls to transfer data, essentially turning any outlet into an ethernet port. These are pretty decent and have less lag/better speeds (usually) then wifi extenders.

[ZeusXI]

13 minutes ago, EarthWormJM2 said:

Those are OK, but in my experience are not that great and introduce a bit of lag. They are compatible with pretty much any router, but again, are not that great.

 

What you are in the market for (since you can't drill a small hole straight up..  ) is ethernet over power: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-ethernet-Adapter-TL-PA4010KIT/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_147_bs_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3VMPPJ6C47CHAFYN9C3R It uses your homes copper in the walls to transfer data, essentially turning any outlet into an ethernet port. These are pretty decent and have less lag/better speeds (usually) then wifi extenders.

are there any downsides to these? like...interference with electricity running through the copper?

[kirashi]

29 minutes ago, ZeusXI said:

So i have this Router - With Comcast internet

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Certified-Xfinity-Comcast-Spectrum/dp/B00IF0JAYE

and i was wondering if there would be a way to extend the range so i have a better connection from across the house with a wifi extender or repeater.

the router has 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands. I use the 5Ghz, while the rest of my family uses the 2.4Ghz (their laptops dont support 5Ghz, and the apple TV only sees the 2.4Ghz)

--SNIP--

Any thoughts?

 

Yes, my first thought is invest in a system that actually works well, such as a MESH networking system, or at least a Ubiquiti Access Point. In the world of networking, you get what you pay for (usually) so even cheaper name brand extenders can introduce more interference than the range they extend causing worse wireless performance than if you didn't have them at all. Same goes for these off brand ones you linked to.

 

Powerline AV adapters is another great way to get an ethernet outlet in a room where one doesn't exist yet. Just buy from a reputable retailer with a good return policy so you can test them with the wiring in your home, as not all home wiring works well with Powerline AV adapters.

[EarthWormJM2]

40 minutes ago, ZeusXI said:

are there any downsides to these? like...interference with electricity running through the copper?

As kirashi said, there is always a chance of interference due to poor wiring, but for the most part the electricity itself doesn't interfere with the data transfer. And there will be much less of an issue with interference then with a wifi extender. A lot of business grade networking switches have power running over the ethernet to power the device connecting to it on the other end (like cameras or ip phones). If anything, the only downside would be slightly slower data speeds then directly connecting to the router via ethernet.

[Alex Atkin UK]

PowerLine can interfere with DSL but I'm not aware of any issues with Cable, should be a decent option if running ethernet cables is not practical.

 

You could still use a repeater, but connect it via the PowerLine adapter or use a PowerLine WiFi repeater.  Stick it on a different channel to your main WiFi so it doesn't interfere and it should improve coverage considerably.

 

Personally I use several full blown routers in Access Point mode as their range is far superior to most repeaters.

[Donut417]

On 7/19/2018 at 3:36 PM, ZeusXI said:

are there any downsides to these? like...interference with electricity running through the copper?

The electricity usually isnt the issue. Devices using the electricity can be an issue. Things like Hair dryers can cause interference on the line, but thats assuming that you have a hair dryer or some other appliance like that running on the same circuit(s). 

 

There are also Moca adapters that use Coax. If you have Coax in both locations you can use moca adapters to connect to your router. BEST PART, they work with the same lines used for Comcast's service. See Comcast uses currently 5 Mhz to 950 Mhz to run their service, Moca uses 1 Ghz to 1.5 Ghz to work. You can have up to 16 Moca devices on a network. Speed wise you should be able to pull at least 400 Mbps, more if you use bonded adapters.