Best way to increase wifi coverage in apartment

[Goi]

Hi,

I've just moved to a new apartment with a 1Gbps fiber connection. The apartment is wired such that the fiber termination point is at the main entrance, with RJ45 jacks in the living room and the bedroom (connected via Cat6 cable). I currently have the fiber ONT at the main entrance, then connected to an ASUS N56U router in the bedroom. Wifi signal strength in the bedroom is excellent, but weak in the living room.

I have a spare Netgear WGR614 router, and I'm thinking of ways to utilize it. What I can think of is connecting the ONT to the Netgear's WAN port, then connecting the ASUS router to the Netgear's LAN port. The Netgear will then cover the living room, and the ASUS the bedroom. However, the Netgear only supports 100Mbps LAN, so I won't be getting full speed anywhere.

Short of buying a 1Gbps switch/hub to connect to both Netgear and ASUS routers to it, or a new Wireless router with 1Gbps LAN, what can I do?

Also, if I have 2 Wifi networks, will my device know to switch to the stronger signal as it leaves the coverage area of the existing wifi router that it's connected to? Would this cause problems say if I'm in the middle of a download or VoIP call or something?

Thanks.

 

[azazel1024]

Yes, it'll know to switch. No, it should present no problems downloading, video streaming etc. It WILL create problems with facetime. It may present problems with Skype. It may present problems with some VOIP. Facetime is wifi roaming intolerant (it'll immediately halt the Facetime session). IIRC, I've done Skype before it and handled switching access point just fine without dropping the connection. I have not tried any VOIP, but I know some folks who have, who said that their VOIP application worked just fine.

I walk all over my house all the time streaming Netflix, Youtube, downloads, etc. and don't have any issues when my phone or tablet switch between my router and my access point(s). Facetime though, man, Facetime is a B for that stuff.

Leave them named the same SSID, I suggest different channels so you can spread wireless load around (though if you are the only occupant, it may not matter at all). If you use a different SSID name, your devices will treat them as two seperate networks and your devices will not roam between them, you'll have to manually to connect to the stronger network. If the signal strength difference between the two locations is not sufficient, your devices will not roam even with the same SSID, but generally if that is the case, one is not going to be weak and the other strong, they'll both be weak or both be strong connections.

My suggestion, invest in a vaguely decent gigabit wifi router and run it in access point mode (or run it as the router and use the N56U as the access point). A Tp-Link WDR3600 is ~$50 and is very good for an N600 router. Or an Archer C7 is $85 and is a pretty good AC1750 router.

 

[JackMDS]

The Netgear WGR614 is weakling Router that did do so well even in it "Glory days".

May be you can try it as an Access Point and leave the Asus as your main Router.

If it does Not work azazel1024 suggestion is the way to go.

 

[386DX]

Your consumer gear won't allow you to automatically switch to the strongest AP, it typically connects to the initially strongest AP an hold onto the connection until it's out if range. As others have posted even if it switched APs you'll have a brief interruption that won't affect normal web browsing but will cause issues with streaming, torrents, etc.

Enterprise grade equipment can handle this issue though. We use a cheaper Cisco wireless controller and Aironets to create a seamless WiFi environment. Cheap in Cisco term is $30,000 for the wireless controller and $1500 for each access point. The cheapest prosumer gear that supports the seamless roaming/zero handoff feature is the Unifi AP. Just be aware the the zero handoff feature is only support on the Unifi N APs and not the AC as It seems Ubiquity will never be able to get it working on there current AC Unifi.

 

[Goi]

azazel, that would be my preferred choice, but I just found the WGR614 while going through my stuff so I thought I'd see if I can use it.

Jack, what do you mean when you say it did not do so well? Do you mean bandwidth, number of connections, stability of connection, WiFi range, etc? Anyway, do you mean connect the ONT to the WGR614 WAN port, and the WGR614 LAN port to the N56U WAN port? My concern is that most of the devices are going to be in the bedroom, which is far away from the ONT, so there's not a good way to maximize the WiFi performance in the bedroom while maintaining a decent coverage in the living room. Wherever I put the WGR614, the bedroom will have slow internet since it will be the bottleneck...

386DX, that's what I thought. The only devices that are gonna be connected to WiFi and roaming the apartment are smartphones, tablets, and maybe the laptop. Will these work?

Edit: I just tried connecting 3 mobile devices (Nexus 5, Samsung Tab Pro 8.4 and a cheap INO Android phone) to the WGR614 on WPA PSK and only the INO managed to connect. The Nexus and Tab Pro just kept failing. Anyone knows why? I tried various channels too but no difference.

 

[Goi]

Was looking at the TP-LINK WDR3600 but where I am, it's a bit above my budget. How are the cheaper TP-LINK routers such as the WR1043ND, Cisco E1700 N300, or Trendnet TEW-752DRU? Are they capable enough to not cause bottlenecks downstream?

 

[billyb0b]

Was looking at the TP-LINK WDR3600 but where I am, it's a bit above my budget. How are the cheaper TP-LINK routers such as the WR1043ND, Cisco E1700 N300, or Trendnet TEW-752DRU? Are they capable enough to not cause bottlenecks downstream?

i have a TP-LINK Archer C5 that is brand new, still shrink wrapped that I'll sell you

PM if interested. i've sold on here multiple times and have high heat feedback

 

[Stewox]

This is how it was done in my house.

WiFi was configured to the following settings ...

+

+

+

+

P&N stuff deleted.
admin allisolm

 

[Goi]

Billybob, awesome, if you'd include free shipping to Singapore

Stewox, I have no idea what you're saying.

 

[billyb0b]

Billybob, awesome, if you'd include free shipping to Singapore

Stewox, I have no idea what you're saying.

i can't do free shipping but i'll ship the most cost-effective way to you

 

[Goi]

i can't do free shipping but i'll ship the most cost-effective way to you

Haha, well I don't stay in the USA, but in Singapore, which is halfway across the globe from you, so I'm not sure how cost effective that'll be for me.

There's also the issue of 110/120V in the USA vs 220/240V here in Singapore, unless the power adapter is universal.

Thanks for the offer though.

 

[Stewox]

Stewox, I have no idea what you're saying.

ProTip: use wires.

This is not P&N so you're gonna have to figure out the rest on your own, sorry.

Since you know this isn't P&N, keep the P&N stuff out.
admin allisolm

 

[Goi]

OK, I just saw this review which shows pretty good GbE performance for the WR1043ND as well as decent WiFi performance, so I guess that's my top choice.

 

[azazel1024]

Your consumer gear won't allow you to automatically switch to the strongest AP, it typically connects to the initially strongest AP an hold onto the connection until it's out if range. As others have posted even if it switched APs you'll have a brief interruption that won't affect normal web browsing but will cause issues with streaming, torrents, etc.

Enterprise grade equipment can handle this issue though. We use a cheaper Cisco wireless controller and Aironets to create a seamless WiFi environment. Cheap in Cisco term is $30,000 for the wireless controller and $1500 for each access point. The cheapest prosumer gear that supports the seamless roaming/zero handoff feature is the Unifi AP. Just be aware the the zero handoff feature is only support on the Unifi N APs and not the AC as It seems Ubiquity will never be able to get it working on there current AC Unifi.

Your information is incorrect. There ARE some devices that do not like to roam. However, client initiated roaming generally works pretty well. As mentioned, VOIP works, depending on the application. Facetime does not. I believe Skype works, but it has been awhile since I was running skype walking around my house.

I have had near ZERO issues with Netflix, iTunes radio, pandora, file downloads, web loads, Youtube videos, etc. My devices roam quite frequently. I can't say zero as every once in a great while my iPhone will give up on a page load if I walk between my router and one of my APs and I'll have to reload the page if it was in the middle of a page load. No issues with any of the other stuff though.

Client roaming is totally up to the client. If the signal strength is too high, the device will not roam. Some also just stink. My kid's Asus Memo Pad HD 7s are very sticky, but if things get bad enough, they'll still roam (never gotten so bad that Netflix or similar disconnected or degraded, so at least a good 8-10Mbps or better connection on going).

My iProducts all roam about as well as my Windows based devices with their roaming cranked to the max. Which generally means they'll roam after you lose about 1 bar of signal strength (iOS or Windows displayed Wifi RSSI icon).

Of course AP directed roaming/zero hand off is absolutely the best, but considering that is tends to be an expensive feature for APs, or has other trade offs (Ubiquiti's UniFi is probably the cheapest current product, but has limitations like all APs have to run the same channel, anything other than their 2.4GHz 11n Unifis are extremely expensive and there can be issues in setup to with AP's fling the client back and forth if near the edge of the hand-off zone).

 

[Goi]

So I bought the TP-Link WR1043ND.

Currently my setup is as follows.

Coverage:                    Study/bedroom
Equipment:<TP>-----<ONT>-----<N56U>
Cable:        Fiber     CAT5E

I wish to set it up the following way.

Coverage:                    Living Room     Study/bedroom
Equipment:<TP>-----<ONT>-----<WR1043ND>------<N56U>
Cable:        Fiber     CAT5E          CAT5E

The ONT will be connected to the WR1043ND's WAN port, and one of the WR1043ND's LAN port will be connected to the N56U's WAN port. The N56U's LAN ports will then be connected to the desktop/laptops in the study.

Do I need to set the N56U to router or AP mode? Or can I just leave it default IP sharing mode?

 

[PliotronX]

So I bought the TP-Link WR1043ND.

Currently my setup is as follows.

Coverage:                    Study/bedroom
Equipment:<TP>-----<ONT>-----<N56U>
Cable:        Fiber     CAT5E

I wish to set it up the following way.

Coverage:                    Living Room     Study/bedroom
Equipment:<TP>-----<ONT>-----<WR1043ND>------<N56U>
Cable:        Fiber     CAT5E          CAT5E

The ONT will be connected to the WR1043ND's WAN port, and one of the WR1043ND's LAN port will be connected to the N56U's WAN port. The N56U's LAN ports will then be connected to the desktop/laptops in the study.

Do I need to set the N56U to router or AP mode? Or can I just leave it default IP sharing mode?

AP mode and it needs to connect to the 1043 via LAN port. Also make sure DHCP is disabled on the N56U.

 

[azazel1024]

AP mode and it needs to connect to the 1043 via LAN port. Also make sure DHCP is disabled on the N56U.

IIRC with the Asus, if you set it in AP mode, you CAN use the WAN port on the N56U to connect to the router's LAN port. However, if setting it in AP mode does NOT turn the WAN port in to a regular LAN port, you MUST connect the N56U to the 1043ND LAN port to LAN port.

 

[Goi]

Thanks guys.

I came across this page that gives a graphical representation of how each mode works.

Based on the images, it seems that I will be using Router mode instead, since I will have both wired and wireless clients connected to the N56U, while the 1043ND will be serving only wireless clients, and acting as a router for the N56U. Am I right?

 

[sonitravel09]

One option would appear to be a mains ethernet connection to a wi-fi router. However, I have no experience of this. Have a look at the manufacturers' offerings.

 

[Goi]

So I connected the 1043ND up as per my previous ASCII drawing, and it works. I didn't even have to change the mode of my N56U. It's still running as a wireless router rather than an AP and I'm getting internet on the devices connected to it.

1 slight problem though. The 1043ND seems to have a pretty strong signal, so much so that even when I walk to my bedroom where the N56U is, my Android devices stay connected to it, albeit at a much weaker signal. How do I make my devices automatically connect to the stronger signal?

 

[JackMDS]

How do I make my devices automatically connect to the stronger signal?

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Netw...id=1427559836&sr=8-3&keywords=ubiquiti+3+pack