New Wifi Extender Or Mesh... Which To Get?

Hi

I'm looking for something to boost the WiFi in my house and really don't know much about it. so was looking for some advice please. I currently use an old Solwise system (uses house mains electric cables) but it keeps dropping out and has got a lot worse recently.

Here's some relevant details:

- The house is long - 25m in all. The router is somewhere around the middle of that length.
- It's an old house with thick walls.
- Our current contract is for speeds up to 500. FTTP.
- We use a mixture of PCs, laptops, and mobiles in the house (none are Apple).
- Usually no more than 4 devices at one time.
- Don't do gaming or anything too intense.
- Something that we could add to if a future need arose would be good.
- Something that's easy to set up would be good.
- Being able to move between WiFi points without losing connection would great as we use WiFi Calling and in the current set up often have to call back if moving rooms.
- We're in the UK.

Any advice or recommendations much appreciated.

Many thanks

 

What is the make and model of your WAP (wireless access point)?

Note the WAP is typically integrated with a wireless router or a residential gateway device. A residential gateway device is a single integrated device that includes a router, WAP, modem and often a 4-port Ethernet switch. A wireless router is the same sans the modem, which will be a separate device. FTR, I prefer using a wireless router and separate modem, and to own them rather than lease them from the ISP.

You say nothing intense, does that mean you don't use any video streaming services with these devices? I consider streaming videos as "intense" - when compared to wifi calling, or simple Internet use (email, Facebook, browsing, etc.)

The number of streaming services that can be supported simultaneously on a typical wifi network depends on the bandwidth available (from ISP), definition of the content, and the number of devices connected, as well as the capability of the WAP.

Basic streaming in standard definition requires at least 3-5 Mbps. HD streaming requires 5-10 Mbps and 4K Ultra HD demands at least 25 Mbps per device.

I hate it when they say "up to" a certain bandwidth.

Anyway, "IF" you are getting the bandwidth you are paying for, then technically, you should be fine streaming to high definition content to all 4 devices at once AS LONG AS your WAP can support that. So again, knowing the make and model would be helpful.

If the WAP is centrally located, then half of 25m would be 12.5m or ~41 feet out to the extreme exterior walls. That distance/range "should" not be a problem for a decent WAP - depending on the number of barriers (walls, floors, ceilings) in between, the composition and contents of those barriers, and any other objects that may interfere (large metal refrigerators, filing cabinets, etc.

By contents, I mean wires and metal pipes. By composition, I mean wallboard and wood studs, plaster, concrete, etc. Thickness only matters if the space inside the walls is not filled with air.

You may get acceptable wifi coverage just by repositioning your WAP,s antennas, or moving the WAP to a higher elevation. If your WAP has exterior antennas, try reorienting them. Fan them out so each is at a different angle to the floor. Do NOT go for aesthetics. If the antennas are interior, turning the entire device 90° may make all the difference you need.

If you can connect your PCs or other fixed (not mobile) devices by Ethernet, that would ease the demand on the wifi side. If you have any wireless devices in the same room as the WAP (or maybe no more than one room away), moving them to the 5GHz wifi band (if supported) would be better for those devices, and also for the distant devices using the 2.4GHz band.

If that does not help, upgrading your WAP (wireless router or gateway device) may be your best bet as that will be less expensive (in the long run) than adding devices to extend your existing wifi coverage.

If none of that works, I would go for a mesh network rather than an extender. IMO, and generally speaking, an extender is better to increase the range out in one primary general direction - to an outbuilding (detached garage or shed) for example. A mesh network is better to extend the range out in several directions or even 360°, or to upper and/or lower levels of the home.

Clear as mud, huh?

 

Hi

@Digerati - Thank so much for taking the time to come back with such a helpful reply.

In spite of your great description, I'm still not 100% on what a WAP is! What I can tell you about my set up is that there is a little white box, which I've just looked up and is called an ONT. This feeds the router, which is a Vodafone Power Hub DSL (DGM4137VDF). Which in turn feeds the Solwise Homeplug AV2. Happy to get any other info needed.

Intensity... Fair play, we do stream; although at the most it would only be two at once. I just presumed streaming was less intense than some games etc where latency would be an issue. Before we had FTTP, we were able to both stream on a good day, albeit at 720 or so. And that was with a crap connection of 20Mbps.

Not sure of those stats but can try to find out if useful. What I can say is that if I just stood by the router and took a reading with my phone - the speed was 380Mbps.

In one direction (East) there aren't so many obstacles and the signal directly from the router is good enough where I need to use it.

In the other direction (West) there are more obstacles. It's in this room there that we currently use the Solwise. I can sometimes get connection direct to the router but not always and its very location specific. I've just checked on my phone now and it is able to connect with a speed of 13Mbps. Two minutes later and the phone move less than 30cm/1 foot, and I'm getting 0.8Mbps.

As to the other points...

Thanks. I'll try moving the router and seeing how much better it is higher up, etc. I'm not hopeful it will make enough difference to get a decent speed (or even reach at all) at the outer limits, but let's see. The router has no aerials.

Routing ethernet points/connections to other places in the house would be difficult. And tbh, I'm not sure how much it would help as I don't think bandwidth is the issue (based on the info above).

New WAP... That's food for thought. Any recommendations please? And how much better are they at spreading the WiFi than what I currently have?

Thanks again - all massively helpful

 

If you understand how, in a stereo or surround sound system, instead of separate components (preamplifier, amplifier and tuner), many use a "receiver" - one box that "integrates" all those components into one box. It is the same thing with a wireless router.

Technically, there is no such thing as a "wireless" router. That is a marketing term. What it means is inside one box there is a router, a 4-port Ethernet switch, and a wireless access point (WAP). These are technically, 3 discrete network devices that just happen to share a main circuit board, power supply and chassis.

The router is what connects (or isolates) our ISP's network from our LAN (local area network). Since routers are not really wireless, they MUST connect to a modem via an Ethernet cable. The modem then serves as our "gateway" device to the rest of the world.

The 4-port Ethernet switch allows us to connect wired devices via Ethernet cables.

The WAP, or wireless access point is the network device that allows us to connect our wireless devices to our network. The WAP is connected to the router inside the box. But again, technically, these are 3 separate devices that are integrated into one box.

These days, you may see "residential gateways devices" instead of a separate modem and wireless router. It is the same principle as the wireless router only in this case, the modem is also integrated into the box. But again, 4 separate devices, 1 box.

In some cases, there may even be a 5th device, VoIP (voice over IP) that provides internet phone service.

Well it must have aerials (antennas) or else it could not send or receive wifi signal. So yours are fixed and mounted internally. About all you can do there is rotate the device 90°.

Well, again, the WAP is usually integrated into the wireless router or gateway device. An extender is essentially a second WAP acting as a relay.

Your Vodafone seems to be a decent wireless router (other than no external antennas). I personally am not a fan of powerline adapters - while I know others think they are great. But I have seen many problems, particularly in older homes with older wiring.

I recommend you contact your ISP and see what they suggest. They will surely want to sell you something - but resist that and just research what they are saying, then see what is available on the open market.

But if me, and if I needed more coverage, I would go for a mesh system rather than a range extender.

 

Many thanks - that all really helps and explains it very clearly

Sorry, my bad re the aerials - I meant no external aerials rather than none at all!

Good to hear that our Vodafone router is a decent one. Perhaps I'll try calling them for suggestions, but the quality advice seems to vary drastically. Guess I've got nothing to lose... Except my patience, sanity and hair!

Thanks again

 

My primary job as a technician for many years was repairing and maintaining air traffic control radio systems - gotta have antennas so I knew yours must be internal. Just was not it was understood, if no external there MUST be internal.

Sadly, that is so true. Unfortunately, most phone techs typically are underpaid, undertrained, and prohibited to deviate from pre-published checklists - even when they know the correct answer.

Hopefully, you will get one with experience that is not forced to push you into paying for something you don't need.