Best Powerline Wireless Extender that plays nice w/ Asus Routers?

[Poseidon]

Asus RP-N53 (Best Wireless Extender Option for Asus Routers)???

Can someone please recommend me a good Wireless Extender (Dual Band) that works well with a Asus RT-AC66U router?

5GHz WiFi is poor in a couple of the bedrooms in my house and I'm looking for something to fix this issue w/o setting up a secondary router.

I was looking at the ASUS RP-N53. Will this work WITHOUT slowing down 5GHz since it's dual band? There isn't much info regarding the RP-N53 as it's a newly released item from Asus.

 

[PrivateJoker]

Can someone please recommend me a good Wireless Extender (Dual Band) that works well with a Asus RT-AC66U router?

5GHz WiFi is poor in a couple of the bedrooms in my house and I'm looking for something to fix this issue w/o setting up a secondary router.

I was looking at the ASUS RP-N53. Will this work WITHOUT slowing down 5GHz since it's dual band? There isn't much info regarding the RP-N53 as it's a newly released item from Asus.

In my limited experience, some of the OE specific methods of wireless repeating/extending seem to work much better than WDS (in terms of speed, and stability), but I just can't envision a 5ghz signal staying super fast at a long distance, through repeating.

Also, keep in mind that the AC66U is, if not the best router, certainly in the top 3 or so for 5ghz through-output at any given distance, and especially strong in longer distance (per SNB review).

What kind of RSSIs & TX rates are you getting with 2.4ghz & 5ghz in the same given location upstairs?

5ghz tend to fall off sharply with pretty short distances vs. 2.4ghz. In my setup I only use it for two short distance wireless bridges, theoretically freeing up 2.4ghz for use by my laptops, and other wireless devices. I've actually had much better results extending a 2.4ghz network (through wired APs sharing same SSID but different channels, in my experience my devices make easier switches between APs that way) than I have in sharing/extending my 5ghz network in any way.

The ASUS RP-N53 looks interesting though, it says it works as both a wireless repeater and also a wired extender. Personally, I had a lackluster experience with the EA-N66, their alternate, older style of same kind of idea, but might have just been me.

I checked on Amazon (my favorite place to buy new stuff since it's so easy to return if it doesn't cut the mustard) and unfortunately they don't carry it directly yet (thus not Prime & easy return eligible).

** edit, I'm confused, sorry - in the thread subject you mentioned "powerline," but I guess I read too fast and went right into talking wireless repeating, etc. I don't believe the RP-N53 is a powerline adapter, it plugs into the wall much like a powerline adapter, but it doesn't use the powerline to transfer data AFAIK, hence it is sold individually and not in packs of two or more that you would theoretically need.

There are lots of reviews for powerline adapters on SNB, in fact a pretty recent new product too. I've used MoCA & Powerline before, to test, and have always gotten better results using 2.4ghz bridges or repeaters, but I have an older house with pretty old crappy a/c electrical wiring and for MoCA, my coax is kind of long-ish too (though the topology and placement of the adapters should have been conducive to good speeds) I never got more than 20Mb/s with MoCA (on a good day).

In their tests on newer Powerline adapters than I have ever used, SNB has gotten some pretty good speeds ("90 - 100 Mbps") at conditions fairly representing "real life," but for the price of a pair of them it might be worth getting another AC-66u and try Merlin's experimental f/w on it as a repeater?

 

[RogerSC]

Generally speaking, a "wireless network extender" that has only a wireless connection to its source router will cut the wireless speed in half. It has to listen half the time and can then transmit what it heard the other half the time. That may or may not be a problem, depending on what you're using the extended wireless network for. If you want no decrease in speed, you'll need a wired connection from the source router to a wirelss "Access Point" (AP).

Or you can use powerline networking or MoCA to get a wired connection that's a little slower than a wire, but more reliable and consistent than a wireless connection.

 

[Poseidon]

RogerSC, PrivateJoker - thanks so much for the insight. When it comes to this sort of stuff, I'm a complete "newbie."

I'm really liking the RP-N53 as it offers simultaneous 2.4GHz + 5GHz WiFi.

One last question. My AC66U router is located in the Living Room and I have a weak 5GHZ signal in one of the bedrooms (not a dead signal, just very weak aka 1 bar - but it still connects to 5GHz WiFi). I'm looking to increase the EXISTING 5GHz signal - NOT create a new WiFi connection.

Do I set up the *same* SSID, Password, Channel Control, etc. on the N53 as I have on my AC66U router to accomplish this?

 

[jlake]

RogerSC, PrivateJoker - thanks so much for the insight. When it comes to this sort of stuff, I'm a complete "newbie."

I'm really liking the RP-N53 as it offers simultaneous 2.4GHz + 5GHz WiFi.

One last question. My AC66U router is located in the Living Room and I have a weak 5GHZ signal in one of the bedrooms (not a dead signal, just very weak aka 1 bar - but it still connects to 5GHz WiFi). I'm looking to increase the EXISTING 5GHz signal - NOT create a new WiFi connection.

Do I set up the *same* SSID, Password, Channel Control, etc. on the N53 as I have on my AC66U router to accomplish this?

I've always set up wireless powerline adapters to use different SSIDs, different channels. You can experiment though and try it both ways. I've always been a big believer that seamless roaming is way over-rated. It's not that big of a deal to connect on ipad or whatever to a different SSID in your home. It takes 3 seconds.

 

[PrivateJoker]

RogerSC, PrivateJoker - thanks so much for the insight. When it comes to this sort of stuff, I'm a complete "newbie."

I'm really liking the RP-N53 as it offers simultaneous 2.4GHz + 5GHz WiFi.

One last question. My AC66U router is located in the Living Room and I have a weak 5GHZ signal in one of the bedrooms (not a dead signal, just very weak aka 1 bar - but it still connects to 5GHz WiFi). I'm looking to increase the EXISTING 5GHz signal - NOT create a new WiFi connection.

Do I set up the *same* SSID, Password, Channel Control, etc. on the N53 as I have on my AC66U router to accomplish this?

Let me play devils advocate for a moment, your 2.4ghz signal is strong enough to get decent throughout in the bedroom? I'd say great, leave it at that and set any wifi devices that are closer to the AP to use 5ghz. Do you have a stationary computer up there doing large file transfers of backups? If not, is the connection fast enough to stream movies in the highest quality possible on 2.4ghz.

I can't really comment on the setup of the N53 (and was unable to find the documentation on the asus site as well) but am guessing it puts on slick one page setup on it and doesn't give you the granularity of a Merlin firmware, DD-WRT, etc, so I have no idea how it works exactly.

But usually it will listen on one channel and repeat on another (you can tell by using any app/device that lists APs by SSID & channel).

Whether you want to extend your 5ghz network or use it as a repeater/bridge with a new SSID, either way the signal is making two hops in each direction instead of one. And say you put a 5ghz repeater halfway between your AP and dead zone, it will be repeating a through-output that is already degraded by 60%+.

My best two tips would be buy gadgets from Amazon when they are sold direct from amazon (easily identifiable by being marked "prime") so you can try & return stuff if you don't like it, and have a sellers account on eBay to quickly unload stuff you don't want (keep your boxes & cords, etc!). . Those two things are the foundation of my computer & networking, etc. knowledge.

 

[Poseidon]

Let me play devils advocate for a moment, your 2.4ghz signal is strong enough to get decent throughout in the bedroom? I'd say great, leave it at that and set any wifi devices that are closer to the AP to use 5ghz. Do you have a stationary computer up there doing large file transfers of backups? If not, is the connection fast enough to stream movies in the highest quality possible on 2.4ghz.

I can't really comment on the setup of the N53 (and was unable to find the documentation on the asus site as well) but am guessing it puts on slick one page setup on it and doesn't give you the granularity of a Merlin firmware, DD-WRT, etc, so I have no idea how it works exactly.

But usually it will listen on one channel and repeat on another (you can tell by using any app/device that lists APs by SSID & channel).

Whether you want to extend your 5ghz network or use it as a repeater/bridge with a new SSID, either way the signal is making two hops in each direction instead of one. And say you put a 5ghz repeater halfway between your AP and dead zone, it will be repeating a through-output that is already degraded by 60%+.

My best two tips would be buy gadgets from Amazon when they are sold direct from amazon (easily identifiable by being marked "prime") so you can try & return stuff if you don't like it, and have a sellers account on eBay to quickly unload stuff you don't want (keep your boxes & cords, etc!). . Those two things are the foundation of my computer & networking, etc. knowledge.

Those 2 things are my foundation as well but Amazon is selling the RP-N53 about $20 more than Newegg ($99 + free shipping). So Amazon is a no-go. I can always sell it on eBay if I don't end up liking it I guess.

And yes this purchase is strictly to increase the 5GHz signal through 2 walls (hallway and bedroom) where it starts to degrade. 2.4GHz works fine and I won't be using it there.

Besides MoCA and other wired options....would the RP-N53 be my best bet or is there some other adapter/extender/AP that you would recommend instead?

 

[Poseidon]

I've always set up wireless powerline adapters to use different SSIDs, different channels. You can experiment though and try it both ways. I've always been a big believer that seamless roaming is way over-rated. It's not that big of a deal to connect on ipad or whatever to a different SSID in your home. It takes 3 seconds.

For me it's not an issue. For the gf it's the "end of the word."

 

[PrivateJoker]

For me it's not an issue. For the gf it's the "end of the word."

I was going to say, 3 seconds for the people on this forum, sure, but a lot of stuff I do wouldn't be necessary if the people on this forum were the only ones using my home network.

@poseidon, so 2.4ghz works fine there, what's your reasoning for not taking advantage of it there? Are you doing things that somehow exceed the useful capacity of your 2.4ghz network? I can probably stream HD video to 3 TVs simultaneously, and backup 2 PCs at the same time to my NAS, over whatever combo of APs things happen to connect to and still not choke out my RT-N66 (and can take screenshots to prove).

But I think sure, if you have you heart set on it, the worst you're looking at is loosing $25ish bucks by reselling it on eBay.

 

[jlake]

I was going to say, 3 seconds for the people on this forum, sure, but a lot of stuff I do wouldn't be necessary if the people on this forum were the only ones using my home network.

@poseidon, so 2.4ghz works fine there, what's your reasoning for not taking advantage of it there? Are you doing things that somehow exceed the useful capacity of your 2.4ghz network? I can probably stream HD video to 3 TVs simultaneously, and backup 2 PCs at the same time to my NAS, over whatever combo of APs things happen to connect to and still not choke out my RT-N66 (and can take screenshots to prove).

But I think sure, if you have you heart set on it, the worst you're looking at is loosing $25ish bucks by reselling it on eBay.

Yes, 3 seconds. My sister doesn't even know how to copy and paste....and is completely computer illiterate, and she can connect an iPad or a laptop on a different SSID.

If she can do it, anybody can... Trust me.

 

[Poseidon]

Yes, 3 seconds. My sister doesn't even know how to copy and paste....and is completely computer illiterate, and she can connect an iPad or a laptop on a different SSID.

If she can do it, anybody can... Trust me.

She knows how to switch to a different SSID, it's just that she will complain about the "hassle" multiple times per day. Basically I don't need that headache. At least not when it comes to this.

 

[jlake]

She knows how to switch to a different SSID, it's just that she will complain about the "hassle" multiple times per day. Basically I don't need that headache. At least not when it comes to this.

I hear ya. Try it synchronized (same SSID, same wpa2 password, same channel). If it works...it works. If it doesn't...it doesn't.

 

[Poseidon]

@poseidon, so 2.4ghz works fine there, what's your reasoning for not taking advantage of it there? Are you doing things that somehow exceed the useful capacity of your 2.4ghz network? I can probably stream HD video to 3 TVs simultaneously, and backup 2 PCs at the same time to my NAS, over whatever combo of APs things happen to connect to and still not choke out my RT-N66 (and can take screenshots to prove).

I live in a crowded 2.4GHz neighborhood. I've already changed a few of the settings manually including selecting the least-crowded channel in my area (11).

For internet browsing and such, 2.4 GHz WiFi is fine. However for Face-time, Netflix and other video streaming....I'm pretty much forced to use 5GHz. Other than 1 room (my bedroom), I get very good signal and performance throughout my condo.

I'm gonna bite the bullet and give the RP-N53 a go. There's hardly any info/reviews on it since it's so new but it looks like a nifty piece of hardware from a trusted networking company in Asus. Will keep you guys updated when I receive it and get it set up.

 

[Poseidon]

I hear ya. Try it synchronized (same SSID, same wpa2 password, same channel). If it works...it works. If it doesn't...it doesn't.

That is my plan. Hopefully it will work. All I can do is try.

 

[PrivateJoker]

I hear ya. Try it synchronized (same SSID, same wpa2 password, same channel). If it works...it works. If it doesn't...it doesn't.

Agreed but I think you'll want to set it to different channel (it'll probably default to that). Same SSID w/ different channels means client should select best on the fly (with generally a much smaller thresholds than my devices want to force themselves to pick a better AP, even when the signals has a ridiculously better RSSI).

It's all about experimenting, everyone's wifi environment and hardware is different. What's right for me might not be right for you (besides a handful of common principals that are pretty uniformly applied).

 

[PrivateJoker]

I live in a crowded 2.4GHz neighborhood. I've already changed a few of the settings manually including selecting the least-crowded channel in my area (11).

For internet browsing and such, 2.4 GHz WiFi is fine. However for Face-time, Netflix and other video streaming....I'm pretty much forced to use 5GHz. Other than 1 room (my bedroom), I get very good signal and performance throughout my condo.

I'm gonna bite the bullet and give the RP-N53 a go. There's hardly any info/reviews on it since it's so new but it looks like a nifty piece of hardware from a trusted networking company in Asus. Will keep you guys updated when I receive it and get it set up.

Ya I'm an enthusiastic supporter of just trying it, what the heck. It does look nifty and yes there really isn't a lot out on it. I read the one amazon review and it mentioned that it came with a euro electrical plug?? Maybe not orig for the US market? Dunno.

Who knows you could always supplement/improve it just by adding a powering adapter and then it has a more solid backbone??

Let us know!

 

[PrivateJoker]

Yes, 3 seconds. My sister doesn't even know how to copy and paste....and is completely computer illiterate, and she can connect an iPad or a laptop on a different SSID.

If she can do it, anybody can... Trust me.

Your sister hasn't met my mom. Try setting up multiple SSIDs at her house, go ahead. . .make her day.

 

[RogerSC]

Oh, by the way, there are reviews on this site for powerline networking hardware, as well as MoCA, if you'd like to see how they perform, and how stack up against each other. Handy to get a feel for what you can expect if you use one of those.

There are also forums for them here if you have questions or problems, or want to share how you solved your problems *smile*.

 

[PrivateJoker]

Oh, by the way, there are reviews on this site for powerline networking hardware, as well as MoCA, if you'd like to see how they perform, and how stack up against each other. Handy to get a feel for what you can expect if you use one of those.

There are also forums for them here if you have questions or problems, or want to share how you solved your problems *smile*.

Yes it's funny how many peeps on the forums seem to forget about the front end of this site! Not saying the OP here at all *by any means*. I guess just systemic in forums - post first, search later.

(In those people's defense, forums aren't always the easiest to search and stickies are only so good...want to see a mess of a forum and instructions go look at DD-WRT, it's insane how each page refers to 6 other things that aren't there anymore, or need more background themselves. I prefer searching most Vbulletin & BB forums directly in google using [site:forums.smallnetbuilder.com "search query"], for example. It just has always given me better results in most forums).

 

[PrivateJoker]

OP @Poseidon, just saw the Asus EA-N66 refurb on sale at newegg today for $45 after $10 rebate & free ship. It's dual band, not sure of exact spec differences between it and the other unit you were looking at.

Yes this is the one I had a bad experience with, but I think I just got a lemon, Asus replaced it promptly under warranty (by then I had another arrangement and sold it on eBay).

http://dealnews.com/Refurb-ASUS-802...rebate-free-shipping/849786.html?iref=rss-c39

Deal price ends today (9/8/13).

HTH!