Move R6300 Downstairs or buy another?

[howie411]

So just some background. I have a 3 story TH, and I'm using Fios. The Verizon Actiontec router is in the basement where the internet comes in. It is broadcasting on the 2.4 ghz network channel 6. I have a switch plugged into it to split the internet to the rest of my house which was pre-wired with Cat5E.

I currently have a Netgear R6300 on the top floor set as an AP. It is sending out a 2.4 Ghz signal on channel 11 (with the same SSID as the one in the basement. And it is also broadcasting a 5GHZ signal on Channel 157.

My big issue is the 5GHZ signal barely makes it to the basement, my 2 options at this point would be move the R6300 to the middle floor (and turn off the SSID broadcast from the FIOS router or pick another Wireless 5G router and stick it in the basement.

Which would probably work out the best?

 

[stevech]

One router per LAN.
Did you consider putting an Access Point (AP) in the weak coverage area? And connect it to the router via
cat5 cable if possible
IP over power wiring (HomePlug/HPNA)
MoCA (IP over exsiting TV coax).
See the section on this forum of the names above.

Don't cascade two routers. Huge complexity.

Or you can re-purpose a WiFi router to be an AP. That's explained here too.

 

[howie411]

When I mentioned I'd pick up another router, I'd use it as an AP just like the first R6300. Looking around at the available AP for sale, I don't see anything comparable out there to just buying a high end router and setting it to an AP.

 

[sfx2000]

So just some background. I have a 3 story TH, and I'm using Fios. The Verizon Actiontec router is in the basement where the internet comes in. It is broadcasting on the 2.4 ghz network channel 6. I have a switch plugged into it to split the internet to the rest of my house which was pre-wired with Cat5E.

I currently have a Netgear R6300 on the top floor set as an AP. It is sending out a 2.4 Ghz signal on channel 11 (with the same SSID as the one in the basement. And it is also broadcasting a 5GHZ signal on Channel 157.

My big issue is the 5GHZ signal barely makes it to the basement, my 2 options at this point would be move the R6300 to the middle floor (and turn off the SSID broadcast from the FIOS router or pick another Wireless 5G router and stick it in the basement.

Which would probably work out the best?

I think you've answered your own question... move the router/AP to the ground floor and disable the wireless on the FIOS if you can - alternately if you have a wireless TV receiver over WiFi on the FIOS box, set up a Data Only SSID to cover all three floors...

 

[benediction]

I have the same issue as I recently moved my Fios router upstairs with the R6300 attached. Now the reception is poor in certain parts of the house.

howie411 - what did you end up doing?

 

[CaptainSTX]

I would move the R6300 down one floor and connect it to the Actiontec using Ethernet and see if the coverage is good enough on all floors. If you don't have an Ethernet cable where you want to locate the new AP remeber the Actiontec has MOCA built in so you could locate the new AP where you have coaxial installed. If the coverage still isn't satisfactory then add another router repurposed as an an AP in the basement and move the R6300 back to the upper level.

No reason to turn the Wifi off on the Actiontec. With multiple APs you may want to look at assigning them different names as seamless roaming often doesn't work that well.

Just curious are you connecting a switch to the Actiontec because you need more than the four Ethernet ports it provides?

 

[benediction]

Hi CaptainSTX,

Unfortunately I don't have an Ethernet drop from the top floor to the middle floor. If I use a MOCA adapter then I will be limited to the max speed of a MOCA adapter which I believe is 175 Mbps which is quite a bit less than the speeds you can get from the R6300.

Should I look into getting a repeater (e.g. Netgear EX6200) or will this actually provide even slower performance?

Thanks.