Need a router with enough range...

[bej08]

Currently we have 2 routers - one in the front middle of the house (office), and another in the back corner (garage, both on ground floor) because the main router in the office can't reach to the back 1/3 of the house. It's an old DLink router from out apartment-living days. It works fine, just doesn't have the power we need.

So I'm looking for a router with real-world range that would cover 2 levels of about 2,000 square feet each from either of those locations (office or garage) and be ok with about 12 devices connected.

Other features that would be nice include a guest network, and USB connection so that I can wireless backup my MacBook Pro to the attached Time Machine hard drive. I'm tech-savvy enough to flash Tomato or dd-wrt if needed, too - I just don't understand a lot of the hardware specs I've been reading about.

here are the routers I've looked through so far:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004K1EZDS/?tag=snbforums-20

Netgear WNDR3800 N600

BUFFALO AirStation HighPower N600

Asus N16

Asus N56U

any recommendations?

 

[bej08]

An alternative, I suppose, would be keeping my current 2 routers - but only if there is a way that I could have it so that my mobile devices could switch between the two without having to manually do it on my phone/iPad.laptop.

Is that possible if I set both routers to have the same SSID and password?

FWIW, the current configuration has my Comcast cable coming in to the garage --> Comcast Modem --> Linksys router in the garage --> Cat5 from the router to the switchboard to get signal to the Cat5 plug in the office --> Cat5 from office plug to DLink router.

Is there a better way to do to this? (sorry if miscategorized)

 

[bej08]

How to use 2 routers seamlessly?

Currently, we have 2 routers to cover our house. I'd been looking into buying a new router with more range, but maybe someone who knows more than I can tell me if there's a better way.

Right now we have the Comcast coax cable coming into our garage to a Comcast Modem, with a Cat5 out of the modem to a Linksys wireless router. From the Linksys router we have a Cat5 coming out going to a switchboard (not sure if that's the right term) which gets the signal to a Cat5 wall plug in the office, where we have another DLink wireless router set up to cover the front 2/3 of the house.

Even though we have coverage throughout the house, if I'm on my iPhone I have to manually switch from router to router if I walk from the back of the house to the front.

Is there a way I can make it so that I basically have one network (using the two routers), and not have to switch manually depending on which part of the house I'm in?

 

[stevech]

yes. See the FAQs and tutorials on this forum's main pages.

Short story: you need to add an access point (AP), which functionally is NOT a router. You place the AP nearer the weak signal area. Connect the AP to your one and only real router using either

cat5 cable (best, hard sometimes)
MoCA pair of devices, to move the AP to router connection via TV coax that may be at both places, or
HomePlug pair of devices; same idea as above, but uses home AC power wiring.

The AP can be purchased for that function.
Or you can re-purpose any WiFi router to become an AP.
There's a FAQ on that here too.

It will be one network, though it's common that you give the AP a different SSID so that clients can choose which SSID to connect to based on signal strength. Client devices may not choose the best.

Also, remember that the client-to-AP or router signal strength, not normally displayed, is equally important. A megawatt AP or WiFi router won't fix a too-puny client device.

 

[stevech]

I assume you have the second add-on arranged to be an Access Point rather than a router, right? If not, there's a FAQ on that here.

If you use the same SSID for both, the problem is that the client devices may not choose the one with the strongest signal. Most choose the first one that's good-enough for even a low speed connection. Using two SSIDs solves this, but burdens the user to choose.

 

[bej08]

It will be one network, though it's common that you give the AP a different SSID so that clients can choose which SSID to connect to based on signal strength. Client devices may not choose the best.

So, isn't that basically what I have now? I have 2 SSIDs (1 from each router), even though it's technically the same network (since the router in the garage feeds the router in the office) right?

I guess that paragraph I quoted doesn't seem like what I'm looking for - it sounds like what I already have but using APs instead of wireless routers.

I'm trying to find a way to use my 2 routers (in whatever capacity) to have 1 SSID that's available throughout the house. Something that just takes the signal from the wireless router in the garage and makes it available in the rest of the house somehow.

Maybe what I'm envisioning is not possible, and I just need to buy the most powerful wireless router I can find...

 

[thiggins]

What you want is certainly possible. Just set the D-Link and Linksys routers to the same SSID.

But what you will find is that your clients might not choose the router with the strongest signal. That is why it is suggested to have two different SSIDs. It may be an inconvenience to select a SSID when you change locations. But that way you can make sure you have the best signal.

Related article: The Best Way To Get Whole House Wireless Coverage

 

[bej08]

I see. I guess I was hoping for a way to mesh the two wireless signals together, but you're right in that no matter what the wireless routers I have the mobile devices may still try sending their data through the 'wrong' router.

Another (simpler) question - since what I have now seems to be a wireless router + access point, does it matter that my "main" wireless router is a Linksys WRT54G, while my "access point" router is Netgear WNDR3300? Would I see a speed increase with a faster "main" router instead of the old Linksys?

 

[tipstir]

I see. I guess I was hoping for a way to mesh the two wireless signals together, but you're right in that no matter what the wireless routers I have the mobile devices may still try sending their data through the 'wrong' router.

Another (simpler) question - since what I have now seems to be a wireless router + access point, does it matter that my "main" wireless router is a Linksys WRT54G, while my "access point" router is Netgear WNDR3300? Would I see a speed increase with a faster "main" router instead of the old Linksys?

How many feet away is the home office from the garage.

What you can do is test the signal at 100% then walk away from the home office to the the garage to see where your access point would be place. Also note you can run Ethernet outside the windows to the access point since your on the ground floor. I use to do that from the garage to the 1st floor to the second floor through 100F to as low as -10F no issues with Ethernet cables. Main WiFi was in the basement network closet (family room area) all wires branched out into the underground garage to the home office which I had drilled a 1/4 diameter through oak wooden floors near the foot board. Ran up to the second AP. From there through old dryer vent to the third AP.

That's another way of doing it but your on the ground floor so you should have direct sight.

What type ISP plan are you on for downloads and uploads. If you have less than 12m down then stick with the Linksys WiFi Router. If you going with something higher then get another router. AP well you can get those or you can use a WiFi Router as AP. Might come out cheaper that way. This is only an option if you can't get regular AP.

I use ESR600H (500MHz / 256MB) 100mW 4x ANT 5dBi this is WiFi Gig Router but I only use it as WAP. It's been a couple of weeks now no issues with it. Very Strong WiFi Signal and Very High Throughput. I am on the ground floor myself and it does cover the entire house. But once you go outside there it needs help. I had ESR300H that has 200mW that didn't need help. End of my property line the signal did drop some. But make it though.

My advise is to test and do a walk around your home and see where your signal drops and place an AP right there. Keep on walking to your garage and see if you need to place 3rd one? Once you place the AP in the right locations.