Router advice requested - I may be overthinking things...

[mooch91]

All,

I'm looking for router advice for a 75down/7up cable internet service. This is current package; I may upgrade over time so I don't want my decision on a router to be limiting.

Here's my trouble: despite hard wiring most of my networked components (which all work as fast as I need them to), the wifi coverage in my house is poor, resulting in a lot of buffering, slowdowns, and dropouts on my wireless devices (iPhones, iPads, laptop). I moved to hard wiring because I got tired of hearing my son and wife tell me how slow things were when they were trying to game and work, respectively.

My current configuration:

• Two-story plus basement, approximately 3500 sq ft home.
• Motorola SBG6580 cable modem in basement with 2.4 GHz wifi on channel 1.
• Belkin AC900 router on third floor with 2.4 GHz wifi on channel 11 (hard-wired to the modem, set up as an access point).
• Ethernet connectivity is available throughout the house.
• Hardwired devices: XBox One, desktop, wife's work laptop (work from home), wife's VoIP phone (work from home), Samsung Smartthings hub
• Wireless devices: Smartcam, two iPhones, one iPad, one laptop, smartcam, irrigation controller, two Roku 4K sticks, printer.

Speedtest on wired shows I get the full 75/7 service. On wireless, I see speeds as low as 4-8 download and sometimes as high as 20-30 download (usually right next to the router on my iOS devices). The first floor of the house is the slowest area.

5 GHz coverage was not good when I had it turned on with the Belkin AC900 router. I think it's too far away from many of my devices to be useful.

I thought buying a new fast, long-range router would be helpful, but I've been absolutely paralyzed reading reviews over the last week. I've not found one that gets universally excellent reviews for speed, range, quality, etc.

Then I started to wonder if I'm overthinking it, trying to find an outstanding router, when all I need is something halfway decent to improve the coverage. I was thinking that adding a simple, inexpensive third router on the first floor as another access point might be all that it takes.

Or maybe it is some combination of a better router and another access point.

What would you do, or what would be your recommendation for a new router?

Thanks in advance!

 

[thiggins]

You probably want at least 2x2 (AC1200) APs on the main and top floor. You could try adding one of the 2x2 APs we reviewed, probably the TP-Link EAP-225v3.

 

[mooch91]

You probably want at least 2x2 (AC1200) APs on the main and top floor. You could try adding one of the 2x2 APs we reviewed, probably the TP-Link EAP-225v3.

Can I configure the multiple access points to all share the same SSID so I can seamlessly hand off from one to the other? This is the way I have my current routers configured. I assume, also, that APs are available with LAN ports which would be needed at least at one location to support the hard-wired connections. I think I'd need something that was a desktop unit to be easy to locate near my ethernet connections. Thanks.

 

[thiggins]

Can I configure the multiple access points to all share the same SSID so I can seamlessly hand off from one to the other? This is the way I have my current routers configured. I assume, also, that APs are available with LAN ports which would be needed at least at one location to support the hard-wired connections. Thanks.

"Seamless" hand off depends mostly on your clients' behavior. Yes you can set the same SSID, but you should set different channels (1,6,11 in 2.4, 36 or 149 in 5 GHz). Of course all APs have a LAN port.

 

[mooch91]

"Seamless" hand off depends mostly on your clients' behavior. Yes you can set the same SSID, but you should set different channels (1,6,11 in 2.4, 36 or 149 in 5 GHz). Of course all APs have a LAN port.

I think I meant multiple LAN ports - one for the AP, and others for the hard-wired devices I need to run at the same location, to avoid the need for another switch. Thanks.

 

[mooch91]

Do wireless APs need to be mounted inverted on a ceiling, or can they be used on a desktop? They are not something I'm too familiar with. The TP-Link looks like a viable option, but I don't think I will be able to mount anything on the ceiling or up on the wall without having wires exposed.

 

[tannebil]

If you can afford it, do yourself a favor and spring for a mesh system that will take care of all the details like channel assignments. Use wired backhaul when it's available and wireless when it's convenient. If you want it to be simple, go for a consumer product like eero or Plume (there are many others but I've used and liked both of these). If you want lots of knobs and dials to tweak and are willing to put in the time to learn what they do, look at a Ubiquiti Unifi system.

If you can't afford it, a couple of standard routers like the TP-Link that Tim recommended will work fine but requires a bit more expertise to configure and a bit more work to maintain (since there isn't generally a unified management console).

All these approaches can be successful and there is no best solution for every situation. All solutions are full of little things that can be important things when you deploy so make sure you understand the limitations. For example, Plume works with wired backhaul only when used in bridge mode with a separate router, while eero, which doesn't have that restriction, has units (Beacons) that don't have Ethernet ports so you have to only buy the non-Beacon units if you want to be able to switch a unity between wired and wireless backhaul. Pick your poison.

 

[thiggins]

Do wireless APs need to be mounted inverted on a ceiling, or can they be used on a desktop? They are not something I'm too familiar with. The TP-Link looks like a viable option, but I don't think I will be able to mount anything on the ceiling or up on the wall without having wires exposed.

Some APs have two ports, but they usually cost more. The TP-Link has one port.

AP antenna pattern is generally omnidirectional, so you can sit them on a desk/shelf.

You can certainly opt for a mesh system. But in your case, with wired backhaul, I think simple APs are a better and more cost effective choice.

 

[mooch91]

I think I'm going to go with the simple APs. I will purchase one and see where to go from there.

A couple of final questions on the topic:

• Should I continue to use the wifi in my routers, in conjunction with the wireless APs, or will it be cleaner to let one or multiple APs handle the wireless exclusively? I suspect I'm going to try to switch to the 5 GHz band (though I have at least one laptop that is not 5 GHz compatible).
• Will my Surfboard SBG6580 be adequate for routing functionality with only wired devices and wireless APs or do I have anything to be gained by upgrading the router?
• I am contemplating adding a small switch to my network to give me some versatility in where I place devices. I see that many of the wireless APs are PoE devices. Is it worth investing in a PoE switch now? I think for the one or two APs I will place, I also have an outlet nearby, but I'm wondering if a PoE switch will give me some options in the future that I did not consider (security cams, etc.).

Thanks again!

 

[thiggins]

Should I continue to use the wifi in my routers, in conjunction with the wireless APs, or will it be cleaner to let one or multiple APs handle the wireless exclusively? I suspect I'm going to try to switch to the 5 GHz band (though I have at least one laptop that is not 5 GHz compatible).

You can experiment with leaving the Surfboard 2.4 GHz on if you have devices down there. If not, shut it off.

Will my Surfboard SBG6580 be adequate for routing functionality with only wired devices and wireless APs or do I have anything to be gained by upgrading the router?

If your router is providing its rated speed, it's fine.

I am contemplating adding a small switch to my network to give me some versatility in where I place devices. I see that many of the wireless APs are PoE devices. Is it worth investing in a PoE switch now? I think for the one or two APs I will place, I also have an outlet nearby, but I'm wondering if a PoE switch will give me some options in the future that I did not consider (security cams, etc.).

I'd go with a PoE switch. I have a couple of these TP-Link switches. They're not that expensive and work well.

 

[mooch91]

OK, I ended up with a TP-Link 8-port switch (4 with PoE).

I also purchased two of the EAP224 V3. I only have one set up.

So far, so good!

Couple of follow-on questions:

• How can I measure my internal network speed? I've been using speedtest.net which shows 75 MBps, which is my service provider speed. But I'd like to see the speed of my connection to my router.
• Are there any iPhone apps that analyze local wifi signals? I used to have an app on Android called Wifi Analyzer (but I no longer have Android).
• I'm surprised at how much speed and range I get from just one of the APs. I have it set up temporarily on one of the ethernet drops in the middle of my house. If I'm satisfied with one AP, should I set up a second? Concerned that the second AP will cause more potential interference than it's worth, but I'm not sure. I don't want to open the package unless I'm committed to use it.
• If I do end up using both APs, should I set the channels manually? I know that 1 and 11 are not utilized nearby on 2.4G, so I think that will be ideal selections. Which channels would be best for 5G?

Thanks!

 

[tannebil]

1) Run iperf2/3 on an PC/Mac connected to Ethernet cable and run Hurricane Electric Network Tools on the iOS device

2) The Apple Airport Utility provides basic WiFi signal information. No need to actually have an Airport.

3) If you find that one does the trick for you, there's no reason for a second. If your heavy hitters are all wired and your wireless devices perform adequately, what's the point of investing in wireless?

4) However, if you want a faster, more consistent wireless network, you'll need better 5Ghz coverage and you'll need more access points to do that. Individually configured APs vs a mesh system is a personal choice. With the former choice, it will largely be up to you to decide which channels each AP will use. With the later choice, the mesh system will largely make those choices. Since you are going to use wired APs, make sure you understand the wired limitations of each mesh system. The can be subtle, e.g. with Plume, you can only use wired if Plume is configured in bridge mode. That's not a problem for me but it might be for you.