Upgrade For Range

[pepenero]

download speed... do you get near 50Mbps down if using a wired (not WiFi) connection to the router?
there's absolutely no substitute for near-line-of-sight from user device to access device, be the latter a WiFi router, or a $35 add-on access point like the ASUS RT-N12

Yes, I get near 50Mbps down if using a wired connection.

Just a small update - I received the BearExtender last week and had a couple days to see its performance. Some bullet points:

-Changed out my Linksys WRT45GS to a Netgear N600 WNDR3400

-Was getting 5/3 Mbps with my iMac's internal card with the Netgear, 0.9/5.66 Mbps with the BearExtender

-E-mailed BearExtender's customer support to see if I could return device since I was getting unsatisfactory speeds

-BearExtender's support was prompt and courteous, gave me suggestions of what I could do - including the tip to stand my router up vertically as I had it laying horizontal. I committed the cardinal sin of the scientific method at this point and started changing multiple variables before checking the connection numbers, so I can't isolate which change made the difference. This included switching my ethernet cable between my Surfboard modem to router from a Cat5e to a Cat7 (figured to make the upgrade since it was so cheap on Amazon anyway), and I stood the router up horizontally.

-Speedtest.net results after changes gave me 8.52/5.7 with BearExtender, 2.35/1.21 with iMac internal card.

-Customer support suggested that I try the 2dBi antenna instead of the 5dBi they provided in case the 5dBi was causing more interference by getting signals from surrounding devices. Speeds dropped (don't know exact #'s) so I have been using 5dBi since.

So I'm not entirely sure whether the small improvements thus far can be attributed to the BearExtender, the router upgrade, or a combination of both. Bottom line, however, is that there is some noticeable improvement, but I'm still obviously not attaining the 50/10 I'm supposed to be getting. I can definitely make do with the currently speeds/stability.

I ordered an Asus N66 over the weekend which should be arriving on Wednesday, so I will update again once the new equipment is in place.

@Azazel, I appreciate the recommendations but I had already placed the order for the BearExtender before I saw your post.

 

[L&LD]

pepenero,

The speeds may be adequate for the streaming loads you need, but I would not be happy with the BearExtender product in your situation.

I know it may be the best given your environment, but I still wouldn't be happy.

The WNDR3400 router you upgraded to is not an improvement considering what you can get today.

I would suggest a pair of RT-N66U's if you're connecting in the 2.4GHz band or possibly a pair of AC1900 class routers if you're connecting in the 5GHz band (they are vastly superior vs. the class leading RT-N66U at 5GHz). If you have a chance to try both, do. But try to do it systematically so that you know what change is giving you better performance in your setup.


I would also consider moving (testing) the existing (or the new units you will try) routers the 10 feet or so closer that you're able to: in my experience, inches (let alone 10 feet) can make double the throughput difference. Worth taking the time to experiment with not only location, but also orientation too.

Another thing you can try to optimize is the channel selection in both bands. As another post suggested above, I too thought that the best channels were the highest (numerical) channels you can choose. I was shocked how wrong I was.

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/forums/showpost.php?p=101034&postcount=51


You may also want to upgrade to the latest version of whichever router you're using and see if the following settings make a positive impact for you.

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/forums/showpost.php?p=98452&postcount=150



Setup your existing equipment with the above suggestions to give you the most throughput and then you'll be able to systematically switch out any piece to see if the new/upgraded equipment is actually giving you a real improvement.


WiFi optimization is not a one time thing; it is an art form that is constantly evolving and needs to be re-evaluated periodically. At least if/when the performance changes significantly.