1,600 feet of Wi-Fi reach with some special challenges
1,600 feet of Wi-Fi reach with some special challenges
so this is 1960s cinder block house. og size blocks and not the skinny kind now. my issue is the metal which runs vertical in the picture shown. cuts the wifi by 50% i have a cat 5e wire running to far left side of the house. with a el cheapo (aka) i got it free wifi router. but its old and has poor signal. right side of house (garage area) is where the isp put the cable and modem at. which again due to metal cutting house in half. strength is 50% again. am looking for ether a wifi 6 or e 1 or 2 of them. to cover the whole house.
Find a wireless access point where it can reach everywhere, preferably above obstacles. Check past options from brands like Ubiquiti and TP-Link—they’ve provided solid choices before. Consider using a WiFi 6 Lite setup for better performance. Make sure to research thoroughly so the selected device fits your needs and budget.
WiFi 6 will struggle more than 5GHz and even more than 2.4GHz, particularly when passing through metal. Would you have an attic or basement that could support running Cat6 from the garage to the opposite side of the house? That would be ideal. Otherwise, using outdoor conduits and exterior wiring would also work around this issue.
WiFi 6 remains at 2.4/5GHz, its sole 6GHz model. Be cautious with devices still operating on 2.4GHz for extended reach; WiFi 6 offers noticeable gains in speed. It improves performance even in areas with weaker signals compared to 5GHz. The boost is consistent across the house, though placement matters. I’d position a router in the room with highest usage but slightly off-center, facing adjacent spaces. The dining area near the kitchen could work well if it’s in a corner, but depends on your needs. Opposite corners are useful for broader coverage when using multiple units. If possible, install one at ceiling height to reduce interference from furniture.
A fresh AP will boost coverage by returning directly to the router instead of using a mesh network; this is especially useful with a metal wall or structure dividing the home. I didn’t catch the section about the previous cat5e connection on the left side of the house. The eero systems are great; in my opinion, they’re the top consumer mesh solution I’ve tried. The only drawback is that it’s owned by Amazon. Apart from that, the app works smoothly and simply, and any AP can be wired or operate as a typical wireless mesh device. They even provide two Ethernet ports, allowing you to connect another device from that same line even after hardwiring. Ubiquiti offers similar models. The APs built into walls feature two Ethernet outputs, and some standard UFO/disc APs work the same way. However, Ubiquiti products can sometimes be hard to find unless you use PoE via injectors or a switch, and setup might feel a bit tricky for those less familiar with networking.
I tried Zyxel personally because I prefer alternatives to the usual options. Ubiquiti made it difficult to set up 160Mhz channels directly from the web interface; you had to rely on their management tools, which discouraged me. The interface works well when you need specific features, but I favor a unified portal that combines devices from various brands instead of just SNMP. Some Zyxel models use Mediatek chipsets, which many view as a budget option—though perhaps too low. My home is compact enough for strong coverage even with thick walls, and I only require high speeds within the same room as the access point. On good days I can reach 500-900Mbit, though this depends on weather conditions. Outside interference is likely the main issue, not just WiFi signals, since other radio sources aren’t present on my channel.
I wasn't aware that the 6GHz offered more power than the 5GHz. I have space to raise it high enough so it appears light on the home ISP device. On the left side, one of these will be used moving forward. Also included are the ASUS WiFi 6 Router AX3200 Gryphon Tower Super-Fast Mesh WiFi Router, NETGEAR Nighthawk 6-Stream AX5400.
Technically, 6Ghz begins at the higher end of 5Ghz, and generally, the greater the frequency, the shorter the coverage—even within the same 5Ghz range. Since 6Ghz spans a much broader spectrum (5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz in the US, while most nations haven’t surpassed 6.425 Ghz), the exact channel you use can vary significantly. Additionally, power limits for different channels often differ across countries.