Crap WiFi Range
Crap WiFi Range
I possess a residence ranging from 1500 to 2000 square feet, fully constructed with concrete and metal reinforcements in 90% of the walls. Your existing WiFi setup consists of a single access point router in each room, which still leaves you with poor coverage and constant manual switching between SSIDs when moving between areas. Your home is equipped with Cat 6a cabling and a 16-port gigabit switch, achieving 2–5 ms latency at 40 Mbps down and 8 Mbps up under full coverage. Otherwise, the signal frequently disappears. You intend to switch to a more advanced Ubiquiti solution—specifically three Unifi Nano HDs per floor and a 8-port PoE switch from Ubiquity or Cloud Key Gen 2 (Gen 2 offers built-in battery backup). You’re aiming for better range and automation, avoiding the need to manually change access points. Will this upgrade meet your needs, or will you require a more complex configuration from Cisco or another vendor? Your current router/APs are functioning as intended.
Linus created a video about setting up Wi-Fi in a concrete house.
I believe the optimal outcome comes from using dedicated APs in each area or at least in several locations. Relying on a single powerful unit to penetrate walls isn't likely feasible or realistic. You should smoothly switch between APs if they share the same name and password. It's puzzling that this feature isn't functioning properly yet. Are all devices connected directly or is there a mesh network or wireless bridge in place?
They’re all connected and attempting to maintain the same network settings, but there are conflicts with the router and the modem shuts down. I’ve seen numerous YouTube guides on smooth transitions, yet most either fail or leave me with an unstable connection. I thought the ISP’s modem-router combo might be the problem, so I upgraded to a better D-Link model, but that didn’t fix the issue.
Interesting, seems like the APs might be okay but upgrading the central unit would be the solution. I wouldn't normally use "D-link" and "better" together unless it meant something else, which might explain why the plan failed. I'd like to know if another unit would produce different outcomes. It might also be worth testing a high-performance single or triple AP if the store offers a solid return policy and you can exchange it if it doesn't work.
I would install a wired mesh Wi-Fi setup like the Ubiquiti Unifi Mesh System. All access points would share the same SSID, channel, and password, allowing the system to automatically route devices to the strongest signal. The process feels almost effortless, much like how cell towers switch between towers as you move. These APs can connect via hardwired backhaul to eliminate any extra delay. They support PoE, so you don’t need to be near an outlet. This setup lets you position them centrally and elevated for improved coverage. https://store.ui.com/products/unifi-ac-mesh-ap
True DLinks aren't great, but I can still use something if the new modem is better. I even suggested a special fibre line for faster speeds and a better modem, but they didn't help me financially.