House with no internet connectivity available
House with no internet connectivity available
I recently moved into a home that’s got an unusual setup. It was once someone’s residence, but my partner’s boss transformed it into her ideal living space. The main issue is that the ISP installed a new dedicated coax cable in the basement without marking the junction box, making it hard to locate. I decided to go with a mesh Wi-Fi system, specifically the Linksys AX5300. It functions but isn’t perfect. I’m paying $1.2GB monthly, which is the same as my own modem setup, and the maximum speed I’ve achieved is 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. To fix this, I bought another AX5300 module for an extra $100, bringing the total to 200 Mbps down and 40 Mbps up. They’re only about 20-30 feet apart in a straight line. One unit is in our house, positioned near a window about 25 feet away, with another wall between. I tested a workaround by running an Ethernet cable from the middle mesh to my own router. Speeds jumped to 750 Mbps down and 100 Mbps up. However, running Ethernet through a window across houses isn’t ideal for the boss lady. I’m searching for a more efficient solution without breaking the bank. I also asked the ISP if they could run coax inside our home—they said they couldn’t because they couldn’t locate it, which is frustrating since it’s obvious. I’m hoping for a better Wi-Fi setup without spending thousands. Any advice would be appreciated.
This house is quite old. There are no cables running through the walls, and there’s no option to run them up from the basement. You mentioned a similar setup where you installed cat6 in the basement and drilled upwards between the sheetrock and studs, then extended it down to the attic for better access. It sounds like you’re considering a more permanent solution, possibly hiring an electrician to get quotes—your father-in-law handled it for 400 bucks, which seems worthwhile for future use.
The "old house" was constructed around 2015, which isn’t particularly old. The main issue lies with the new house they built nearby—it has its own foundation and isn’t really linked to the old one except loosely. Another concern is that the only area where I really want a solid connection is upstairs. I believed the ISP would fix the problem since they’re the only company that’s ever serviced the property, and they could simply run another coax. The electrician seems like the top choice. I’d consider splicing the coax, but by the time I gather tools and complete all connections properly (to please everyone), I’d likely be at 300+ and still struggle to attach the cable to the house’s backside. I wasn’t sure if anyone had other ideas that might work.
wifi tends to lag unless you have a high-end router, which usually works best over short distances and through few obstacles. I don’t use wired connections for my shop’s j2c setup. If you have any cabling available, it might be better than wireless unless you also need a wired option.
In my previous residence constructed in 2006, each room originally featured a standard phone jack equipped with the RJ11 connector. After removing the port plate, I discovered every port was connected to Cat5E cabling. The process was straightforward: swap the RJ11 wall plates for RJ45 equivalents, connect the remaining ends to a switch, and plug one into my internet modem. I positioned a few Unifi access points in unused areas or rooms with switches to ensure robust Wi-Fi coverage throughout the house. Some might consider using MOCA to tap into those coaxial cables that aren’t readily available for data transmission. You can also purchase tone devices to help locate hidden wiring—Home Depot offers a Klein model, while cheaper alternatives are available on Amazon and AliExpress. Additionally, powerline kits exist but often deliver only around 50D/50U; they worked for me in achieving basic connectivity to my alarm panel’s data feed, allowing me to avoid monthly service fees and monitor remotely with Envisalink. A 200D/40U kit performed adequately for streaming Netflix and general browsing.
You won't achieve gigabit speeds via WiFi alone. WiFi 6E offers improvement but still isn't sufficient for that level. For true gigabit connectivity, an Ethernet connection is essential. Other methods to enhance coverage or signal strength include placing the router on a higher elevation and positioning satellite units accordingly, as this helps distribute the signal more effectively.
It’s possible under certain conditions, though not always reliable. I can reach speeds close to 1.4Gbit down in a 5GHz band with a 160Mhz channel width on a strong day—usually with an Intel AX210 chip. Upload rates are typically much lower, often an order of magnitude slower. Place the access point high in the ceiling minimizes interference, as most devices perform best when positioned above. Many devices cap at around 80Mhz, so you might reach 900Mbit, but actual performance can drop significantly due to lack of interference. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason for slowdowns; they fluctuate daily and aren’t caused by other networks. Right now I’m hitting about 800Mbit on a Samsung Galaxy S10. A single cinder block wall can cut that in half, especially if metal is present. The diversity of building materials makes it nearly impossible to predict. WiFi 7 promises improvements, but real-world tests often use excessive MIMO configurations that consumer devices don’t support. It’s unlikely anyone will have WiFi 7 clients yet—Apple only recently introduced WiFi 6e with new Macs, and older M1/M2 chips still work on WiFi 6. I think WiFi 7 adapters might arrive in about two years, and if trends continue, the second generation could be slightly faster. We’ll always need access points throughout our homes because radio waves don’t travel perfectly without them. Greater bandwidth demands mean less room for seamless whole-home coverage since there simply isn’t enough spectrum to support non-overlapping channels.