Network problems at home Issue with connectivity or device performance
Network problems at home Issue with connectivity or device performance
Hi there! I’m having some trouble with my network setup and would love your advice. I own a three-story home where the bedrooms are on the top floor, the living room is mid-level, and my living space is at the bottom. We subscribe to 1Gbps Wi-Fi from our ISP using the router they provided. My gaming or streaming PC has a wired connection to the router, and I also have a PS4 that’s wired. For everything else, I use Wi-Fi as the main internet source—I used to live on the top floor with my PS4 and PC all wired, but the router was there then. Now I’m on the bottom floor, still using the wired PC connection, but the other family members aren’t getting strong signals or fast speeds anymore.
I’ve moved down and now I need a wired connection for my PC. To fix this, I set up a Wi-Fi extender on the middle floor, which gives better coverage on the top floor, though the speeds are still not ideal (roughly 5-15Mb download, 3-5Mb upload). Before this upgrade, we used a third-party router with three antennas, but it’s now unused since we switched to the new one.
My main concern is whether I could connect the old router upstairs on the bedroom level as a backup. I’d like devices to automatically switch to that secondary router when they have weak signals, using its stronger coverage. I’m not sure about the technical details, so please explain this in simple terms—any guidance would be really helpful!
Thanks in advance for your help!
You can connect a second router as an access point by disabling its DHCP server. I wouldn’t purchase extenders—they’re just low quality (my view). Edit: You’ll need to connect at least one cable or position the router in the center of the house and run cables to your location. Extenders won’t work because there are too many obstacles for a good signal. To use a second router, you’ll also require a WAN cable from the first router.
I might consider setting up a lan bridge connected to your router. This would mean using your ISP equipment solely as a modem while your device manages the rest. It’s based on the idea that your router can deliver strong coverage from the basement to the upper floors.
You previously used the router on the upper level, so it likely supports Ethernet or a cable connection. If it’s wired and you can connect from the lower floor to the top, you might turn it into an access point. But if you need the same network name for both your main router and this new AP, roaming won’t work. You’d need a smart roaming AP or a mesh Wi-Fi system instead. The Netgear Orbi mesh system supports roaming and offers Ethernet backhaul, making it suitable for use as an AP with standard mesh connectivity. If wiring isn’t possible, consider powerline options. These can be unreliable, depending on your wiring quality and setup. The AV2000 standard powerline can deliver up to 2Gb/s, but in practice you’d likely get about 300-400Mb/s with decent wiring.