Searching for range extenders or Wi-Fi boosters.
Searching for range extenders or Wi-Fi boosters.
We own a Netgear modem supporting both 2.4 and 5GHz bands, subscribed to Comcast’s 300Mbps plan, and use an Apple TV nightly, a gaming PC, three laptops, three phones, two tablets, along with multiple children. Parents report sluggish Wi-Fi performance, frequent slowdowns, and other issues. Are there suggestions for improving the connection? Options include a range extender, a range booster, or other solutions?
Right now I'm uncertain about this. My desktop downloads around 3MB/s, but that's for Steam files. On my laptop it's 5-6MB/s thanks to a stronger antenna. It seems like people are experiencing issues mainly in the lower floors of the house.
I think it might be dead zones then (though I’m wrong if you know better). I considered adding a couple of access points. I purchased an Ubiquiti one for my parents’ house because they were experiencing coverage gaps at the far ends. It fixed the problem without breaking the bank (it was on sale). Since then, everything’s smooth and the signal strength is great. I’m still linked to the main AP when they’re away from their living area.
I own a gaming desktop with Ethernet, three streaming sticks, three phones, and a PC. My internet speed is 150 Mbps from Comcast, which isn’t a problem. It seems you likely use a gateway (modem/router). Most of these devices perform poorly in such setups and have weak WiFi connections. I’m not familiar with your Comcast gear, so are you renting the gateway from them? Range extenders will halve your bandwidth and hurt performance. Also, check which frequency bands each device uses—5 GHz offers better speed while 2.4 GHz provides longer range. I’d move all streaming to 5 GHz for optimal results. Keep the 2.4 GHz for phones only. @Slottr is correct; having a single access point would be helpful, as these setups often fall short.
I mentioned in my original post that I used a Netgear modem. I didn’t rent any gateway routers or additional modems. What you’re suggesting is that streaming and gaming could run on 5G while other devices stayed on 2.4GHz.