Signal tanks are very sensitive.
Signal tanks are very sensitive.
I'm working on troubleshooting the internet connection in a family member's home. The residence is a 2900 sq ft two-story bedroom. The staircase runs through the center, with the router positioned at the top of the stairs—this location gives the best results. The first floor houses a kitchen, dining area (base of the stairs), a large living room, and additional bedrooms. A range extender provides similar performance, while the router in the attic is hardwired. In the first-floor bedrooms, signal strength drops unpredictably and speeds are poor. Elsewhere, we maintain a stable 35 Mbps connection. When the signal is consistent, speeds reach 3 to 4 Mbps. Outside the house, the connection weakens significantly. I've replaced the main router with my own DIR890L/R; now the first-floor bedrooms receive 8-10 Mbps instead of the previous 120 Mbps, except for improved performance across the street compared to the first-story rooms. I'm unsure what's causing this problem and haven't identified any interference sources. The Wi-Fi channels are functioning correctly. I'm thinking about upgrading to a more powerful router, but I'm not sure if that will resolve the issue.
Firstly thats a big ass house. For larger buildings many use multiple AP's to get great coverage. You doing pretty well with just one router if you ask me. You didnt really state if your using 2.4 or 5 Ghz. Remember 2.4 is built for range but not speed, 5 Ghz is built for speed but not range. Interference can be caused by a lot of sources. Firstly other WiFi networks in the area. WiFi analyzer on Android is good place to start to check for other networks. Other things also can cause issues, Blue tooth operates on 2.4 Ghz, Cordless phones, baby monitors, and Microwave ovens are also issues you need to deal with. Weather can cause issues with WiFi as well, when a big storm would roll thru, my WiFi signal would become weaker. The biggest issue is walls, depending on building materials used, will depend on how easy they are to penetrate. Other thing to think about to is WiFi is a two way street. Buying the billy bad ass of routers might solve the issue or might not. Remember devices have to communicate back, not all devices have great antennas or strong enough antennas to do that.
The problem affects both 2.4 and 5 ghz channels. It's strange that in one part of the house the signal slows down significantly, while I get better results farther away from the router. I've used a Wi-Fi analyzer—channel usage looks normal. No interference detected. We have both a router and an AP. I moved to the side of the house where the signal is weaker, but standing directly above it causes poor connection speed.
My prediction is it relates to how the structure is designed, possibly affecting signal quality. It's not uncommon to have a strong line-of-sight outdoors due to fewer obstructions compared to inside. Without a detailed plan, it's tough to say exactly, but I’d suggest placing an AP in at least one bedroom (especially if they’re adjacent) and another in each (if they’re on opposite ends of the hallway). If the area is frequently used in bedrooms, running it through the ceiling into the loft would work well. A ceiling-mounted Ubiquiti device would be ideal.
You might also explore options similar to Moca. It functions effectively and looks great. I’ve tried Moca injectors and receivers. The main concern is with splitters in the line—if they’re below the 1500MHz needed for Moca, it may affect performance. I previously used Moca to set up a network in a 15,000 sq ft home; it wasn’t perfect but worked well. By the way, if you have FIOS, you can get MOCA devices that connect directly to a coaxial cable and create an access point. Alternatively, Powerline kits perform well too, allowing up to 16 units to be plugged in throughout the house. My choice leans toward Netgear models, some of which come with APs ready out of the box. Ideally, it’s better to run Ethernet to the required location and use APs there.
They don't seem to be the best solution since the router is already in the loft. Placing Ethernet cables through the ceiling of the bedrooms for APs should work well and be very dependable. Adding an Access Point inside the loft above or between the rooms would also be helpful.
You might consider leveraging current coax connections through moca. Typically, when you own cable service, swapping the splitters lets you use moca effectively. https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bonded-...b_title_ce I applied this approach in a large home with 15,000 sq ft that lacked direct Ethernet but received coax everywhere. I configured seven routers in bridged mode and an eighth in the basement setup. It performed well but demanded careful handling of coax cables, proper splitter selection, and verification that moca devices functioned correctly. I’ve used this setup when FIOS was installed at home. https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Dual-Ba...0XQ0Q71DNJ Alternatively, you can utilize powerline adapters. They tap into your wall wiring to send data. Interesting though, they can be tricky and may not always deliver consistent results. https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-PowerLINE...ref=sr_1_2 You can connect up to 16 powerline devices and establish a network using your existing electrical system. I’ve used this method for clients as well.
These are the methods you should consider only if you can't use standard Ethernet. Here, we can because those rooms are right below the router. It could be more effort, but it offers a dependable long-term fix that’s “confirmed” to function correctly—neither of these alternatives is. MoCA depends on the DOCSIS version your cable provider uses; if they upgrade beyond what you have, you’ll need a new one. Usually, the kit you receive is older than the latest DOCSIS standard, so you might end up with something that won’t work and nothing to upgrade it with. I also notice no reference to actual cabling being present, so there’s really no reason to suggest this option. Powerline depends on solid mains wiring, with no assurances about performance. It’s essentially the same as WiFi, just layering another interference-prone shared service on top. At least it will have much worse latency than pure Ethernet, at worst it’ll be significantly slower and almost unusable. Why take that risk when there’s a better solution?
Hey there, take your time. I mostly offer helpful ideas here. Sure, running cables works best in some situations, but not everyone is ready or able to do it (either because they prefer to handle it themselves or because it costs money). Sharing suggestions and leaving alternatives—even if not perfect—is fine and gives people choices. I’ve handled many cabling projects for clients and met others who just need a way to make it work with what they have. Sometimes there’s no clear “better” option due to budget, the home being very old, or personal preferences. You often have to adapt with what you have, and sometimes think outside the box. I’m just providing options so creative solutions are possible if running hard lines isn’t feasible. The final decision always rests with the person asking.