Tips for connecting your home network effectively.
Tips for connecting your home network effectively.
After a month of anticipation, my fiber connection finally arrived at my new home! Previously, my flat had reliable Wi-Fi, but it would sometimes drop. The Virgin Media router performed excellently, delivering up to 200mbps as advertised, and I actually reached 220mbps. The signal covered the whole flat smoothly. Once I moved into the living room with the fiber point, speeds remained consistent at about 220mbps for downloads. Downstairs, devices connected fine, though the connection strength was weaker than expected. Upstairs, my office showed a much lower speed—around 40mbps—despite being the main endpoint. I suspect the issue might be related to the new wood flooring installed upstairs. It could be that the thick flooring or insulating layers are blocking the signal. I’m curious if anyone has encountered this problem and found a solution. I own a dual-band TP-link AC1200, but I haven’t managed to set it up as a repeater. The setup guides seem outdated, and there don’t appear to be any options available. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Use an Ethernet connection for better performance. Avoid power lines; stick to wired cables. Gather some cable organizers and run Ethernet directly to the upper floor, linking to a router that acts as an access point.
I really want to install an Ethernet connection but the two rooms are on opposite sides of the house. I imagine it would need a cable around 75 meters long! I’ve been thinking about running wires through the walls, though I know it can get costly. Someone suggested a home mesh Wi-Fi system, but since I’m not very experienced, I’m just checking if it can handle the 200MB data transfer to my office.
Sorry, I didn't intend to run the cable all the way to the computer. Most home routers aren't set up as a wifi relay, though they often work well as access points. In that scenario, you could lay an Ethernet cable from the router downstairs to one upstairs and set the higher-rise router as an access point. If the issue is with the flooring, this should boost speeds easily and affordably. You might want to try it out before drilling or installing holes.
Power line adapters may slow performance and reliability can be uncertain, whereas Moca adapters could offer an alternative. You'll likely have to accept some loss in speed. 1) They operate in half-duplex like WiFi, 2) They often introduce extra latency, 3) They can be costly. The Moca 2.0 adapters support up to 400 Mbps for standard models and 800 Mbps for bonded versions. You'll need coaxial cable at both the modem and the computer. It's unclear what the setup involves elsewhere. In the US, it seems coax is commonly installed in multiple rooms.
Consider investing in two Unifi Access Points and connecting them together. If you're interested in learning more about this process, there are resources available online. The Unifi UAP-AC-Lites cost around $90 each, making them a solid choice. They're straightforward to install and maintain network performance without significant speed loss compared to traditional repeaters or extenders. I've implemented this setup at several clients' locations, especially in older buildings where running cables is challenging. Edit: I currently have two meshed units, but the download speed through the mesh is only about 150 Mbps.