Transfer my router to a new location for better performance.
Transfer my router to a new location for better performance.
Hello everyone, I’m seeking some guidance on relocating my router. As a UK resident, I’m curious how this process might vary elsewhere. My router is currently in the kitchen at the back of the house, while the office upstairs lacks Wi-Fi. I attempted to use a TP-Link to leverage existing wiring, but it didn’t work well and the speed dropped significantly. Now I’m considering drilling holes through walls. I’d appreciate suggestions from others—should I extend the main socket with telephone cable about 15 meters, or run an external wire from the socket to a modem in another room (around 8 meters)? Any other ideas would be helpful. I’m not very tech-savvy, but I hope this makes sense.
You didn't specify the router model. If your router has several LAN ports, you might consider purchasing a Wi-Fi access point, placing it in your office, and connecting it via a CAT5e Ethernet cable to the router's LAN port. This setup would allow you to enjoy WiFi in both your office and kitchen. Alternatively, you can run the Ethernet cable outside without drilling, using attractive cable runs if that suits you better. Personally, I prefer cable runs because rewiring the entire space isn't feasible here.
Considering outdoor-rated Ethernet cables might be a viable choice (they could eliminate the need to drill into the ceiling). I tried one at my parents' residence when power adapters didn't meet expectations. To completely bypass drilling, flat Ethernet passthroughs that fit through windows are available—though they may slightly reduce peak performance. Still, you're likely to achieve solid speeds despite the minor loss.
People have been quoted in your response. For clarity, you mentioned this by accident. Regarding your question, please specify what you mean. If the work-PC only connects to a WiFi network with a particular name and password, you can set the access point to match and it should function. If it doesn’t work, you might move the router upstairs and place the access point downstairs to maintain connectivity on both floors. However, if the work-PC uses a different method to restrict connections, you’d need to switch to an upstairs router from the start. Outdoor-rated cables offer no advantage over regular ones; Ethernet using CAT5e is suitable up to 100 meters at gigabit speed, and there’s no necessity for outdoor-rated cables to run ethernet through walls or ceilings.
I recommended placing the cables outside along the wall, assuming it fits your scenario, which is why I advised using appropriately rated cables.