Use LMR-400 to extend WiFi connectivity.
Use LMR-400 to extend WiFi connectivity.
Hi there, your gaming setup faces a challenge with weak WiFi performance. The signal from your garage AP is only 2Mbps at best, and it’s about 15 meters away from another AP in a different building. Since the second AP uses CAT7 and you get full 1Gbit/s there, extending the connection with an antenna might help. However, standard antennas work well only up to around 3 meters due to signal loss. Using an LMR-400 cable with RP-SMA connectors could improve performance over shorter distances. Installing another CAT7 cable from AP1 to AP2 isn’t feasible, and drilling holes in walls isn’t an option. I understand your paint skills aren’t great—let me know if you need more ideas!
The setup type can vary—ceiling mounted or simply raising it as high as feasible helps bypass many blockages. If the signal is weak on a 5GHz band, switching to 2.4GHz might improve performance, allowing you to position an AP2 nearer to gaming zones. However, for online gaming, this approach may not be effective if the connection is already compromised. From my experience, using an antenna connected via a 3-meter cable works well at 2.4GHz, but with a 5GHz signal and a dedicated 5GHz antenna it fails completely. I can't confirm whether the antenna itself was defective.
AP1 is an AVM FritzBox 4040 supporting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, while AP2 is a TP-Link WR1043ND V1 running dd-wrt firmware exclusively on 2.4GHz. AP2 is already positioned quite high—around 2.5 meters—and I believe raising it further won’t improve performance. Connecting CAT7 from AP2 to the gaming room is feasible, but it won’t significantly help at the moment given the weak link between AP1 and AP2.
Regarding the placement of AP1, or adjusting its location, it's possible to bring it nearer to AP2. It's worth considering whether combining two distinct chipset models—even from the same manufacturer—could be problematic. The guidance from OpenWRT (or DD-WRT) in WDS mode suggests using identical hardware at both ends for optimal results, as compatibility between different WiFi chipsets isn't always standardized. You're likely thinking about 802.11s, which is designed for large-scale mesh networks rather than speed-focused setups. Have you tried placing AP1 and AP2 in the same room to compare their performance? Upgrading to WiFi 6 could have significantly improved your experience, especially on the 2.4GHz band where congestion has been an issue. It's frustrating seeing vendors market APs with WiFi 6 exclusively for 5GHz, as that upgrade didn't happen when WiFi 5 was introduced. Also, avoid CAT7 unless you're adding another hard link, since it isn't an official standard. CAT5e should suffice for Gigabit speeds, while CAT6A offers a bit more flexibility for future needs.
The best option would be running a cable through the whole room and back. It might not be the most efficient, but it works. When AP2 and AP1 are close together I achieve about 130MBit/s. I just ordered two Huawei AX3 Quad-Core routers to swap in for AP1 and AP2. They support WiFi 6 on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. I’m hoping this improves the connection. I don’t require superfast speeds, but having over 30MBit/s would be great for streaming 4K and downloading/updating games quickly.
Using the two new WiFi6 routers improved the connection significantly. ~30MBit/s straight to AP2, about 10MBit/s in the gaming area—this could be resolved with some CAT cables and a switch. Appreciate the advice!
Great that it worked out. It can be really stressful suggesting something wireless since I noticed improvements, but it doesn’t guarantee the same results in your situation.