WiFi in a house
WiFi in a house
You're planning a move and need a cost-effective WiFi setup for your upper floor. You want to connect your PC via LAN while other devices in the lower floors stream video, all without breaking the bank—ideally under €100. Considering a two-router mesh solution could be a good fit if you place one downstairs. Since you're new to WiFi extenders and have a brick/concrete floor, it might be tricky to get reliable coverage. I recommend testing a single high-performance mesh unit for the main area and see if it meets your needs before investing in more devices.
Extenders are ineffective because they cut in half the available bandwidth. The outcome varies based on floor plan, layout, wall materials, and other factors. Lower frequencies reach farther but offer less combined data speed. Also, 2.4 GHz tends to get disrupted by numerous nearby devices.
I understand you're considering a 2.4 GHz model with both 5 and 2.4 bands for full coverage in your apartment. Since the router isn't receiving updates anymore, you might want to keep it as it is for now. However, you're looking for something that offers longer range without sacrificing too much performance. It's true that finding a better router depends on many factors, especially since you'll be moving soon.