Wifi Exenders

[Fred Claus]

I'm looking for a wifi extender or two for my house. 1200 sq Ft ranch. Rectangular shaped with the modem at one end and needing wifi at the other end. I'm looking at a couple extenders.

TP-Link AC750

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC75...onics&sprefix=TP-Link+,electronics,184&sr=1-3

D-Link DAP 1330

https://www.amazon.com/D-Link-Wireless-Range-Extender-DAP-1330/dp/B00PVE6C34

What are your thoughts on these two devices?

 

[Diggs]

I don't like to use extenders myself. They double network traffic and don't always do that great of job. If anything I would investigate TP-Link Powerline systems. Quick, easy, inexpensive with decent performance. Also - If you are going the extender route then get a regular TP-Link router and throw it into extender mode. That way you have more flexibility in the future as it can do router, access point or extender duties.

 

[Fred Claus]

I like the TP-Link router idea in extender mode. Would that work with a Linksys Modem/Router combo or would I have to buy a new router for the front as well? Never done the router in extender mode before.

 

[timeshifter]

 

[Diggs]

I like the TP-Link router idea in extender mode. Would that work with a Linksys Modem/Router combo or would I have to buy a new router for the front as well? Never done the router in extender mode before.

It will work with any WiFi signal it can receive. I've never seen a TP-Link router without the three modes during setup. There are better options but if you haven't gone the extender route before then the experience is probably worth it. Be sure to run your bandwidth tests before as well as after.

 

[Mercenary Roadie]

Don't waste your money on extenders, buy a mesh system.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I"m not a fan of mixing brands of products with WiFi. Tend not to always work the best.

Now, modern day versions of this are now called "mesh" systems..which, really is just an extender, but they're designed to work better together. Years ago when things were mostly just 2.4, the performance hit of using extenders/mesh was brutal. As you probably know, wireless is half duplex...so...one at a time! Each additional hop cut throughput in half, and each additional client cut that throughput in half yet again. Cuz the same radio had to do "one at a time".

These days, new "mesh" systems (modern day repeaters) should have at least 2 radios...the 2.4 and the 5...and some will even have a 3rd radio. So with the dual radios, one will be used more for the "backhaul"...so the other radio can handle the wifi clients. This cuts down on the performance loss big time...that the single radio earlier generations had. And those with the 3rd radio..that will be a radio 100% dedicated to the backhaul...so even less performance loss. Netgears "Orbi" models have that dedicated 3rd radio.

Bottom line....I'd replace that current setup with a new "mesh" system where you have the router and "satellite" units all the same brand, meant to work together. Eero, Amplifi, Google Mesh, Netgear Orbi, all great products. Or...even those long time common brands like DStink, Stinksys, TPStink...they all have their similar products now.

They work really well!
Or..go Unifi. Ubiquiti recently added a new "extender" AP to go with their Unifi APs...called the Beacon. Plugs into an outlet.
Amplifi is Ubiquitis residential arm....they have a great Mesh system.

 

[Diggs]

Or...even those long time common brands like DStink, Stinksys, TPStink...

Be nice now @YeOldeStonecat . Not everyone likes Ubiquity's pricing and management hassles.

 

[britechguy]

I'm looking for a wifi extender or two for my house. 1200 sq Ft ranch.

Are you absolutely certain you need the extender? Have you tried without it first?

My old DSL modem-routers, and my smartphone hotspots, can generally broadcast over the kinds of distances and through the kinds of interior walls that would characterize a house of the size stated.

You generally really don't need the perfect "three arcs above the dot" [on Windows] WiFi signal to have way more than adequate connectivity.

 

[GTP]

I've used a lot (maybe 30 now) TP-Link TL-WA85ORE extenders for SMB, SoHo and home users with great success.
They are a cheap, easy setup, solution to getting a good signal to a back office, patio etc.
Mesh systems are obviously better but extenders do the job well imho.
Never had one fail yet.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

... and under those circumstances a well-positioned access point and a single repeater is a much better solution than a mesh. .

Curious what your logic is there.
If you purchase a starter mesh kit....so there is a "base unit" and one "satellite"....you really do just have a repeater setup. Mesh with a base and 1 satellite is simply a repeater. Yes technically a "mesh' system can have other advantages once you start adding many satellite units....but, with just the base and 1 satellite...it is really just wireless repeater setup in this simple setup...no different at all. "well positioned" is key for any type.

 

[britechguy]

Value for money, mainly.
.
.
.
(Based on a recent informal survey, the average age of our residential clients is 72 and about half of them use a smartphone for anything but phone calls. Your demographics may differ!)

I don't know what the wireless carriers do in New Zealand, but a number of them here have discounted "unlimited everything" plans for ages 55 and older, which I now am.

I've got myself and my partner under one of those plans, and our cell phones are also now our portable hotspots, used exclusively at home after we dumped our landline (and much slower than the 4G LTE hotspots DSL). Now, it's only the first 20GB that's at 4G speeds (and they've added an extra 10 on to that during the Covid crisis) but it drops to 3G speed afterward. That's still faster than DSL service.

This is something I now mention to my senior citizen customers who may be looking to economize, as even a 2-line plan where line 2 is not used is cheaper than a landline and DSL service here.

 

[Diggs]

I'm going a bit off-topic but I think Musk's Starlink has the capability for a paragon shift for Internet access and availability without being too far into the distance.

 

[britechguy]

You've never been to New Zealand, have you? Our wireless data plans make armed robbery look like a misdemeanour.

Nope, though I'd love to visit. I have a cousin who now lives in Arizona but who had both of her girls, many decades ago, when living in New Zealand when her husband was stationed there.

Your wireless situation sounds like it was for many years in the USA. A couple of companies, and particularly T-Mobile, that started offering no-contract plans a number of years ago changed the wireless business here radically.

 

[GTP]

It's true that WiFi extenders will cut your bandwidth in half but in most cases that doesn't matter much as the WiFi network is usually much faster than the Internet connection*; unless you're moving large amounts of data around the LAN then you can usually cut its bandwidth in half without anyone noticing. The problems usually start when it works so well that the client decides to add a second extender and their bandwidth drops through the floor.



Architecture plays a part, too. It might be a purely local phenomenon but I seem to have a lot of residential clients with long, narrow houses, and under those circumstances a well-positioned access point and a single repeater is a much better solution than a mesh. Horses for courses.


* Obviously I'm excluding all those smug gits lucky people with Gigabit broadband but they're not a large part of our clientele anyway.

+1
When "John" or "Mary" want to sit in the sunroom at the back of the house to read the newspaper or check email, a cheap wifi extender works well.
Of course if they were streaming Foxtel out there a better solution would need to be found.

I'm sure you're in the same boat as me when decisions about spending client money come up.
We have no choice but to find a solution "within their budget."

My "average" age group for residential clients is around 55~60. Being older they are also more technologically challenged.
Some get the concept of "tethering" their device to their phone - and even though the process is stupid simple - many dont get it and get very frustrated with it.

So a simple solution like an extender works.

 

[Fred Claus]

What about a mesh system like the TP-Link Deco M5? That combined with a switch for more ethernet ports. Would that be a better solution than getting a router and putting it in extender mode?

 

[Fred Claus]

+1
When "John" or "Mary" want to sit in the sunroom at the back of the house to read the newspaper or check email, a cheap wifi extender works well.
Of course if they were streaming Foxtel out there a better solution would need to be found.

I'm sure you're in the same boat as me when decisions about spending client money come up.
We have no choice but to find a solution "within their budget."

My "average" age group for residential clients is around 55~60. Being older they are also more technologically challenged.
Some get the concept of "tethering" their device to their phone - and even though the process is stupid simple - many dont get it and get very frustrated with it.

So a simple solution like an extender works.

That's my average client as well. The one client I have that uses extenders is in his 70's. He has one in his Drum room so he can stream Youtube to learn a drum beat. He has one in his cottage (in his back yard) and also in his bedroom so his wife can use her ipad. Nothing to drastic. In our house we have 4 cell phones, three Roku's, 4 laptops, and an online gamer. We try to hardwire whenever we can.

 

[marley1]

Netgear Orbi for mesh.

Or hardwire AP