Home Wifi Network Help Needed

[jim b]

I am far from computer savvy, so bear with me. The only way we can get decent internet at our house is through a cell hot spot (currently sprint) and we are using a Netgear Zing:
https://www.netgear.com/home/products/mobile-broadband/hotspots/771s.aspx?cid=wmt_netgear_organic

Problem is that I have to leave it in one or 2 particular locations on the very S end of our house for it to get good reception. Once you get more than 15-20 ft away the wifi signal drops quickly and about half my house has no signal at all.
What would be the best option to increase our wifi range? Can these hot spots be connected to a normal router somehow? I have also seen wifi range extenders on Amazon, etc, that plug into an AC recepticle but didn't know if that would be a good option? How about hooking these up through Ethernet since the house is cat5e wired? Any help or advise would be appreciated.

 

[mrjarrell]

WiFi extenders don't work worth a hoot. If you can hook a normal router up to it spend the money and get a good one. There are lots of them out there that have good ranges on them, but you DO get what you pay for with routers. My last one was a $160 Linksys job that I managed to get price matched down at Fry's. Worth every penny. Don't skimp.

 

[OutdoorDad]

I live in an older home with lathe and plaster walls.
I suffer from the same "dead spot" issues you do.

I bought a TP link extender. I'm sure it's crap. Has to be because I paid very little for it.
But it lets me pick up wifi in my bedroom and backyard.

Im certain there are other, better solutions. But it serves my purposes.

 

[l1n5c0tt]

Google external antennas for your device. Would help a little more but they are pricey

 

[jim b]

WiFi extenders don't work worth a hoot. If you can hook a normal router up to it spend the money and get a good one.

Thanks. I had heard the extenders didn't always work well. I would like to hook it up to a normal router, just not sure exactly how to do that. The hotspot has a single micro-usb port that's used for charging and i don't know if that can be hook directly to a router? After reading some more last night it looks like what I am looking to do is called WIFI as WAN? Anybody have any experience hooking a hotspot like this directly up to a router or a router that can be used in a Wifi as WAN setup?

 

[mrjarrell]

Maybe PM Cameramonkey. He might have some experience with a setup like that.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Hey, my ears are burning.

I think I read that the cell service cant reach far, not wifi. Correct? Not much you can do about that. (at least not cheaply) Does the wireless hotspot have an ethernet port? If so you can wire up the house and make it work with access points in the parts of the house the onboard wifi cant reach.

And yes, a broadband router CAN be configured to work like an access point (and you wire them together via ethernet cord) but its tricky. (not easily conveyed here) You can also buy access points as well that doesnt have the annoying bits that routers need turned off to work like an AP. (set static LAN IP and disable DHCP)

And wifi extenders are indeed bad news. Ive seen really odd behavior even out of the best ones that broadcast on one channel and relay back to the AP on another. The only PROPER way to move the signal to the network is over wires. It can be ethernet (wireless AP) or powerline. (https://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/powerline/XWNB5201.aspx?cid=wmt_netgear_organic)

 

[jim b]

Hey, my ears are burning.

I think I read that the cell service cant reach far, not wifi. Correct? Not much you can do about that. (at least not cheaply) Does the wireless hotspot have an ethernet port? If so you can wire up the house and make it work with access points in the parts of the house the onboard wifi cant reach.

And yes, a broadband router CAN be configured to work like an access point (and you wire them together via ethernet cord) but its tricky. (not easily conveyed here) You can also buy access points as well that doesnt have the annoying bits that routers need turned off to work like an AP. (set static LAN IP and disable DHCP)

Cell service is adequate enough to get 4G LTE but works best stationary hooked to an external antenna. The problem is the wifi signal coming from the hotspot and its limited range. Unfortunately, there is not a Ethernet port on the hotspot, only 2 external antenna plugs and a micro usb charging port. Looking to leave the hotspot stationary but somehow hook it up to a router for larger wifi range and provide wired access points for an older desktop without wifi.

 

[Cameramonkey]

It may require some rube goldberg-esque tricks sans ethernet port.

here is my first thought on how to cover the house.

• Leave your router at the best spot for cell coverage. Less cell=slower speeds.
• Use a wireless bridge to convert the hotspot wifi into wired ethernet. This will effectively give you the wired interface you need.

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Multi-M...F8&qid=1471228376&sr=1-3&keywords=asus+wl+330 (I also think I have a spare small AP that works in bridge mode around here somewhere from an old project that would be half that cost. PM if you are interested)

• Connect that wired interface to a powerline adapter (ive seen them at Walmart), and place the other end (the wireless AP end) toward the other end of the house. DONT put it at the far end of the house. You dont want to push the signal out into the neighbor's house while not reaching back far enough into the center of your own house. (VERY common mistake)
• Configure the powerline wifi to use the EXACT same SSID/passphrase/encryption type. That will cause your devices to roam between the two radios as you move about the house. (You could create a new SSID but that means every new device has to be configured for both wifi APs)

Cell router<---(wifi link)--->WL330 in bridge mode<---(wired ethernet)--->Powerline adapter<---(home AC wires in the walls)--->Powerline AP


The alternative is to use the WL330 to get it to wired, then run an ethernet cable to where you want the AP. But the powerline adapters work adequately. I used one last month to extend wireless in a mcmansion and it worked well. Just make sure you dont plug it into a surge strip or special (GFI, etc) circuit. They MUST be plugged directly into a standard outlet.

Good luck!

Edit: not all powerline adapters Have the wifi on one end of the pair. Some are wired ethernet to wired ethernet.

 

[igotdiesel2]

Along the same lines because I don't want to be a thread hijacker. I have a 12,000 sq ft house on 3 levels. It is my wife's sisters house. When we built the house we installed cat5e EVERYWHERE. They are having problems with wifi because the wireless router is located in the upstairs control room. That room consists of a furnace, all the security camera inputs, and all 150 runs of cat5e and 75 runs of CATV coax. What would you recommend to extend the wifi range on that network? -Jason

 

[Cameramonkey]

Along the same lines because I don't want to be a thread hijacker. I have a 12,000 sq ft house on 3 levels. It is my wife's sisters house. When we built the house we installed cat5e EVERYWHERE. They are having problems with wifi because the wireless router is located in the upstairs control room. That room consists of a furnace, all the security camera inputs, and all 150 runs of cat5e and 75 runs of CATV coax. What would you recommend to extend the wifi range on that network? -Jason

A set of access points plugged into the cat5 in key spots throughout the house. I use these and they ROCK. (you only have to keep the free controller software running if you want advanced features like traffic shaping, data usage reports, etc)

https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-ac-lite/

These are prettier for a home install, but only work if you have dedicated cat5 plates. (not network+phone)
https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-wall/ (not as fast and more may be required as they are designed for high density installs for hard to cover areas like modular poured concrete structures like hotels)

There is a little more to both solutions, (power over ethernet switches for example) but you get the point.

And the key is to think 3D. the signal penetrates floors and ceilings too. so you may need one on the 1st floor west 2nd floor east end, and basement west end. There is no magic formula for designing a wireless network for a building. ESPECIALLY one that big. When you start getting into estate sized homes and office buildings, wireless site surveys are your friend.

EDIT: I almost forgot the controller is now a solid state device https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-cloud-key/

 

[hoosierdoc]

stick wireless routers throughout the house. I have a 5600sq ft home and have two and am about to add a third to cover my son's room better. Plug them into an Ethernet port wherever you put them. Same SSID, cameramonkey can tell you how to make them access points and to disable the routing functions

edit: hah, he beat me to it

 

[Cameramonkey]

This is what I meant by staggering by floor. Yes, its paint and I was drawing with my foot, honest. (No, I cant draw worth beans.) Black circles are APs and the red circles are coverage examples.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/59860621/INGO/crude wifi.png

 

[Cameramonkey]

stick wireless routers throughout the house. I have a 5600sq ft home and have two and am about to add a third to cover my son's room better. Plug them into an Ethernet port wherever you put them. Same SSID, cameramonkey can tell you how to make them access points and to disable the routing functions

edit: hah, he beat me to it

Look into what I suggested Doc. (Unifi) The system is amazing now that they have the controller device. I can see exactly who's using the bandwidth, and whats going on. the only drawback is it doesnt play nice with Chromecast. Not sure whats up with that. Its a known issue that support is working on. Pricing is awesome. Only drawback is there is little tech support from the manufacturer. Its community forum based, but the users there are awesome and VERY helpful. They are easy to deal with RMAs though. MFR does handle that well.