Will a new router give faster internet?

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Imhalfdead

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Jan 25, 2014
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Okay this is probably a dumb question but my girlfriend is complaining about slow internet and bad wifi range with the verizon wireless router they have. I want to know if getting them a better router will increase internet speed. I've gotta be sure cuz I don't want to hook everything up for them and have nothing change and look like an idiot Infront of her and her parents. I was thinking of getting them the NETGEAR WNDR4300 duel band router. Thanks in advance for any feedback
 
Solution
bgunner
Ok your speed will not increase. example: if you pay for 5Mbps down, that is the max you will get. Now you can increase the wireless range and strength. !st thing to do is on a wireless laptop down load from metageek inSSIDer. This program will tell you what other networks are around so you can choose teh best channel for the router to be on. Try this before purchasing any components.

If you want to go further from the router you can do a couple of things, If you have another router do a AP/bridge with it closer to where you want to go OR buy a wireless range extender.

If you find a lot of your channels are very congested you can go the route you were thinking and go 5GHz. this will require the devices to have a 5GHz wireless card...
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bgunner

bgunner

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Feb 13, 2009
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Ok your speed will not increase. example: if you pay for 5Mbps down, that is the max you will get. Now you can increase the wireless range and strength. !st thing to do is on a wireless laptop down load from metageek inSSIDer. This program will tell you what other networks are around so you can choose teh best channel for the router to be on. Try this before purchasing any components.

If you want to go further from the router you can do a couple of things, If you have another router do a AP/bridge with it closer to where you want to go OR buy a wireless range extender.

If you find a lot of your channels are very congested you can go the route you were thinking and go 5GHz. this will require the devices to have a 5GHz wireless card or adapter of there own but will usually free up tons of congestion. Be sure to get a 2.4 and 5 GHz simultaneous router.

get inSSider first and see what is around. next decide what you want to do, extend the signal and/or clear up the congestion. Next decide what is the best option for them and thier needs. Remeber this though 5GHz range is less than the 2.4GHz range so an extender may be necessary.
 
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Solution
eldapeeze

eldapeeze

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Dec 23, 2012
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Go to speedtest.net and see what internet speeds you're getting. If you're getting good speeds but still experiencing slowness on the LAN, it could be an internal problem. But if you're speeds are slow, then there's your answer.
 
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PsyKhiqZero

PsyKhiqZero

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Jun 1, 2008
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I've seen it before with Comcast customers. Swapping out the rented modem can improve internet speeds. But you have to be absolutely sure that faulty equipment is to blame. If you have a combination modem/router see if you can trade Verizon for a modem only unit and pair it with your own router
 
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Pooneil

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Apr 15, 2013
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Just to be clear here. Do they have a WiFi router provided by Verizon Wireless or do they have a wireless (WiFi) router provided by Verizon? That is do they have a "router" that uses the Verizon Wireless cellular network or the Verizon FIOS network?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
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OK, hold right there. If this is indeed Verizon FiOS, there are other considerations.

I'm assuming they also have TV (and maybe phone) through FiOS? You can't just replace that router. It is the central brain of the whole thing. It supplies the TV boxes with their signal and an IP address. It allows multiroom DVR, etc, etc, etc.
That Verizon supplied router must be in the chain somewhere.
MoCA.

You do have a few options, though.

1. Where is the router? Hopefully not in the basement. That is the worst place to propagate a WiFi signal from.

2. Antenna orientation? Sideways? Straight up?

3. Possibly your best option is a MoCA coax->Ethernet bridge.
Assuming the whole house is wired with coax, and that coax talks back to the main router and settop box, you can plug that coax-ethernet bridge into any coax cable. And then it serves up an ethernet signal from the RJ-45 port.
You can use that for a multiport switch, or a WiFI adapter.

Put it upstairs somewhere...maybe close to the middle of the house. Poof, new wifi signal.
 
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Imhalfdead

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Jan 25, 2014
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It's a one story house the router is around the center so the placement is good. I was thinking I could just hook the new router to the old one with an Ethernet cable assuming the higher quality router would give slightly better range and better streaming performance
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Not quite that easy. Just hooking a new router to the existing will bring all sorts of problems.

The existing router does the duty of DHCP/WiFi/firewall/etc. You have to turn off all or most of that if you want to use a different router.

An Access point, or as said above, a MoCA coax-ethernet bridge is what you may be looking for.

How large is the house?
Is there an actual problem, or just a perceived problem?
How far away does the WiFi signal degrade?
What is in between?
Connected WiFi, what speeds from speedtest.net does she get? And what speed wired?

WiFi performance is as much an art as it is a science. 'Just a new router' may indeed make things worse.
 
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