Finding a solution to improve wifi coverage

cpugeek21 · Jan 16, 2016

I need a solution to improve wifi speeds as well as coverage around the house. So my questions are as below.

1. Does a good router really make a difference to the wifi speed and wifi coverage?
2. Is my wifi speed also bottlenecked by my isp?
3. Any options other than buying a new router to improve wifi speed and coverage (maybe wireless range extenders?)
4. If i'm only using wifi for normal internet use, is it true that i won't see any noticeable increment in performance as long as my original speed is already fast enough?
5. If a router really does work, please recommend some good routers.

Thanks, any comments, suggestions would be deeply appreciated.
PS. I'm only getting 2.4 Mbps in some rooms in the house, and i have to wait 15 seconds for youtube homepage to load.

BuddhaSkoota · Jan 16, 2016

1. Does a good router really make a difference to the wifi speed and wifi coverage?

Routers that exploit the latest technologies (AC, MIMO, beamforming, etc.) can help maximize speed and coverage, but your devices must be compatible with some of these to benefit fully. You'll need to find the capabilities of your devices in order to determine this. Remember that the performance of any wireless router is affected by distance and obstacles (e.g. walls).

2. Is my wifi speed also bottlenecked by my isp?

Wireless connection speed is not affected by the connection to your ISP, but good wireless performance does not improve the Internet speed to which you are subscribed with your ISP. For example, if your subscribed speed to your provider is 6Mb/s, then web pages will only load at that speed, regardless of the quality of your wifi connection.

3. Any options other than buying a new router to improve wifi speed and coverage (maybe wireless range extenders?)

Wireless range extenders are a last resort and improve coverage only, not speed. Wired access points would be the first choice in improving coverage to other areas in your home. You might also consider powerline network adapters with wifi.

4. If i'm only using wifi for normal internet use, is it true that i won't see any noticeable increment in performance as long as my original speed is already fast enough?

A better wifi connection will not help if you have a slow Internet connection.

5. If a router really does work, please recommend some good routers.

Too many routers to list without knowing your budget. The best Asus routers usually get top marks, but there are plenty of reviews available for other makes. Don't forget about powerline wifi adapters.

cpugeek21 · Jan 16, 2016

Thanks for the answers, they really cleared up alot of my doubts from beforehand. Powerline network adapters may not really be a solution for me because they are more suitable as a wired solution to connect to laptops etc. I l don't really want extenders as well if they may result in some loss of bandwidth when they are travelling through the extender. Do you think in this case that a new router itself would be the best solution?

BuddhaSkoota · Jan 16, 2016

cpugeek21 :

It's hard to say if a new router will improve your situation, since there are too many unknowns (e.g. device capabilities, area of coverage, etc.). You would not want to spend a lot of money only to find that your devices are not compatible with the router's newest technology.

But, if you have a very old router, a newer model would likely be an improvement in any case.

Btw, there are powerline adapters that also have integrated wifi, so it would essentially perform much like a wired access point.

Search

Finding a solution to improve wifi coverage

cpugeek21

Honorable

BuddhaSkoota

BuddhaSkoota

Admirable

cpugeek21

Honorable

BuddhaSkoota

Admirable

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page