Wireless Range Extenders
I have a Cisco RV134 Wireless Router in my basement near the back wall of my house. It is 3 feet from the basement ceiling under the family room.
My main office desk is in the kitchen (beside the family room) and I often (as now) use the kitchen table for my Laptop (which is Wireless and only Wired if I bring out my adapter dongle - no RJ45 jack as the laptop is too thin for that).
Using inSSider V4 (MetaGeek) I see 5 GHz signal strength from -59 to about -68 dBm. 2.4 GHz is a bit higher but nothing to be concerned about. Overall wireless performance in my office location is excellent and very (very) good most anywhere on the main floor.
My desktop computer is wired Ethernet and is on the office desk along with my printer which is networked.
I trust you have the picture here.
I want to put a small office (desk and chair) in my second floor Den for those times when I must engage in a telephone meeting and using the Kitchen office is inconvenient. I have ordered a desk and chair from Staples and should have it next week. The Den office is at the front of the house .
Wi-Fi performance in the Den Office location is -66 dBm to -73 or so dBm or lower strength by a bar or two in my W-Fi Icon. Sometimes I notice some lag in page load but nothing terrible.
It happens I have an CAT 5e Ethernet connection in the Den attached to my Cisco RV325 VPN main router. The Rogers Hitron Modem, the Cisco RV325 router, and the Cisco RV134 AC router are all on the same shelf, all on the same inside subnet, and all on my UPS.
I am thinking of putting in a Wireless Range Extender for the Den Office.
I could easily put in another Wi-Fi router (Ethernet is right there) but I don't really want two SSIDs or the same one getting confused when I change floors with Laptop or iPhone.
I do not want to use a Wired Connection for the Laptop (and the iPhone cannot).
I do not think this tiny space warrants mesh.
I can live with what I have, but I wish to explore a Range Extender.
Do you have thoughts on a truly good Range Extender and how it should be best hooked up? I do not mind purchasing a commercial unit.
Thank you.
My main office desk is in the kitchen (beside the family room) and I often (as now) use the kitchen table for my Laptop (which is Wireless and only Wired if I bring out my adapter dongle - no RJ45 jack as the laptop is too thin for that).
Using inSSider V4 (MetaGeek) I see 5 GHz signal strength from -59 to about -68 dBm. 2.4 GHz is a bit higher but nothing to be concerned about. Overall wireless performance in my office location is excellent and very (very) good most anywhere on the main floor.
My desktop computer is wired Ethernet and is on the office desk along with my printer which is networked.
I trust you have the picture here.
I want to put a small office (desk and chair) in my second floor Den for those times when I must engage in a telephone meeting and using the Kitchen office is inconvenient. I have ordered a desk and chair from Staples and should have it next week. The Den office is at the front of the house .
Wi-Fi performance in the Den Office location is -66 dBm to -73 or so dBm or lower strength by a bar or two in my W-Fi Icon. Sometimes I notice some lag in page load but nothing terrible.
It happens I have an CAT 5e Ethernet connection in the Den attached to my Cisco RV325 VPN main router. The Rogers Hitron Modem, the Cisco RV325 router, and the Cisco RV134 AC router are all on the same shelf, all on the same inside subnet, and all on my UPS.
I am thinking of putting in a Wireless Range Extender for the Den Office.
I could easily put in another Wi-Fi router (Ethernet is right there) but I don't really want two SSIDs or the same one getting confused when I change floors with Laptop or iPhone.
I do not want to use a Wired Connection for the Laptop (and the iPhone cannot).
I do not think this tiny space warrants mesh.
I can live with what I have, but I wish to explore a Range Extender.
Do you have thoughts on a truly good Range Extender and how it should be best hooked up? I do not mind purchasing a commercial unit.
Thank you.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Hello David,
I remain a bit confused.
One set of Ubiquiti instructions says to turn OFF the Wireless on my existing WiFi router because the Ubiquiti is powerful enough for a whole house.
Can it not just act as a range extender - especially the one you pointed out above which is an Access point?
Please let me know when you have a minute - tomorrow is fine.
I remain a bit confused.
One set of Ubiquiti instructions says to turn OFF the Wireless on my existing WiFi router because the Ubiquiti is powerful enough for a whole house.
Can it not just act as a range extender - especially the one you pointed out above which is an Access point?
Please let me know when you have a minute - tomorrow is fine.
1. Do I keep my Cisco 134 router or replace it with the Ubiquiti above? Keep
2. Do I add a Ubiquiti upstairs via the existing Ethernet? yes ad the POE injector somewhere in the stream.. basement is probably the most convenient
An Extender will cut your access speed in half, you want more not less. An LR version may cover your entire house.. (LR - Long range)
Just add it to your existing setup
2. Do I add a Ubiquiti upstairs via the existing Ethernet? yes ad the POE injector somewhere in the stream.. basement is probably the most convenient
An Extender will cut your access speed in half, you want more not less. An LR version may cover your entire house.. (LR - Long range)
Just add it to your existing setup
ASKER
I am going to see about ordering the unit from New Egg early in the week.
If I power the Ubiquiti upstairs on AC, plug it into my Ethernet and then place the POE injector in the basement,
Then:
1. What does the POE Injector do?
2. Is my SSID the same as in my Cisco Rv134?
3. Is there a configuration to do, e.g. put the Ubiquiti on my 192.168.x subnet?
If I power the Ubiquiti upstairs on AC, plug it into my Ethernet and then place the POE injector in the basement,
Then:
1. What does the POE Injector do?
2. Is my SSID the same as in my Cisco Rv134?
3. Is there a configuration to do, e.g. put the Ubiquiti on my 192.168.x subnet?
there is configuration software that you have to download.. the access point is powered over ethernet. If your router has a poe port that supplies 24V then you don't need to use the injector inline with the ethernet
ASKER
If your router has a POE port that supplies 24V <-- No.
So the Ubiquiti apparently has POE built in. I plug it into AC (wall socket) and the Ethernet line.
The POE injector plugs in in the basement and apparently also into my Ethernet network.
Then I download the configuration software and go through that.
So the Ubiquiti apparently has POE built in. I plug it into AC (wall socket) and the Ethernet line.
The POE injector plugs in in the basement and apparently also into my Ethernet network.
Then I download the configuration software and go through that.
Correct. Give me a call if needed
ASKER
Thanks. I will order the unit and when it comes I will start the setup and config.
If issues I will post here as well.
If issues I will post here as well.
ASKER
I am going to use the Ubiquiti unit and this is what I will do.
Many thanks.
Many thanks.
ASKER
Hello David,
The desk and chair arrived yesterday from Staples and I assembled them last night (much attention to many details).
The Ubiquiti Access Point arrived. I plugged in the POE box, hooked up the POE RJ45 jack to the Ethernet cable heading to the den, hooked up the POE LAN RJ45 jack to my Cisco RV325 VPN router.
I plugged in the Ubiquiti box and it turned white and no farther.
I installed the config software on my desktop where I had to give it my secure Wi-Fi SSID and Password (makes sense), completed all that, took my laptop upstairs and by the time I got there, the light was steady blue.
All 5 Wi-Fi bars now in the den. And not change to my connection. Completely transparent.
Good idea of yours and it works really well.
The desk and chair arrived yesterday from Staples and I assembled them last night (much attention to many details).
The Ubiquiti Access Point arrived. I plugged in the POE box, hooked up the POE RJ45 jack to the Ethernet cable heading to the den, hooked up the POE LAN RJ45 jack to my Cisco RV325 VPN router.
I plugged in the Ubiquiti box and it turned white and no farther.
I installed the config software on my desktop where I had to give it my secure Wi-Fi SSID and Password (makes sense), completed all that, took my laptop upstairs and by the time I got there, the light was steady blue.
All 5 Wi-Fi bars now in the den. And not change to my connection. Completely transparent.
Good idea of yours and it works really well.
ASKER
So hookup:
1. Do I keep my Cisco 134 router or replace it with the Ubiquiti above?
2. Do I add a Ubiquiti upstairs via the existing Ethernet?
So it is as simple as plus one Ubiquiti upstairs on the Ethernet and put on the main subnet inside?
Price is fine, so is that what you would do?