Extending the range of my Wifi?

[phylodog]

I've got a small issue and I'm hoping there is a simple solution. My Wifi router couldn't sit any farther south in my house, the southeast corner to be more accurate and due to the wiring of the house I cannot relocate it. I have a Wifi based controller for my Big Green Egg that sits outside of the north east corner of my house, no option to move it either unfortunately. My controller struggles to maintain a connection with my router which leads to a good bit of frustration for me and the possibility of ruining some expensive chunks of meat.

Does anyone have any experience with a product which improves the range of a Wifi router that they would recommend? I'm putting a $50 hunk of rib roast on the smoker today and I need to be able to keep an eye on it. I paid a good bit of money to be able to adjust things while I'm away from home if needed and it would be nice to be able to take advantage of it.

 

[Vigilant]

Best Buy has a number of different wifi "boosters", although I know nothing about them. I'm assuming they work similar to repeaters that you may be used to.

 

[Classic]

Had a similar problem at my house, weak signal at each end of house. Solved by buying a new Asus router, 6 antennas have filled the house with internet richness.

 

[r3126]

Best Wifi Range Extender - Amazon.com‎

Or something similar.

 

[mrjarrell]

I had the same problem. Tried 2 different extenders and they just didn't work worth a crap. Diluted the signal and made things worse for my sons computer downstairs. The solution was a different and more powerful router. Yeah, it's gonna cost you a bit more money, but you'll actually get the results you're looking for. Head out to Fry's in Fishers and they'll be happy to help you get into a new one. (If you're going to get one in a few days or whenever, go to Frys.com and sign up for their promo codes and get notified of their daily deals. You might get lucky and catch one on daily sale and save some cash).

 

[phylodog]

I'm not opposed to buying a new router but I'm largely ignorant on these things. I have ATT Uverse so the television signals run through the same router. Two if the televisions are on wireless receivers but the one in my bedroom is hard wired. I assume this requires a particular type of router, I need to do some research.

 

[eldirector]

Make/model of existing router? There may be a high-gain external antennae available.

 

[mrjarrell]

Most all routers I have seen have both wired and wireless capability. Mine does. A more powerful router will help out in lots of ways. Not just signal strength. It will allow for more devices to be connected successfully to your network. Mine is chock full of devices and runs uncongested. Not sure if AT&T requires a specific setup, though. You could try checking their website for recommended routers. Then get the strongest you can.

 

[Bill B]

I'm not opposed to buying a new router but I'm largely ignorant on these things. I have ATT Uverse so the television signals run through the same router. Two if the televisions are on wireless receivers but the one in my bedroom is hard wired. I assume this requires a particular type of router, I need to do some research.

ATT routers are notoriously bad, almost any wi-fi router from best buy would be better, just connect it to the ethernet port on your ATT router. You can also try changing channels on your router to minimize any interference you may be getting. You might also look into a directional antenna for your "Big Green Egg" (whatever that is), it would also help.

https://forums.att.com/t5/Features-...wireless-channel-on-a-2Wire-Pace/td-p/4192812

 

[Cameramonkey]

Dont use extenders. they half the throughput of your network for each repeater you install. (long explanation)

Step1 Run an ethernet wire from the router to the other end of the house. (dont go all the way, just far enough to get the coverage bubble to cover what you need.)
Step2 Add a wireless access point. Configure that AP to the EXACT same SSID/passphrase and encryption type. This allows your devices to roam between wireless APs seamlessly like a cell phone uses towers.

I like these.
Ubiquiti PicoStation M2-HP Hi-Power 802.11n Outdoor AP, 2.4GHz, Ubiquiti, M2-HP

These are also slick, but not as flexible
Search Results


And I have a buddy that used this to extend his network. It USUALLY works.
https://www.trendnet.com/products/powerline-500/TPL-406E2K


Let me know if you need a hand, as this is squarely inside my wheelhouse. (certified wireless admin, etc)

 

[bwframe]

Dont use extenders. they half the throughput of your network for each repeater you install. (long explanation)

Step1 Run an ethernet wire from the router to the other end of the house. (dont go all the way, just far enough to get the coverage bubble to cover what you need.)
Step2 Add a wireless access point. Configure that AP to the EXACT same SSID/passphrase and encryption type. This allows your devices to roam between wireless APs seamlessly like a cell phone uses towers.

I like these.
Ubiquiti PicoStation M2-HP Hi-Power 802.11n Outdoor AP, 2.4GHz, Ubiquiti, M2-HP

These are also slick, but not as flexible
Search Results


And I have a buddy that used this to extend his network. It USUALLY works.
https://www.trendnet.com/products/powerline-500/TPL-406E2K


Let me know if you need a hand, as this is squarely inside my wheelhouse. (certified wireless admin, etc)

The access point has to be hardwired correct? It will not work wirelessly (other than power)?

 

[Bigtanker]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break-room/401290-your-first-world-problems.html

My wifi is weak so my grill won't work right.

Cameramonkey sounds like he know what you need.

 

[Cameramonkey]

The access point has to be hardwired correct? It will not work wirelessly (other than power)?

Correct. And a proper access point will receive power on unused pairs of the ethernet cable so you dont have to have power where the AP needs to go. (PoE, power over ethernet) The Ubiquiti AirGateway I referenced is an exception. It is designed to sit next to a power outlet for other reasons. With a wrap of electrical tape though, You can make it sit away from a power source.

 

[snorko]

I am in no way a techy but why not just improve the grill sensor's ability to receive the signal with a cheap hack? I have seen them made from Pringle cans and here is one from a soda bottle.

UPDATED !!!! Cheap and easy WIFI antenna signal booster that is better and quicker than the paper ones !!! - All

 

[phylodog]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break-room/401290-your-first-world-problems.html

My wifi is weak so my grill won't work right.

Cameramonkey sounds like he know what you need.

The struggle is real. Don't minimize my pain just because your life is perfect.

 

[lovemachine]

Dont use extenders. they half the throughput of your network for each repeater you install. (long explanation)

What do you mean exactly? I bought a wifi extender for work, and it works great. It's a very large building, with large machines and large quantities of metal everywhere. I couldn't pick up a signal in different parts of the building, now the signal is MUCH better with the extender.

 

[r3126]

Of course I am no electronic wizard and have always believed in KISS and KIC (keep it cheap) but I have an extender that is about 60 feet, 3 walls and a floor from my router. I have no problems with reception and speed. Both my wife and I can watch separate NETFLIX movies in our bedroom while the grandchildren (usually 2 on most weekends) run their pads, phones and devices - all this at the cost of a $65 extender. YMMV.

 

[Cameramonkey]

What do you mean exactly? I bought a wifi extender for work, and it works great. It's a very large building, with large machines and large quantities of metal everywhere. I couldn't pick up a signal in different parts of the building, now the signal is MUCH better with the extender.

Quick and dirty explanation. A repeater repeats everything it hears. Only one device at a time can communicate on the channel. (from the perspective of millisecond slices of time) If you add a single repeater, now you have a device that is echoing each packet, putting twice as much data in the air at once, limiting the available throughput. And improperly configured repeaters can cause even more harm due to signal pollution.

Its all a trade-off. If you only have a few devices that are using low amounts of data, it wont affect you much. But if you are putting lots of high utilization devices in play it becomes more noticeable. So a couple laptops checking email, facebook,etc no biggie. add a couple smart TVs streaming netflix on top of it and you could have issues.

Best bets are: (in order)
wired AP
Powerline Extender
repeater

Sometimes a repeater is the only option. But its the worst option, and should only be used as a last resort.