Which wifi chain is preferred: 1) modem to powerline to router, or, 2) modem to router to extender?

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I have cable-based internet. My service plan has a download speed of 60 mbps. My house has two cable outlets: one in the basement and the other in the kitchen (first floor, not centrally located).

The wifi in certain bedrooms upstairs (second floor) is often unreliable because of a weak signal. I cannot move the all-in-one modem/router to a new location without paying a contractor to retroactively install a new cable outlet. I would prefer not to do this.

So, I think my only two other options are:

  1. Connecting a powerline adapter to the modem in the kitchen, and plugging in the other powerline adapter to a higher end and dedicated router (like the Netgear Nighthawk) located in a distant, more centralized room on the first floor.

  2. Placing the higher end router in the kitchen, wired directly to the modem via Ethernet. Placing a wifi extender in a central room on the first floor.

Which do you recommend and why?

Bunshin

Posted 2017-03-24T08:42:56.200

Reputation: 3

Question was closed 2017-03-26T11:48:44.813

The correct solution is going to vary greatly based on the shape of your home, the construction of the walls, the number of people in the home and devices you'll be connecting to wireless, the state of the power cords in your home and the layout of the circuits and breakers. Because of these reasons any recommendations we give will be based on opinion and may not end up being best for you. – music2myear – 2017-03-24T18:00:37.197

This has attracted several close votes as opinion-based. That would be appropriate if any answer is as good as any other answer. There is a correct answer here, but it depends on additional assumptions or local conditions. This can be factually answered by: addressing the cases in which it would be one or the other; explaining definitively why it cannot be factually answered in any manner; or explaining how the OP can make the determination (even if trial and error is the only method). – fixer1234 – 2017-03-24T19:10:33.147

Answers

1

Assuming the powerline adaptor allows throughput greater then your Internet connection, option 1 is clearly superior.

Option 2 requires using a WIFI extender which eats into the available WIFI bandwidth, slowing performance - in most cases it halves the bandwidth available (because it rebroadcasts on the same frequency) - but even if it doesn't, its still using 2 channels.

davidgo

Posted 2017-03-24T08:42:56.200

Reputation: 49 152

There are also other options - Use a better router/AP - newer AC gear with multiple antennas can reach further and create "corridors", and using directional aerials can also refocus signal more appropriately (as can shielding your place from sources of interference whereby increasing the Signal to Noise ratio, and with it, performance. – davidgo – 2017-03-24T08:56:25.683

Asked: 2017-03-24T08:42:56.200

Viewed: 125 times

Active: 2017-03-24T08:52:43.480