Hey guys, Several years ago Verizon installed a FiOS router in one corner of our home with an Ethernet connection to that room's desktop PC. The router's WiFi is acceptable in the some other (close-by) rooms, but it is very weak and sometimes non-existent in our bedroom at the other end of the house (where I'd love to be able to use my laptop in bed)! Given that our house is 57 years old (there are no coax connectors and the electrical is 2-wire), is there an easy and effective way to extend the router's WiFi range to our bedroom?
There are several options for "wifi extenders" that work well. I don't have any personal experience with any of them but you can look here for options. I suggest you look them over, then come back if you have any specific questions.
If Powerline doesnt´work because of the 2-wire electrical network, you could use an exposed Ethernet network and complement it with wi-fi extenders. I use such a combination with these TP-Link devices, which work well in my case: TP-LINK TL-WPA4220KIT ADVANCED AV500 Wi-Fi Powerline Extender Starter Kit with 2 LAN Ports, Up to 300Mbps Wireless.
Thank you both for the links and ideas. Robin, short of buying and trying, is there any way to find out (in advance) if powerline extenders work in 2-wire circuits? ...and what do you mean by an 'exposed' Ethernet network?
I personally have had problems with powerline extenders in old houses unless they have been rewired up to code. Of course, every house is different so your mileage may vary. But I would not buy a powerline extender unless you were sure you could take it back for a full refund if not satisfied. In my 60 year old house, I have a mix of 3 and 2 prong outlets and even have some aluminum wiring. Performance was horrible and intermittent with a powerline network I was trying to set up. I gave up and decided to drill holes in walls to run Ethernet cable up through the attic so I could put my WAP (wireless access point) in a central location. Not fun, but worth it.
The first thing to try is to properly position the WiFi router, which Verizon didn't do. If you're paying for WiFi service in your house (you are), then I would expect them to provide it. If it isn't high up on a bookshelf or something, try relocating it there or, even better, if you can relocate it to the centre of the house. Also, ensure the WiFi is transmitting at full power and not with some power-saving setting. Picture: http://assets.hardwarezone.com/img/2014/07/wifi_position.jpg
If you are using 5GHz switch to 2,4 GHz (20 MHz), which is less crowded and find the channel, which is not being used in the area. http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html
