Improve Wi-Fi connection/Maybe even Ethernet with no access to router/modem? (Apartment)

jorlaxl

Prominent
Jan 23, 2018
4
0
510
Hey guys! The apartment complex i'm currently living in doesn't have any Ethernet ports in their rooms, and I am only able to connect my PC to the internet via Wi-Fi. Because only a few separate connections are available to every tenant in the complex, this makes everything from watching videos on youtube to playing video games a nightmare. We have a phone jack in the room besides the cable, but I doubt they have the CAT 5 wiring I'd need to convert them to Ethernet.

So I figure that the best thing to do would be to either get a Wi-Fi bridge, a repeater, or something of the like if it would actually help my connection in any way. I thought about getting powerline adapters, but I don't have access to the complex's modem/router. Going to the office was also no help, so I'm on my own.

Any help you guys can give me would be most appreciated! Thank you so much in advance!
 
Solution
You could look into your own personal hot-spot trough your cell carrier. At least that way you would have your own access point and you wouldn’t have to share the bandwidth with anyone else.

Jwpanz

Honorable
Apartments are weird when it comes to wiring. If you open up a wall and start rewiring the place with CAT5 cables then you can kiss your security deposit goodbye lol.

For a unit with multiple users on one Wifi network I would highly suggest buying a beefy Wifi router. Look into this list: https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2398080,00.asp

Better network management means better performance. You should also look into better internet speeds through your ISP.
 

jorlaxl

Prominent
Jan 23, 2018
4
0
510


What exactly would buying the router accomplish? I don't mean to sound rude but I'm just ignorant on networking in general lol. If I get a router, doesn't it just mean more people would be able to connect, slowing speeds more? I'm hoping for as close to ethernet as possible. Would I be able to buy a router and connect it to the pc via ethernet and close off other incoming connection attempts?

 
If your internet is only delivered via WiFi from outside your apartment you have few options. You are on the right track when you look at a bridge to get ethernet but that likely does not solve your real problem. The bridge could be placed say outside and improve the signal strength. If the problem really is that you share the wifi with too many other neighbors nothing you can do will really help that. Only the apartment complex can fix this type of problem....you could I support run bit torrent 24x7 downloading legal files just to increase the number of complaints they get from other tenants.

Unless the apartment complex forbids it you should be able to get your own internet connection. DSL would be the most likely since most times phone lines are connected to the phone company rather than some central apartment phone system. If you have coax cable and you can buy cable tv directly from the cable company...rather than from the apartment complex...you might be able to get internet from the cable company.
 

jorlaxl

Prominent
Jan 23, 2018
4
0
510


The problem with that is that cable and internet is included with the rent, so service is already being provided.
 

jorlaxl

Prominent
Jan 23, 2018
4
0
510


Yeah, that makes sense. I really think getting a dsl connection would be impossible due to contract agreements too. What should my next course of action be?