[SOLVED] Mesh system question

Raena92

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I've recently moved into a vey small apartment, in a building with 19 other equally small apartments (especially for senior citizens). Wi-fi is provided with rent and utilities, and it's usually quite good -- but it does fluctuate.

When the signal is unhealthy, my laptop gets very slow, and the tv sometimes cuts out. The desktop (XPS 3930, 64-bit, SS drive) has no problems. Since someone else often uses the XPS, though, I would like to speed up the laptop.

The building I live in has routers/modems (?) throughout, located high up on the walls. There's no way I can plug into the only closest to me -- or anywhere else, for that matter: it wouldn't be allowed.

I'm wondering if I could improve my signal with an inexpensive mesh system. I've been looking on Amazon, and have found some that don't have to be attached to a modem or router. Does something like this sound like it might help? Thanks for any information.
 
Solution
Mesh is marketing hype that is mostly just the same old repeaters they have sold for years with the same problems.

So your first issue is that many of the mesh systems only work with equipment from the same vendor. Those that work with other vendors are simple repeaters so you spend extra money for the word MESH on the box.

Next to use a repeater you need a feature called WDS enabled on the apartment complex AP. Many times this feature is not enabled partially because it is considered a security issue. Without this feature you can not use a repeater.

And last a repeater is not some magic device. It your laptop gets a crappy signal the repeater will get the same crappy signal and then re transmit it making it worse.

In some...
Mesh is marketing hype that is mostly just the same old repeaters they have sold for years with the same problems.

So your first issue is that many of the mesh systems only work with equipment from the same vendor. Those that work with other vendors are simple repeaters so you spend extra money for the word MESH on the box.

Next to use a repeater you need a feature called WDS enabled on the apartment complex AP. Many times this feature is not enabled partially because it is considered a security issue. Without this feature you can not use a repeater.

And last a repeater is not some magic device. It your laptop gets a crappy signal the repeater will get the same crappy signal and then re transmit it making it worse.

In some ways it is surprising a desktop has better signal. Many times the antenna in a desktop is blocked by the case.

Are these located in the same room or is there a wall or something that maybe making the signal worse for the other devices. For the laptop you could try a usb wifi nic that has larger antenna and you can use a USB extension cable to maybe locate it in a area that get better signal.

Check that the desktop and the other devices area all using the same radio band. If some use 2.4 and some use 5 you can get very different performance.
 
Solution

Raena92

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May 4, 2019
67
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Mesh is marketing hype that is mostly just the same old repeaters they have sold for years with the same problems.

So your first issue is that many of the mesh systems only work with equipment from the same vendor. Those that work with other vendors are simple repeaters so you spend extra money for the word MESH on the box.

Next to use a repeater you need a feature called WDS enabled on the apartment complex AP. Many times this feature is not enabled partially because it is considered a security issue. Without this feature you can not use a repeater.

And last a repeater is not some magic device. It your laptop gets a crappy signal the repeater will get the same crappy signal and then re transmit it making it worse.

In some ways it is surprising a desktop has better signal. Many times the antenna in a desktop is blocked by the case.

Are these located in the same room or is there a wall or something that maybe making the signal worse for the other devices. For the laptop you could try a usb wifi nic that has larger antenna and you can use a USB extension cable to maybe locate it in a area that get better signal.

Check that the desktop and the other devices area all using the same radio band. If some use 2.4 and some use 5 you can get very different performance.
Thank you so much for your response, and I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. And thanks for the solid information. I had no idea how something like mesh would work (or not work) and, thanks to you, I didn't waste any money!
 

Raena92

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May 4, 2019
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Mesh is marketing hype that is mostly just the same old repeaters they have sold for years with the same problems.

So your first issue is that many of the mesh systems only work with equipment from the same vendor. Those that work with other vendors are simple repeaters so you spend extra money for the word MESH on the box.

Next to use a repeater you need a feature called WDS enabled on the apartment complex AP. Many times this feature is not enabled partially because it is considered a security issue. Without this feature you can not use a repeater.

And last a repeater is not some magic device. It your laptop gets a crappy signal the repeater will get the same crappy signal and then re transmit it making it worse.

In some ways it is surprising a desktop has better signal. Many times the antenna in a desktop is blocked by the case.

Are these located in the same room or is there a wall or something that maybe making the signal worse for the other devices. For the laptop you could try a usb wifi nic that has larger antenna and you can use a USB extension cable to maybe locate it in a area that get better signal.

Check that the desktop and the other devices area all using the same radio band. If some use 2.4 and some use 5 you can get very different performance.
Thank you again for your response to my question. I wanted to let you know that I did order a USB wifi nic, and it seems to be helping! There are some rife frequencies that I like to listen to, and, since my move here, they were frequently dropping out. Eventually, they would start again -- and drop out again. Since I got the USB wifi nic, I've been able to listen to the frequencies without any drop outs.

Since I didn't know what I was doing, I ended up with a really short antenna. Still, it's helping with the rife frequencies, so I'm thinking about ordering another, with a much longer antenna, to try on the TV. There is one USB port on the TV, but I don't know any way to put a driver on the TV. Is there a chance the USB wifi nic would work without a driver being installed?

Thanks one more time. I'm so pleased with how the wifi nic is working on my laptop!
 
You are correct the driver is going to be the issue trying to attach a USB wifi nic to a tv. Most tv recognize only a tiny number of devices, mostly storage devices. They do not even recognize extremely common things like a mouse or keyboard.

Most tv you would have to disassemble them to do anything with the wifi antenna. Most work similar to laptop where a cable runs from the wifi module to some small antenna that is mounted internally to the back of the case. I have seen youtube videos on some tv that people talk about replacing these but I would assume there is great variation between tv. Many years ago I saw a tv with external wifi antenna but I never saw another.

It is very unfortunate that the router is not in the apartment there are other non wifi methods like powerline or moca that can solve these issues.
 

Raena92

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Thanks again for your response and explanation. I was a bit suspicious that the USB wfi nic wouldn't work on the TV. I'll do some research on the other things you mentioned, just in case I find something.