Upgrading Wifi Network -- should I choose triband in a multi-device, heavy usage home

[remy721]

I'm currently looking to upgrade from an old cable-company router/modem (an out-of-date Arris) - for reference the specs are 2-band N300 - 150@2.4ghz | 150@5ghz; I'm guessing at the speeds based on rudimentary testing.

Here's a list of devices, capabilities, and usage:
■2 phones | N@2.4 | light gaming, light internet, music, occasional video upload/download (Social Media)
■5 tablets | N@2.4 | light gaming, light internet (mostly e-readers)
■1 PC | N@2.4/5 | gaming (not much MP), continuous FHD downstreaming, critical internet (work-related)
■ 2 phones | AC@5 | as phones above
■1 PC | AC@5 | heavy gaming, continuous FHD downstreaming, critical internet
■1 Laptop | AC@5 | as above
■ 1 Smart TV | AC@5 | downstreaming FHD
■ 1 Smart TV | AC@5 | downstreaming 4K

In the future, we may add a console (AC@5), possibly twitch-like streaming to one of the PCs, and a voice-activated assistant, and replacing the FHD TV with 4K.

The 4K TV is currently connected via ethernet, but that may change when redecorating is complete. We have 1 other device connected via ethernet, and cannot rewire the house (it's a rental, and I asked).

It's a bungalow-style house, with neighbors in close proximity, mostly on 2.4ghz networks that I can see. The router is centrally located, with 0-2 walls between it and clients, at a max distance of roughly 25 feet. Potential noise sources are a refrigerator and old wiring.

The issues I'm currently seeing are:
Dropped connections on 5ghz, stagnant connections on 2.4/5ghz (connection is alive, but cannot see and/or respond to internet), latency on 2.4ghz

I know some of the issues on 2.4 are congestion-related; I'm hoping that an improved router processor will help with traffic and prevent connections from stagnating. I'm more concerned with the dropped 5ghz connections, particular for the PC that is almost within line-of-sight to the router.
I'm hoping that just upgrading to an AC router will help with that, but I'm wondering if moving to a triband router will improve the traffic overall. I'm thinking that the datahogs are cutting off the 5ghz network at the router, and triband might help stabilize the connection.

I'm not concerned with speed at the moment. Our current ISP speed is 100Mbs, but we're looking to upgrade that as well. My current focus is on connection stability.
And I'm aware I'll need a new modem - I'm waiting to hear from the ISP what devices are compatible, and when 1gig Internet might arrive in my area (might as well plan ahead).

So, is a triband a good idea? Or is it just a hype-feature that doesn't mean much?
And does anyone have any recommends? Tom's Guide has a list of their top picks, but their top pick is no longer made by its manufacturer and isn't triband (I think the list, despite it's name, has gone stale). I'm hoping to find one in the $150-$200 range.

 

[kanewolf]

I would get multiple WIFI access points (WAPs). Pay to have some ethernet cable professionally installed so that you can have wired connections for PCs, TVs or other stationary devices. Have cables put in for a couple of quality WIFI access points. Something like the Ubiquiti UniFI units.

 

[remy721]

I would get multiple WIFI access points (WAPs). Pay to have some ethernet cable professionally installed so that you can have wired connections for PCs, TVs or other stationary devices. Have cables put in for a couple of quality WIFI access points. Something like the Ubiquiti UniFI units.

Unfortunately, I'm renting, and the owner won't allow me to pay to have ethernet installed, and won't pay for it, either.
I have considered setting up a secondary AP via a powerline/ethernet adapter. This would mainly be for the light internet users (phones, tablets), so speed is not that big a concern. But the house is lacking in outlets in convenient places (it's an old house, in a historically protected area, and was built before electricity was considered to be something you wanted access to on every wall - or even up to code; I've got an electrical outlet at ankle level right next to a bathtub, with the shower nozzle pointed at it. )

To simplify my question (I apologize for the length of my OP, but I notice when questions like this are asked, more information is always required); I'm going to get a new router; I want something with AC, to match my AC devices. The question I have is, if a N@5Ghz client connects to a 5Ghz network, even if that network supports AC mode, does it become only an N mode network? Or could AC@5ghz devices connect to it as an AC mode network?
Because, if the network can only have one mode, I'll need a triband - one N@2.4Ghz network, one N@5Ghz network, and one AC@5Ghz network.

 

[kanewolf]

With that many devices, you should use powerline AV2 as much as possible. Nothing you can do will be as good as ethernet cable. All you can do is make it "less bad" With the competing WIFI nearby, you need to move all possible devices to 5Ghz. 2.4Ghz will be bad no matter what you do.

 

[failboat]

The ubiquiti WAP will manage your wifi and optimize it for you. I think each iteration is backwards compatible; a client with 5Ghz N can connect to 5Ghz AC.

AC lite is dual band 2x2 mimo, AC pro is dual band 3x3 mimo.

The nano hd is new on pre-order looks pretty sick. 4x4 wave 2 mu-mimo. couldn't tell you what that is but it's probably cool.

 

[remy721]

To follow-up on this:

We had the internet upgraded -- in doing so, we discovered a few things. First, as this house is a rental, and has been for many years, and has had many renters, there was alot of extranous cable runs in the wall. From basic cable, to FIOS, to satellite, we had coaxial cable running to each room and criss-crossing in the attic space. Turns out that this in not good, that unattached endpoints can cause signal 'leakage' (if these cables had run to grounded wall-plates, as is standard, that might not have been the case, but there were just loose cables). We had all that cleared out, replaced our old router with another rental.

I walked through the house with a wifi-scanning app on my phone, and discovered where open channels were in the 5Ghz range. I then set our 5Ghz network to that range. On the 2.4Ghz network, there was not much space for open networks, but I discovered that both the smart TVs and the Firestick in one of them (he doesn't like the roku interface, so he uses the Amazon firestick) were each putting up an adhoc network to connect to remote apps; we shut down the Smart TV roku networks to clear up congestion.
Finally, I setup a guest network, and moved some of the not-often used devices (tablets, mostly), to that network. This allowed me to limit the channel choices on the main 2.4Ghz network to only 2, and that those channels wouldn't get interface from everything communicating on those channels.
Overall, I managed to more than double over-network speeds (transfer speeds within the wifi), and after 2-3 weeks, connection issues seem to be gone.
I'm still looking into replacing the rental, though I'm beginning to believe that a triband may not be as necessary as I'd thought.

Thanks for everyone's comments on this.

 

[bill001g]

Just as a added option since you mention coax tv cable. If you need "ethernet" in some room that have coax you can use a device called MoCA. They sorta work like private cable modems on each end. They have issues with things like directtv and some of the so called whole house dvr systems used by cable companies.

Now if you get very lucky and the coax was put in the walls after the house was built it likely is just loose in the walls you likely could use it to pull ethernet cables through the same holes.

 

[failboat]

Found some interesting reads on mu-mimo. Doesn't look practical yet, as most devices that aren't brand new won't be able to communicate their location with the AP. This tech will help congested area's like apartments a lot as people upgrade over the next few years. mimo as is eats up the bands, esp when there are so many near each other. If your neighbor is using a long range dual band 4x4 mimo AP it's going to wreak your wifi. see if they are open to improving the wireless space. they might be having problems too. if you each have one dual band 2x2 mimo on opposite sides of the place it might help a lot.

The band analyzer will be very helpful, because all your neighbors and you might be setup on the same channel.
Turn the wifi off of your modem/router and buy an access point. The ubiquiti AP will be well worth the money over a router combo. It's design is solely for wifi quality.

Find a wifi channel scanning app and post what channels are congested.

https://www.networkcomputing.com/wireless-infrastructure/how-does-mu-mimo-work/748964231

https://www.networkcomputing.com/wireless-infrastructure/mu-mimo-reality-check/1263574300