[SOLVED] Wifi - Apt need help poor service

Xazy

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Aug 19, 2015
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10,510
Good morning,
I live in an apt that is 800 sq ft, with cinder block walls (great so you do not hear noise but bad for wifi). Router is in the living room, and there is no cable running elsewhere in the apartment. In the bedroom the internet reception will vary from ok, to poor.

I do have FIOS for my internet provider (and cable tv). I have a pi-hole that I use for DHCP primarily as it blocks all those annoying tracking sites and ads (a friend set it up for me).

I am looking for a solution with all the remote learning going on and working from home, that the room is used more.

I appreciate any advice on what to get, I heard about mesh wifi, or repeater, etc... But I know this is where the experts are.

Thank you
 
Solution
Do you have a coaxial cable outlet in both rooms? Does your verizon router use cable internet, has coax running into it and not fiber?
If so, then you may be in luck. Verizon FIOS coax routers use MOCA and all you need to do is buy a MOCA adapter or MOCA wifi access point and pair it with the main router(a button you hold in on the back).

This is the model that verizon uses for network extension. You can sometimes find them used on ebay for half the price. But they're like $150 on amazon. If you don't have the money now, you can probably rent them through verizon if you call them. But usually if you purchase it yourself, it'll pay for itself over ~10 or so months...
Do you have a coaxial cable outlet in both rooms? Does your verizon router use cable internet, has coax running into it and not fiber?
If so, then you may be in luck. Verizon FIOS coax routers use MOCA and all you need to do is buy a MOCA adapter or MOCA wifi access point and pair it with the main router(a button you hold in on the back).

This is the model that verizon uses for network extension. You can sometimes find them used on ebay for half the price. But they're like $150 on amazon. If you don't have the money now, you can probably rent them through verizon if you call them. But usually if you purchase it yourself, it'll pay for itself over ~10 or so months: https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-802-11ac-Extender-Internet-Antennas/dp/B01BV1Y3W2
 
Last edited:
Solution

Xazy

Honorable
Aug 19, 2015
10
0
10,510
Do you have a coaxial cable outlet in both rooms? Does your verizon router use cable internet, has coax running into it and not fiber?
If so, then you may be in luck. Verizon FIOS coax routers use MOCA and all you need to do is buy a MOCA adapter or MOCA wifi access point and pair it with the main router(a button you hold in on the back).
Do you have a coaxial cable outlet in both rooms? Does your verizon router use cable internet, has coax running into it and not fiber?
If so, then you may be in luck. Verizon FIOS coax routers use MOCA and all you need to do is buy a MOCA adapter or MOCA wifi access point and pair it with the main router(a button you hold in on the back).
Interesting,

There is a coax cable in the other room, however I use it for the cable box there. Can I still do this?
 
Interesting,

There is a coax cable in the other room, however I use it for the cable box there. Can I still do this?
Yes, they shouldn't affect each other. Just make sure you use a MOCA capable coax splitter. Which is just a splitter with the full range of frequency pass through: https://www.amazon.com/BAMF-2-Way-Splitter-Bi-Directional-5-2300MHz

Actually it turns out that if you have the G3100 verizon router(white tower router), then this new E3200 extender of theirs is better(newer moca 2.5): https://www.verizon.com/support/residential/internet/equipment/network-extender/fios-extender
 

Xazy

Honorable
Aug 19, 2015
10
0
10,510
Yes, they shouldn't affect each other. Just make sure you use a MOCA capable coax splitter. Which is just a splitter with the full range of frequency pass through: https://www.amazon.com/BAMF-2-Way-Splitter-Bi-Directional-5-2300MHz

Actually it turns out that if you have the G3100 verizon router(white tower router), then this new E3200 extender of theirs is better(newer moca 2.5): https://www.verizon.com/support/residential/internet/equipment/network-extender/fios-extender
I tried your first amazon link but it did not work.

I have the fios g1100 router not the g3100.
 

Xazy

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Aug 19, 2015
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To make sure I understand properly, I connect the splitter, and one cable to the extender.

The extender will then work via the co-ax extending the range there. This will not affect the pi-hole which is working off the fios router as DHCP and that everything will work properly in the bedroom.

Thank you , sorry want to make sure I do this right!
 
Correct, this is just an access point (extender is actually a misnomer here). Access points don't do any kind of routing, NAT or DHCP. They are merely a connection from WIFI to the LAN. All of the network address assignment (DHCP), NAT and routing is done on the main router.
 

Xazy

Honorable
Aug 19, 2015
10
0
10,510
Correct, this is just an access point (extender is actually a misnomer here). Access points don't do any kind of routing, NAT or DHCP. They are merely a connection from WIFI to the LAN. All of the network address assignment (DHCP), NAT and routing is done on the main router.
Is this a better option then a Mesh network?
 
Mesh is mostly a fancy marketing term for repeater. They still suffer the same issue. You must place them so they get good signal from the main router and also send a good signal to remote device. In your case it would have to somehow go inside the brick wall. If you put it on the far side it gets poor singal. If you put it on the router side it still must try to punch the signal through the brick.

In general you never want to use mesh or any repeater if you have other options.

Although I am not sure about the fios box most moca 2.0 can get gigabit speeds. It is as close to a ethernet cable as you are going to get when you can't use actually ethernet cables.
 
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Mesh is mostly a fancy marketing term for repeater. They still suffer the same issue. You must place them so they get good signal from the main router and also send a good signal to remote device. In your case it would have to somehow go inside the brick wall. If you put it on the far side it gets poor singal. If you put it on the router side it still must try to punch the signal through the brick.

In general you never want to use mesh or any repeater if you have other options.

Although I am not sure about the fios box most moca 2.0 can get gigabit speeds. It is as close to a ethernet cable as you are going to get when you can't use actually ethernet cables.

Yes, these mesh network kits are essentially repeater(extenders) that can do multipoint repeating. They still suffer from wall penetration issues and from bandwidth problems. In my experience, I've never seen a good one that works as well as hardwired options(MOCA, Powerline, or ethernet). They're great for smartphones that don't require much bandwidth, but if you throw some bandwidth hog devices on the network(like a game console downloading an update), they tend to fall flat on their face.

I think the option above for $52(used) is your best bet. I think the g1100 will only do NON-Bonded MOCA 2.0 which is limited to 500mbps, but it'll be a solid 450+mbps(network overhead), which is probably more than your internet plan anyways, unless you have gigabit internet.

TLDR: You'll be much much happier with MOCA wifi extender than any mesh system or wifi repeater.
 

Xazy

Honorable
Aug 19, 2015
10
0
10,510
Yes, these mesh network kits are essentially repeater(extenders) that can do multipoint repeating. They still suffer from wall penetration issues and from bandwidth problems. In my experience, I've never seen a good one that works as well as hardwired options(MOCA, Powerline, or ethernet). They're great for smartphones that don't require much bandwidth, but if you throw some bandwidth hog devices on the network(like a game console downloading an update), they tend to fall flat on their face.

I think the option above for $52(used) is your best bet. I think the g1100 will only do NON-Bonded MOCA 2.0 which is limited to 500mbps, but it'll be a solid 450+mbps(network overhead), which is probably more than your internet plan anyways, unless you have gigabit internet.

TLDR: You'll be much much happier with MOCA wifi extender than any mesh system or wifi repeater.
Does this work by extending the network in to the other room, or create a new network?

Sorry if this is a dumb question.
 
This is why the word "extender" should not really be used. It is a consumer term that marketing guys can define anyway they want.

Moca is better called a bridge. A bridge has a very clear definition but one of the key things is for what you are calling the network they are the same.

Most repeaters/mesh systems are also bridge devices also. BUT they can run in what a lot of companies are calling universal mode. This is used when the main router does not support WDS. In this case it creates a second network. Maybe that is why they call these devices "extenders" because they can run in a mode that is not a bridge but more of a router type function.