Wireless Range Extender or AP?

[koofecaf1962]

I have a Arris DG1670 router with wifi provided by my cable ISP in my office downstairs. The range of the wifi does not meet my needs. I ran a LAN connection from the ISP provided router to another router upstairs. This improved my wifi upstairs (on a different wifi channel) but it is still not as good as I would hope. My ISP provides 117 Mbps download and 12 Mbps upload speeds. I built the house so I have cat5 in every room. I'm thinking of putting in a devise to expand the strength and range of the wifi signal throughout the house and into the yard. Since I can connect a LAN from the back of my ISP provided router to a devise anywhere in my house, I was thinking a unit that extends wifi from a LAN connection would be better than from a wifi signal. This logic is correct, right? Anyway, would a Wireless Range Extender or AP be a better fit for me. My goal is to increase the range and strength of my wifi in my house and outside. Thanks!

 

[bill001g]

The best term to use when you connect a wireless device to the end of a lan cable is AP. The things called range extenders many times are wireless repeaters. You don't really want to be using a wireless repeater unless you have no other option. It is cheaper to use a normal router as a AP or buy a simple dedicated AP without the extra repeater functions that increase the cost. If you want real AP ubiquiti sell fairly inexpensive ones.

Putting wireless in every room if you wanted would maximize your wireless speed. Still even sitting right next to the wireless router/ap 110m is going to be hard. You only get a fraction of those magic numbers like 150m,300m.450m. You might get it with some 802.11ac devices but in most cases it is the end device not the router that is limiting your speed. To get the maximum speeds you need things like 3 or 4 antenna and portable devices are lucky to have 2 very tiny antenna.