Wireless router advice

[Joker]

This doesn't pertain to AH3 but I figured I'd ask for the opinions of those who know far more than me.

I would like to buy a new wireless router that has a longer range.
I play AH with my computer hardwired to the router, and the current router ( about 8 years old ) works all right in the house for our phones and TV for wireless.
I have a workshop ( a metal building ) next to the house, and I would like to have the wireless reach out there, and be usable. The shop is 30 x 50.
The distance from where I have my wifi router in the house out to the shop is about 100 ft.
Right now I can connect to the wifi if I stand in certain places in the shop ( closest to the house), but it is slow.

Is there a newer, better, faster, more powerful router that I can buy to accomplish this?
I've read a little about these "mesh" routers but I really don't understand how they work or if they would provide a good signal at that distance.
Any help appreciated!

[The Fugitive]

You might be able to get away with an extender. My house is big and one corner of the house had a dead spot for the wireless. Added this D link Extender and I have much better coverage. Even my in-laws next door on the second floor uses it now.

[Bizman]

You might run into issues because the workshop is a metal building. It might create a Faraday cage, blocking radio signals.

A customer had an Ethernet cable dug into the ground from his house to his shed, connected to wall plugs at either end. Very durable that way, plus it allowed customizing the cable lengths inside the rooms.

[VanceVP]

I am kind of having the same type of problem with my wifi setup so I am following this with a good deal of interest. Sure hope we got some network wizards that jump in offer some really good suggestions.

No attempt to hijack Jokers question, but my situation is that I have approx 2400 sq ft 2-story house with basement. My wireless router is located at the south end of the house and I get crappy signal strength and reliability at the north end or upstairs. Plus with a new computer build, my internet really sux at the north end of the house and I am wondering if a range extender/repeater would be worth buying?

I was looking at something like https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coredy-AC750-Mini-WiFi-Dual-Band-Range-Extender-Access-Point-Router-Coredy-E750/148583432 because it is dual band and I have read that dual band is better since it receives on one band and transmits on the second.

My connection is so bad that this is the third time in 2 days that I have tried to download AHIII and keep getting that it has corrupt files so I have to start all over again.

[Joker]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.
Those range extenders look good although they don't say exactly how far their range, is, I suppose because there are too many variables.
The prices of those things vary quite a bit, even within the same brand. Are there some that put out a stronger signal, or are they all pretty much the same in that regard?

If you have more than one of those, can they "link" off of each other in series and sort of "daisy chain" to a distant point?
I was thinking I could put one in the house, in a window facing the shop, then a second one in a shop window facing the house. That's a distance of about 80 feet.
The shop is 30 x 50 but it has two floors, so I still might need another unit in the shop for full coverage there.
Do they work that way as long as they can pick up a wireless signal?

I could put in an Ethernet cable, but that will involve a good bit of digging on my part.

Thanks again for the help.   

[Vulcan]

Spend a bit of money on something decent and you can improve coverage. I have a 2nd hand Ruckus 7962 Dual band AP, they're less than $50 on Ebay. It covers a 2850 square foot 2 story house.

Sure it's not 802.11ac, but it is very very stable.

Why Ruckus? Well they have a unique antenna tech, and they use an enterprise wifi chipset (as opposed to cheap consumer chipsets).

Why is it cheap? it's an older model.

* note you still need your router, Ruckus is just an Access Point.

[flyndung]

anything from 8 years ago is gonna be really obsolete and slow in IMO, i find N750,N900 and AC1200 routers for 5/10 bucks at the local Goodwill/Thrift stores maybe worth checking out.

[Vulcan]

anything from 8 years ago is gonna be really obsolete and slow in IMO, i find N750,N900 and AC1200 routers for 5/10 bucks at the local Goodwill/Thrift stores maybe worth checking out.

No.

When you make a wireless AP you have a choice of chipsets ranging from cheap no frills to expensive all the bells and whistles. Typically enterprise uses the expensive all the bells and whistles, while consumer is the basic stuff. There is a vast performance difference between the two.

Tack onto that Ruckus has some amazing antenna technology you have a winning situation.

Generally speaking an old Ruckus Enterprise AP will easily outperform a brand new consumer AP. The only significant difference is going to be 802.11ac, and even then consumer devices have all sorts of nasty catches around 802.11ac such that it doesn't normally perform all that better than a decent 802.11a radio (usually range related).

[VanceVP]

No.

When you make a wireless AP you have a choice of chipsets ranging from cheap no frills to expensive all the bells and whistles. Typically enterprise uses the expensive all the bells and whistles, while consumer is the basic stuff. There is a vast performance difference between the two.

Tack onto that Ruckus has some amazing antenna technology you have a winning situation.

Generally speaking an old Ruckus Enterprise AP will easily outperform a brand new consumer AP. The only significant difference is going to be 802.11ac, and even then consumer devices have all sorts of nasty catches around 802.11ac such that it doesn't normally perform all that better than a decent 802.11a radio (usually range related).

Are you suggesting that if one were able to get their hands on a used Ruckus 7962 Dual band AP it would give superior performance compared to the consumer brands of routers/repeaters?

I need to do something to improve the signal strength and reliability of my wireless here at my house cause I keep loosing signal in the room where I have a new computer setup to play AHIII and it is driving me bats.

With it being dual band, would this provide me with a good strong signal and reliable connection?

And what about setup? Do you have to be a network genius or is there anything special to setting it up or is it along the lines of the consumer grade routers/repeaters?

In order to get the most from this thing, do they need to be hard-wired to the router or will they work just as good wirelessly?


Thanks,
Vance

[Spikes]

I picked up a Netgear Nighthawk on ebay for around $80 including a DST. It is fantastic, I'd recommend it.

[Vulcan]

Are you suggesting that if one were able to get their hands on a used Ruckus 7962 Dual band AP it would give superior performance compared to the consumer brands of routers/repeaters?

And what about setup? Do you have to be a network genius or is there anything special to setting it up or is it along the lines of the consumer grade routers/repeaters?

Yes, because you have an enterprise class radio chipset and the Ruckus antenna you should expect much better and reliable performance that consumer grade equipment. Note that if you put an 802.11ac laptop next to a consumer 802.11ac AP then yes it's going to be zippy... but once you start spreading gear out, mixing and matching device then reality kicks in.

Setup shouldn't be too difficult. Yes it needs to be hard wired to the router.
 

[Randy1]

Joker, the base station location too will have a lot to do with range as well as line of sight.  Higher is better, and smallest wall count.

I agree too your current router is probably out of date in terms of better technology.  A dual band is a good idea if you have a lot of demand for wireless.  I recently replaced mine of about the same age as yours.  I had to use a range extender on my old one but did not need it on my new one. 

You might do a temporary setup moving your old base station closer to the metal building just to see if you can get a wireless signal into the building.

[Bizman]

I could put in an Ethernet cable, but that will involve a good bit of digging on my part.

Digging is good counteractive exercise for virtual flying. 

If your router has antenna outputs, building a directional antenna out of a tin can is a no-brainer. A friend just visited Russia close to the border. The wi-fi in the hotel was very poor, so he used the lid of a kettle for boosting the signal, getting three bars out of five instead of a single one.

@VanceVP: A wired connection will always be superior to any kind of wi-fi for AH. Not because of speed but because of reliability. A wired connection is full-duplex, meaning that any missing bit will be reported and resent immediately instead of waiting for a certain bunch to come through before taking any error repairing action. Wi-fi is half-duplex which works one way only at a time.

[Drano]

Seems to me the building is a good bit away from the house and if it's a metal building the signal from an extender might be fairly inconsistent. Might be ok for surfing but probably not so much for gaming. If it's close enough to run ethernet to that'd be a whole lot better. Not like you'd have to bury it below the frost line or anything. You really wouldn't have to dig to install a cable. Flat blade shovel. Drive it in. Wiggle. Move along. Repeat. Just need to part the soil enough to lay the cable in.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[DREDIOCK]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.
Those range extenders look good although they don't say exactly how far their range, is, I suppose because there are too many variables.
The prices of those things vary quite a bit, even within the same brand. Are there some that put out a stronger signal, or are they all pretty much the same in that regard?

If you have more than one of those, can they "link" off of each other in series and sort of "daisy chain" to a distant point?
I was thinking I could put one in the house, in a window facing the shop, then a second one in a shop window facing the house. That's a distance of about 80 feet.
The shop is 30 x 50 but it has two floors, so I still might need another unit in the shop for full coverage there.
Do they work that way as long as they can pick up a wireless signal?

I could put in an Ethernet cable, but that will involve a good bit of digging on my part.

Thanks again for the help.   

If you dont want to dig. Dont. Run it roof peak to roof peak like an above ground telephone wire.

if you dont want above ground and dont want to dig by hand. Just rent a Ditch Witch from Home Depot