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ASUS AC88U - mesh/extenders/etc

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I don't have an old ASUS router to add to the mesh network. What are my best options to help widen WIFI coverage in the home... should I pick up old routers on the cheap or opt for extenders which seem to be pricier. Also any product recommendation would be appreciated.

Note: Unfortunately my modem is located upstairs in the corner of our house and it's a 4 bedroom detached home. Need probably 2 devices to carry the signal all the way downstairs to the other side of the house.

EDIT: Sorry I should have clarified.. I've been using a Superhub 3.0 from Virgin Media. Just today, received my ASUS AC88U. Now considering building on this to widen the WIFI coverage with either old routers/extenders/etc
 
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Extenders are only so so in terms of performance.
If you have "tri-band" routers/APs, i.e. 2x 5GHz, one of the 5GHz bands are normally used for the backhaul, so you still get decent performance.
Wired is best, if that's an option and then slap an AP of some kind (old router, AP etc.) at the other end.
I was using a range extender on the third floor (small, but tall house, all metal and concrete) and doubled my Wi-Fi speed towards the internet upstairs after pulling a cable.
 
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if you have an old router (does not need to be an Asus) you can grab a powerline adapter and use the old router in AP mode. You can try a powerline/AP combo kit or an extender like the TP-Link AC1750
 
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5GHz is great but higher frequency means shorter wavelengths, thus significantly shorter range.

Unfortunately my modem is located upstairs in the corner of our house and it's a 4 bedroom detached home.
A central location is best - not just for distance but to minimize barriers (walls, floors and ceilings). Can you move the router?

What router do you have now? Perhaps just a new and better router will solve your problem without having to deal with extenders.
 
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Extenders are only so so in terms of performance.
I like to run two units back-to-back one in bridge mode, the other router, this way I can force the two sides to use non-overlapping frequencies and so not half the bandwidth.
 
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Extenders are only so so in terms of performance.
If you have "tri-band" routers/APs, i.e. 2x 5GHz, one of the 5GHz bands are normally used for the backhaul, so you still get decent performance.
Wired is best, if that's an option and then slap an AP of some kind (old router, AP etc.) at the other end.
I was using a range extender on the third floor (small, but tall house, all metal and concrete) and doubled my Wi-Fi speed towards the internet upstairs after pulling a cable.

Sorry i need my hand held here lol... not so familiar with WIFI stuff.

My main systems are wired (work and gaming)... the routers selfishly located in my study room upstairs. Years later the WIFI demands have grown amongst the family hence now having to deal with expanding the coverage around the home.

If it helps... I have a Virgin Media 3.0 Hub. Today received an ASUS AC88U router. Tomorrow i'm planning on setting the 3.0 hub to modem and then hooking up the router. If needed, what would you recommend is best to achieve wider coverage around the home (esp. downstairs on the other side of the house). A wired connection is next to impossible unless I'm ripping and running through a bunch of walls. I could grab a super long ethernet cable and route it externally but it's somewhat undesirable as we don't want cables being visible from the outside.
 
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if you have an old router (does not need to be an Asus) you can grab a powerline adapter and use the old router in AP mode. You can try a powerline/AP combo kit or an extender like the TP-Link AC1750

I already have a powerline adapter ive been using in the TV room downstairs. Poor signal. Been through a couple of them over the years. My current one: TP-LINK AV500 AC Wifi kit. It does the job fine over the ethernet (SKY, Smart TV, etc) but WIFI is usually weak. Actually to think of it... can I improve in this area. This product was recommended by a local tech store - could I do better with some guaranteed improvements?

5GHz is great but higher frequency means shorter wavelengths, thus significantly shorter range.


A central location is best - not just for distance but to minimize barriers (walls, floors and ceilings). Can you move the router?

What router do you have now? Perhaps just a new and better router will solve your problem without having to deal with extenders.

Unfortunately I can't. The cable connect is upstairs in my study room to the side of the house. I could, but it means having cables running along the walls which makes for a distasteful sight (personally I dont mind, it's the wifey - she won't have none of it as it's all about the LOOK apparently... convenience is a no-go in this household).

I have the SuperHub 3.0 from Virgin Media.... today received the ASUS AC88U. Haven't hooked it up yet but have had a temp equally well performing unit running a couple of years back. It did perform better but didn't make it all the way to the other side (downstairs). But I will try it out first and see if "modern tech" has made an significant gains.

If your home has a relatively new electric set up you can try a powerline adapter. I use them with an old asus router to create a mesh style network and my home was built in the mid 80's. They also have a version with one adapter working as an AP.

Old house... old wiring. Powerline adapters work fine - i have one already in the tele room. But not pulling enough bandwidth for more heavier tasks.
 
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Actually to think of it... can I improve in this area. This product was recommended by a local tech store - could I do better with some guaranteed improvements?
Doubtful if you have already tried several kits. Do you know what kind of performance your current kit is giving you via a PC or laptop hardwired? If the kit is offering solid performance it may just be the AP portion of the adapter with the issue.

That said, an extender may be your best bet if you can find a good sweet spot to place it and dedicate a frequency for the backhaul.
 
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Doubtful if you have already tried several kits. Do you know what kind of performance your current kit is giving you via a PC or laptop hardwired? If the kit is offering solid performance it may just be the AP portion of the adapter with the issue.

That said, an extender may be your best bet if you can find a good sweet spot to place it and dedicate a frequency for the backhaul.

You mean hardwired to the powerline adapter? I haven't tried that, it is hardwired to the tele, sky and Minix U1. Works great for 1080p streaming/browsing/netflix/youtube, etc. Where it struggles is when 2 kids at the same time are hooked up with their PS4s for multiplayer gaming but this is usually achieved via WIFI. I should have thought of hardwiring the connects to see the difference in performance.

For the laptop which testing app do you recommend to follow up on the test procedure. I'll run 2 tests, one hard-wired and the other via WIFI and share the results here.

Doubtful if you have already tried several kits. Do you know what kind of performance your current kit is giving you via a PC or laptop hardwired? If the kit is offering solid performance it may just be the AP portion of the adapter with the issue.

That said, an extender may be your best bet if you can find a good sweet spot to place it and dedicate a frequency for the backhaul.

Another nuisance with powerline adapters being... whatsapp calls being cut off when moving from one side of the house to the next (from router WIFI switching to Powerline adapter WIFI). Does extenders/old router mesh arrangements behave the same way or do these added devices resolve this problem?
 
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For the laptop which testing app do you recommend to follow up on the test procedure.
I use ookla and the netflix app, really anything that allows you to compare the hardwire vs wifi performance

whatsapp calls being cut off when moving from one side of the house to the next (from router WIFI switching to Powerline adapter WIFI).
We (wife and I) use Google-FI which has wi-fi calling and we have not had that issue with our phones and our set up.
 
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