Probably elementary question & sure this has been answered but I am not very tech savvy and my search skills are lacking - direct me to other threads if needed…

Have stock AT&T setup with router in an upstairs closet so WiFi downstairs is weak. I do have a couple locations downstairs with Ethernet connection to router closet. What is best way to improve WiFi in the rest of the house? Mesh or what can I plug into Ethernet? We only use the WiFi for Nest cameras, YouTube TV (on 3 TV's), and general e-mail/web surfing.
Any simple solutions and instructions appreciated.

AdamsBQ06 said:

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If your house is wired correctly avoid mesh and use a ubiquity router with wired access points.

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So put the ubiquity router downstairs at one of the places I have ethernet run and it will provide wired access points and act as a wifi extender?

The Ubiquiti router would be immediately after your AT&T modem. The Ubiquiti Access points would be at the edge, where your ethernet runs are.

So which system would you recommend - preferable a less expensive option that covers my needs?

AgTech88 said:

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So which system would you recommend - preferable a less expensive option that covers my needs?

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I've had both Netgear Orbi and eero systems. I've experienced better performance & stability with the eeros.

I purchased my Wifi-5 eeros in March 2020 before the wifi-6 version came out. Again, I've been very pleased with them, and have ethernet backhaul connecting them all.

The Wifi-6 version are currently $79 more. If purchasing now, I'd probably go with them, as I have a few Wifi-6 devices.

It takes a tiny bit of skill but all you need are decent wifi routers at the ethernet spots turned to bridge mode with the same SSID as the main router. That's how mine works and it's seamless. You don't need to pay up for something if you can figure out how to go to an IP address and change like 2 settings.

bco2003 said:

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I've had both Netgear Orbi and eero systems. I've experienced better performance & stability with the eeros.

I purchased my Wifi-5 eeros in March 2020 before the wifi-6 version came out. Again, I've been very pleased with them, and have ethernet backhaul connecting them all.

The Wifi-6 version are currently $79 more. If purchasing now, I'd probably go with them, as I have a few Wifi-6 devices.

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Just noticed the eero 6 remote/satellite units don't support Ethernet backhaul. That would be a deal breaker for me, and I'd likely stick with the eero 5s.

FtWorthHorn said:

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It takes a tiny bit of skill but all you need are decent wifi routers at the ethernet spots turned to bridge mode with the same SSID as the main router. That's how mine works and it's seamless. You don't need to pay up for something if you can figure out how to go to an IP address and change like 2 settings.

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IMO this is not an easy change for 99.9% of the population with internet in their home.

Ok like the idea of just using wireless access points since I have several Ethernet ports available throughout the house. Next question is which one to choose? I see some in the $35 - $65 range then $125 & up range. What's the diff? For my application will the cheaper ones do?

I'd start with two of these, one at each end of your house: UniFi WiFi 6 Lite AP. They use power over ethernet, so you will need two of these POE Injector. You will also need four ethernet patch cables.

ATT Gateway -> patch cable -> poe injector -> ethernet run -> patch cable -> AP

You don't need a Ubiquity router to use these. You can configure the APs in standalone mode using the mobile app. You can find many instructional videos on YouTube - instructions.

I would disable WiFI on your ATT Gateway once these are configured.

Assuming your att router has ports on the back (probably 4), plug 1 or two ethernet cables going to the jacks downstairs from your cabinet into the att router. Go to the jacks downstairs and plug in your new access point(s). You might have some discovery to do and such but youll have wifi downstairs without having to get your wallet and brain trampled on in the process. Keep it simple.

Not to be a Johnny Raincloud, but how long are your ethernet runs? do you know what kind of cable was used (Cat5,Cat6, etc.)?

I'm just gonna tag onto this thread. My wife recently changed jobs and is now working from home. We don't have a big house (1800sq ft), but the router is at one end of the house in the living room and our office and entertainment rooms are at the other end. My wife sometimes has connection issues in the office or when too many devices seem to be pulling from the wi-fi and she has been asking for me to get an extender to help alleviate these issues. I will say I think our router is nearly a 10 year old NetGear model that hasn't been updated.

My thought is to just get a new router and that it would fix the problems or should I get both a new model and an extender?

wangus12 said:

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I'm just gonna tag onto this thread. My wife recently changed jobs and is now working from home. We don't have a big house (1800sq ft), but the router is at one end of the house in the living room and our office and entertainment rooms are at the other end. My wife sometimes has connection issues in the office or when too many devices seem to be pulling from the wi-fi and she has been asking for me to get an extender to help alleviate these issues. I will say I think our router is nearly a 10 year old NetGear model that hasn't been updated.

My thought is to just get a new router and that it would fix the problems or should I get both a new model and an extender?

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If moving the router to a more central location isn't an option, which may solve the problem, you may benefit from a newer model. However a lot of factors impact WiFi (e.g. number of walls and type of materials between you and the router, interference from neighbors WiFi or other wireless devices like cordless phones [like DECT], etc.) 1800 square feet is something any router should be able to cover adequately if properly placed but every situation is a bit different. Before spending any money I'd recommend evaluating your environment first and see if there aren't any tweaks you can make if you haven't already. Remember wireless signal power vs. distance is an inverse square function so every doubling of distance results in 1/4th signal power (ignoring obstacles like walls) so just moving the router may have a significant impact.

I'll see if I can get it moved a bit. I figured it was just an ancient router that is now getting overloaded with the newer tech/streaming devices and the amount there are in a household these days. Guess it could also be that we're on just 200 mbps with lots of devices as well.

if you are in the market for a new router, hold off Ubiquity announced a "Dream Router" which looks to be a pretty capable device. The current model is priced at like $279 I believe.

Not sure on the cable - put in probably 15 years ago?

AgTech88 said:

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Not sure on the cable - put in probably 15 years ago?

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Assuming it's CAT5e, the max length for PoE is about 100m for all voltages (I believe, you will want to double check). CAT5 only supports lower voltages. This will matter for the type of AP you decide to use if you go PoE from the source. However you can use an injector at the AP as well (I have done that for one myself) but just make sure you get the right match for the AP. Otherwise, just use a regular powered AP and the Ethernet for network. I don't know about mixing equipment though so I'd replace the router with the same mfg as the AP you buy.

Eero is probably not a bad solution for you and won't require PoE or if you want a step up, the Ubiquity dream machine with one of their APs might be good but you'll need more configuration expertise.

bco2003 said:

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bco2003 said:

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I've had both Netgear Orbi and eero systems. I've experienced better performance & stability with the eeros.

I purchased my Wifi-5 eeros in March 2020 before the wifi-6 version came out. Again, I've been very pleased with them, and have ethernet backhaul connecting them all.

The Wifi-6 version are currently $79 more. If purchasing now, I'd probably go with them, as I have a few Wifi-6 devices.

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Just noticed the eero 6 remote/satellite units don't support Ethernet backhaul. That would be a deal breaker for me, and I'd likely stick with the eero 5s.

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You just have to buy all of the eero6 main unit. They have a pack for that. I have 3 of the eero6 pros using wired back haul.