I have not used these specific items, but I have had good experiences with TPLink products in general. Something like this would probably get good coverage to a much larger area than just the Starlink router alone:
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862
Zigbee to the hub is great, too many wifi devices can cause issues in both air traffic and router cpu overload.
That said, your problem is almost definitely your network. Instead of using the shitty underpowered provided modem/router, I recommend buying a separate router and turning off the router functionality in the Virgin's device. You should also look into a mesh system instead of access points--access points can create isolated networks that have difficulty communicating with each other.
I personally use the TP-Link Deco M5, which is regularly rated one of the best systems, but is also one of the cheapest mesh network options. But I'm sure there's plenty of advice floating around about mesh networks, do your own research of course.
You have a couple of options. POE APs like Omada or UniFi, or a mesh system (in AP mode).
The latter is simpler to set up. Something like the Deco M5 should work fine. You basically just wire up 3 nodes, put them in AP mode, turn off wifi on the G1100.
Limited-time deal: TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Anitivirus, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_dl_9RW6T4249VJHNWPGS3X9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Limited-time deal: TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Anitivirus, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_dl_ZCSWNMEP6ECM4416A87G?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Limited-time deal: TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Anitivirus, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_dl_Z0YT0K966T8JCDF7K193?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I don't really get what's the purpose of the second extender. Your speed will be limited by the slowest link in the chain anyway. If you can't get proper wired ethernet/wired access points, then you should look into the newer mesh systems (something like this).
Limited-time deal: TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Anitivirus, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_dl_KF3Q5ZX7XBJ1W297VQBP
Like I said not much more
Unless you really into tech and want the lowest latency possible or running stuff through like 10gbe switches and transferring stuff onto and off of a NAS a lot I would probably try to use a mesh network before hiring someone to run a few Ethernet drops.
I’ve been using this for almost two years and it works well. You download an app and it guides your thorough the process.
I did run an Ethernet cable from a router to my office but if I was just doing browsing, zoom calls and gaming a mesh network would have totally worked….just wanted to go hard wired since i had Ethernet going to all my nas enclosures anyway.
I use this, works great
TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Anitivirus, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_6DEQDSMYPMGSGR1WM8WD
I use a mesh network to solve this problem in my house, although my problem is due to having 3 floors. So I have 3 nodes, one on each floor, and they all have the same SSID (beauty of a mesh network) so device roaming between floors works great. I have ethernet cables run between them, but they will work wirelessly...although as person above says wired is best between nodes. This is the one I have:
Ive installed this deco, in a lot of homes each node has 2 ports so you can expand with a switch. You set one deco up as the main and it is the controller, so you only need one pack supper simple. With unifi you need a dream machine(to act as the controller) and the access points, unifi makes a out door ap but it runs on 48v PoE and the rest runs on 24v PoE so you would have to get a PoE switch that does both(ubiquiti makes one and they recommend you use it)
My recommendation is to put in a Deco mesh system, not repeaters but access points. https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=sr\_1\_1?dchild=1&keywords=deco+m5&qid=1628742858&sr=8-1.
To do this you would go from modem to Deco(set up as router) to switch. Each Deco has two ports data in and out. In the office you would put a Deco(set up as a AP) then plugged into a switch.
I've had great luck at my house with this mesh wifi system.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glc_fabc_P1D5ERQCCDVGS0HF2RNW
My house isn't big but it's old and has the walls with metal mesh in them. (Worst case for wifi) one of the units replaces your main router and the other 2 can be placed wherever you want to have strong signal. You only need an internet wire to the main unit. The others just need electricity.
Yoh can manage it with an app on your phone and it even has some built-in parental controls.
It's good enough to keep at a new house and you can buy more of them to automatically expand your coverage if you need to.
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=deco&qid=1617302358&sr=8-3 I have this (or something very similar), but only because it was one of the cheapest, and it is also tp link. My friend has eero, and now eero has a WiFi 6 so that’s something to look into, there’s probably other brands of mesh router, but I don’t really know about them
Priceyyy @ like $150 for 3 units AHHHHHHHHH!
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Me just use staples to trash wall because Rental company also trashy!!
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(Seriously: All wifi is going to be laggy. You can get widgets on your phone to show you how the signal is, as you walk around the house. Most of these units use 1 channel for backhaul; the other for devices.)
Wifi range extenders are bad. Each extender in the series cuts the speed in half and increases the ping. You better get a wifi mesh. I have these and they work great
Limited-time deal: TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Parental Controls/Anitivirus, Seamless Roaming, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/
I have this system: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862
If you want to spend a bit more, there's a wifi6 version of this which you could probably keep using for the next 5-10 years.
You run cable to each one and each AP has two RJ45 ports. So you can have one extra wired device in each room if you want. If gaming matters to you, wifi configured like this only adds ~5-10ms to your total latency.
3 - CCA has higher electrical resistance than solid copper wire (2x higher). You'll get the same data rates for either (mostly), but if you try to run POE over it the cable could become a fire hazard (especially >50m). If you only have short run cables (<50m) it's probably fine to use it.
That setup seems a bit advanced for what I need. Can I just use this? If so, do I need to start with a modem and add this or modem + router and add this?
TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Parental Controls/Anitivirus, Seamless Roaming, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_1K28FbGDWJF3Z
Then the AX3000 will solve your problem, but if I were you instead of paying $149 for a router only I would buy the Mesh system for $149 it comes with three pieces which cover every single spot in my house with better speed and control it has two ethernet ports only in every piece so if you need more ports for hardwiring then buy $15 switch. Just a friendly piece of advice :)
TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Parental Controls/Anitivirus, Seamless Roaming, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_6Qw5FbTGP5Z0Z
Then the AX3000 will solve your problem, but if I were you instead of paying $149 for a router only I would buy the Mesh system for $149 it comes with three pieces which cover every single spot in my house with better speed and control it has two ethernet ports only in every piece so if you need more ports for hardwiring then buy $15 switch. Just a friendly piece of advice :)
TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Parental Controls/Anitivirus, Seamless Roaming, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_6Qw5FbTGP5Z0Z
This is what I got for my place. TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Parental Controls/Anitivirus, Seamless Roaming, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_dlC_YIM1FbHC4QD1T
Works very well so far and my house is a bit over 3k sqft.
Modem, switch for additional Ethernet ports and this
TP-Link Deco Whole Home Mesh WiFi System – Homecare Support, Seamless Roaming, Dynamic Backhaul, Adaptive Routing, Works with Amazon Alexa, Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Coverage (M5) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_FfR2Cb1FR5YB4
I was only getting half my advertised speeds on the WiFi out of our providers device, which for me was more than enough so I didn’t think much about it.
For other reasons, I picked up a mesh wireless setup and hardwired it to the provider device and disabled its WiFi so we only ran off the mesh. I get 90-95% of my advertised speeds since making the switch. I also have stronger wireless signal through out the entire house, garage, and backyard (this is primarily why I added the mesh.)
i bought three packs of the Deco M5. I found them on sale for about $130 per pack....little costly at Amazon right now but they do go on sale at times (saw Woot had them really cheap before too). https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=sr_1_4?crid=A82SCVQ5BYSR&keywords=deco+wifi+mesh&qid=1576079008&s=electronics&sprefix=deco+w%2Csporting%2C174&sr=1-4
I just left my old Airport system running since I had speakers connected to the Airport Expresses. I do not think I would spring to have multiple HomePods to replace them. I think as long as Airplay 2 works with what I have, I will keep using it.
I live at that exact same intersection. We have optimum, but got these and they helped our internet a TON: TP-Link Deco Whole Home Mesh WiFi System - Homecare Support, Seamless Roaming, Dynamic Backhaul, Adaptive Routing, Works with Amazon Alexa, Up to 5,50 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_XcP8t2agKm68b
If you can't run a cable then mesh will be your best bet. You could give something like the TP-Link Deco M5 a try. It's currently on a great sale on Amazon. My friend has its little brother (the M4) and it works great for him.
I highly recommend the Deco. A few months back before I was about to convert a great deal of my house to automation, I first had to solve my crappy, spotty wireless. I ordered the Deco with minimal hopes but I have been blown away with how well it performs. I haven't heard any of the Echoes say "Your Echo has lost it's connection!" in so long...
The tplink deco M5 has this feature. TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5)
Both main and guest networks have 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and can all have separate ssids.
So, I’m going to give my simple rec up here and the details below. I recommend leaving everything as is, but adding 3 Access Points for WiFi. Your ATT system will still do all the routing, your Ethernet and switch setup will stay the same. You’ll turn off WiFi on the ATT device and the WiFi will come from the new Deco M5 Access Points. This will absolutely blanket your home in WiFi.
ATT Modem/Router > PC
ATT Modem/Router > Deco M5 in AP mode
ATT Modem/Router > Wall Port > Switch in Closet
Switch in Closet > Second Deco M5 in AP Mode
Switch in Closet > Living Room Ethernet
Living Room Ethernet*>Third Deco M5 in AP Mode *Add unmanaged switch in living room if you need more ports/to hard wire the TV, etc.
DecoM5s will do great because you have a hard wired backhaul. You don’t need a fancy tri band solution; you’ll get out of here for $170 for all 3 devices. Here’s the instructions for setting them up in AP mode: https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1842/
When you’re done setting up the Decos, from your hard wired computer, turn off the ATT WiFi: https://forums.att.com/conversations/att-fiber-equipment/turn-off-wifi-on-a-bgw210700-gateway/5df001b4bad5f2f606430555
Deco M5: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/
Other Options/Details
Pass Through Mode - I want my ATT to only give me the connection, then I want my third party router to connect me to the internet.
AP Setup (router/mesh set up as AP only, no routing) - I want the WiFi to come from the new devices but want ATT to do the routing.
If you have more than 1 Nest WiFi device, it MUST be set up in IP Passthrough mode as the main router. https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/6240987?hl=en. If you want to hard wire your Nest WiFi devices, you MUST purchase all routers (not points). Nest WiFi points (that are included in most multipacks) cannot be hard wired (so they wouldn’t fix your problem). You’d need 1 Nest Router next to your router, an additional switch (since the Nest Router only has 1 Ethernet port and you need to hook up to your wall and your computer) and 1 additional router (at least) for your living room, possibly another one to add on in the closet for even better coverage. That’s $510 dollars to get non WiFi 6 coverage from a product released in November 2019.
If you have ATT TV service with wireless set top boxes, there are other considerations too.
The SB6121 DOCIS 3.0 modem is fine for (172mbps down / 131mbps up). There is no need to replace it unless it fails. All you need to do is replace the Asus with something like...
One of these will be the router that can be managed through a mobile app. The Google Home app in the case of Google Wifi. The others will act as access points that can be connected via wireless, or an Ethernet back-haul.
Try them as a wireless mesh first, and if they don't provide the bandwidth needed then run Ethernet to one or both.
Not sure how big your place is, or if you're in close proximity to other homes (an apartment or condo) but WiFi is a surprisingly weak radio signal to begin with.
You might look into a 2 or 3 puck mesh system to expand your wireless footprint and see how that does. It can work wonders.
They vary from affordable to powerful, and tend to work well. I have used these TP-Link systems to great success.
A random selection of items:
Roku Ultra LT ($35) - Like new in original box with remote, headphones (never used), and I'll throw in an HDMI cable so you have everything you need. I have two available.
<strong>Apple TV 4K 32GB</strong> ($100) - Like new in original box with remote.
<strong>TP-LINK Deco M5 3 Pack Mesh WiFi</strong> ($100) - Like new in original box. This is a great home Mesh WiFi. worked great in a 3000+ sq ft 2 story house.
<strong>Robot Turtle Kids Coding Board Game</strong> ($10) - Like new. Great game to teach younger kids coding logic.
Ball Lock 5 Gallon Kegs ($35 each or $100 for all 3) - used but clean and in good condition. I will include plenty of extra O-rings of all sizes needed.
5lb Aluminum CO2 tank ($35) - refillable and used for draft beer. Great condition.
Various Kegging/Kegerator Parts - Taps, shanks, ball lock connectors, manifold, etc.
Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
---|---|---|---|
TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5… | $169.99 | $169.99 | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
The TP Link Decois a solid Mesh router set up.
Unfortunately the 3 pack is $139 which is above your budget and will only cover up to 5500 sq ft.
I have the Deco M5
Title: TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Anitivirus, 3-pack
Category: Electronics
Image: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31T18XK1OEL.<u>SL500</u>.jpg
Features: If you're looking to ditch your traditional router extender setup for a whole Home Wi-Fi system, put the TP-Link Deco M5 Wi-Fi system on your short list PC mag said
Price: $149.99 (22% OFF)
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This is what I would get with that budget. https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=tp+link+m5+3+pack&qid=1622738562&sr=8-11
Been using Comcast/Xfinity for a while (300down/10up). Always had my own modem/router set up.
My current setup is:
Router. My home is 1600 square feet as well. It’s also an old home (1940), so walls are a bit more dense it seems. Once I got this (switched from a single, stationary router with the multiple antennas) I’ve had amazing coverage throughout my house. My wife and I stream/play online game/use our phones constantly. Great coverage and great speed as well when we’re on it; even when we have a few guests over. Highly recommend. Only downside is each puck(?) only has two ports. So what I did was have an Ethernet cable go from my modem to the router and then from the router to an Ethernet switch and disperse from there. Here Is the switch I use.
Modem Not sure what to say about this other than I’ve never had any problems and I’ve been using it for 3 years.
If you have any questions, let me know.
I've heard that AX standard(wifi 6) can work better in dense or congested environments.
Also, if that's not the solution what about TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5). Would that be a better solution for my problem?
Thank you.
For sure. A mesh system like this:
https://smile.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862/
or this
https://smile.amazon.com/Google-Wifi-System-Router-Replacement/dp/B08GG9CMLR/
Would give you a lot more coverage, but you might notice each of those boxes is rated to cover about 1,500 sqft on its own. If you home is really around 1,100 sqft, it's really overkill for what you need. One solid access point should be able to cover the whole place.
I mean, that original $60 AP I linked may not reach all the way from one end to the other (depending on the construction of your home, how high up you can put it, etc), but if it was me, I'd try it first, upack it carefully, and if you don't get the range you need, just return it to amazon and buy something a step up like this:
https://smile.amazon.com/EAP245-Wireless-seamless-Supports-Injector/dp/B07NMZR3F1/
or this:
> TP-Link deco series
These guys? https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862
I think the best bang for your buck is a TPLink m5-deco. I bought one of these systems as a housewarming gift for a friend and he loves it - uses it with Gigabit service. His nodes are wired so if you can wire them in with ethernet at some point, that's a big plus. You'll likely lose half the speed you get wirelessly at the main node at remote nodes in a wireless mesh with any dual-band system. It's currently on sale on Amazon for about $150 for a 3-node system, and additional single nodes are now about $65 each. Has great consumer reviews.
Tri-band systems will provide a better mesh experience, but for your needs and the speeds you pay for, you may find a dual-band setup serves your needs perfectly adequately. Also, remember most oil these systems can provide good coverage to the floor above or below the node, so if your 6000 sq ft is across two floors for example (3000 sq ft per floor), three or four nodes should provide adequate coverage.
Try this
Try investing in a home mesh wifi system. Not just for gaming, but it has a ton of uses for signal boosting and Ethernet porting.
I added it to my original post, she's referring to the https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862
But assuming the unifi setup is better than the TP link, how can then justify the differences between unifi and a "better" (more expensive) mesh like google, net gear, or eero.
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We have symmetrical gigabit fiber at home 1000/1000
Thanks!
Just curious, what's your issue with mesh?
Also, it looks like they do have a wi-fi 6 version. Know anything about this?
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862
I highly doubt you will notice a difference between a WiFi 5 or WiFi 6 router. Also, few devices even support WiFi 6, so those devices won't even benefit from WiFi 6.
WiFi 5 and Wifi 6 routers (mesh or not) will all be dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) unless you're getting something super super super cheap (like a $20 router or something).
In your situation, you're using the ISP provided router. In my experience, those have always been unreliable. It appears to me that you are aiming for reliability and range. That's why I suggest a mesh system. Make sure to get a good one too, not a cheap one. A good budget friendly one would be something like the TP-Link Deco M5. I had my coworker get them and they were super simple to set up and provided excellent coverage in his home. He has never came back to me complaining about his WiFi since (it's been almost a year now).
Just keep in mind that if you get a single WiFi 6 router, you will have great coverage in the room the router is in and some surrounding rooms. But once you get to the edges of your home, different floors of your home, your driveway, or backyard... Your coverage will be worse. Your signal might be more reliable and better, but speeds might not be the best when you go further away from the router. With a mesh system, you'll get yourself better speeds throughout your entire home.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you get a mesh system, make sure the mesh routers are not too far away from one another (like putting them in the corners of your house). If they are too far, then they might have trouble connecting to one another, which will cause issues. Another possibility is that the wireless ones connect with a bad signal and just spread a bad signal. I suggest staggering them like this image. This way they are not too far away, but still provide coverage in the areas you need most. Get yourself the speedtest.net app on your phone and go around your house to see how the coverage and speeds are like. Then start moving the mesh routers around until you find a good placement for them that gives you the best speeds in the areas you care about most.
One last thing, no matter the option you decide, make sure to disable the WiFi on your ISP's router to reduce any interference between the ISP router and your new router(s). If you don't disable the WiFi on it, then you can get some interference, which could cause less range on your new router(s).
It's crazy - I've had this router for ~2 years now and it's been great... until past few months (started to utilize internet at home much more since pandemic started - apparently it might be connected).
Exactly the same problem you are describing: dropping connection on 5 GHz! Sometimes Apple devices (iphone, ipad, macbook) would complain about wrong password for 5 GHz band (but never for 2.4) - sometimes network just stops working on 5 GHz...
Please also see this discussion (1m ago) and this one (2 years ago) on reddit - so probably some tricky bug that has been there for a long time...
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I'm trying to troubleshot now and have been looking around... Based on my memory and experience I do not believe it started to appear after any firmware update (however I haven't tried to downgrade yet and see if it helps).
​
Planning to explore the following troubleshooting options:
(1) I just disabled QoS (DDNS was already off) as per this port, I also disabled circle.
Now - suddenly I can see quite good internet speed (using <em>fast.com</em>) - something provider promises, but what I haven't ever seen (probably b/c of QoS).
Will observe for couple weeks and if this does not help...
(2) As I'm on latest FW now - I may probably try to downgrade to 1.3.1.44 (I think they may have screwed things up by adding all kind of security features and their subscriptions like Circle and Armor)
(3) I may also play with disabling MU-MIMO (as per this post) - but this will be definitely upsetting deal...
(4) And last step (before buying <em>different router</em>) would be to try using some open-source FW (tomato seems not to be supported for 7000P for whatever reasons, so probably DD-WRT)
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Would love to hear any feedback about what helped others? Also about first hand experience running 3rd party FW on 7000P.
Try changing to google dns servers 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, if that doesn’t work, I purchased this last month and my speeds are ridiculous on wifi. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0vkqFbHN8VJFZ
My wifi speeds went from 30-40mb to 300-400mb, my isp is 500/500.https://i.imgur.com/3GpEkKK.jpg
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150/150 was replaced with 200/200 and I think they stopped offering that as well. I understand they start at 50/50 now, the next speed up is 500/500, and then the gig. They have really good deals on 500/500, try to get someone in the retention department and give them a comparison from AT&T like the other person mentioned, even if you can’t actually get AT&T in your area.
As for the router, ask Frontier to replace your gateway with an NVG468MQ. They offer extenders that can pair with it (they called it WiFi Everyware). More info on that is available here https://frontier.com/features/wifi-everyware
If you want to continue to use your own router, TP Link has some great mesh WiFi systems on Amazon between $100-$200.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9yA8EbCPQ9Y8N
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RLHLXLC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WzA8EbZ34CKRV
It's been around since December 2017 at least, so they should have worked out the bugs by now. But whatever mesh system you choose, pick a retailer that will let you return it :)
https://kb.netgear.com/000048458/What-is-daisy-chain-and-how-does-it-work-with-my-Orbi-WiFi-System
I haven't used Orbi or any other mesh system yet, but I've been looking for a mesh system too. It seems like all of them have people who love them and hate them. I eliminated Google WiFi since it doesn't do bridge mode and mesh at the same time, and have been looking at Ubiquiti, Orbi, Eero, and Deco. I just ordered a TP-link Deco system, because it was hard to beat $175 for 3, plus $20 instant coupon (so really $155). If it sucks, I'll return it.
So right now on Amazon, it's $160. Would it be possible for you to go lower?
Try this: https://www.cnet.com/reviews/tp-link-deco-m5-whole-home-wi-fi-system-review/
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Simple setup,, IOS, built in anti-virus and control from your apple or android phone. And cheap .... have it at home and it works well.
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https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862
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It’s expensive but I’ve found it to be a worthy investment and expect it to operate for the next few years.
A less expensive but highly rated option would be TP Link’s Deco M5 which is Amazon’s deal of the day at $200. I have no experience with this.
An even less expensive option would be using the most basic DOCSIS 3.0 (I think that’s what they want you to have?) modem you’d need for your ISP, and a simple AP/Router combo as shes mainly wifi anyway.
A cost effective option I have experience with is this Modem/Router/AP at $80, specifically with Cablevision and Spectrum. It’s not officially supported but works perfectly. This was a great setup for a workplace setting for people’s phones, tablets, printers, and a few people streaming movies and Sling on chromecasts where their computers were hardwired onto another network.
I think with 4 people, a mesh compatible network would be a good way to handle this. What router do you guys currently have by the way?
https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/350795/the-best-wi-fi-mesh-network-systems
This one seems to be the cheapest pack (3 of them): TP-Link Deco M5
>Dual Band 2.4GHz (up to 400 Mbps) + 5 GHz (up to 867 Mbps) Quad Core CPU 4 x Internal Antennas 2 x Gigabit Ethernet Ports 2 x 2 MU-MIMO Bluetooth (for Setup) 1 USB Type-C Adapter (for Power)
Those paired with a decent "main" router (where the WAN comes in) I think would be an great approach for you're particular situation.
Here's the approach I would do:
Living Room (or where the modem is)
Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR (place on top or next to EdgeRouterX)
Your room and roomates
I think you can do this at around $400; so split between you guys it's $100 each for an improvement. I don't know how to find and compare this stuff for you if you're not in the US. Sorry. =/
Fair. There is powerline, which I've never used, but I've seen mixed results.
Alternatively, you can use a wireless mesh product. What are your walls made out of? How is the connection when close to your current router? If the environment is bad for Wi-Fi, more Wi-Fi may not help, but otherwise mesh lets you throw 'satellite' APs around the house, and they connect back to your router through Wi-Fi. They handle things better than regular range extenders.
For example: Amazon Eero. ~$249 for a pack of three.
Alternatively: TP-LINK Deco and Google Mesh
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862
This fits in your price range perfectly. Try them out and if they don’t work well then return for something a bit more expensive.
For an easy setup I always recommend eero.
You can get consumer "mesh" WiFi APs like these:
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862