Site Totals

61162 Questions Answered 267 Categories

Improve wifi coverage by adding Access Point?

Hello. I have the Actiontec MI424WR Rev. I router and am provisioned with 25/25 service. Wifi coverage is spotty at one end of the house, the location farthest from the Verzion router. I would appreciate comments on these two options (and I'm sure there are more):

1. Buy or cajole for the Quantum Gateway. But on the forums it seems that Verizon has locked down features, for example extorting $ to allow Chromecast to operate. I don't need that gateway for higher speeds; for my use going to more bandwith will have little benefit.

2. Connect a vanilla wifi router to the Verizon box with UTP cable, disable DHCP on new router (put it in Access Point mode if it has one), set static IP for it, and give it the same SSID and WPA passcode as the Verizon router (see https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-turn-an-old-wi-fi-router-into-an-access-point/).

I suppose I could buy Verizon's Extender and run coax to it (house does not have coax outlets), but that's maybe not much less work than connecting an access point.

Thanks for any recommendations.

Comments

jonjones1

@FWEhr wrote:
Hello. I have the Actiontec MI424WR Rev. I router and am provisioned with 25/25 service. Wifi coverage is spotty at one end of the house, the location farthest from the Verzion router. I would appreciate comments on these two options (and I'm sure there are more):
1. Buy or cajole for the Quantum Gateway. But on the forums it seems that Verizon has locked down features, for example extorting $ to allow Chromecast to operate. I don't need that gateway for higher speeds; for my use going to more bandwith will have little benefit.
2. Connect a vanilla wifi router to the Verizon box with UTP cable, disable DHCP on new router (put it in Access Point mode if it has one), set static IP for it, and give it the same SSID and WPA passcode as the Verizon router (see https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-turn-an-old-wi-fi-router-into-an-access-point/).
I suppose I could buy Verizon's Extender and run coax to it (house does not have coax outlets), but that's maybe not much less work than connecting an access point.
Thanks for any recommendations.

https://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.1_General_Networking

There are many ways to do this from the link above.

what I would recommend is to leave your router as it, then purchase a wifi extender such as the Netgear extenders. http://kb.netgear.com/23517/Setting-up-NETGEAR-Wi-Fi-Range-Extenders?cid=wmt_netgear_organic

The above link is pretty good in setting it up.

http://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-range-extenders/?cid=wmt_netgear_organic

The above link shows their product line. They can be bought for as little as $30 and most if not all can be used with any wifi router. I am using one with my Quantum Gateway out in our yard patio. Works great.

Good Luck

FedUpBoston

Thanks jonjones for the fast reply, and for the links, in particular dslreports.

Regarding an extender, at first this seems the easiest approach. However, the devices for which I want better coverage, are mobile ones (phone, tablet). I have read (the advice may be right or wrong) that an extender introduces the need to manually select different wifi sources (primary or extender, two SSIDs) as the device is moved around your house. In other words the mobile device may not switch automatically to the router with higher signal strength.

I have also read that setting up an access point lets there be just one SSID and one WAP passcode covering both routers, so that they look like one router to the mobile device.

Perhaps I've got it wrong about extenders, or that aspect is just a minor incovenience.

jonjones1

@FWEhr wrote:
Thanks jonjones for the fast reply, and for the links, in particular dslreports.

Regarding an extender, at first this seems the easiest approach. However, the devices for which I want better coverage, are mobile ones (phone, tablet). I have read (the advice may be right or wrong) that an extender introduces the need to manually select different wifi sources (primary or extender, two SSIDs) as the device is moved around your house. In other words the mobile device may not switch automatically to the router with higher signal strength.

I have also read that setting up an access point lets there be just one SSID and one WAP passcode covering both routers, so that they look like one router to the mobile device.

Perhaps I've got it wrong about extenders, or that aspect is just a minor incovenience.

Wifi routers when set up via the Netgear instructions or the easy set up link in the product packaging is such that it makes you choose which band to use. For instance when you first set up the wifi extender it takes mere minutes to clone the settings from your wifi router. I use Netgear because I have Netgear products. I have also used a Belkin extender but it was always going out and dropping wifi no matter what band and it kept having to be paired up over and over. So I don't recommend their product.

the Netgear I use after set up uses the same 2.4 & 5 ghz. Bands as your existing router. So logging on is not a problem for any device. Some devices can use the 5 ghz. Band but 2.4 ghz penetration is much better than 5 ghz which does not have the range of the 2.4

in my summer parties even though my Netgear Nighthawk has the range to actually reach my guests devices I just plug in the wifi extender and it is good to go. No settings to mess with at all. You can pick which band to use if you so choose.

the SSID is merely an extension of your existing wifi. In example my SSID may say thegreatone_2.4 or thegreatone_5. The extender will say the same except it will have EXT on the end of the network SSID

so the network will say thegreatone_2.4_ext and thegreatone_5_ext

really very simple.

also an extender can reduce the thorough put by at least 50% depending on your set up. But your mileage may vary.

sorry I forgot, it makes no difference what band your phone or tablet acquires since it only acquires the physical SSID you have in the device settings.

Good Luck

CRobGauth

Have not heard of Verizon charging extra to allow Chromecast to connect.

Not sure how they would stop it.

As for WiFi extender, if you can find a second router, then your option 2 is a good one.

I have one in my house to cover basement and it works fine.

TomH121

Hi FWEhr:

FYI

Here is my set up

Just took my iPad2 down the street 3 houses away still had WiFi

My Router is downstairs

My WiFi Extender upstairs at other end of house.

1oo% coverage all parts of house.

EQUIPMENT LAYOUT 11 25 2016.pdf

jonjones1

@TomH309 wrote:
Hi FWEhr:
FYI
Here is my set up
Just took my iPad2 down the street 3 houses away still had WiFi
My Router is downstairs
My WiFi Extender upstairs at other end of house.
1oo% coverage all parts of house.

Wow....!

i don't draw well ha ha

mine is real simple. Ont, Ethernet in wall directly to router, paired Netgear extender

plugged into garden wall socket. If I had an upstairs (we have an open concept house with no up or downstairs) the Nighthawk has all LAN ports used except one.

i can plug the extender anywhere I want and it's fast. I also use the LAN port on the extender in case I want to hook up a desktop or laptop but it's not necessary.

The other 14-15 devices are connected via wifi which work half way down the street.

FedUpBoston

Thanks to everyone for replying. Looks like a wifi extender (not the coax-fed Actiontec) is the way I will go, probably Netgear. Will post to this thread with my results.

Child Item