Better range in the house: wifi repeater, ethernet/powerline, or ethernet /coax?
Jan 3, 2018, 11:18 am
#1
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Better range in the house: wifi repeater, ethernet/powerline, or ethernet /coax?
The wifi for my computer in my basement man cave is sometimes spotty/slow/high latency.
Which of these three options would you recommend?
a) "Traditional" wifi repeater
b) Ethernet over powerline (I know that the circuit in the man cave is not the same circuit as the router)
c) Ethernet over coax -- the house is wired for cable (currently not in use), but I'm sure that the cable outlets for each location go through some sort of junction box.
What would you recommend? Price IS an object, but so is better and more consistent speed/latency.
Which of these three options would you recommend?
a) "Traditional" wifi repeater
b) Ethernet over powerline (I know that the circuit in the man cave is not the same circuit as the router)
c) Ethernet over coax -- the house is wired for cable (currently not in use), but I'm sure that the cable outlets for each location go through some sort of junction box.
What would you recommend? Price IS an object, but so is better and more consistent speed/latency.
Jan 3, 2018, 11:42 am
#2
Join Date: May 2004
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The wifi for my computer in my basement man cave is sometimes spotty/slow/high latency.
Which of these three options would you recommend?
a) "Traditional" wifi repeater
b) Ethernet over powerline (I know that the circuit in the man cave is not the same circuit as the router)
c) Ethernet over coax -- the house is wired for cable (currently not in use), but I'm sure that the cable outlets for each location go through some sort of junction box.
What would you recommend? Price IS an object, but so is better and more consistent speed/latency.
Which of these three options would you recommend?
a) "Traditional" wifi repeater
b) Ethernet over powerline (I know that the circuit in the man cave is not the same circuit as the router)
c) Ethernet over coax -- the house is wired for cable (currently not in use), but I'm sure that the cable outlets for each location go through some sort of junction box.
What would you recommend? Price IS an object, but so is better and more consistent speed/latency.
When I bought them a year ago, they were $150/pair, I also needed a PoE filter for the cable service connection ($6, keeps the neighbors from seeing my stuff) and a wi-fi access point at the apartment end.
If the only connection is your computer, though, you can plug straight into the MoCA adapter. I'd recommend getting a switch or wi-fi access point for extra flexibility, and those are dirt cheap these days.
Jan 3, 2018, 11:42 am
#3
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Of the three your best performance will be ethernet over coax (called MoCa). You'll need two MoCa adapters, and you can expand to more later if needed. Newer MoCa standards allow up to 1.3 Gbps I believe.
Powerline adapters are hit or miss for me. A wifi repeater will halve your available wifi bandwidth.
ETA: Of course, running an ethernet cable is the simplest and most reliable method of all if that's an option.
Powerline adapters are hit or miss for me. A wifi repeater will halve your available wifi bandwidth.
ETA: Of course, running an ethernet cable is the simplest and most reliable method of all if that's an option.
Last edited by gfunkdave; Jan 3, 2018 at 11:50 am
Jan 3, 2018, 12:14 pm
#5
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Pulling ethernet cable is not an option....
Any recommendations for least expensive but decent MoCA adapters?
Any recommendations for least expensive but decent MoCA adapters?
Jan 3, 2018, 12:44 pm
#6
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I did a lot of research on ethernet over coax options when we were in the process of buying our new place and these kept coming up as the best solution. They'll give you gigabit performance and they're very reliable.
Jan 3, 2018, 12:58 pm
#7
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Thank you!
Do you think that these
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-a-DI...r/152782499185
are somehow proprietary to DirecTV?
Do you think that these
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-a-DI...r/152782499185
are somehow proprietary to DirecTV?
Jan 3, 2018, 1:39 pm
#8
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Thank you!
Do you think that these
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-a-DI...r/152782499185
are somehow proprietary to DirecTV?
Do you think that these
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-a-DI...r/152782499185
are somehow proprietary to DirecTV?
Jan 3, 2018, 1:46 pm
#9
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How old is your router? I solved the problem in my house by buying a new one with a few antennae - Linksys EA7500.
Also be sure you're not running on the "newest, greatest" 5GHz channel - it has a shorter range.
I had been using a repeater - it significantly cut throughput, though my daughter didn't need more in her room than the 15Mbps or so left from the original 100Mbps, after the repeater.
Also be sure you're not running on the "newest, greatest" 5GHz channel - it has a shorter range.
I had been using a repeater - it significantly cut throughput, though my daughter didn't need more in her room than the 15Mbps or so left from the original 100Mbps, after the repeater.
Jan 3, 2018, 2:21 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2004
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Thank you!
Do you think that these
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-a-DI...r/152782499185
are somehow proprietary to DirecTV?
Do you think that these
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-a-DI...r/152782499185
are somehow proprietary to DirecTV?
IF you decide to try them, you should probably disconnect your internal cable network from the PoE; you may cause headaches for nearby neighbors.
Those DECA adapters are also significantly slower than the Actiontec MoCA adapters, at 100Mb/s. The Actiontecs effectively offer gigabit (10x) performance.
Last edited by Dodge DeBoulet; Jan 3, 2018 at 5:42 pm Reason: bits vs Bytes
Jan 3, 2018, 4:58 pm
#12
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I have been using the DirecTV Deca for years now and aside from the limitations that have already been mentioned (top speed limit; need a DirecTV SWM system), they work flawlessly for me and the bandwidth is enough for my use. YMMV
Jan 3, 2018, 10:10 pm
#13
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I installed some cheap powerline Ethernet boxes at my parents' house because I figured they were the least hassle. Knowing what I know now I'd probably try other options first but if one has the right expectations (and good enough wiring), they can work okay.
For my parents, they work well enough to allow a TiVo (main unit + Mini) and desktop PC at the other end of the house to connect to the router in the living room--albeit with internet speed tests clocking in at about half of what they pay for. That's still okay enough for what my mom uses the desktop for, though.
For my parents, they work well enough to allow a TiVo (main unit + Mini) and desktop PC at the other end of the house to connect to the router in the living room--albeit with internet speed tests clocking in at about half of what they pay for. That's still okay enough for what my mom uses the desktop for, though.
Jan 4, 2018, 12:43 am
#14
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The wifi for my computer in my basement man cave is sometimes spotty/slow/high latency.
Which of these three options would you recommend?
a) "Traditional" wifi repeater
b) Ethernet over powerline (I know that the circuit in the man cave is not the same circuit as the router)
c) Ethernet over coax -- the house is wired for cable (currently not in use), but I'm sure that the cable outlets for each location go through some sort of junction box.
What would you recommend? Price IS an object, but so is better and more consistent speed/latency.
Which of these three options would you recommend?
a) "Traditional" wifi repeater
b) Ethernet over powerline (I know that the circuit in the man cave is not the same circuit as the router)
c) Ethernet over coax -- the house is wired for cable (currently not in use), but I'm sure that the cable outlets for each location go through some sort of junction box.
What would you recommend? Price IS an object, but so is better and more consistent speed/latency.
Jan 4, 2018, 10:30 pm
#15
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I know you said this isn't an option, but I'll ask anyway since that's my profession... for the amount you're going to spend on two MoCA adapters, having an electrician run a line is probably in a similar range. Why not go that route?