I don't want wifi in my garage, I want it in my house!

[davect]

I'm having a problem getting good wifi in my house and it starts in the garage. I have a pretty big house built in 2004 with a nice basement and 2 floors. The garage is actually a separate building attached by a breezeway and for some reason when they built the house they routed all the low voltage wiring (telephone, cable, network cable) back to one outside corner of the garage. This also happens to be where the cable comes in from Optimum, the cable company I use. I've set up the system this way: main cable into cable modem, cable modem connected to cable company router, router connected to 8 port switch, switch goes to 4 network jacks throughout the house including one jack in a room an the 2nd floor. In that room I've connected an asus wireless router and my Sonos bridge. I also have a repeater on the 2nd floor to help get the wifi to a bedroom. The asus router is set up as an access point so I can have the same login as the garage router. Now it's working but the asus router is not fast and coverage is not great. I get over 100mbps straight from the cable modem, it drops to 75mbps connected directly to the garage modem (already lost 25mbps there). It's 75mbps at all the network jacks but I get only about 25mbps over a wireless device (iphone, ipad, roku) connected to the asus router. I know the asus router can probably be tweeked, but here is the problem: I do not want the cable co router in the garage. I do not need wifi there and attempting to log into my router to make changes takes me to the cable co website. I do not want this.

I would like to use my own router in the garage, replacing the cable co router with a simple wired router or a wireless router with the wifi disabled. Then I would make my 2nd floor asus router the main router and work from there. I am also thinking of replacing the asus with a mesh router system like plume. I do not want the main router on the 2nd floor to be an access point. I want to centralize the wifi so it starts in the house- not in the garage. So how do I set this up? What is the best way? I appreciate any suggestions. I just want good wifi in the house but I feel hampered by the cable co. Maybe the problem is me- I don't know. Thank you for your help in advance.

-Dave

 

[sdifox]

Are the in wall network wires terminated at the garage? Are they at least Cat 5e?
Nothing stops you from using your own router does it? You can turn off the wifi on the isp router and just run multiple ap in the house. Go with say two Ubiquiti unifi ac lite or pro, one for second floor and one for first. You can run the controller in a vm. Heck you could run pfsense or sophos in another vm and that is your router.

Here is something to try first. Remove the switch from the equation, just hook up the isp router to the four drops directly. It has four port at least no?

Post the make and model of each piece of network equipment you have.

And repeaters are no good.

 

[boomhower]

Are the in wall network wires terminated at the garage? Are they at least Cat 5e?
Nothing stops you from using your own router does it? You can turn off the wifi on the isp router and just run multiple ap in the house. Go with say two Ubiquiti unifi ac lite or pro, one for second floor and one for first. You can run the controller in a vm. Heck you could run pfsense or sophos in another vm and that is your router.

Here is something to try first. Remove the switch from the equation, just hook up the isp router to the four drops directly. It has four port at least no?

Post the make and model of each piece of network equipment you have.

And repeaters are no good.

This. Use AP's inside the house from the drops you already have. If you can't lose the drops for needed connection just add switches at those locations. Ubiquiti AC Lite's are around $80 and their new managed switches are $100. If you don't need managed switches you can easily use unmanaged ones for around $30.

 

[davect]

Great advice- Thank you! You have to go easy with me I am NOT a networking person. You would have to dumb it down a little more for me.

You can run the controller in a vm. Heck you could run pfsense or sophos in another vm and that is your router.

Not sure what that means. Run the controller (what controller?) in VM (virtual mode?). AnywayI appreciate your enthusiasm.

It sounds to me like you may be suggesting that I keep the isp router in the garage but turn off the wifi (please note I don't think ISP allows that as they like to turn your router into a public wifi hotspot!)
Then put two or more routers in the house connected to existing wall jacks. But why are they all AP? Isn't the first one regular and then additional routers AP?

Regarding questions: in-wall network wires terminate in garage. Not sure if they are Cat5e but I do know that from the garage to the 2nd floor I was getting 75mbps out of the jack. Wiring not the bottleneck- the wifi router is.

Equipment: ISP Cable modem- not sure the brand. ISP router is an old Netgear but they just sent me a brand new DLink. 2nd floor router is Asus RT-N66U dark knight and I have a spare Cisco E3000 to replace ISP router in the garage if necessary.

Thanks Again!!!!

 

[sdifox]

Great advice- Thank you! You have to go easy with me I am NOT a networking person. You would have to dumb it down a little more for me.



Not sure what that means. Run the controller (what controller?) in VM (virtual mode?). AnywayI appreciate your enthusiasm.

It sounds to me like you may be suggesting that I keep the isp router in the garage but turn off the wifi (please note I don't think ISP allows that as they like to turn your router into a public wifi hotspot!)
Then put two or more routers in the house connected to existing wall jacks. But why are they all AP? Isn't the first one regular and then additional routers AP?

Regarding questions: in-wall network wires terminate in garage. Not sure if they are Cat5e but I do know that from the garage to the 2nd floor I was getting 75mbps out of the jack. Wiring not the bottleneck- the wifi router is.

Equipment: ISP Cable modem- not sure the brand. ISP router is an old Netgear but they just sent me a brand new DLink. 2nd floor router is Asus RT-N66U dark knight and I have a spare Cisco E3000 to replace ISP router in the garage if necessary.

Thanks Again!!!!

ok so you have to keep the cable modem, you don't have to keep their router. I wanted to make sure your Ethernet cables are actually capable of carrying gigabit.

So transfer file from one computer to another, making sure both are hardwired to the switch and see if you can get over 90 Megabytes per second. IF so then you are wired for gigabit. Otherwise it is just 100mbps. Or it could be the switch that is 100mbps, that is why I asked for model of all your network equipment.

Wireless routers are actually 3 network devices in one, a router, a switch and a wifi access point. So the different parts can be separated out.

Which DLink did you get? Both the Linksys and Asus are old so they are due for replacement. Unless you only have 802.11N wifi devices at home.

The controller I was referring to is used to control the Ubiquiti APs, you can run it on an old pc or in a virtual machine. Since you mentioned you wanted a meshed wifi network, I suggested going with Uniquiti and running their controller software in a virtual machine.

Don't worry about the VM if you don't know how to do that, it just makes things neater.

Depending on the model of the D-Link I'll make recommendation on how you set this up. As it stands I am thinking moving the Asus to the garage, turn off its wifi and use it to replace the isp router. I am going to assume the D-Link is an 802.11ac capable device so you can move that to where the Asus is right now and use it as an AP.

Start from there and see how it goes.

 

[boomerang]

The controller I was referring to is used to control the Ubiquiti APs, you can run it on an old pc or in a virtual machine.

Umm, please correct me if I'm wrong but he doesn't need to have that software running all the time, only if he wants to connect to them for whatever reason, correct? Now, maybe if there is more than one you do which is why I'm asking.

I have a Lite running right now 1500 miles from where I am with no computer in the household at all and it's performing flawlessly. I can't connect to it, but I haven't had to for the past eight months either.

 

[sdifox]

Umm, please correct me if I'm wrong but he doesn't need to have that software running all the time, only if he wants to connect to them for whatever reason, correct? Now, maybe if there is more than one you do which is why I'm asking.

I have a Lite running right now 1500 miles from where I am with no computer in the household at all and it's performing flawlessly. I can't connect to it, but I haven't had to for the past eight months either.

You run the controller all the time if you want seamless handoff, which is what he was talking about in terms of meshing. If you are just running it as standalone you don't need it running all the time.

 

[davect]

sdifox,

thank you again for all your help. To test the line speed I transfer a file of a known size and time it? Or is there some app? Can I use ookla speed test?

My switch is gigabit- I forgot to give you the name.

I will not be able to use the dlink unfortunately because it was free from the isp and they will want to configure it, etc. Maybe I could but when you log in it goes to their web page.

The ubiquiti routers sound great but have you heard of the plume mesh router or the new google mesh router? They sound very easy to set up but maybe the performance is not great?

 

[sdifox]

sdifox,

thank you again for all your help. To test the line speed I transfer a file of a known size and time it? Or is there some app? Can I use ookla speed test?

My switch is gigabit- I forgot to give you the name.

I will not be able to use the dlink unfortunately because it was free from the isp and they will want to configure it, etc. Maybe I could but when you log in it goes to their web page.

The ubiquiti routers sound great but have you heard of the plume mesh router or the new google mesh router? They sound very easy to set up but maybe the performance is not great?

do you have a model for the dlink? Are they giving it to you or lending it to you? There is a difference.

Google wifi is pretty new but generally seems well received. You could go with that, the setup should be simple.

Say you have two computers, just copy file from one to another and look at the transfer speed. We are measuring intranet speed so ookla is not going to help you.

Bottom line is if you can do more than 80 megabyte per second, you are definitely getting gigabit connections. You can look at the status of the connection in network and sharing centre (assuming you are using windows) but it is possible the wiring is flaky and you get gigabit there but drops when you try to transfer files.

I am not familiar with Plume, but it is the same operating model as Google Wifi.


here is a review of google wifi

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/33038-google-wifi-reviewed

 

[boomerang]

You run the controller all the time if you want seamless handoff, which is what he was talking about in terms of meshing. If you are just running it as standalone you don't need it running all the time.

Ah, thank you.

 

[davect]

Ok I'm going to test my intranet speed and repost and also find the name of the dlink router- Thanks.

 

[davect]

Equipment: isp supplied cable modem Arris TM822 connected to isp supplied router Netgear N600. Router connected to Netgear GS108 prosafe 8 port gigabit switch. 2nd floor router is Asus RT-N66U dark knight and I have a spare Cisco E3000 router. I also just got a brand new DLink DIR-868L from the cable company which is mine to keep, as far as I know.

I tried testing the transfer speed but I ran into network issues with my 2 mac computers and was not successful. I keep trying- there must be an easy way.

Thanks,
David

 

[sdifox]

Equipment: isp supplied cable modem Arris TM822 connected to isp supplied router Netgear N600. Router connected to Netgear GS108 prosafe 8 port gigabit switch. 2nd floor router is Asus RT-N66U dark knight and I have a spare Cisco E3000 router. I also just got a brand new DLink DIR-868L from the cable company which is mine to keep, as far as I know.

I tried testing the transfer speed but I ran into network issues with my 2 mac computers and was not successful. I keep trying- there must be an easy way.

Thanks,
David

what do you mean you are not able to copy file from one mac to another? Is the transfer failing? Are the link lights on the GS108 orange or green? If orange then it is 100mbps link.

Anyway, the DIR-868L is an 802.11ac router, so use that as your wifi acccess point. You should be able to get to the configuration page and turn off router function.

Use the Asus as your router, turn off wifi if you wish.

so Arris --> Asus RT-N66U in full router mode. You can turn off wifi or pick channels distinct from D-Link --> patch cables to inside of the house --> DIR-868L in AP mode where the Asus used to sit.

You don't need the switch unless you have more than 4 drops in the house. In which case I would just use one patch cable from RT-N66U to GS108.

D-Link under manual setup there is a Bridge Mode, pick Wireless AP mode.


http://setuprouter.com/router/dlink/dir-868l/login.htm

 

[davect]

Wow great- sounds like a good plan.

I did not say I couldn't copy files- I can. I just cannot figure out how to find the transfer rate. There are apps that can help but one of my macs is so out of date no new apps can be installed.

 

[sdifox]

Wow great- sounds like a good plan.

I did not say I couldn't copy files- I can. I just cannot figure out how to find the transfer rate. There are apps that can help but one of my macs is so out of date no new apps can be installed.

I am not a mac user so I googled.

http://apple.stackexchange.com/ques...y-to-show-the-speed-of-copying-files-on-a-mac

 

[davect]

Thank you for the link. I did not try the terminal solution but did try the other solution- activity monitor a little utility that tells you the transfer rate. Copied a pretty big file and looks like I was getting 3-4 mb per second. I know that is not fast enough but I did try the same with my desktop and laptop both patched back to the 8 port switch with cat 5e patch cables. same speed. I will tell you that all the little lights on my GS108 are green (2 green for each port). So I have a gigabit network! Right?

 

[sdifox]

Thank you for the link. I did not try the terminal solution but did try the other solution- activity monitor a little utility that tells you the transfer rate. Copied a pretty big file and looks like I was getting 3-4 mb per second. I know that is not fast enough but I did try the same with my desktop and laptop both patched back to the 8 port switch with cat 5e patch cables. same speed. I will tell you that all the little lights on my GS108 are green (2 green for each port). So I have a gigabit network! Right?

Yeah if both are green then you are indeed on gigabit. Though I don't understand why it is so slow copying files. Nothing you do with regards to moving hardware around is going to improve throughput until you figure out what is going on there.

3 to 4 megabyte per second is not even 100mbps.

 

[davect]

I'm pretty sure the slow copying is due to the machines I'm copying to and from. I have two macs one 7 years old with vey outdated OS.

The bottom line though is if I can plug my laptop into my network jack and get a 75mbps download/30mbps upload from ookla speed test than I should be OK right? I know the file copy speed indicates the health of the network but in reality I don't care about copying files computer to computer, I just want to be able to stream westworld without a hiccup via wifi.

 

[sdifox]

I'm pretty sure the slow copying is due to the machines I'm copying to and from. I have two macs one 7 years old with vey outdated OS.

The bottom line though is if I can plug my laptop into my network jack and get a 75mbps download/30mbps upload from ookla speed test than I should be OK right? I know the file copy speed indicates the health of the network but in reality I don't care about copying files computer to computer, I just want to be able to stream westworld without a hiccup via wifi.

If your lan cannot sustain decent speed, even if you have gigabit internet access it will still transfer at 3 megabyte a second in your lan/wifi.

 

[davect]

foiled again!

 

[sdifox]

I was away for a week, so any updates op?

 

[davect]

Yes I have updates! I switched some things around. I replaced the old isp router in my garage with my own cisco/linksis e3000. Immediately I was getting much better speed over the LAN. The wifi signal from that particular router was much stronger as well. I tried setting up the new isp router (dlink) as an access point but I could not find a way to configure it as an AP- could not find the setting. I connected it directly to my laptop via ethernet cable but no luck. So I used my same old asus dark knight router set up as an access point on my second floor as before. This is the main router for the house and the strength is improved. In fact on the first floor the wifi is at least 2x stronger than before. However- and I don't really understand why- the wifi signal does not carry well to the other rooms right around the router on the same floor. My bedroom which is maybe 20 feet from the router is getting a very weak signal so I have to use a netgear range extender. Not a great solution. At this point I think the setup is very good. The bottleneck is the asus router so I either have to redirect the antennas, configure it better, or buy a new, better router. I am really interested in the mesh routers but since the lower floor seems to be getting the signal well maybe just a new improved single router would take care of my second floor. I intend to try out the plume when available but any other suggestions would be welcome. Thank you for all your help!!

 

[sdifox]

Yes I have updates! I switched some things around. I replaced the old isp router in my garage with my own cisco/linksis e3000. Immediately I was getting much better speed over the LAN. The wifi signal from that particular router was much stronger as well. I tried setting up the new isp router (dlink) as an access point but I could not find a way to configure it as an AP- could not find the setting. I connected it directly to my laptop via ethernet cable but no luck. So I used my same old asus dark knight router set up as an access point on my second floor as before. This is the main router for the house and the strength is improved. In fact on the first floor the wifi is at least 2x stronger than before. However- and I don't really understand why- the wifi signal does not carry well to the other rooms right around the router on the same floor. My bedroom which is maybe 20 feet from the router is getting a very weak signal so I have to use a netgear range extender. Not a great solution. At this point I think the setup is very good. The bottleneck is the asus router so I either have to redirect the antennas, configure it better, or buy a new, better router. I am really interested in the mesh routers but since the lower floor seems to be getting the signal well maybe just a new improved single router would take care of my second floor. I intend to try out the plume when available but any other suggestions would be welcome. Thank you for all your help!!

See post #13 there is a link to show you how to get to the ap mode setting. Look for radiation pattern diagram for your second floor router and orient it so that you get best coverage. Though twenty feet away should not be a problem.

 

[davect]

I tried once more with the new isp supplied dlink router but here is the problem: they make it a big pita to get to the settings. It is a managed router and you can't just connect it to your computer and log in. You need to be connected to the internet and then you can change some settings through their website. I don't want to deal with that. I would rather get my own new router even if I have to pay. This stuff is confusing enough as it is for me.

How to see a radiation pattern diagram?

 

[sdifox]

I tried once more with the new isp supplied dlink router but here is the problem: they make it a big pita to get to the settings. It is a managed router and you can't just connect it to your computer and log in. You need to be connected to the internet and then you can change some settings through their website. I don't want to deal with that. I would rather get my own new router even if I have to pay. This stuff is confusing enough as it is for me.

How to see a radiation pattern diagram?

Humm, didn't find it myself. Try rotating the router 90 degrees and see if it helps. Or flip it upside down. Oh you are using the Asus as AP. You can try wall mounting upside down since it is on second floor and point the antenna downwards.


You can always flash it back to stock firmware. Just go to dlink website and grab the newest firmware and follow the instruction.

Or get a new ubiquiti ac lite or pro.