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Forum Discussion
How simple is the installation of a Netgear range extender?
I have no experience with range extenders but am considering buying a AX3000 Dual-band WiFi 6 Mesh Extender to solve the following problem:
I've just moved into a 3 bedroom townhouse and have installed Telstra/NBN internet connection which provides 500+bps near it's downstairs location ( where my wife's office is located ) but much less and intermittent upstairs where my office is located. If I bought the extender and plugged it in to a mains socket in the upstairs hallway with clear view to the modem and my office will it work without any changes to any settings? Will my MAC, iPhone and printer see the 5G router name with out any changes?
7 Replies
provides 500+mbps near it's downstairs location ( where my wife's office is located ) but much less and intermittent upstairs where my office is located
How much speed do you need in your office? There will be some drop-off with a dual-band extender if the signal needs to be relayed over wifi.
If you have the Telstra Smart Modem 4, then you have a dual band WiFi 7 network now. A WiFi 7 extender could give better performance than going with WiFi 6, especially if you can find one that supports MLO (which the Telstra Smart Modem 4 supports). But Netgear's WiFi 7 extenders aren't available in Australia yet (at least they are not on Amazon Australia). One competitor's model you could consider is
- https://www.amazon.com.au/TP-Link-Dual-Band-Extender-Compatibility-RE225BE/dp/B0FQMDFLMF
If the Telstra is WiFi 6, then there is no need to consider WiFi 7 extenders.
I am wondering if it is practical to run an ethernet cable either to the upstairs office or to the intermediate location. If so, you could connect the extender to the Telstra unit with ethernet - avoiding the need to relay over wifi. (FWIW, this would also let you move the Telstra to an intermediate location).
If not, then you could probably live with the drop-off in performance in your office. There should still be enough performance for email, access to corporate documents, and video conferencing. Generally 50-100 mbps download and 10-20 mbps upload are enough for office work. That is assuming you aren't doing video editing or other work that requires transfer of very large files.
Another option is to get a tri-band mesh system - disabling the Telstra WiFi, and using the mesh for your wifi (setting it up as an AP, not a router). That would give you the best performance, but would be quite expensive.
For many of us, relocating the ISP connection to a different part of the house is not trivial.
Agreed.
Expanding WiFi coverage is a complicated subject, involving many factors. For many of us, relocating the ISP connection to a different part of the house is not trivial. In this particular case, having the Telstra connection in the downstairs office enables a solid and fast connection for devices in that office. Were it convenient to move the Telstra connection to a more central location, that would entail having devices in both offices connected over WiFi.
Not aware of what WiFi systems are readily available in Australia. In the US, there are several mesh WiFi "2-packs" available for $140USD or less (roughly equivalent to the $200AUS cost of that Netgear WiFi extender. If WiFi from the existing Telstra router in the downstairs office is weak in the upstairs office, then a mesh WiFi system may not sync well at that location either.
I would be more comfortable purchasing from a vendor with a liberal return policy.
An extender should be a last resort for extending wifi coverage since it will cut down the wifi speed in half to the connected devices and also causes co-channel interference to the main router since most wifi extenders also broadcast in the same wifi channel as the main router for seamless mesh extension. Get a power router located in a central location or a mesh system with dedicated or enhanced MLO backhaul.
It is a mesh extender so they do work pretty well in that sense. But most routers should cover a smaller 3 bedroom if properly located. You might just try centrally locating the router so it provides better coverage. They broadcast omnidirectional (spherical) so try to make sure the router is in the middle.
What actual speeds do you get in your office?
When you say intermittent, is your office connected to the 2.4ghz or 5ghz? I've found in most apartment/townhomes/condo's that 2.4ghz is pretty much useless other than slow IoT devices.
Probably. Might be worth a few minutes to read through the User Guide:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/EAX17/EAX17_EAX16_UM_EN.pdf
WiFi extenders were the way many people extended WiFi coverage in their homes. The main frustration is that the primary WiFi router and the WiFi Extender are actually two distinct systems. Mobile devices often do not roam seamlessly between the primary router and the extender. This causes frustration because performance on the mobile device will diminish and the user will finally remember, "s**t. I moved too far from that WiFi. Need to turn WiFi off and back on again so my phone/tablet/laptop will connect to the WiFi I am closer to right now. The Mac and printer, of course, are not mobile and thus will be perfectly happy. This frustration is why mesh WiFi systems were invented in about 2015-2016.
It might be that Telstra provides a mesh extension to their WiFi unit (monthly fee, of course).
Otherwise, a WiFi extender (from anyone) is a possible solution.
The Netgear extenders are supposed to be mesh extenders and it's up to the client to choose when to roam. This roaming issue with clients issue exists in the mesh systems too.
it's up to the client to choose when to roam.
Yes. Although the mesh can provide hints/suggestions to switch, it is up to the client to follow through.
And a traditional extender has the same constaints - the main difference is that with two SSIDs it is easier to see the wifi that the client is connected to - and you can choose the network manually.
You might just try centrally locating the router so it provides better coverage.
If that is practical, then worth trying first.
If not, an extender will solve the problem. The one you are thinking about should work fine, but the only way to tell is to get one and try it. There is a new Wifi 7 extender from Netgear, which is the same price in the US - if that is also the case in Australia, I'd get the newer one.
