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Srodriguez089's avatar
Srodriguez089
Aspirant
Aug 15, 2018

Powerline or wifi extender

Hello, I have my router(not Netgear) setup in my living room and I have a the Netgear EX3700 wifi range extender I'm my bedroom. The bedroom is above the living room. But I don't understand why my speed is so slow. In the living room I'm getting 100 down and up(AT&T fiber) but upstairs 25 If im lucky. Someone told me about Powerline. Is this a better option? Do I need to buy the entire package or can I only buy the part that goes connected to the router and still the wifi extender. Please help me I'm desperate.
Troubleshooting

3 Replies

  • StephenB's avatar
    StephenB
    Guru - Experienced User
    Aug 16, 2018

    One option is to get a faster extender, but we should figure out if that will help first.

     

    Can you tell us what model router you have?  

    Are your clients connecting to the 2.4 ghz extender network, or the 5 ghz band?

    If you have ethernet in a laptop, try using the ethernet port on the extender, and tell us what speeds you get?

    What speed do you get if you connect directly to the router from the bedroom?

     

    Srodriguez089 wrote:
    Is this a better option? Do I need to buy the entire package or can I only buy the part that goes connected to the router and still the wifi extender. Please help me I'm desperate.

    Powerline can be hit-or-miss depending on the house wiring and circuit loading.  It could be faster.  You'd need a pair of powerline adapters, your extender doesn't have powerline built in.  Most just extend ethernet, but there are some that have built-in wifi extenders.  Netgear's PLPW1000 is a combo unit.  Not sure if you'd reach 100 mbps with this particular product (real-world powerline speeds are generally much lower than the specs), but it's likely you'd get 50.

    • Srodriguez089's avatar
      Srodriguez089
      Aspirant
      Aug 16, 2018

      Hi StephenB, thank you for the reply. 

      Here some info.

      1)Router= ASUS RT-AC68U (have 2.5 Ghz and 5 Ghz)

      2)This specific case is for 2.4 Ghz. For some reason the 5Ghz is not giving internet connection in the extender, even though I already try factory reset and set-up form 0. I don't think the extender is to far from the router. How could it? It's just above it!!!

      3) Using the ethernet port on the extender, I get 45 down and 32 up.

      4)Connecting directly to the router from the bedroom, I'm getting 25 down and 20 up.

       

      I'm not looking to get 100 mbps in the room. I would be happy to get 50. Sometimes I even get to 119 down and up (when I'm in the 5Ghz) in the living room. Is it because of the extender? I though I bought a good one but was I wrong?

      thanks for your help

       

      • StephenB's avatar
        StephenB
        Guru - Experienced User
        Aug 17, 2018
        Srodriguez089 wrote:

         

        3) Using the ethernet port on the extender, I get 45 down and 32 up.

         

         

        This gives you the performance of the extender<->router WiFi path (the backhaul connection), with no relay involved.  Can you connect the PC directly to the 2.4 ghz router network (in the bedroom), and measure that performance also?  I suspect it will be similar.

         

        Srodriguez089 wrote:

        Hi StephenB, thank you for the reply. 

         

        2)This specific case is for 2.4 Ghz. For some reason the 5Ghz is not giving internet connection in the extender

         

        This is unusual - does the bedroom have wood flooring, or is it something else (concrete???).  Is there something over the router that might be blocking the signal?  Do any devices connect to the router over 5 Ghz in that spot?  

         

        Note the extender doesn't have to be in the bedroom.  If an adjacent room gives a solid 5 Ghz to the router, you could try moving it.

         

        Srodriguez089 wrote:

        Is it because of the extender? I though I bought a good one but was I wrong?

         

        The highest performing extender that Netgear makes is the EX8000 - which is AC3000.  The EX3700 is AC750; your ASUS router is AC1900.  If you can use 5 ghz for the backhaul, then a triband extender should give you better performance.  You'd use one 5 ghz radio for the backhaul, and you'd use the other 5 ghz radio (and the 2.4 ghz radio) for your client connections.  But if you are stuck with a 2.4 ghz backhaul then a more expensive extender won't help much.

         

        The net here is that if you can't solve the 5Ghz connection problem, then powerline would be a better option.  Though I'd also look into the possibility of running an ethernet cable from the living room to the bedroom.  Likely it would cost a bit more (assuming it is professionally installed), but that would give you the best performance (running the EX3700 as an access point, and using it's 5 Ghz network for your clients).