Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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Could just use some positioning suggestions

WinterMute
Star

Could just use some positioning suggestions

Hey gang: I just need a bit of guidance as I try to resolve a signal problem. I've got:
- A Nighthawk R8000 router
- A Nighthawk R7000 range extender
- An EX1200 range extender

Here's my dilemma:
Imagine a rectangle, a gap, and then a square. That's my house. The rectangle is "open concept" on the ground floor (big open space), the gap is an open porch, and then the square is my home office above the garage. My ISP is very particular about placement of my router, so the R8000 sits just past the halfway point to the home office. But the house is steel beam construction with concrete outer walls. So here's the layout:

Steel-and-concrete rectangle, R8000 about 15 feet from the sliding glass door. 10 feet of open patio. Steel-and-concrete square, staircase just inside the door, home office one flight up past an inner wall about 10 feet from the outer wall.

I'm having major problems with signal strength, perpetually swinging from "kinda okay" to "sucks and now we're disconnected." Tests report no interference from neighbors, so this is all about signal strength and placement.

I tried putting the R7000 (the extender) in my office and the signal swung from one minute to the next, unreliable.

I tried putting the R7000 (the extender) at the top of the stairs that lead to the office, where there's a window. This is about 25 feet from the router, with one concrete wall between them and a flight of stairs in height (and a refrigerator is near the glass patio door on the main floor). The 5GHz signal still sucks. From there I use the EX1200 simply as a router for the things that need a cable (yes, extending the extender, R8000-->R7000-->EX1200). But let's remove the EX1200 from the equation for a moment.

I've got the R8000 router on the highest channel. If I put the R7000 in Fast Lane mode, I don't see any difference in signal quality.

So the bottom line is, I need the R8000 to be strong enough to reach the R7000 on both bands, reliably, and I have to have the R8000 15 feet into the main floor and the R7000 needs to be within reach of the home office. I have the EX1200 as an option should this mean "you need to extend the extender".

I'd love any suggestions. Again, rectangle, space, square, concrete outer walls, one flight up. 😉

Thanks in advance!

-Winter

Message 1 of 14

Accepted Solutions
netwrks
Master

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

WinterMute wrote:
I'd considered an idea: does anyone know if FastLane boosts signal strength? I'd considered the EX7000 being FastLane to the router on the 5GHz and then maybe the EX1200 being FastLane to the EX7000 on 2.4GHz.

But I can't tell if that's just crazy talk...


Here's a link on this forum, that discusses the R8000 and EX7000, in the configuration you are looking for. The thing with the extender, is that you will need decent wireless signal between both devices, so you may have to move your devices around, until you have a strong wireless signal between the two devices.

http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?t=95376

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Message 8 of 14

All Replies
WinterMute
Star

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

Sorry, I said "R7000" when I meant "EX7000". My apologies, brainy no worky sometimes.
Message 2 of 14
netwrks
Master

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

WinterMute wrote:
Sorry, I said "R7000" when I meant "EX7000". My apologies, brainy no worky sometimes.


If it was me, I would go through great lengths to run a CAT6 cable between the 8000 and EX7000, then turn EX7000 into an AP.
Message 3 of 14
WinterMute
Star

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

I'd thought about it, but that's not an option. I have a wife who would very much not like to see any cable, and I have an HOA that would crank if I ran it along the outside of the house.
Message 4 of 14
WinterMute
Star

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

I did a quick diagram to help visualize what the layout is like. The square next to the ground-floor patio door is where the fridge is located. I know a large chunk of steel that's an electrical appliance can hinder the signal.
Message 5 of 14
WinterMute
Star

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

Message 6 of 14
WinterMute
Star

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

I'd considered an idea: does anyone know if FastLane boosts signal strength? I'd considered the EX7000 being FastLane to the router on the 5GHz and then maybe the EX1200 being FastLane to the EX7000 on 2.4GHz.

But I can't tell if that's just crazy talk...
Message 7 of 14
netwrks
Master

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

WinterMute wrote:
I'd considered an idea: does anyone know if FastLane boosts signal strength? I'd considered the EX7000 being FastLane to the router on the 5GHz and then maybe the EX1200 being FastLane to the EX7000 on 2.4GHz.

But I can't tell if that's just crazy talk...


Here's a link on this forum, that discusses the R8000 and EX7000, in the configuration you are looking for. The thing with the extender, is that you will need decent wireless signal between both devices, so you may have to move your devices around, until you have a strong wireless signal between the two devices.

http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?t=95376
Message 8 of 14
TheEther
Guru

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

How about using powerline networking to connect the EX7000 to the R8000?

Do you have any coax lines going to your office from the house? If so, you could get use MoCA or HPNA instead of powerline.
Message 9 of 14
mover92
Aspirant

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

would it work to have two routers possitioned part way towards both ends?

 

Can one cable feed two routers?

Message 10 of 14
mover92
Aspirant

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

when I bought my r8000, I was told the range was 450 feet.   but I 'm not sure.

 

I would like to supply two houses with one cable.   Anyone know if I could put a splitter on and run a cable to both houses from the same souce?   I am in the country and have to put up an antenna to pick up a bug tussel signal.

 

Message 11 of 14
JamesGL
Master

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

Hi mover92,

 

Does your cable connection have a modem? If yes and it's a plain modem, it will only provide one Public IP address which the setup connection you want with two routers will not work. You may need to check with your ISP if it possible with them to have that kind of setup.

Message 12 of 14
mover92
Aspirant

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

Thank you for the reply.      I wonder if I put the modem halfway between the houses, if the signal would go 150 feet into both houses.   I'm in Wisconsin and the modem would be in unheated shelter.   would the cold cause a problem?

Message 13 of 14
JamesGL
Master

Re: Could just use some positioning suggestions

Temperature could affect the performance of the modem. There is a specific room temperature that it requires to perform well.

Message 14 of 14
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