I am looking to extend my wifi network to get over deadzones. My nighthawk x8 is in my basement where both the Verizon ONT and a large number of wired connections throughout the house terminate. Repositioning the router into one of the other rooms that are wired wouldn't work without adding a second wire to run back to the basement to a switch.
I am looking to get another netgear product to compliment the x8 and I think that means I need an access point but I think I really want one that is not a wifi extender that is going to halve the bandwidth but rather one that can run from one of my wired rooms. For example, the family room on the 2nd floor is probably as far away as I can get from the x8 and would be an ideal location since that is where I am suffering from the most deadzone issues. The single port ran there is shared using a Prosafe GS108E managed switch with a number of devices. I think I just need to get an Access point that I can plug in to the GAS108E - is that correct?
Another requirement is to be able to run the same SSID as the x8 does. I have read elsewhere that as long as the access point is on a different channel to the router, what should happen is that the any client device that accesses from either the x8 or the access point will be on the same IP network (the x8 will still be doing DHCP). Ideally, it would be great if client devices would flip from x8 to the access point without the IP address changing, just going to the wifi source with the strongest signal.
I have listed the EX7000 as a potential but I don't know if this is the best product for my needs or not.
I only bought the x8 last year and although I have read good things about the Orbi I am reluctant to spend another large amount of money.
I have the EX6200. The range is good considering it goes through several walls and around corners.
In your case I think to get the strongerst signal you want to get another router and set up a LAN cable to a different floor and have the second router be an AP.
thanks for the recommend. So I have a LAN cable to a different floor and can put in an Access Point on that other floor. What are the differences between setting up a router as an AP or an extender like the EX6200 or EX7000 as an AP? What benefit would I get from setting up a router as an AP instead - is it just likely to be a stronger signal?
thanks for that. I understand now that what I want is an Access Point. However, what I don't understand is the comment that it was better to get a router to run as an AP (as opposed to getting a range extender to run as an AP). Maybe the question is better phrased as if I need to get an AP, what is going to be the best bang for buck device I can get to fulfill that. is it:
A. A router running in AP mode (like say the X4= $171)
B. A range extender running in AP mode (like the EX7000 = $108)
C. A dedicated AP device. I didn't see any in home section only in Business (like WAC104-100NAS = $59.99); or
D. other device
All of these devices are Dual Band gigbit devices supporting AC802.11 with different antenna options (both number and power) and all can be run in AP mode. So if the EX7000 has the best antenna that will give the widest range of the devices I have listed, is there an equivalent dedicated AP only device that netgear has which would deliver the same functionality but because it doesn't have the extra range extension capabiltiy is cheaper?
