I posted the other day about a problem getting my extender (EX3700) hooked up and plemans was kind enough to help me. This is kind of a continuation but not, if that makes sense.
It's looking like this extender isn't quite strong enough to reach where I need it to. I'm trying to connect a wireless camera (in my chicken coop!) to it. I am able to stand next to the camera and connect with my smartphone but the connection is very weak so I assume the cheap camera just can't grab it. So, what I'm trying to do now is find a better extender that won't break the bank. Either that or maybe a better camera (this was 35 bucks on Amazon), but I assume a better extender would be the best, right? The camera is approximately 150-200 feet from where I have the extender (closest wall/outlet). I see the EX3700 says it covers 1000 sq. ft, would 1500 sq. ft. possibly work if the signal is there just weak?
If it helps, my router is a c7000.
Any recommendations would be appreciated, would like to stay at $75 or below. I'm open to netgear or any brand that will work with my router. Thanks so much!
Problem is that 2.4ghz and 5ghz broadcast strength is set by the FCC. Most devices already are maxing out that speed.
so you really don't see much difference in distance covered by upgrading routers/extenders. You might have a little more speed at the peripheral because of higher efficiency, better cpu, more antenna's, etc. But you're not really going to get more range.
And if you did get an extender that was more directional, the camera still isnt going to have any stronger of broadcast capabity.
options?
1. Daisy chain more than 1 extender. this isn't recommended because each step in the daisy chain, drops throughput 50% and increases latency
2. You could try a directional wireless extender. They're a bit more expensive
3. bury a wire to the chicken coop and run an access point in the coop. might be the best bet in the long run and underground ethernet wire isn't that expensive.
4. you could use a point to point system from home----chicken coop and then connect an access point/extender to it.
I was hoping that wouldn't be the answer....so you really think an extender that says they cover 2500 ft (or more) wouldn't be much better than the 1000 ft. one I have? Darn. I'm so mad that it worked fine using just our router and now no such luck. I'd like to move the router back in the same vicinity that it was in but then all my other "stuff" would suffer.
I will look at directional extenders and see what they entail. And I did consider burying a wire, in the long run that would work the best but that's a lot of wire, ha ha. I'm not sure what a point to point system is but will google it.
I guess I'll return this extender as it's doing me no good, so bummed. I am going to try and see if maybe I can find a better camera that may pick it up but hard to tell, many don't specify how far their wifi range is.
Same issue as the other day when I posted. I'm connected on my desktop to the extender yet can't log in to mywifi...I even tried it on my phone. Nothing. Says I'm not connected. So frustrating. I can see it thru the genie. But, my extender isn't on the list of devices in the article....would it be worth me getting one of them instead and trying?
Yup, you told me that the other day, forgot. That has worked but doesn't look anything like in the article so I'll try it tomorrow when my brain is fresh. I did find "fast lane" looks like all I have to do is click the 2nd one and go but waiting til tomorrow so I can spend time to see if it works. Thanks, will let you know!!!! Appreciate your patience and your help!
I just did the fastlane but didn't realize it gives the extender a new name so I'll have to reconfigure the camera again, will have to wait. Don't have high hopes as it literally took me 5 minutes to get to this page using that connection in the house. If it's that bad here, I doubt there will be a chance of it connecting another 100 feet further.
Someone suggested a powerline set up to me? I've looked into it and it looks like a good option but unfortunately we have two electrical panels and of course each one is hooked in a separate one.
I'm thinking of just buying a couple different cameras or a couple different extenders and seeing if I get lucky. Probably a waste of time but it worked when the router was on that side of the house. Grrr.
Another option would be to switch to a triband mesh system and use an outdoor satellite.
Typical single/dual band extenders drop that throughput (fastlane can help) by 50% because they have to use the same chip to go router---extender and then extender----device. And they can't do both at once. Fastlane helps but the 2.4ghz tends to be the bottleneck then.
With the triband mesh systems, it reserves one of the 5ghz bands just for router/satellite communication. Keeps the speeds faster.
Plus there's an outdoor extender (RBS50Y)
If you watch ebay/amazon, there's quite a few used/refurbs on there as there's a bigger push for the new Wifi 6 (AX) spec so the older AC stuff is being sold/renewed.
Thanks, I kind of started looking into that last night. Probably something we want to do in the future anyway with so many more things going wireless and our router slowly becoming "old". But for now, not going to bother. I'm going to take a chance and try an extender that says it has a longer range (with the understanding that just because it says it doesn't mean it will happen due to regulations, etc.)...but can't hurt to try as long as amazon does free returns. 😉 I assume most of our devices are connected thru the 2.4 rather than the 5 (going to check some of them later) and that's why the fastlane turned into the slow lane for me! Think I'm going to try a different brand extender too, tp link seemed to get a lot of good reviews from sites like tomsguide, etc. I hope to order one today and will post an update if I have luck!
One last question, I see I can get the Orbi AC3000 at best buy for 199 (router and one satellite), I'm thinking instead of continuing to mess around maybe NOW is the time to upgrade as this covers 5000 sq. ft and I'm pretty sure it might work for what I need (for now). I understand it's wifi 5 and not the new wifi 6 but still a big upgrade from what we have. Do you think it would be worth trying? Tomsguide gives it a really good review and looks like the satellite was able to be placed quite far away thru metal/drywall, etc. If that's the case I'm thinking I could put the satellite in a window in my basement and it would have a direct line of site to our coop.
You can also check amazon as theres quite a few renewed kits on there like the RBK50 and RBK752. And you can add after market warranties and still be cheaper.
I've use renewed and been fine. but I also spend a lot of time on here and get complaints of failures.
thats where you can get the aftermarket warranty on amazon for it and still be cheaper (and longer warranty).
Or you can buy new.
Kind of a personal preference.
depending on the speeds you pay for, the RBK43 system might even be worth keeping an eye out for as it'd give you an extra satellite. But its limit is the wireless backhaul isn't as wide as teh 50 series. That's why I said, depends on the speed you pay for.
I've had good luck and bad luck. And like that I could get a longer warranty if renewed but my instincts are telling me to go with the new but my wallet says go with renewed. Will think on it, either way looks like both are eligible for free returns. I'll check out the rbk43 - we have 100mbps at our house (max for our area). Regardless I'm buying something TODAY so I can check off one more problem (hopefully) in my life, ha ha. I'll come back and update. Really hoping it works and I'm not back at square one.
Please don't kill me for yet another question. Looking closer at the orbi's and worried as I'm fairly tech challenged. Our current c7000 hooks into our spectrum modem by coax cable (it's a ubee voice gateway). The main cable comes into the room where the modem and router is and then goes into a splitter and one coax goes to modem and one to router (I may not be explaining it right and hope you understand what I'm describing). I see the orbi doesn't have that option. How do I hook into my spectrum modem? By ethernet? So we would no longer need the splitter? Our spectrum guy originally hooked everything together.
I won't be using the c7000 anymore...would be the ubee from spectrum and the orbi....so would that be by ethernet connection now? SORRY!!!! I need to use the ubee for voice capability. 😉
dvw32cb (pretty sure). I would assume I'm not the only person in the world with this modem and wanting to connect an orbi - I'm an overthinker. THANKS again for all your help, I'm ordering today!!!!
If that's the model, its a modem, voice, wireless gateway. Meaning it'll have its own routing functions. It causes a double nat.
A double nat happens when you cascade more than 1 router. https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT Fixes? There’s 3 options but only use 1. 1. Put the modem/gateway in modem only/pass through mode. This disables its routing functions. 2. Leave the modem/gateway in router mode but put the Netgears IP address into its DMZ. This forwards the data to the netgear. You can either leave the modem/gateway’s wireless enabled or disabled. Just make sure its using a different wifi channel to prevent interference 3. Put the Netgear into access point mode. This disables its routing functions. Wifi/ethernet still works but it does disable some features. https://kb.netgear.com/26765/Which-features-are-disabled-on-my-NETGEAR-router-when-it-is-set-to-AP-M...
OMG, that's too technical for me, have no idea what any of it means and positive I would screw it up. I believe when I got the c7000 they did something remotely so that the modem wouldn't be used as a router. If I disconnect my c7000 I have no internet, just voice.
Can I just call spectrum when I get the orbi and have them do whatever needs to be done? I'm pretty sure though that option 1 is what they did for me.
