trying to determine what would work for my application?
I am trying to figure out if a range extender would work to help my internet reach out to my shop, which is about 175-200 feet away from the router in my house (verizon fios n-router). I can get a weak signal right at the front corner of my the shop w/ my cell or a laptop; its weak and will drop if I go a few feet in. A friend suggested an extender, but after looking into them closer - I need help trying to determine if it is what I need and if so, which would the best choice. I dont understand the differences between the models so I was hoping someone could help narrow this down for me.
In the future, I will be running a cable out to my shop - my hopes are that I can use an extender for now, and then once I have a wired connection - I can use the same extender to give a strong wifi signal to cover the entire shop (30'x40').
Re: trying to determine what would work for my application?
That seems like a bit of a stretch with a Range extender. I would just go with the Ethernet cable (FOR OUTDOORS - minimum CAT5e) purchase a router that supports Access Point mode. It would connect to your house router and the other end to your newly purcahsed Access Point and away you go!
Re: trying to determine what would work for my application?
I appreciate the reply. I didnt want to waste the money so I'm glad I asked before hand. I wasnt sure how it worked - since my phone has a weak signal, that an extender could pick up the same signal and then give me another 50' or so of wifi coverage - or if it wouldnt get a strong enough signal to make it work...
Its going to take a bit until I am able to have the ethernet cable run - is there another option that would work? I saw the extenders that work w/ the existing house wiring but I wasnt sure if that would work for my situation (the electric for my shop is off my main panel in the house).
Once I have the cable run, if I understand correctly, some of the range extenders can also be used as an access point? Would the EX6100 work well for this? Or if I misunderstand this, could you suggest what I would need to get?
Re: trying to determine what would work for my application?
earlier today I actually called netgear but unfortunately who I spoke w/ was not of much help; they did say that the 6100 could be set up for a AP, but it could only pick up my router from beyond 70 feet away... He didnt seem well informed about the product line so I dont have much confidence in his information.
Does anyone know the range that the 6100, 6200 or 7000 has? The only actual #'s I found on the site was that the 7000 has a range of 10,000 sqft.
There is a large difference between the price points of the 6100 and the 7000 - and I still dont have a decent understanding on the differences - and if any of those will benefit me. Paying $200 for the 7000 and it actually works for what I need it for is one thing, but if it does not - then its been a big hassle for nothing. Or if spending $200 for something that I really didnt need, that one of the lesser model could of taken care of is a waste of money that I dont have.
Re: trying to determine what would work for my application?
I have the Verizon fios router that put out a weak signal down stairs. I also have a lot of devices that use wifi in my home. My daughter is telling me that I need an extender, because I have twelve devices using wifi. My question is the extender the answer, or something else?
The extender will help with dead spots in your home you would place it at the edge of your wifi network where you are getting 2 to 3 bars and then it will extend the network out to those dead spots. But any devices connected to the extender will get half the bandwidth compared to devices connected to the main network. If you have a pretty fast internet connection that is not a big issue.
Re: trying to determine what would work for my application?
Darren, I'm assuming that your reply is to the previous poster, but I was wondering if you had any insight that would help me out. I have 50/50 fios, and my wifi is very strong through out my entire house, and just reaches out to my shop - I just need a stronger signal inside. If a range extender wouldnt work for for me, is there another suggestion that would work?
Have you looked at our power line adapters since your shop is a good distance away? There is a couple drawbacks to power line such as your shop would have to be on the same power circuit as your home and your power lines would need to be somewhat newer as old ones can have to much noise for them to work. here is a FAQ on them
Re: trying to determine what would work for my application?
Thanks Darren. I wondered about the power line adapter, I just wasnt sure if would work for me though. The electric is run to a sub panel out in my shop which is taken from the main panel in my house. The wiring out to my shop was done a little over 10 years ago, and the panel in my house was just upgraded to a 200amp service about 5 years ago.
Also, if a power line adapter would work - would I still need a range extender that has access point capability to be able to have a good wifi signal in my shop? Or after I run a cat6 cable out there, its what I would use to provide the wifi correct?
Can you explain the differences between the EX6100, 6200 and 7000? I tried to get a better understanding of each from the info on the website, but still dont understand which might be better for what I need. I couldnt find a working distance/ range other than the ex7000 saying it has a range up to 10,000sqft - if that was the case, it seems that should be able to provide me a strong enough signal (w/ my current set up now); its pretty expensive (compared to the lower end models) which is fine if it would work for me, but would be a waste if it didnt or was overkill for my needs.
Re: trying to determine what would work for my application?
@juglvr
If you are able to use power line we have certain models that have wifi built into them so the unit itself would give your shop wifi. As for the extenders the ex6200 and ex7000 are just have more features such as Ethernet ports if you need to have a physical connection instead of just wireless but like you said they also have a higher coverage area 10000 sq feet is quite large since your shop is 30x40 the ex6100 is more than capable. I would suggest the power line if it works in your setup with the built in wifi that will get you the best speeds to your shop. Here is a couple to look at.
Re: trying to determine what would work for my application?
Great, thanks for the suggestions. Would this also work as a access point once I have a direct line run out there? Would the EX6100 or 6200 offer better overall performance (when used as an access point)?
My thoughts w/ the EX7000 is that if has the ability to cover 10,000sqft - and my house is only 175' away from my shop - shouldnt that reach? I dont fully understand what really sets the 7000 apart from the 6200, but it seems like it has the greatest range potential.
Thanks again for taking the time to try and help me - lots to learn...
