Boosting WiFi through a slab

Cius said:
I'm in a complex of 72 units, so I suspect I may have very noisy power lines as we are all essentially on the same grid after the municipal box. Hence if even one of my 71 neighbors have one I doubt mine would work. Did consider it but would prefer to test it out before I bought and don't really have access to a set to test it out. Have just read that for electric systems in complex's like mine it seldom works as well.
Click to expand...
I'm in a complex, and it works for me, I have my upstairs PC and media player downstairs connected. As long as it's on the same circuit, you'll be fine.
 
Cius said:
I'm in a complex of 72 units, so I suspect I may have very noisy power lines as we are all essentially on the same grid after the municipal box. Hence if even one of my 71 neighbors have one I doubt mine would work. Did consider it but would prefer to test it out before I bought and don't really have access to a set to test it out. Have just read that for electric systems in complex's like mine it seldom works as well.
Click to expand...
Unless you and your 72 neighbours are sharing breaker boxes,you should be fairly isolated.
(And even if not and you are sharing for whatever obscure reason,you can change the encryption password to change the "network id" and isolate that way)
 
Cius said:
OK, did a bit more reading. Even if the AP reaches through the slab its fairly useless as internet is two way and your upstairs device can't necessarily broadcast back to the AP.
Click to expand...

Thought about this the other day, same with cell towers I assume.
 
I have 2x power-line extender kits and they work very well for my needs :)

They work fine through standard cheapie multiplugs but doubt they would work if the plug has serious lightning protection.

Extended my wifi range drastically (my whole house, garden and then some has wifi now) and also let me plug my NAS, fire tv cube and 2 pc's in directly.

These type of things.

https://www.takealot.com/tp-link-pa4010k-av500-nano-powerline-starter-kit/PLID40401681

https://www.takealot.com/tp-link-wpa4220pkit-300mbps-wireless-av600-powerline/PLID34187724
 
gamer16 said:
Thought about this the other day, same with cell towers I assume.
Click to expand...
Yea, just keep in mind (with my setup as well) that you are not likely to get the full speed it is capable of unless your power lines are in perfect condition.
 
Cius said:
OK, did a bit more reading. Even if the AP reaches through the slab its fairly useless as internet is two way and your upstairs device can't necessarily broadcast back to the AP. Hence I am back to running cable.

I can go the long way which will be a serious pain in the neck, or drill through the slab in which case it will be very central at a good spot for an AP upstairs. Just nervous about drilling through the slab.
Click to expand...

Do you have any outlets on the both floors for phone jacks, tv arials etc? Maybe you can use an existing conduit...
 
AstroTurf said:
Yea, just keep in mind (with my setup as well) that you are not likely to get the full speed it is capable of unless your power lines are in perfect condition.
Click to expand...

This being SA, I doubt it

Just a random interesting thing, if I stand up a paper behind the little wifi dongle on my desk at work I gain a bar, no change in quality though, at least 70m from the router and a lot of walls in its way.
 
AstroTurf said:
I have 2x power-line extender kits and they work very well for my needs :)

They work fine through standard cheapie multiplugs but doubt they would work if the plug has serious lightning protection.

Extended my wifi range drastically (my whole house, garden and then some has wifi now) and also let me plug my NAS, fire tv cube and 2 pc's in directly.

These type of things.

https://www.takealot.com/tp-link-pa4010k-av500-nano-powerline-starter-kit/PLID40401681

https://www.takealot.com/tp-link-wpa4220pkit-300mbps-wireless-av600-powerline/PLID34187724
Click to expand...
Perhaps a stupid question, but do these devices then act as wifi hotspots, or do you still need a router at the other end plugged into these "extenders", so they essentially replace the cable only?
 
ponder said:
Do you have any outlets on the both floors for phone jacks, tv arials etc? Maybe you can use an existing conduit...
Click to expand...
Nope, everything that ran upstairs ran on the outside of the building. I ran a phone line up a while back for my telkom line and it was a royal pain, still, finally stopped losing phones due to lightning strikes as both phones now no longer need power. Upstairs used to have a satellite cable but they ran that up the outside of the house.
 
Cius said:
Perhaps a stupid question, but do these devices then act as wifi hotspots, or do you still need a router at the other end plugged into these "extenders", so they essentially replace the cable only?
Click to expand...

I have 1 that acts as a wifi hotspot (it has two ports) and 3 that just act as a place to plug a cable in.

1 is plugged into my router (to give everything else internet access).
The wifi one is in my lounge under the tv, plugged into my NAS and Fire TV cube.
The other 2 are plugged into two computers.
 
ponder said:
Lol, a 10mm hole is not going to compromise the structure. There are bigger holes there already for conduits.
Click to expand...

Those slabs are kark strong, I've seen one pushed off from a buildings 2nd floor during demolition, didn;t even crack.
 
Cius said:
Perhaps a stupid question, but do these devices then act as wifi hotspots, or do you still need a router at the other end plugged into these "extenders", so they essentially replace the cable only?
Click to expand...
You get combo models with wireless or pure bridges
 
Are you sure you don't just have a schitty router? My previous house was a double story, the router and ONT were in the garage and if I was in bed about 20 metres diagonally away (straight line, through three or four walls as well as the reinforced concrete slab) and I still had 2 bars (out of 4) on my phone.

And this was an el-cheapo TP-Link router.
 
Honey Badger said:
Are you sure you don't just have a schitty router? My previous house was a double story, the router and ONT were in the garage and if I was in bed about 20 metres diagonally away (straight line, through three or four walls as well as the reinforced concrete slab) and I still had 2 bars (out of 4) on my phone.

And this was an el-cheapo TP-Link router.
Click to expand...
I have a TP Link, seems decent enough. Does 5GHz and 1.2GHz. Certain spots upstairs are fine, others not so much. I can use my phone in bed, but 2m away my laptop gets zero signal, and that is where the desk is.

Anyways, thanks for all the advice. Have bit the bullet and ordered a power line extension kit. Hopefully it works for me.
 
5ghz, no way. Option 3

2.5ghz, maybe but most signal source would come from reflectivity rather than straight through. Option 2 but I'd still recommend option 3.
 
Honey Badger said:
Are you sure you don't just have a schitty router? My previous house was a double story, the router and ONT were in the garage and if I was in bed about 20 metres diagonally away (straight line, through three or four walls as well as the reinforced concrete slab) and I still had 2 bars (out of 4) on my phone.

And this was an el-cheapo TP-Link router.
Click to expand...

Yeah - but slabs are a different story - reinforced steel lattices with tons of concrete. A faraday cage pretty much.
 
Cius said:
I have a TP Link, seems decent enough. Does 5GHz and 1.2GHz. Certain spots upstairs are fine, others not so much. I can use my phone in bed, but 2m away my laptop gets zero signal, and that is where the desk is.

Anyways, thanks for all the advice. Have bit the bullet and ordered a power line extension kit. Hopefully it works for me.
Click to expand...
I'm sure you mean 2.5Ghz...make sure that the devices that you are using upstairs are not all defaulted to connecting on 5Ghz....that could be the main issue?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X