I recently helped my sister switch her broadband provider to Vodafone, and she's now on a full fibre plan offering 910mbps. However, while she gets that speed right next to the router, it drops to around 35mbps just eight meters away in the next room! I know there are walls causing some interference, but that's a significant drop.
My niece has her PC in a hobby house about 25 meters from the router. I've set up an Eero mesh system with one unit connected to the router, one in the next room, one in the shed, and one near the hobby room. But even with an ethernet cable plugged directly into the Eero in the hobby room, she's only getting 2-3mbps. The mesh can only deliver up to 500mbps, and I just want to get her speeds closer to 100mbps, which feels reasonable.
I can't run a direct cable to the main router, and I'm unsure how to position the Eero system correctly or if something like "bridge mode" could help. Any tips you can share would be fantastic!
2 Answers
Make sure to check the WiFi channels too, especially if you have neighbors close by or are in an apartment. They might be on the same channels and causing interference. Also, ensure that the Ethernet cables you're using are at least cat5e to support higher speeds.
You might want to consider using powerline adapters to connect the mesh access points. They usually cap out at around 100mbps, but they'll definitely provide a more reliable connection than what you're currently getting. The BT Mini powerlines V2 are a good option, and you can often find them second-hand for about £15. That's much cheaper than buying new!
Do you think I still need to keep the Eero setup? I’m guessing I’d plug one of the powerline adapters into the router and the other into the Eero in her hobby room?