I'm living in a 1600 square-foot house that's nearly a hundred years old, and the concrete walls are causing some serious Wi-Fi issues. My internet is supposed to be fast, but it struggles to reach certain rooms and doesn't reach my office at all. I'm looking for recommendations on a Wi-Fi extender that would help boost the signal, and importantly, I need one with an Ethernet port since I work from home on a big PC with three monitors, and I rely heavily on that connection for phone calls. Also, I've noticed that despite the concrete walls, each one has sections of drywall, hinting at possible previous renovations. Do you think Wi-Fi extenders would really work given these wall configurations? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
Honestly, a regular Wi-Fi extender might not do much since concrete can be tricky for Wi-Fi signals. Your best bet is to have your ISP move the modem closer to your office, allowing you a direct Ethernet connection to your router. That way, you can get a consistent internet connection for all your devices.
Ideally, running Ethernet to each room is the best option. If that’s too much, mesh systems like eero or Nest Wi-Fi are great alternatives. They handle multiple connections more efficiently than extenders since they offer seamless roaming and better overall speeds. Just be aware that you might need a unit in each room for optimal performance.
The best solution would be to run an Ethernet cable from your router to an access point in your office. If that’s not feasible, you might want to consider using a powerline Ethernet adapter instead. Just remember, a multi-unit mesh network might not solve your problem either, considering the concrete.
Keep in mind that extenders often add latency, even if they have Ethernet ports. They work best if they're placed where the main router signal is strong. Installing an actual Ethernet drop is the top low-latency solution, but I know drilling through walls can seem daunting.
I was thinking mesh too, but it sounds like you’d need a point in almost every room for it to work properly!