For some context, there are
- 4 pink cables. These are all CAT 5E cables, with RJ45 jacks. The four are named: DEMARC, Family Room, Room Room, & Master Bedroom.
- 4 white cables. These are all coaxial cables (with the copper wire protruding). The four are also named: DEMARC, Family Room, Game Room, & Master Bedroom.
Currently, the ‘DEMARC coaxial cable’ is connected to the ‘Family Room coaxial cable’ and the combo router (NETGEAR router + modem) in the Family Room is connected on the other end using another coaxial cable running from the wall to the combo router (which is on the first floor).
There is good internet connection on the first floor, but it utterly sucks on the second floor.
I got a WiFi extender and I put it half way between the first floor and second floor, but it’s useless. It doesn’t help at all. The speed on the first floor for the 5GHz WiFi is about 400 gbps, but by the time it gets to the stairs, it about 20gbps.
I plan to utilize the wired connection for max. network. What’s the best way to optimize this? I did some research on how a networking switch would help here, but I’m not sure where to put the combo router to optimize it - the aim is such that there’ll still be good network on the first floor for visitors and good network on the second floor as well (for gaming & WFH).
Are your WiFi names split? 2.4 and 5? Or is it a dual band? Sounds like you may be getting kicked to the 2.4 when you go upstairs if it’s a dual band network. Usually 5ghz won’t drop that low. Like it would lose connection before it dropped to 20mbps.
Is the WiFi good on the 2nd floor right above the router? Or everywhere on the 2nd floor is somehow bad? I have to imagine it’s good above the router
Without knowing how many sq feet your house is or where the rooms are, the simplest way to do it is basically have the modem/router in one end of the 1st floor and have another AP on the 2nd floor but the opposite side. That way that modem/router can cover one half of the house (both floors) and the AP can cover the other half (both floors).
This is a general statement since I don’t know the sq footage and layout of your house. But yes you would put a switch in the media panel and feed Ethernet from the modem/router back to the media panel, plug that line into the switch and then whatever other line where you will put the AP
I have a single Deco XE75. You could get the 2 pack and do exactly as I said above and it should be night and day different. You don’t have to get the same one as me obviously. There are plenty of 2 packs and 3 packs out there.
It is actually split, but sometimes it automatically gets kicked to the 2.4 GHz. It’s super frustrating.
I’ve thought about blocking the 2.4 GHz completely. But the 5 GHz is still bad on the second floor.
Does the DECO XE75 also support the 5 GHz?