Hello, I have a 2000 sq ft home with Xfinity Internet. I’m currently getting 89.2 down and 94.7 up. Running 13-15 devices (phones, computers, TV’s) for things such as streaming and gaming. All walls are wooden frames+drywall. Can anyone be so kind as to give me some recommendations? My brother installed the Google home router system but it sucks so I’m looking to change it. Please advise. No budget. I’m willing to spend if needed.
No budget. I’m willing to spend if needed.
Then I would recommend to get all Unifi. A router, a switch and one, two or three access points.
You can do some research and find stronger routers for Wi-Fi from Asus, Ubiquiti, etc.
You can also expand coverage with WAPs e.g. Wireless Access Points. Lots of brands to choose, but Ubiquiti is common. Run cat6 cable in attic or crawlspace from router to somewhere central and install WAP in ceiling. 2000 sq. ft sounds like at least 2 WAPs one at each end or one on each floor.
You can look into mesh networking devices but they increase latency and can be unreliable.
My neighbor got this set for his 3000 sq ft colonial. He has his main one in the basement and only deployed one of the units and he has good coverage all through the house. Recommend setting the 5ghz band to 80mhz channel width from 160mhz to not hog the band and get a little further range.
The most cost effective way to get consistent and fast internet is over a wire. My rule is that if it doesn’t move, and if it has an ethernet port, it gets a wired connection. TVs, gaming Consoles, the laptop that lives on a desk/table…this stuff. Then the stuff that does move or can’t be wired to a switch can have the wireless bandwidth it needs. So, OP, you need a box of Cat5e spec UTP cable, a bunch of ends and the tool to put them on the cables you make, and a switch or two with 8 or more ports each. Next is to find wireless access points that are wifi6 and capable of covering your home. 2000sqft can usually be covered by a single unit of any top tier routers from most manufacturers. I’m partial to Asus for home use. After this, it’s a matter of configuration. If you have many neighbours, turn off the 2.4GHz band radio (if possible for the wireless-only clients). If you don’t have wifi coverage where you need it, add another WAP (NOT a mesh node) - it’ll be easy to deploy with a wired backbone infrastructure already in place.