Advice on extending a network with powerline

Hello everyone. I'd love a little advice about extending my home network.

My Comcast internet service enters the house upstairs. I have an Asus RT-AC66U router upstairs. The wireless signal doesn't quite cover the downstairs of the house.

I have two goals: first, the existing wireless network doesn't quite cover the entire (small!) house. Second, I'd like to have a few things (TV, BluRay player, and Bluesound music streamer) connected to the network via a wired connection.

I bought a TP-Link TL-WPA4220KIT powerline adapter/range extender and mounted the receiver piece downstairs. The TV and Bluesound have a wired connection to it. For those who aren't familiar with this particular product, the piece that goes downstairs also broadcasts a wifi signal. So I had hoped to use this as a range extender. Unfortunately, it doesn't work quite right. I could detail the problems we've had, but I think I've decided to just use the TP-Link as a powerline adapter and buy a second device to create an extended wifi network downstairs.

Am I better off just buying a second router or is that overkill? Would I be better off with a wifi extender? I'm not quite sure what the trade-off is. Does 'matching' the brand of router and AP have any effect? Product advice is greatly appreciated.

Let me just explain one of the issues that I have with the TP-Link: The Bluesound music streamer is controlled with an iPhone app. So naturally the iPhone and the Bluesound both need to be on my home network. The Bluesound has a wired connection to the Powerline adapter and from there to the router. If my iPhone is connected to the wifi signal that comes from the TP-Link, the iPhone doesn't see the Bluesound at all. If I connect the iPhone to the wifi signal that comes from the router, it sees the Bluesound just fine. I've spent a bit of time with Bluesound technical support on this and we can't resolve it. I'm hoping that if I just use the TP-Link to establish the powerline connection and then use a different device to create a second wifi network, then everything will work fine.

second router -= that would be an Access Point (AP) wired back to the main router. Marketed as a router but has AP function. I recommend a low cost
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...1P7735&cm_re=rt-n12/d1-_-33-320-168-_-Product available for $35 if you shop. I use this.

Any AP needs to connect to the router by cat5 or by IP over power line.

The way I do this is IP over TV coax (MoCA) to a room where I can't get cat5. That gives me a cat5 cable on the other end of the MoCA. I connect that to a small ethernet switch and its ports then go to the TV, HTPC, and an AP. The two MoCA boxes just plug and go. No config.

You can do the same using IP over power line instead of MoCA. I've done that - easy, with some older HomePlug or some such pair - simple, no config. The newer ones that have WiFi built in (an AP) - I've not used.

WiFi extender (repeater, WDS) is a bad choice due to performance declines and interference.

Thanks. This looks like exactly what I need. Two questions: first, what is the difference between Access Point mode and Router mode?

Second, I don't use anything that is draft U, but in general would having an N and U on the network cause any issues?

Darren72 said:

Thanks. This looks like exactly what I need. Two questions: first, what is the difference between Access Point mode and Router mode?

Second, I don't use anything that is draft U, but in general would having an N and U on the network cause any issues?

Click to expand...

Big difference between an access point (AP) and a router.
One home network has ONE router. The router is the translator between the LAN traffic and your ISP's WAN/internet traffic, via the ISP's modem you have.

A WiFi router is a combo box- a router and an AP all in one box. People don't "get" this concept.

Some products like the one I linked to are sold as routers but as you can see, it has configuration choices to "behave" as an AP or bridge. When doing the latter, it is not a router! An AP or bridge cannot connect directly to a modem that leads to the internet - this is the job of a router.

APs are the usual way to improve RF coverage - create new "bubbles" of coverage using APs. An AP must connect to THE router - connect via cat5 cable is best, but there are two popular wired alternative ways to connect if you can't run cat5.


11n vs 11U? I don't know what "U" is. But the latest bleeding overpriced WiFi routers and APs are 802.11AC. Few people truly need 11AC at its current early-adopter pricing.

Yes, sorry about that - I don't know what "U" is either. I meant "AC". Count me as one of those people who overpaid for an AC router because I mistakenly thought I was future-proofing myself. In any case, thanks for the explanation on the AP vs router issue. It sounds like I need to set this up in AP mode, and connect it to the router via powerline (cat5 isn't feasible).

Just want to provide a quick update that the Asus RT-N12 connected (in AP mode) via power line is working great. Thanks again for the help.

Thanks for reporting back.