What's new

Best Layout to Maximize my RT-AC87U & RT-AC68U

  • SNBForums Code of Conduct

    SNBForums is a community for everyone, no matter what their level of experience.

    Please be tolerant and patient of others, especially newcomers. We are all here to share and learn!

    The rules are simple: Be patient, be nice, be helpful or be gone!

jmantn

Regular Contributor
i have a two story house where my internet is ran through the basement (no choice on this). I currently have an RT-AC87U connected to my Modem and until a year ago most of my time was spent downstairs.

Things have changed and both floors see heavy internet usage all day so I've ran some Cat 6e cable from my 87U which is downstairs and connected it to my RT-AC68U router upstairs via a Wired Bridge (Access Point Mode). I've set up both routers to share the same SSID and Key for each band (so 2.4 has its own SSID but shared between routers and same for the other band that way I can put some devices on 5 and the rest on 2.4)

My thinking for this is the latest and greatest router (87U) would be connected to the Modem and the old router (68U) could provide additional WiFi coverage upstairs and I do have some stuff hard wired to it as well.

My question is if there is a better way to make the most of my equipment? Upstairs the signal isn't great 40-60ft away through a few rooms (drywall). Moving the router isn't an option though switching them is and the router that can provide more coverage is stuck downstairs but if I move it to be the Wired Access point I lose some of the newest software features.

I'd really like to make use of the Multi User MIMO Beta feature (in Merlin's latest firmware) and beam forming that the 87U provides upstairs but those options aren't available I don't think in Access point mode.

Also as for my devices I have several iPad Air's, iPhone 6s Pluses, two 4th Gen Apple TV's and various other devices such as dropcam so there's multiple streams 24/7 here.
 
I would change SSID's to separate names, as once connected to one it may never disconnect and connect to the closets router. . Then I would purchase a 88U to connect to the modem in the basement. Use the 87U on the first floor and put the 68U on the second floor. I would try and mix in some powerline to connect the routers. This is just a suggestion I would try. Good luck.
 
Ha well I'd like to buy a newer model but financially it'll be several months before that happens.

From your response however it seems I've set it up as good as I can without buying newer or additional hardware.

Thanks for replying.
 
it seems I've set it up as good as I can without buying newer or additional hardware

Something you can do for free is try different antennas orientations. Remember that the strongest signal from a vertical antenna is at right angles to its axis, so if you are trying to get some coverage on a another floor of the house try tipping the antennas so the area where you need more coverage is at a right angle to the antennas' axis:

9-dbi-7dbi-6dbi-2-dbi-range.jpg
 
I tried different DBI antennas and I didn't notice any difference on range.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Latest threads

Sign Up For SNBForums Daily Digest

Get an update of what's new every day delivered to your mailbox. Sign up here!
Top