fastest wifi for small home with 1 gigabit internet connection

[Dimension]

I'm going to kinda ramble here, sorry.

I kinda leaped without looking into a fios gigabit connection. I'm a fairly heavy gamer. And I only stick my head up into the networking realm every 8 or so years it seems like. So I'm always behind the times in what is new. I'd consider myself intermediate experienced, I've flashed my share of Linksys WRT54G/S/L with dd-wrt and bridged them with WDS 15+ years ago to cheaply connect several computers over a network. But I yanked the routers out a couple of years ago for a straight up wifi usb dongle to just my main computer.

Basically I blindly upgraded into gigabit speed without thinking about the network.

My main desktop computer is upstairs right now connected with a Roswell RNX-N150HG - USB N150 Wi-Fi Adapter. It provides a very satisfactory experience with my old 50/50mbs connection maxing around 45/45mbs.

But yeah, it obviously isn't doing the trick with the gigabit speed now.

I have the standard fios quantum gateway router G1100 located downstairs next to a very crappy computer (think 10 year old budget dell)... I think it is literally sitting on an unplugged Linksys WRT54G. I guess I should throw that away... but I loved it.

My brother occasionally streams hulu/cbs/netflix downstairs in HD on his PS4, but he is plugged right into the router down there in the main (new) fios box.

I am a much more heavily an internet user with youtube/downloading 80gb steam games/streaming HD over wifi. Obviously with my old connection speed I maxed it out pretty efficiently. I might be planning to stream gaming to twitch/youtube in the future. My eyesight isn't the best so I don't really see 4k or anything like that in the future.

What would be the best way to get the fastest connection upstairs if wired isn't an option? We aren't a big wifi device house, I occasionally use a laptop, a smartphone, and my brother use a smartphone but no computer at all. Heathen.

So my research has gotten me confused. It seems like 500-600ish is the maximum theoretical for 802.11AC? It seems like faster rated routers are all for multiple device wifi houses that are much bigger than mine with lots of streaming devices. I am upstairs from the router (through the floor), but only offset by a few feet at most. So I would estimate it is only 20-25ft diagonally away from me.

What would be the best way to get the most speed through wifi upstairs on a small network?

I almost pulled the trigger on a NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 AC3200 with a ASUS 4x4 802.11AC Wireless-AC3100 PCIe Adapter (PCE-AC88) but when I realized I was almost in for 400 dollars I should research this a bit more.
So I guess my question is, what is the fastest way to saturate my new gigabit connection through wifi without pretending I'm serving wifi for a whole neighborhood of people?

Or should I just bit the bullet, pretend I know what I am doing and drill a hole into my floor and string cat6 through it. (I have no idea what I am doing here and drilling scares me, I grew up without a Dad okay)

Was my almost purchase foolhardy?

Why do I feel like Jeremy Clarkson?

 

[degrub]

get an alarm company installer (low voltage cabling installer). They have amazing ways to get from point a to b.
If you have any RG6 installed you could do point to point moca2 with a pair of actiontec 6200 modems. Close to gigbit.. make sure there are no splitters in the path that do not meet MOCA 2 bidirectional.

But unlikely you will get anything close to gigabit through the floor with AC. First the device on your machine has to match the same ac standards as the ac access point and you have to have the through put from your USB dongle device (usb 3 i hope ?). Maybe better to have a device on the PCI bus or a native intel gigbit adapter.

 

[doczenith1]

I agree with degrub that a wired solution would be your best bet. But, if you decide to go wireless I would think pairing the PCE-AC88 with an ASUS RT-AC88U or RT-AC3100 (same as 88U minus 4 Ethernet ports) would be your next best option.

 

[Dimension]

thanks for the replies guys. I ended up with a janky solution, but it is a solution. I ran a cord out the window, between some insulation in the windows and back inside again. Not the most elegant solution but it works. Wired of course was the ultimate solution after examining all my options. I bought some double shielded wire, so its a little tougher than the standard stuff.

 

[PowerChaos]

@Dimension
i agree with @doczenith1
i do not know what AC your router has , but i do know that the PCE-AC88 is a great ac adapter ( also because it is the only one that support 4x4)
i used the 3x3 before , and got a link rate of 1.2gbit when there are 2 steel walls betwean my room and the router (i used the 3x3 AC adapter )

my brother in his room got also a extra wall , and he was having a connection rate of 1.3gbit with the PCE-AC88 when normal wifi would only have a link rate of 12mbit (N )
even a power adapter was stuck at 30 mbit

ofcourse our max speed from the provider was only 200mbit , so he saw his download speed going up a lot ( he could cap it )
when a local test to the nas even provided speed up to 80mB ( 800 mbit )

so if you know what AC your router has ( 2x2 ? 4x4 ? ) and you want to save some money i would first go for the wifi adapter ( specialy if you got now already 45 mbit )
max speed for AC connection is 450mbit ( each antenne -> 1x1 )
when max speed for N connection is 150 mbit ( each antenne -> 1x1 )
ofcourse this isnt counted with turbo Qam ( 300mbit single connection if your hardware got same chipset up to 1 gbit)

so 4x4 -> 3x3 N @ 450mbit and 4x4 AC @ 1.8 gbit ( or basicly 1.3 gbit for most AC routers that use 3x3 )

hopely this can help you
Greets From PowerChaos

 

[doczenith1]

thanks for the replies guys. I ended up with a janky solution, but it is a solution. I ran a cord out the window, between some insulation in the windows and back inside again.

lol my buddy has some Cat 5e that he ran out a window on the second story of his house and down into a window on the first story. I believe it's on the west side of the house and has some sun protection from a tree. I want to say it's been around 10 years now and as far as I know it is still working. See's both 85 degree F summers and 15 degree winters.

 

[avtella]

The X4S (R7800) is probably the best performing/range consumer router in the 5Ghz spectrum. It also runs much cooler than the Broadcom based units. I'd get that instead of the X6, X8 or even X10. The Synology AC2600 is also pretty much the same as the X4S and is also pretty good.

 

[Clark Griswald]

The Griswalds had 1-gigabit installed tuesday, and had the XB6 modem placed in bridge mode.
My 88U has no issues keeping up with the speed jump (prior 250/30 and now 1GB/45).
My advice, and you can trust me, I have an advance degree in food sciences.
Place the router outside connected, so it can stay cool, and you will have coverage for both floors. PM me, so I can drive the family truckster over and help
+1 for wired.

Sadly I live with red accented antennas, when obviously Gold is a better WiFi color https://www.snbforums.com/threads/and-so-it-begins-asus-announces-first-802-11ax-router.41020/

 

[System Error Message]

combine a good wifi router with a router like pfsense on some good x86 hardware or a mikrotik CCR1009 and you'll have the best setup.

 

[pege63]

In the end its all about the clients "1ss, 2ss, 3ss, 4ss" devices on the APs and the capacity limits on the WLAN.