New router?

[gmoney8807]

I just bought a new place a couple months ago, and I'm having some connectivity issues. When the router is on the second floor, I have very little/no wifi downstairs. If I put it on the first floor, same thing upstairs. I have a Netgear WNR2000 wireless N router that I've had for a few years. I also tried the wifi built in to the centurylink modem with similar results. The problem I have is, the place I used to live was a top floor unit in a 3 story apartment-style condo building, and I could get decent signal in the basement garage from my Netgear. That was a farther distance and through more walls/floors than I am asking for now. So do you think I need a stronger router or is there another issue?

The picture is a basic setup of my place as looking at it from the street out front. The stars are my two hookup points. I currently have it sitting on my kitchen counter downstairs because that's where most of my connected devices are. Obviously I don't want to keep it in the kitchen and want it in the office upstairs. I have 2 laptops, iPhone, iPad, Xbox, smart tv, ecobee thermostat, wifi garage door, and 4 LIFX bulbs connected, and looking to add security cameras when I get this problem solved.

If recommending new router, how strong/which one for my 1700 square feet.

 

[pege63]

Wath you need is the Orbi Home WiFi System

Or a Linsys Velop Home WiFi system

 

[degrub]

Using the kit you have, you need an ethernet backbone between the two floors. Use the modem wireless as one access point and set up the other router as an access point. Depending an what cabling you have between the floors, use MOCA2.0 or powerline or ethernet to connect them. Do not use wireless repeater/extenders as these will cut the bandwidth significantly and make the wireless almost unusable.

 

[KenZ71]

Everyone has opinions, mine would be UAP-AC-Pro or UAP-AC-Lite to supplement & fill in the dead spot on either floor.

At some point replace the existing router with an EdgeRouter & a 2nd access point.