I've been asked to look in to wireless problems on a ginormous home... First look reveals a bunch of easy fixes, but also some problems. Posting here to get some ideas...
Current configuration:
Satellite dish internet (1 mbps downlink, ouch, all that's available, but might be getting more options in the next year, solution needs to consider that)
Belkin 54g wireless router (in downstairs electronics closet, no cat5 to main level)
PC for running Sonos server software (wired, in closet)
Western Digital NAS for backup (wired, in closet)
2 Sonos Controllers (wireless, nomadic)
1 Sonos ZonePlayer (wireless, in upstairs bedroom)
2 Sonos ZonePlayers (wireless, sitting a foot from the Belkin router)
Brother multi-function printer (wireless, main level)
Belkin F5D7132 Wireless-G extender (wireless, main level)
multiple laptops on wireless at any given time
Open security on SSID as there is NO ONE around
Obviously having the 2 Sonos ZonePlayers on wireless when they are right next to the switch is senseless, especially since they like to stream internet radio. The wireless extender doing it over wireless is painful too. It's halving the bandwidth for transmit and receive, plus it's on the same channel as the main router. Half the time it's searching for signal as it can't pick up the wireless signal. When it does pick up signal it's terrible. At the PC in the electronics closet I can get the full 1mbps download with speedtest.net, upstairs on a laptop it will register 0.1mbps when I can get it to work.
The router in the basement electronics closet is another big bummer. The house is new, the owner didn't think of cat5 cabling when building as someone sold them on wireless, and they are pretty concerned with aesthetics. Not only that, but I think the wireless router may be showing signs of age, sitting with my laptop 6 feet away from the router I'll see ping times of > 200ms. The wireless extender is on the main floor, in a strategic place that should be good for signal.
The internet 1mpbs is very painful and will still be the bottleneck even after wireless is fixed, but more solutions are coming and that needs to be taken in to account.
My proposed solution:
Replace the aging Belkin router with a Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH (why, it's high POWAH, and honestly I have wood for this router )
Add in a D-Link 8-port gigabit switch (they have nothing gigabit now, but it's cheap and leaves room for the future)
Put the 2 Sonos ZonePlayers on wired and get them off wireless
Get the NetGear XAVB2501-100NAS powerline network set and put one at the router and one at the wireless extender (I've already verified no AFCI breakers), so at least the wireless extender should be able to serve good wireless to the main level.
Does this look like a viable solution? What would you do differently? With the wireless extender on a hard line, should I keep the same SSID and just change the channel to be far away from the original router? I thought about making two SSIDs, one for upstairs and one for downstairs, but the place gets rented, plus they have lots of visitors using laptops, and the Sonos controllers go upstairs and downstairs. I think having two SSIDs, even aptly named, would be a management nightmare.
Current configuration:
Satellite dish internet (1 mbps downlink, ouch, all that's available, but might be getting more options in the next year, solution needs to consider that)
Belkin 54g wireless router (in downstairs electronics closet, no cat5 to main level)
PC for running Sonos server software (wired, in closet)
Western Digital NAS for backup (wired, in closet)
2 Sonos Controllers (wireless, nomadic)
1 Sonos ZonePlayer (wireless, in upstairs bedroom)
2 Sonos ZonePlayers (wireless, sitting a foot from the Belkin router)
Brother multi-function printer (wireless, main level)
Belkin F5D7132 Wireless-G extender (wireless, main level)
multiple laptops on wireless at any given time
Open security on SSID as there is NO ONE around
Obviously having the 2 Sonos ZonePlayers on wireless when they are right next to the switch is senseless, especially since they like to stream internet radio. The wireless extender doing it over wireless is painful too. It's halving the bandwidth for transmit and receive, plus it's on the same channel as the main router. Half the time it's searching for signal as it can't pick up the wireless signal. When it does pick up signal it's terrible. At the PC in the electronics closet I can get the full 1mbps download with speedtest.net, upstairs on a laptop it will register 0.1mbps when I can get it to work.
The router in the basement electronics closet is another big bummer. The house is new, the owner didn't think of cat5 cabling when building as someone sold them on wireless, and they are pretty concerned with aesthetics. Not only that, but I think the wireless router may be showing signs of age, sitting with my laptop 6 feet away from the router I'll see ping times of > 200ms. The wireless extender is on the main floor, in a strategic place that should be good for signal.
The internet 1mpbs is very painful and will still be the bottleneck even after wireless is fixed, but more solutions are coming and that needs to be taken in to account.
My proposed solution:
Replace the aging Belkin router with a Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH (why, it's high POWAH, and honestly I have wood for this router )
Add in a D-Link 8-port gigabit switch (they have nothing gigabit now, but it's cheap and leaves room for the future)
Put the 2 Sonos ZonePlayers on wired and get them off wireless
Get the NetGear XAVB2501-100NAS powerline network set and put one at the router and one at the wireless extender (I've already verified no AFCI breakers), so at least the wireless extender should be able to serve good wireless to the main level.
Does this look like a viable solution? What would you do differently? With the wireless extender on a hard line, should I keep the same SSID and just change the channel to be far away from the original router? I thought about making two SSIDs, one for upstairs and one for downstairs, but the place gets rented, plus they have lots of visitors using laptops, and the Sonos controllers go upstairs and downstairs. I think having two SSIDs, even aptly named, would be a management nightmare.
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