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Extending Wireless

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Devildoc99

New Around Here
I've got an AC88U that I'm currently using as main router.
I've also got an AC87U that's not in use.
Further, I've access to an AC56R if I want.

What I'm looking to do is extend my wifi coverage (dead spot on my deck outside). The 88U is setup in the basement utility room at the far corner of the house. There's only one CAT5 line that goes out to the entertainment center in the basement which is the main Tv watching area, otherwise it's all wifi.

The 87U isn't aimesh compatible. How might I set this up in order to expand the coverage? I did the repeater thing with the 87U but it didn't seem to make all that much difference to a WiFi signal meter.

Thanks
 
you have ethernet, use it and setup 87U in AP mode (87-WAN to 88-LAN).
In AP mode all ports are switched and you can connect any AP port (incl. WAN) to a LAN port of the router - the rest of the AP ports can be used as additional switch to connect more LAN devices to the AP (as I do - see footer). :cool:
 
I was getting some very strange behaviors with using AP mode (networks dropping and reconnecting randomly, signal strength fluctuating). So, here's what I did. Setup the 87U in the basement utility room where all the connections come in. Turned off its radio disabling wifi. Plugged in whatever ethernet cables needed to be (fibre, directv, line to receiver in family room downstairs as well). Setup the 88U in the family room disabling it's DHCP, letting the 87U handle that, leaving all the wifi for the 88U. This location, while still not ideal for the house, does give some extended coverage to what I need, so, for now, this works. It's kinda like repeater mode, but only one unit offering wifi, avoiding all the conflict. Maybe I was configuring something wrong that resulted in all this behavior???
I might be able to get a cat5 line upstairs to the office off of the kitchen which would be even better. We'll see.

How do I go about turning up the dbi for the antenae?

Thanks
 
buy 9dBi antennas, but will help only less to nothing, not really recommended here, and you need much space for such long antennas.

Did you really use AP-mode instead of router-mode on Admin page?
How can you write DHCP disabled?
There is no DHCP in AP mode at all!

And let both WiFi enabled for better coverage in the whole house.
You can set same SSID/PW on 2G/5G and on both routers too, only if you are moving a lot maybe a problem, otherwise they will take stronger signal.
And AP-WAN must be connected to a parent-LAN port in the basement.
 
Last edited:
But another antenna, usually longer. I have a lot of 9dbi and a couple of 15dbi ones attached. I get about 500 meters in plain sight.
Just keep in mind that with higher-gain antennas the extended range horizontally (that is, at right angles to the antennas) comes at the expense of the vertical angle of coverage (floors above and below the router). The difference is noticeable when connecting an access point in the window on the ground floor of my house to clients on the second floor of a carriage house 60 feet away. I tip the antennas back several degrees to get the best signal onto the second floor of the carriage house and can go from 20Mbps to 50Mbps throughput.

9-dbi-7dbi-6dbi-2-dbi-range.jpg
 
mostly only for additional sales, there's like everywhere a difference between theory and praxis.
Can help a little bit with good antennas but dont think it will solve your problem, often it is much better to try totaly different location of router, not in the middle of a house but in middle of a house wall for example with much less reflections.
 

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