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Have Archer C8, need to get better for cheap

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xraycat

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I've had my C8 for a few years, set up in my basement, and it was OK, never great. I supplemented it with a couple Airport Express's; one on the second floor, another in the garage, as access points with Ethernet backhaul. But we've always had difficulty with roaming and coverage with our iPhones. It was common to have to disconnect and reconnect when moving throughout the house.

We recently finished a renovation. I removed the AEs because I want to move to AC devices, and moved the C8 from the basement to the main living area on our main floor. It's improved speed and connection strength drastically in that area, but our second floor has suffered, even directly above the C8 without the AEs.

I have a few places with spare Ethernet jacks in the wall to accommodate an access point, but I will not be attaching a unit like a Unifi AC Lite to the ceiling. I want discrete units that I can plug into a wall outlet near my Ethernet jacks, put on a shelf, or hide behind the TV in the bedroom. The C8 is currently hidden in a bookshelf.

Should I keep the AC1750 C8 and add one or 2 wall plug access points like an RE450 or RE350?

Should I ditch the C8 and go to something better and maybe just add one AP?

I don't need the latest, and I'll most likely buy something a bit older to get it second hand. I like the idea and of a used Edge Router Lite in the basement, but I also like the looks of the Amplifi HD router and to get a couple; one for routing and one as an AP; I just don't like its price.
 
Go for a Mesh network, like NG's Orbi or Linksys Velop. I have read many people have good experience with the Orbi's
 
Then use Access Points. The downside is you have to pull cables
 
It was common to have to disconnect and reconnect when moving throughout the house.
Sadly that sounds like something that's pretty hard to check out before purchase. Some client/"server" pairs stick too long, others drop too soon and others just work perfectly. Some users report having better luck using a single SSID while others report better luck when the router and APs have separate SSIDs.

If you weren't using a wired connection on them I'd voice some concern over their "High Speed Mode" but hard wire would negate any misconceptions I might have.

Myself, I"ve a Netgear 6150 but, at my age, I don't wander around, I stay put.

Short of finding a neighbor with a setup similar to what you're thinking I have no clue.

Ditto with your idea of buying a better rated range/performance router; it just might do the trick or, it might not.

You might start by loading free WiFi analyzer software onto your best laptop and wander around the house measuring signals and running speed tests over both bands to better identify the weak and strong points throughout your house. "Marginal" areas might well be fixed with a better router. A "horrible" area might need an AP. Multiple "horrible" areas might require more APs (many start thinking "mesh" when multiple APs are involved).

While I'm thinking out loud how is your C8 configured, e.g., what SSIDs are you using? Maybe try locking phones and second floor devices onto 2.4 GHz only? (The tests above would give you an idea as to if that would be worth even trying.)
 
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Then use Access Points. The downside is you have to pull cables
I have a few places with spare Ethernet jacks in the wall to accommodate an access point,
No cables to pull, which was the point of the post.
I am just wondering if wall plug APs are a good enough solution, or is the C8 a lame duck compared to newer routers and I should just get something better?
 
Sadly that sounds like something that's pretty hard to check out before purchase. Some client/"server" pairs stick too long, others drop too soon and others just work perfectly. Some users report having better luck using a single SSID while others report better luck when the router and APs have separate SSIDs.

If you weren't using a wired connection on them I'd voice some concern over their "High Speed Mode" but hard wire would negate any misconceptions I might have.

Myself, I"ve a Netgear 6150 but, at my age, I don't wander around, I stay put.

Short of finding a neighbor with a setup similar to what you're thinking I have no clue.

Ditto with your idea of buying a better rated range/performance router; it just might do the trick or, it might not.

You might start by loading free WiFi analyzer software onto your best laptop and wander around the house measuring signals and running speed tests over both bands to better identify the weak and strong points throughout your house. "Marginal" areas might well be fixed with a better router. A "horrible" area might need an AP. Multiple "horrible" areas might require more APs (many start thinking "mesh" when multiple APs are involved).

While I'm thinking out loud how is your C8 configured, e.g., what SSIDs are you using? Maybe try locking phones and second floor devices onto 2.4 GHz only? (The tests above would give you an idea as to if that would be worth even trying.)
Ya, in the shower this morning I was thinking about doing a wifi survey.

I have the C8 using the same SSID for both frequencies; I didn't want to explain to my wife and guests what the difference was or why there were 2.
 

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