Modem and Router in Separate rooms

[leony]

Hi

I need advise please.

Basically in my living room:

There is a 3 port ethernet wall plug that goes to Room A, B and C. At the same time, DSL line is also here. Currently DSL modem and router (Separate devices) connected in the living room together and router handles all traffic. Because living room location is not central, I have to use an Access Point in Room B (central location) and it is connected to the living room main router via the wall plug.

I just bought a Asus RT-AX86U and I want this Router to handle everything including the job of the access point in Room B, which means I want to put this in Room B, connect modem and AX86U via wall plug. The trouble is, if I do this, I have no way to relay traffic to Room A and C as as there won't be any router next to DSL modem anymore.

So I need recommendation of how to locate and use the AX86U.

I cannot move DSL modem, or wire new ethernet cables as it will be an ugly job with cables around. If I had 2 pairs of ethernet cables going from living room to Room B, I would not have a problem but I have only 1 cable going inside of the walls.

 

[ColinTaylor]

So you specifically need Ethernet connectivity to rooms A and C? Is putting WiFi repeaters (or AiMesh nodes) or powerline adapters in those locations an option?

What about the living room. Is WiFi coverage there OK or does that also need Ethernet connectivity?

The only way you can get a purely Ethernet solution to all locations (as you have realised) would be if you had a network switch and two Ethernet cables running between the living room and room B (one for the WAN and one for the returning LAN).

However, you could use a smart switch in the living room and use VLANs to effectively share the single cable to room B for both WAN and LAN. It's not ideal because your total throughput would be impacted. But if there wasn't much traffic going to/from rooms A, C and the living room you might get away with it.

 

[leony]

Hi Colin
Thank you for your reply.

Having read of your recommendations, I believe best option will be poweline. I have a switch in Room A where my NAS and Nvidia Shield TV (streaming 4K) is connected to, so Room A needs a wired solution I suppose. Room C is not that important.

So are powelines good nowadays and do you have a particular make and model that you recommend?

 

[Crimliar]

I think I've seen this achieved using two smart switches and VLANs akin to as is described here: https://superuser.com/questions/789294/can-i-send-a-wan-and-lan-connection-over-the-same-cable

*I didn't set this up, and it's at least half a decade since...
**Obviously even if this works there are throughput issues. And I seem to recall that I was uneasy about security...

 

[ColinTaylor]

So are powelines good nowadays and do you have a particular make and model that you recommend?

I haven't used powerline adapters for years. When I did I got about 110 Mbps between the front of the house, ground floor and the back of the house first floor. But since then I believe the adapters have increased their theoretical speeds.

But it really is totally dependent on your own environment. Mostly on how your house wiring is laid out. Here there are big differences between the UK and the US for example.

FWIW I used ZyXEL adapters and they seemed OK.

 

[L&LD]

This is a great example of why a single run to a room is effectively useless unless the network is used only as designed (at the start).

I would simply get the RT-AX86U and use it in the living room and see what coverage you get with it; you may be pleasantly surprised.