New wireless router + network design advice

[al2813]

I am re-posting a thread I started about a month ago - this time with a different emphasis on the advice requested

My current setup is composed from 2 Apple Extreme routers with the first one (a newer AC model) connected to my cable ISP modem/router (setup in bridge mode), and acting as DHCP + wireless AP on the ground floor. it is than connected to my main GB switch (D Link DGS-1016D). From the switch I have a wired connection to my second Apple router (an older 5th gen N model) sitting in my second TV room on the first floor. It is used there to provide a wired Gigabit connection to the STB and game console upstairs as well as extend my wireless coverage using Apple's roaming network setup (so effectively in bridge mode with the same SSID). I have a also a second smaller D-Link switch in the living room wired to the main switch and supporting there my living room streamer and my Sat STB. This setup is described in the following simplified diagram http://creately.com/diagram/example/irq3rv7l2

The majority of the traffic is streaming. From the internet to various devices in the house as well as internally from my STBs to my ipads.

I am looking for 2 advices:

- The second floor wifi signal seems to be an issue. Streaming from my STBs to ipads upstairs struggles. I would like perhaps to refresh my second Apple router to address that.
- i am not convinced my setup is ideal. Should I maybe put the mail switch BEFORE my main Apple router?
- Should i consider replacing my Apple routers? I read thier LAN routing capabilities is not ideal compared to other makers in the market (Asus?).

Many thanks for your recommendations and insights

 

[thiggins]

Move the second router to the second floor if you can. Try powerline if you can't run Ethernet. Upgrading from N to AC should also improve throughput.

 

[al2813]

Move the second router to the second floor if you can. Try powerline if you can't run Ethernet. Upgrading from N to AC should also improve throughput.

If you mean the second Apple N router, it is already in the second floor. I have an Ethernet cable running from switch in the office to the second floor .

 

[thiggins]

Sorry, missed that.
Your switch setup is correct.

Local (LAN) traffic isn't routed, it's switched. And Gigabit switches are wire speed. The only thing that can slow you down is incompatibility in port auto-negotiation. You can check that by doing some large file transfers between wired machines and seeing if you get over 12 MB/s (100 Mbps).

Does the "struggling" for 2nd floor iPad streaming stop if the iPads are closer to the router?
Do they struggle if they are connected to the first floor router?

Actually, do you know for sure whether they are connected to the 2nd floor router? Are you using separate SSIDs for each floor and each band, or one SSSID for everything?

What model iPads do you have? Do they have N or AC radios?

 

[al2813]

Sorry, missed that.
Your switch setup is correct.

Local (LAN) traffic isn't routed, it's switched. And Gigabit switches are wire speed. The only thing that can slow you down is incompatibility in port auto-negotiation. You can check that by doing some large file transfers between wired machines and seeing if you get over 12 MB/s (100 Mbps).

Does the "struggling" for 2nd floor iPad streaming stop if the iPads are closer to the router?
Do they struggle if they are connected to the first floor router?

Actually, do you know for sure whether they are connected to the 2nd floor router? Are you using separate SSIDs for each floor and each band, or one SSSID for everything?

What model iPads do you have? Do they have N or AC radios?

Thanks for the detailed answers/questions. I will test the file transfers later today. I run with the same SSID on both floors. What I do is when I switch from floor 1 to 2, I reconnect the WIFI in order to ensure I am connected to the router on the second floor. I have two Ipad - air 1 (N) and air 2 (AC). Problem is with both it seems.

 

[thiggins]

What I do is when I switch from floor 1 to 2, I reconnect the WIFI in order to ensure I am connected to the router on the second floor.

This doesn't necessarily ensure that the device will change connections. Unless you check the BSSID (MAC address) of the AP the device is connected to, you can't know for sure.

If you move the iPads closer to the routers, does streaming improve? Do some experiments to determine if the problem is due to distance between iPad and router or # of concurrent streams.

 

[Trip]

So many ways to come at this... it all depends on where your current network setup is bottle-necking and/or what performance and feature gains you want to make.

-First off , how many users, total devices, number of streams and traffic types do you have going on at any given time -- even a rough idea is better than nothing (ie. 2 iPads, 2 laptops, a desktop, and 2-3 Netflix streams, an Ooma Telo for phone, etc. etc. etc.)
- Is your place wired with Cat5/5e/6 - fully, or even partially, to the places where you require ethernet jacks? (I know you said you're got a wired connection to the second Apple router... but that could mean a cable run under the carpet, etc...).
- Lastly, what is your internet speed, up and down, in Mb/s?

Answering that stuff, plus the behavior-related questions Tim brought up, will help pinpoint the actual problem areas and then we can resolve them with smarter setup, different gear, or both.

 

[al2813]

So many ways to come at this... it all depends on where your current network setup is bottle-necking and/or what performance and feature gains you want to make.

-First off , how many users, total devices, number of streams and traffic types do you have going on at any given time -- even a rough idea is better than nothing (ie. 2 iPads, 2 laptops, a desktop, and 2-3 Netflix streams, an Ooma Telo for phone, etc. etc. etc.)

I have a total of 4 users - 2 ipads, 2 smartphones, 2 laptops, 2 desktops, 2 streamers. I have at any given moment 1-3 internet streams going (Youtube, netflix, other streaming apps). i also run up to 2 concurrent LAN streaming services (stream videos from my NAS to the living room and stream TV channels from my Sat STB to ipads). The streaming that seems to pose problems is the one from any of my 2 STBs (one in the living room connected to my small GB Switch and one in the 1st floor wired to my second Apple Extreme router). When I stream HD channels to my ipad upstairs (so going through the 1st floor Apple router) it is when I struggle. downstairs I don't typically stream these channles, but watch them directly on the TV). I also get the impression the wired network downstairs is a bit slow , but as I am not an expert, i do not have the knowledge nor the tools to measure this.

- Is your place wired with Cat5/5e/6 - fully, or even partially, to the places where you require ethernet jacks? (I know you said you're got a wired connection to the second Apple router... but that could mean a cable run under the carpet, etc...).

I have 2 long CAT5E cables running from my main switch in my ground floor office. One running to the 1st floor and terminating in an enternet wall plug. My second Apple router is plugged in to this plug and is connected to the other HW there. The second cable goes to my living room and is connected to my 8 port D-Link GB switch, to which my living room streamer and STB are connected. In my mind I have a fully GB LAN as my 2 switches and 2 routers are GB enabled.

- Lastly, what is your internet speed, up and down, in Mb/s?

I have a cable connection of 200/10