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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Each day I've been running a 20m ethernet cable from my router to the 'office' at the opposite end of our flat. It's unsightly and a trip hazard so I'm looking for a workaround. I've tried a wifi extender placed midway in the hallway, but the speed drops from 80MB to ~2MB.

I've recently removed all of our carpet, leaving clear floorboards from one end to the other. I'm wondering how feasible it is to run the cable beneath them. The flats split level so there's a small set of stairs to navigate, and it's a long way...

Before probing further, I wondered whether anybody else has done this, or similar? It looks like a lot of work and may not be worth while, but thought somebody may have a clever trick up their sleeve. Electricians must have tackle jobs like this regularly.

Thanks.

Tags for Forum Posts: internet cabling, wifi

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If you are thinking about replacing the router, I'd suggest you look at it holistically.

To begin with, modern routers will have better wi-fi capabilities, this includes working various channels at a time. This results in less competition between devices on the same channel and improved bandwidth overall. The router you mention has an overall bandwidth of 2.8Gbps (hence the 2800) which is split in 1 channel at 2.4GHz and three at 5GHz. The lower frequency delivers less speed but is more resilient and will reach further. The 5GHz is much faster, but has significantly smaller range.

So, just the new router may suffice.

However, if this is still not enough or you want to future-proof your setup, I would consider buying a router that supports mesh devices as add-on. So you are not running a router AND a mesh (2 devices minimum), but rather Router + Mesh repeater. Looking at tp-link, they have a platform called "OneMesh". 

The VR2800 does not support onemesh, but strangely enough the VR2100, which is cheaper, does. You can pick an add-on mesh extender for £50.I am afraid I haven't got direct experience with them, but I have used quite a few tp-link products over the years and they are reasonably good and deliver good value for money.

Thanks Ruben, excellent point on the router with OneMesh.

I currently have invested in the Amazon Eero mesh system for our place.  I got a 3 mesh system, one next to the router, one in both rooms (we are in a ground floor flat).  I get 222Mbps in the lounge and 140Mbps in the rooms.  Its extremely reliable and I haven't had any issues since I installed it.

I think the essential problem with Wifi is that in terraces or flats you end up in an arms race with your neighbours, fighting for the same spectrum. As one upgrades to a more powerful system, the others have to upgrade in order to maintain their service.

But it's not clear what the alternative is - clearly ethernet is much more reliable, but a hassle to install and also to use if you have laptops etc. I did try powerline some years ago, but it was unreliable - it can suffer from interference from other devices & it's very hard to work out if this is happening and which devices might be responsible.

What works for me, and is a lot easier, is buying a Powerline Adaptor. I've been using one since I started working from home last March and have had no issues with it. 

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/networking/powe...

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