Trying to improve my Internet connection in my house

July 29, 2014 5:57 PM

I am a Verizon FIOS customer using Verizon's modem/router combo. I am having some problems getting a strong signal in one room of my house. I am torn between two options, and I would love your input.

So here they are:

Option 1 is to run my network signal through my electrical lines using something like this.

Option 2 is to connect an Apple Airport router to my existing modem/router to see if I can get a better signal on my Macbook that way.

Option 3 is whatever you suggest that I have not yet thought of.

As always, thank you for your help.

posted by 4ster to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

Response by poster: Sorry, I should have mentioned that moving the modem/router is a no-go.
posted by 4ster at 6:04 PM on July 29, 2014

Best answer: Take this answer for what it's worth, a solitary data point.

Yesterday, I purchased a new airport extreme as part of setting up a new network in the house. I currently have it connected to an actiontec router from verizon (the red version, capable of higher speeds). I have it hooked up to the router in bridge mode, and I have been comparing the wifi from the router, and the wifi from the airport.

Sitting right next to the airport and router, I am getting the following on speedtest.net:

80/38 - Airport extreme
65/36 - actiontec router

Upstairs in my bedroom I am getting:

65/31 - Airport extreme
18/26 - actiontec router
posted by instead of three wishes at 6:35 PM on July 29, 2014

Best answer: I'm housemates with instead of three wishes, and my room is the furthest away from the router --upstair,s and a couple rooms over. While I don't get the speeds she does on the Airport Extreme, I do get speeds over TWICE as fast as the actiontec router for downloads, and approximately five times as fast as the actiontec router for uploads.

Since I'd never noticed any real lag even on the actiontec router (mostly web surfing, tumblring, occasionally MMPORGing), I'm sure I'll now be twice/five times as happy.
posted by kythuen at 6:46 PM on July 29, 2014 [1 favorite]

Option 4: If there's another coax jack in the area with poor signal, you could always buy another fios router -- look for MI424WR on ebay; they can be had cheaply -- and configure it to act as a MOCA adapter and WAP instead of as a router. There are howtos online. I can personally verify that it is easy and works.

Option 5: buy a higher-gain antenna for the existing router?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:37 PM on July 29, 2014

I use option 1 although a different brand (Net Gear). I love it. Works great. I have one plugged into the router and the other plugged in at the farthest point from the router in the house. My son streams all sorts of music and video and never complains. I did put a password on it separate from the router's password. I used it in my previous house that had twice the square footage as this one and it still worked great. I was able to plug my Verizon mini tower to improve cell reception as well.
posted by 724A at 11:39 PM on July 29, 2014

I use two Airport Expresses. One creates the main wireless signal--it plugs via Ethernet into my cable modem. The other sits in my bedroom and extends the network. I have speakers plugged into each of them.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:30 AM on July 30, 2014

Response by poster: Today, I went by Best Buy after work, and they had a current model Airport Extreme (refurbished) for half-price. I just finished installing it, and the speeds are amazing, basically what Verizon was advertising to me. Thanks, everyone for your help.
posted by 4ster at 2:16 PM on July 30, 2014