http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Wireless-suggestions-for-a-big-house-27463717 en Tue, 21 May 2013 12:42:49 EDT Tue, 21 May 2013 12:42:49 EDT http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Wireless-suggestions-for-a-big-house-27479770 Wireless router suggestions for a big house?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Wireless-suggestions-for-a-big-house-27479770 Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:20:02 EDT http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Wireless-suggestions-for-a-big-house-27463717
I need some opinions on setting up wireless network for a client family's big one floor (but on a giant slope hill as if it had two floors) house. About 88 feet seems to be the longest distance from a small room with the new cable modem. This is based on Google Maps' aerial shot with its ruler:
»zimage.com/~ant/temp/88ftLongest···Room.jpg (right side/east is a huge hill with trees; green pin is where the cable modem is).

Building Information:
Ground Level Entry (No Steps)
Stucco Exterior
Concrete Tile Roof
Cathedral-Vaulted Ceilings
Full copper plumbing
3,900 feet
Built in 1984
16 rooms (4 bedrooms and bathrooms)
Split-level and contemporary style

Just for kicks, I tried an old 15" MacBook Pro (updated Mac OS X 10.5.8) and a Linksys WR54GL wireless router (both were from late 2008) in it. Here are the wireless results:

Kitchen's tables next to windows = 2-4 bars

Downstair/Lower Elevation Family/Living Room:
Couches and table = 1-2 bars ; laggy when ssh to an outside server; a few packet losses to router.
Behind the bar counter = 0 to 2 bars
NETGEAR Wireless Router - AC 1750 Dual Band Gigabit (R6300)

Room Near Kitchen and Garage = 3-4 bars

Garage = 4 bars

All other rooms look good/high.

Here are two previous owners' photographs/photos. of the downstair family/living/den room, with its bar, with the weak wireless:
»i.imgur.com/auseC.jpg (facing the direction where wireless router is; note the kitchen on top left)
»i.imgur.com/Cxulk.jpg

So it looks like they will need a network cable/repeater/something to the downstair area if using an old Linksys WRT54GL router. However, the folks did not want network cables in the walls, attic, etc. so it would have to be wireless, coax cables (over the air (OTA) and cable services are already using them though), or power cables (already crowded on the outlets with strips).

Are there any strong/better wireless routers that can reach farther and be stable/stronger? If not, then which wireless routers can do it? It would be nice to have third party firmware options like Linksys WRT54GL routers. Also, fast speed like gigabits for fast local file transfers between computers in the big house if possible. 100mb/sec is slow these days!

Mozerd suggested a NETGEAR Wireless Router - AC 1750 Dual Band Gigabit (R6300) in his »Re: Best Linksys wireless router suggestions for a big house? forum reply. Will this work for this wireless situation (or better than an old Linksys WRT54GL router)?

Thank you in advance. :)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Wireless-suggestions-for-a-big-house-27463717 Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:04:18 EDT