I need advice on a long range wireless router.

[A.Justice]

I need a good long range router. I just moved to a more spacious area, with under 50 mbps internet speed. I had gigabit fiber before, so I wanted to go with a high speed, and naturally, lower range WiFi option. Now, with the connection being so much slower, I would like to be able to throw the signal as far as possible, and because of my needlessness-for-speed, a cheaper, older model router is fine by me.

From what I understand about radio, the slower, lower frequencys travel farther (2.4 ghz is slower, but propagates further (through less obstruction) than 5ghz. So a high power, wireless G should work fine.

I only have two security cameras, some IOT stuff, and a laptop connected (the rest of my stuff is hardwired) so wlan connections don't need to be super fast either, range is priority.

It's hard to Google good information on routers anymore because everything is an affiliate link, and Amazon reviews are messed around with a lot. Any suggestions based on experience are more than appreciated!

 

[mrdavvv]

If you have cables its better to put multiple access points than a big antenna, you can make a mesh to have good signal everywhere.

Check the Ubiquiti solutions, most of their access point are pretty good.

Your config would be:

Router -> Switch -> Wifi Access points

 

[A.Justice]

If you have cables its better to put multiple access points than a big antenna, you can make a mesh to have good signal everywhere.

Check the Ubiquiti solutions, most of their access point are pretty good.

Your config would be:

Router -> Switch -> Wifi Access points

That's a really good idea, thank you! My wifes' friend is in Government Tech and has recommended Ubiquity products before as well, I'll grab a few used AP's on eBay and give them a shot.

I didn't even think about a mesh network, I have a handful of old Linksys WRT54g's that I've been compulsively buying like a crack-head at yard sales whenever I see them, and flashing with better firmware (dd-wrt). I could probably use those in a mesh as well.

 

[mrdavvv]

I didn't even think about a mesh network, I have a handful of old Linksys WRT54g's that I've been compulsively buying like a crack-head at yard sales whenever I see them, and flashing with better firmware (dd-wrt). I could probably use those in a mesh as well.

Yeah they can work, only problem they wont have the newer protocols or 5Ghz, but if you are not too demanding it would be fine. I put a couple of my DD-wrts in AP mode so it should work fine. Good luck!

 

[Rider]

Check out point to point directional antennas for WiFi. It's not so much the router you need to upgrade, but the signal.