It's probably time to make a change on internet provider. I'm currently on U-Verse (which has generally been fine- it's just slower than other options and expensive).

I thought I'd lay out what I have and what I need.

We have a 2 story house. Really don't care where the WiFi router is located. It's currently on the first floor, in the family room. If you're facing the house from the street, that would be the back right corner of the house.

My wife works upstairs. Think if it as the front right corner of the house. I work downstairs - left rear corner of the house. Post COVID we will continue to work ~50% from home.

My wife's employer prefers they are hardwired. We have Uverse TV boxes downstairs and one upstairs. She can plug into the Uverse box that is upstairs.

We're don't need super fast service - no gamers in the house. In future we might cut the cord and stream for out TV. (BTW, I think we have service at 12g down and 2g up. Generally we're OK with those speeds.)

Options include
Google (supposed to arrive in the next 2 months - I can wait if needed) No info as far as pricing or speeds that are available.
Spectrum ($30/mo for 2years with 400 speed
AT&T Fiber (40/mo + 10 for equipment for 300 speed.


Specific questions
If we get new equipment - Can the new router use the name of the current wifi router and have the same password? (Our home alarm is tied in and we don't want to have to make changes if possible.)

What equipment do the various providers have - Is it like Uverse where we can have the router downstairs and also have box to plug into at my wife's work space? I know they make little Ethernet adapters you can use on a wifi - are they any good? Are some better than others?

What would you suggest I look at as far as equipment?

Anyone know a company in the Raleigh area that would come by and install whatever we need? I can probably do the install but frankly wouldn't mind someone with more knowledge helping out.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Yes, you can have the same name (SSID) and the same password, it just has to be programmed in, something the installer can do or you can do yourself if you're reasonably computer literate.

Suggestions given your particular configuration and needs.

1 - Opt for Basic Spectrum Service. I have it and the speeds and up time are excellent.
2 - When Spectrum installs your service have them turn off the WiFi side of their modem/router combo.
3 - Buy yourself a MESH WiFi setup (assuming you're not open to running a couple CAT6 cables) and place one unit downstairs and the other upstairs. Netgear Orbi might be a good option.
4 - Your wife can plug into the MESH unit on the second floor to appease her work requirements. Realistically, if configured properly, your WiFi speeds and reliability should rival your wired connections, affording your wife (and you) an opportunity to work out by the pool with a cool drink.

Optional - You can forego the Spectrum cable TV service/boxes/cost and just install ROKU devices on your TV's for streaming TV content. The Netgear Orbi units (or similar) should push strong and fast WiFi to all your home WiFi devices, so no more wires/cables should be necessary.

I have been very happy with the Netgear Orbi mesh

For all practical purposes my house is a faraday chamber (corrugated siding).

I have the main router in the back of the house hardwired to my desktop. Another unit clear on other side of the house and another in the shop downstairs. The wireless signal now is available on the entire 1/3 acre property

Yes for the Orbi mesh, I get great WiFi anywhere in the house. And I use Spectrum cause where I live (only like 40 minutes or so from downtown Raleigh, but rural), I doubt we will ever get Google or AT&T fiber. And Spectrums’ latest modem comes with or without a router, so you can still use you own and maybe save a few bucks each month.

Oops, hit post too soon. And the Orbi satellites have Ethernet ports for hardwired needs.

You really want to position that router in the center of your house to where it can broadcast the signal well and not create any dead spots.

I use tp-link mesh it is similar to Orbi.

I think it gives you more bang for your buck.

YMMV

https://www.tp-link.com/us/deco-mesh-wifi/

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link...id=1617221231&sr=8-1

I would wait for google and see if they are competitive in pricing. No one can touch the Quality of their network.

They have one of the largest most stable clouds in the world

Ditto on the Orbi. I have the base plus 2 satellites. Some stuff is in wireless and much of my stuff is hardwired into the base or a satellite. Bulletproof.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
You really want to position that router in the center of your house to where it can broadcast the signal well and not create any dead spots.

Agreed, but that can only be accomplished by running CAT cable from the modem to an Orbi unit in the center of the house. Not sure the Ops up for that. If he is, I'd change my suggestions to foregoing the Orbi's and installing two POE WAP's, one upstairs and the other downstairs, and leave his cable modem and router where they are now.

If Spectrum, you could place the modem/router in wife's office so she can plug CAT into the router. Then use a free cell phone app to test wifi coverage all through the house. Use the 2.4G? net instead of the 5G net for better coverage. Extenders do work; you get what you pay for. If this won't work, then look into the mesh, but Spectrum would be still your best value.

Edit: Could one rent a supplemental router (only) for the wife's office? Given she has a TV outlet.

Also a note to check those service bandwidths.

Typically Spectrum will be 300Mbps Down and 20Mbps up
Where AT&T fiber may be 400Mbps up and down.

That may come into play where you work from home and download an office document/file at the 300Mbps rate, but then when you save it it will only appear to trickle up at 20Mbps.

Fiber does not have any interference like a copper connection, but everything in the house would be copper for the direct to desktop or to the WiFi device.

I’ll add another vote for the Netgear Orbi. I have the base plus one satellite in my very old home. The Orbi has a nice setup where you only have one listed network and it automatically sets the connection (2.4 ghz or 5 ghz) according to the device and the distance.

I have Verizon FiOS. The wifi portion of the router is turned off. I have a 16-port gigabit switch connected to the modem and the Orbi base occupies one of those ports; all three are in the basement just inside from where the ONT is mounted outside. I ran cat 7 to those devices that either can’t do wifi or can’t do wifi well.

My network now absolutely screams. The base is in the southeast corner of the basement and the satellite is halfway to the northwest corner on the first floor. Perfect coverage, no weak areas.

If you can run cable to alternate locations then DO THAT instead of the miracle-wonder-device aka the "mesh".
In those locations strategically place an "access point" ~ by placing I mean out of the reach of the other AP and covering the desired area around it.
However, if cable runs are impossible then use the Mesh as they are an alternative to running a cable but by no means is it better.
If you are having an IT team do it then they can work out the details.
Good Luck.

If you use separate boxes for the cable modem and the router, and buy your own router, you will never have to make any changes in your in-house network if you change internet providers, since all of the in-house network chores are handled by the router, and the modem's only job is to provide the interface between your router and the internet.

Thanks everyone!

I have a configuration very similar to yours in terms of layout and equipment location. I have Frontier 400/400 service which I am paying $59 per month for. I have supplemented my network with a Google mesh system that I bought from Costco. The Frontier router is hardwired into the first of four repeaters in the family room close to the router. The other repeaters are at the top of the stairs in a bonus room, on top of the upper cabinets in the kitchen (center of the house, line of sight to the family room) and the fourth is in the office at the front of the house. You can plug an ethernet cable into any of the repeaters but the speed difference is negligible.

The Google system is the only one I have ever used but it was easy for me to set up and I am not technologically inclined. I recently changed broadband providers and the network name and passwords all stayed the same even though the router changed. Being able to change providers and/or routers without resetting all of the passwords is a big benefit to the mesh system.

I have the Ookla speed test app on my iPad and I consistently get 375-420 up and down at any location in the house, in the garage, and outside. Notably, I previously had Spectrum 200/200 service and would usually get 25-30 up and in the teens down. That was fast enough not to cause problems but really annoying because it was far less than I was paying for.