Better wifi performance: Actiontec T3200 or other router?

[ChrisCK]

I’m renting a large five bedroom house. It’s an older house with no Ethernet cables installed behind the walls. There are numerous phone lines and split coaxial cables. I’m waiting to get PureFibre 150 installed but the line will enter through the garage, which is in the corner of the house. Currently, Telus has me setup with the max speed Telus 25 over copper (they say I’m far away from the street terminal and can only guarantee 25 over the copper). The Actiontec T3200 modem is strategically placed in the living room which is quite centered on the first floor, but I believe it’s using two (bonded?) phone lines and a coaxial to achieve that bandwidth it’s pulling from the garage line. To spread the wifi around the house the tech installed the Extender in the garage using a coaxial to Ethernet converter and named the network the same so it would almost be seamless moving from one network to the other.

My question is, when we have PureFibre 150 installed, how will I get the maximum bandwidth to the living room if there are no Ethernet cables going from the garage to the living room? And should I nix the Extender and get a better performing wifi router than the Actiontec T3200?

[NFtoBC · Accepted solution]

If you subscribe to Telus PureFibre, they have an available two point mesh at reasonable price. In the interim, if you can get Ethernet to the lower or upper floor, a second Wi-Fi router will meet your needs. Look closely for the best product for your needs. For example, the D-Link DIR-605L included setup as an extender in its interface, making it an easy and cheap solution. If you can’t get the Ethernet cable to the basement, look to a device such as the Linksys RE6500 range extender, which would work as a single point mesh, or bridge, providing a connection point for Ethernet in your basement.

[WestCoasterBC]

Depending on the wiring and routing you could perhaps change over a phone line into an Ethernet jack. Which could inturn plug into the ONT and your router of choice.

You could deploy a Mesh network to provide wifi throughout the rest of your house. I’ve never been a fan of the extender, as it had constant drops when I used it.

Hard wired is the best method, but I doubt your landlord would let you do cat5 drops and terminate wall plates.

[ChrisCK]

Thank you for the reply. I'm not a big fan of the extender either. I plan to remove it in the future once Fiber 150/150 is setup. I think I have to use the Actiontec T3200 because I have two OptikTVs (one wired in the living room, one wireless in the bedroom upstairs).

Looking into a Mesh network, I like the idea of a single network, but for now I can't afford to spend $400.

If I can change the phone lines to an Ethernet jack and keep the Actiontec T3200 in the living room (more or less centered in the house), would it be worthwhile to get a better tri-band wifi router? I can find deals on used or refurbished AC3200 routers, like the D-Link AC3200, TP-LINK AC3200, or Asus AC3200. Would they provide more range and higher speeds than the Actiontec?

[NFtoBC · Accepted solution]

If you subscribe to Telus PureFibre, they have an available two point mesh at reasonable price. In the interim, if you can get Ethernet to the lower or upper floor, a second Wi-Fi router will meet your needs. Look closely for the best product for your needs. For example, the D-Link DIR-605L included setup as an extender in its interface, making it an easy and cheap solution. If you can’t get the Ethernet cable to the basement, look to a device such as the Linksys RE6500 range extender, which would work as a single point mesh, or bridge, providing a connection point for Ethernet in your basement.