PoE Wifi Extenders

[blakbearddelite]

What are some recommendations you guys have?

Our house is pre-wired with access ports on each floor(on the ceiling). Pulte designed it to have the router in the basement and ethernet cables throughout the house. Supposedly making it a 'smart' home. I don't really see the benefit, but whatever.

Internet on the second floor will be spotty, so I'm looking for some good wifi extenders that are powered by the ethernet.

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[EmersonHart13]

Did you consider Mesh?

 

[blakbearddelite]

I'll have to look that up, no idea what that is.

 

[Mook]

X2 for mesh. Google is a good option to start with.

 

[muskie]

If you have the infrastructure for it like you say just get two TP-Link or Ubiquiti Access Points and plug them into the jacks one on each floor.

Much more stable than mesh IMO.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0781YXFBT/?tag=tcg21-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DRM6MLI/?tag=tcg21-20

You will need a router in the basement like you say, but no reason you can't use what you have. The devices above will be the source of WiFi not the device in the basement. A single on of those devices on the first floor might even cut it.

 

[Fish]

You have what others want, and dont want to use it.

If something has a hardwire connection, Id connect it. If not, Id use the TP Link Muskie posted.

 

[b00sted]

If you have a poe switch and the house is pre-wired, it would be trivial to set up a couple Ubiquiti access points. I have one AC-PRO that covers my whole house, but I'll likely add a second AP upstairs at some point. The controller software handles band steering, AP handoff, etc. It's pretty slick.

Side note: get the pro version. The other versions use Ubiquiti's proprietary PoE that isn't compatible with other brand switches typically.

 

[blakbearddelite]

I'm not 100% certain that is what our house is set-up for by the builder. Let me break it down the best I can as a non-tech savvy person.

We have our router in the basement in a box. There are ethernet cables in that box that connect to the router. These cables are routed to various spots in the house. Two of those locations are access ports in the ceiling covered with a blank wall cover. I'm looking for something that mounts to the ceiling as is powered by the ethernet cable itself.

 

[b00sted]

BTW, wifi extenders aren't that great. I'd run one GOOD access point over some sort of extender setup any day of the week.

 

[b00sted]

I'm not 100% certain that is what our house is set-up for by the builder. Let me break it down the best I can as a non-tech savvy person.

We have our router in the basement in a box. There are ethernet cables in that box that connect to the router. These cables are routed to various spots in the house. Two of those locations are access ports in the ceiling covered with a blank wall cover. I'm looking for something that mounts to the ceiling as is powered by the ethernet cable itself.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/?tag=tcg21-20

You just have to ensure your router/switch is PoE. If not, you'll have to use the PoE injector that comes with the access point, which really isn't a big deal...Just means you have a little power supply sitting in there.

edit: And if you switch to something like this, just disable the router's wifi all together. Any good access point(or two) like this will be much better.

 

[blakbearddelite]

You have what others want, and dont want to use it.

If something has a hardwire connection, Id connect it. If not, Id use the TP Link Muskie posted.

It's not that I don't want to use the access ports, I just want to know what recommendations would be for an extender that utilizes them. I'm not a network technical person, so I was hoping it was something that was just plug and play.

 

[blakbearddelite]

BTW, wifi extenders aren't that great. I'd run one GOOD access point over some sort of extender setup any day of the week.

I'm sure I'm thinking they are the same thing. I know squat about networking. It sounds like an access point is what my house is set up for currently.

 

[b00sted]

Yeah that's what it sounds like after you explained it. Sounds like it's pre-wired for 2 PoE access points, which is great. I wish my house was.

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

You want a Poe powered access point.

NOT A WIFI EXTENDER!!!

Configure the access point to broadcast the same ssid and set it a static ip or leave it dhcp.

Plug the access point into the back of the router.

The router will do the rest. Devices should now be able to connect to the AP and get internet.

 

[Bruce Jibboo]

^ he's right..

This is where all my network runs terminate..

 

[Thirdgen89GTA]

It's not that I don't want to use the access ports, I just want to know what recommendations would be for an extender that utilizes them. I'm not a network technical person, so I was hoping it was something that was just plug and play.

If you're house is wired for AP's and you are having issues with a single AP, I'd definitely look into the managed AP's like the Unifi stuff posted.

Once its setup and running, you'll be way more pleased with the performance of a smart system.

 

[svtcobra725]

If you have the infrastructure for it like you say just get two TP-Link or Ubiquiti Access Points and plug them into the jacks one on each floor.

Much more stable than mesh IMO.

Amazon product
Amazon product

You will need a router in the basement like you say, but no reason you can't use what you have. The devices above will be the source of WiFi not the device in the basement. A single on of those devices on the first floor might even cut it.

Sorry to bring up an old thread but I’m looking to run access points in my basement and 2nd floor, instead of getting a larger main router. In 2020 are these TP-links still the best bang for the buck? I purchased a poe+ switch already.