I would like to add some clarity so others who stumble upon the same problem understand what each hardware does vs doesn’t.
A WiFi router provides wireless connectivity over the air and the most common supported frequency is 2.4 / 5.X. Neither takes into account the different type of transmission from A, B, N, G, AC, AH, AX, HI, HA, etc. Some of the types I’ve included are not used in consumer WiFi devices simply to illustrate there are many.
Repeater: A repeater literally takes a signal and repeats the same. So if the repeater has a weak signal it will simply relay the same. It does not regenerate or boost the signal at all. So placement, distance, and orientation is important if to work successfully.
Mesh: This device is literally a self contained WiFi device connected to a router. There are presently three types but will focus on what most consumers see or know about them.
The concept is to take a signal and boost and regenerate the same individually. If multiple units are spread evenly throughout a property the signal can be 100% everywhere and they are connected - chained together.
This assumes building structure & materials aren’t blocking the same signal so when comparing a repeater vs mesh the latter will always perform better given the same installation and environment.
The problem with lots of these devices is the lack of proper hand off. Meaning if your phone is connected to number 1 but you’re standing next to number 2. A less than smart mesh system will hang on to your device until it drops off or you force a new connection!
More expensive mesh systems have logic and user settings to define what threshold is allowed before a hand off so a person can
Roam seamlessly throughout the property and never see slow WiFi.
Access Point (AP): These devices are normally connected directly to a POE Switch which is then connected to the router. These are literally a Wi-Fi hot spots and if meshed together with like devices provide incredible range and consistent connectivity.
Hybrid: The market has lots of hybrid devices which use PLE (Power Line Ethernet) which connect using the 120 AC wiring. Many offer WiFi and ports to allow both wireless and physical hardline. Some use the RF antenna to provide Dual Band communications so has fault tolerance to use power line vs RF vs both.
As it pertains to channels almost every Wi-Fi device allows a sub channel to be selected in the 2.4 / 5.0 frequency band. You can play with this and simply stand wherever to see how many bars are seen on a cell phone. Keep in mind changing channels doesn’t stop interference from other more powerful signals.
Many routers, access points, repeaters, offer the ability to increase each frequency power output limited by the FCC.
So you should try all of the old school methods if you’re committed to using the current hardware in place.
Height: Is your friend so mount everything’s high as possible.
Distance: Move everything to the exterior.
Windows: All WiFi devices should be close to a window or multiple windows.
Direction: If your device has antennas play with their orientation.
Pie Plate: Take any aluminum pie plate and place it behind the antenna. This will make the signal very directional. Going this route on some or all might make all the difference in a fringe area.
Good Luck
