Help Me Maximize my Awful Wi-Fi/Internet

HurstSoGood

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Dec 14, 2006
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Hey All,
I love my house. Except for the fact that the developers of the neighborhood decided not to lay fiberoptics/upgraded tech when they had the chance. In 2002. No cable. We are stuck with DSL (and DirecTV).

As Verizon Home customers, we were given a D-Link DSL-2750B (router/modem combo?). This was ok 7 years ago when we bought the house. Now, due to COVID, my daughters are schooling from home with laptops (2 MacBook Airs) and I may be teaching from home soon (I have a MacBook Pro). This is in addition to regular streaming from 1-4 televisions (Disney+/Netflix, etc.). It seems like the added burden (which won't likely lessen anytime soon) is too much for my current WI-FI set up. Everyone is battling for and struggling to get signal. We're constantly getting dropped, which means someone is always asking for the "WI-fi to be reset." Moving is not an option.

D-Link unit is plugged into a phone line on the Main Level.
3 Bedrooms are all upstairs.
Streaming common on both floors.

Should I try to change D-Link location?
Purchase new router entirely?
Is there other tech I should purchase and set up (I read about a "Ubiquiti Unifi access point" in another thread)?
Something else?

Thanks and any guidance is greatly appreciated.
 

Burn Out

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Jul 19, 2005
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Hey All,
I love my house. Except for the fact that the developers of the neighborhood decided not to lay fiberoptics/upgraded tech when they had the chance. In 2002. No cable. We are stuck with DSL (and DirecTV).

As Verizon Home customers, we were given a D-Link DSL-2750B (router/modem combo?). This was ok 7 years ago when we bought the house. Now, due to COVID, my daughters are schooling from home with laptops (2 MacBook Airs) and I may be teaching from home soon (I have a MacBook Pro). This is in addition to regular streaming from 1-4 televisions (Disney+/Netflix, etc.). It seems like the added burden (which won't likely lessen anytime soon) is too much for my current WI-FI set up. Everyone is battling for and struggling to get signal. We're constantly getting dropped, which means someone is always asking for the "WI-fi to be reset." Moving is not an option.

D-Link unit is plugged into a phone line on the Main Level.
3 Bedrooms are all upstairs.
Streaming common on both floors.

Should I try to change D-Link location?
Purchase new router entirely?
Is there other tech I should purchase and set up (I read about a "Ubiquiti Unifi access point" in another thread)?
Something else?

Thanks and any guidance is greatly appreciated.
Is there any possibility of moving any devices to a wired Ethernet cable? In my experience it is a major difference. It may not be pretty, but Ethernet cables along the baseboards would allow for better connectivity.
 

jmcc5400

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Sep 29, 2000
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We had similar issues with people competing for crappy DSL wifi when COVID started (and after about a few months were able finally to upgrade to AT&T UVerse, which was a travail of customer service hell that I won't recount). One thing we were able to do that provided some relief was to use the hotspots on our phones (you get, i think 7-10 GB a month as part of most plans) to supplement the wifi. I know that's a finger in the dike approach - hopefully somebody tech savvy will have something better for you. Good luck, I know what a headache it is.
 

HurstSoGood

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I could use an ethernet connection for at least 1 of the laptops. Running the ethernet thru the home is not impossible, I guess, just a pain in the ass.

I think the challenge is that my girls want to have every damn device going at the same time. And in their own rooms. As it is, the family has 4 cell phones with unlimited data, which is great. But they want to text on their phones while streaming videos on their tv and doing schoolwork shopping on their laptops.
 

jmcc5400

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What i meant is you can use your phone as a hotspot to support wifi on another device. You get 7-10GB of high speed (4G) wifi service through your phone. After you hit that amount it slows down. That's separate and apart from "unlimited data" on the phone itself.
 

Red Sox Physicist

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What's your advertised uplink and downlink speeds over DSL from Verizon?

Have you run a speed test to see what kind of bandwidth you're getting?
 
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Burn Out

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I could use an ethernet connection for at least 1 of the laptops. Running the ethernet thru the home is not impossible, I guess, just a pain in the ass.

I think the challenge is that my girls want to have every damn device going at the same time. And in their own rooms. As it is, the family has 4 cell phones with unlimited data, which is great. But they want to text on their phones while streaming videos on their tv and doing schoolwork shopping on their laptops.
Your kids and my kids must be best friends; I have the same issues.

If the cellular is feasible at your house, the hotspot idea is an option, but in my experience hotspots are unreliable for video of any sort.
I feel strongly about moving devices to hardwires. I also have some time restrictions built in to my WiFi router that prevents certain devices from accessing at certain times in order to manage load. During school/work hours you could restrict the phones from WiFi (...force them to use cellular to lighten the WiFi load). You can restrict devices outright...or reason with the kids that they need to all share a limited resource. When that doesn’t work (spoiler: it won’t)...restrict devices.

It is a multi-front war.
 

Pesky Pole

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I use a Powerline Ethernet adapter for my home office (in the half finished attic). I had low expectations going in but the thing has worked great for me. Mine is an old Western Digital one but I don't think they make them anymore. You basically plug in the hard line ethernet, plug it into a wall socket (no powerstrips) and then plug the other adapter to a wall socket in room you want to use it in.

Wirecutter Reviews of Powerline Ethernet
 

gtmtnbiker

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Jul 15, 2005
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What's your advertised uplink and downlink speeds over DSL from Verizon?

Have you run a speed test to see what kind of bandwidth you're getting?
I second this advice. A friend has crappy DSL in Rindge, NH. I think the speed is around 7-8 Mbs. He did upgrade to a bonded (two lines) DSL to get closer to 20 Mbs. That might be another option for you. In his case, it didn't cost much more ( another $10?) than regular DSL.

Which town/state are you located in?
 

cgori

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That modem/router should be replaced. But, at a minimum check to see if the firmware has been updated, because it was being compromised ~2 years ago as part of a botnet.

I would advocate for whatever modem Verizon can give you / get you, and then a standalone router - if trying to keep cost down, something like this (it's the wirecutter recommended budget router). You could theoretically convert the existing 2750B to modem-only and then put the Archer A7 as the new router, but you might find that a new modem helps too, if the central office has been touched/upgraded in the last ~7 years.

Your overall internet performance is going to be limited by the DSL performance upstream - you don't need to go crazy with a high-end router (or a Ubiquiti/Unifi) because of that, unless you really have wifi signal issues because of transmission through the walls/floors. The MacBook Airs will be happier with some kind of -ac router (instead of the -n300 that you have) but because of the upstream DSL bandwidth you don't need the super high AC bands, AC1750 should be fine.
 
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tonyandpals

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I would suggest a google-fi/mesh network or the powerline ethernet adapters. Probably start with the adapters as step one. Just get everything off of wi-fi that is close enough to a plug.
 

cgori

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What's your advertised uplink and downlink speeds over DSL from Verizon?

Have you run a speed test to see what kind of bandwidth you're getting?
You need to know this / do this before dumping $$ on router upgrades. If you have an 8-10mbit DSL, all the router upgrades in the world aren't gonna help.
 

HurstSoGood

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Thanks everyone. I’m in Pittsylvania County, just outside of Danville VA. I’ll check current speeds and all my options with Verizon when I get home. I’ve already started looking at upgrades based on your recommendations, in case Verizon cannot help me out. You guys are awesome.
 

Harry Hooper

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Verizon's non-investment in new equipment and the loss of their DSL veteran techs is creating a nightmare of non-reliability that will force you to switch. But then again, maybe you enjoy periodically navigating through 45-minute wait times and online "support" working off a script that cannot help you until they finally escalate it to the rare old bastard still left on the payroll who can actually do something.
 

sodenj5

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I use the Eero Pro mesh network. I have a 2000 sqft Cape with 2 floors and a basement.

I’ve used WiFi routers with extenders before, but nothing has worked as well or as reliably as the mesh network.
 

JerBear

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Nov 11, 2006
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You need to know this / do this before dumping $$ on router upgrades. If you have an 8-10mbit DSL, all the router upgrades in the world aren't gonna help.
This is correct. If you have 3Mbit DSL, faster wifi isn't gonna help anything. It's like putting a 8" hose on a 1/4" feed.
 

EnochRoot

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Feb 7, 2020
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Baltimore, MD
I use the Eero Pro mesh network. I have a 2000 sqft Cape with 2 floors and a basement.

I’ve used WiFi routers with extenders before, but nothing has worked as well or as reliably as the mesh network.
I too recently upgraded to the Eero mesh network (+1 beacon). I have a gigabit switch connected to it that seamlessly handles the half dozen devices in my home theater. Total control of all devices entering the network. It's fantastic.
 

InsideTheParker

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I have DSL with less than 1 Mbps. I am astonished by what we can do with that. I have no idea how we can do better, given that there's no fiberoptic cable out here. We once tried Verizon's higher bandwidth, but it didn't make any difference. Right now I'm watching a live primary debate on YouTube. There has been a short stoppage owing to buffering, which is annoying, but not typical. If my husband were heavily using the internet right now, the situation would be worse. The only thing I can think of is satellite internet, which would be much more expensive. Are there other options?
 

EnochRoot

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Feb 7, 2020
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This is correct. If you have 3Mbit DSL, faster wifi isn't gonna help anything. It's like putting a 8" hose on a 1/4" feed.
This is partially correct, IMO. A mesh network setup like Eero (Pro) will allow the OP to throttle devices, set quotas on users (and as a result, their devices), and uses mesh networking to reroute the best signals to each device. Old school routers are still part of the problem, even with limited incoming bandwidth.
 

EnochRoot

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Feb 7, 2020
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Baltimore, MD
I have DSL with less than 1 Mbps. I am astonished by what we can do with that. I have no idea how we can do better, given that there's no fiberoptic cable out here. We once tried Verizon's higher bandwidth, but it didn't make any difference. Right now I'm watching a live primary debate on YouTube. There has been a short stoppage owing to buffering, which is annoying, but not typical. If my husband were heavily using the internet right now, the situation would be worse. The only thing I can think of is satellite internet, which would be much more expensive. Are there other options?
Are you watching wired to the router/modem? Or in immediate (wireless) proximity to the router?
 

InsideTheParker

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Are you watching wired to the router/modem? Or in immediate (wireless) proximity to the router?
We have two laptops, three TVs with Roku, and a smartphone. All get internet wirelessly from the modem. Only one of the TVs is very close to the modem. After the lightning strike, Verizon came out and moved it there, closer to a phone Jack.
 

Red Sox Physicist

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Are there other options?
Eventually, 5G home internet could be an option. The cell phone companies are just starting to roll it out, but it remains to be seen how quickly it rolls out in rural areas. Unfortunately, the mm-wave technology Verizon is using for this won't be an economically viable option in rural areas because it doesn't have long range. Mid-band or the low band 600 MHz band T-mobile is doing might be an option.
 

EnochRoot

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Feb 7, 2020
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Baltimore, MD
We have two laptops, three TVs with Roku, and a smartphone. All get internet wirelessly from the modem. Only one of the TVs is very close to the modem. After the lightning strike, Verizon came out and moved it there, closer to a phone Jack.
You might be only paying for up to 1 Mbps, but you're likely getting more than that. Particularly if you're using multiple devices simultaneously.
 

santadevil

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I would suggest a google-fi/mesh network or the powerline ethernet adapters. Probably start with the adapters as step one. Just get everything off of wi-fi that is close enough to a plug.
+1

In our first house, the powerline option worked awesome. In our new house, we have the first gen Google wifi mesh and it's been a dream, with 5 of us using wireless devices
 

HurstSoGood

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This has been comical. I got speedtest and ran it while at work: Something like 99 Mbps download. Similar upload.

I just ran it twice here at home (wireless, not plugged in w/ethernet): Download average 1.6 Mbps. Upload average 0.22 Mbps.

Is a mesh system going to help this futility?
 
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Red Sox Physicist

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This has been comical. I got speedtest and ran it while at work: Something like 99 Mbps download. Similar upload.

I just ran it twice here at home (wireless, not plugged in w/ethernet): Download average 1.6 Mbps. Upload average 0.22 Mbps.

Is a mesh system going to help this futility?
Try running it plugged in over ethernet, and also when no one else is streaming anything to try to get a more accurate picture of the DSL bandwidth. Do you know what Verizon advertises for the maximum speed for the uplink and downlink?

If those are your true speeds, you are going to have a hard time with three people teleconferencing at home. You'll saturate the 0.22 Mbps uplink very quickly. Take a look at Zoom's bandwidth requirements to get an idea what what numbers are required. Are you planning to be on camera while you teach?
 

HurstSoGood

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Just got off the phone with Verizon...and after a 45 minute wait time (nod of truth to @Harry Hooper) plus another 30 minutes on the phone with a lovely lass from India(?), I’m definitely getting a new “upgraded” modem/router unit.
The copper lines in our neighborhood were made for 3Mgps. According to the CSR, I should be able to expect a minimum of 2Mgps. (The last Speedtest came in at a whopping .09/.23). I think we need something like 300 residences to sign up in order for someone to run new, upgraded lines. Thanks again to everyone for all the leads and feedback.
 

cgori

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Well, that will be interesting to see what they send you. .9/.23 is not exactly turbo speed :)