Best way to extend WiFi range

TiffanyR said:
For larger houses, I usually recommend a Dual Band router.

Not to argue with you, but why? 5Ghz is better for short distances at higher connection rates (HD streaming on LAN to TV) or if there is congestion or interference on the 2.4Ghz. At range, its actually worst. If none of his network items can connect at 5Ghz it also won't matter. I would more suggest a stand alone router, AKA a better router, then one of Cox's gateways. Whats your price point?

TiffanyR said:
Because a dual band router have multiple signal bands,

Yes, that is a given. Where I disagree is that the greater bands equate to a greater range or signal strength. Thats kind of like saying a AM/FM radio will get better signal because it can do both AM and FM bands. Both bands have pro's and con's, and having a router that can do both only grants you a device that can do both, not that it can do either any better.JMHO

best and cost-effective are 2 different solutions..

I find best would be to seperate the wifi from the modem... i.e. buy a Docsis 3.0 modem like the Motorola sb6121/6141 and then buy a good wireless router.

Even then, depending on your house you may hit issues depending on number of walls, etc. so the next bit works for both :)

Wifi range extenders can get you some benefit if you want to investigate them.. something like the tp-link TL-WA850RE are relatively inexpensive at just $30. The downside though is if everything is single channel you have to share both the downlink and uplink over a single wifi channel which 1/2s the available bandwidth. Some dual band extenders (like the netgear WN3500RP for $90) allow you to use one band as the uplink to the main router, and the other band for wifi access.  

Even better would be to get range extenders which use your electric wiring. Something like the tp-link L-WPA4220KIT for $60 will give you one adaptor to hook up to your router via ethernet cable, and then the other adaptor will give you a wifi signal where-ever you plug it in. Best to set these up in a single room to get started, then move the adaptor where needed.

So would range extenders work with my current Cisco DPC3825?

If I went the former route, is the Motorola modem able to work on the Cox system? I'm tempted to go that route because I also have to frequently power cycle the current modem. I just don't want to purchase something that isn't compatible with Cox.

There are a few things you could try to improve the range a bit.  I'd suggest moving the device to the most central location possible in the home to maximize range efficiency.  It also helps to have the router higher up and away from immediate obstructions and other sources of interference like cordless phones, baby monitors, microwave ovens, etc. 

I'm leaning toward the Motorola SB 6141, along with the TP-LINK TL-WR841N router. My house is not that  big, and I think the external antennae on the TP-LINK should be enough to get range across my house.

Any thoughts or comments on that?

Range will probably be decent with the 5dBi antennas but don't expect much out of the rest of the hardware by way of performance at that price point. As long as you buy it somewhere you can return it though, no harm to try it out. Here is a page with some tech info on the unit, take note of the FCCID link on the right. You can use that to access internal photo's of the unit. It has no shielding or heatsink and the CPU is pretty lack luster at only 500Mhz.

You might be better off with a refurbished Dlink DIR-615  with some 3rd party firmware. Just make sure you get the E5 hardware revision, anything below that will have detachable 2dBI instead of the E5's 5dBI. You can probably find one on Ebay or Amazon. Just be careful which buyer you pick.

"I'm leaning toward the Motorola SB 6141, along with the TP-LINK TL-WR841N router"

I would go with a step up from that router, I know you're looking at saving money, but for a little bit more the TP-Link TL-WR1043N/ND is a much better choice. The SB6141 is a good choice.

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