So I just got my 1GB ATT high speed internet service, readying myself for MS2020 release 😁. However, while the service is enormously better than my previous DSL, I'm still only able to get about 360mbs download speed on most devices. I know for the most part that a 1GB download can only be accomplished with a direct connect. But since that is not an option right now I'm trying to figure out whats the next best thing of the two options I have:

1, Should I get an ATT extender that would be upstairs near my PC and other office devices (Will this increase my speeds or just my range?)

or

2:Should I by a faster, better, more reliable Router/Modem that is compatible with my ATT device  (Model# BGW210-700)?

Just for the record, my Asus Maximus X code wifi device supports up to 875mbs

Thanks

 

DSL speeds are going to be affected by your distance from the telso, and can also be affected by your internal home wiring as well as your modem settings.

An extender will increase your wireless coverage range within the home and may increase your wireless signal strength, but will generally have no effect on your speed.

My router is in my second floor office. My sim computer is in the basement. I also could not get very good wifi speed down in the basement. However, I was able to fairly easily drop a 50 foot ethernet cable from the upstairs office down to the basement though the air conditioning vents. I've been getting all the internet speed I need down in the basement for years now. This might be worth looking into with your living quarters.

Ted

1) In my experience, wireless range extenders do increase range, but they also introduce instability.  I can't say for sure that they hurt speed, but I diagnosed a network that was using them and devices were constantly dropping connections.  We wired in two additional access points, removed the range extenders, and the dropped connections went away. (I believe it was all NetGear equipment, but I don't remember specifics.)

2) You might not be able to do much better than that without a wired connection regardless of what you buy. During the first part of last year my company built out new office space in an empty warehouse.  The fiber connection was installed quickly - we'd just finished the interior demo.  So in the middle of an empty warehouse with the power shut off in an industrial area with my laptop sitting only 15 feet from the access point, I was only able to get about 570 Mbs on commercial equipment that was rated for over 1 Gb. It was about as close as you can get to a lab-quality situation and I still couldn't do any better than 50% of the rated throughput.

Without details of your living space and device locations, it's hard to know what the factors are, but before you buy a better router / access point with more powerful radios / antennas, try this. Get a really long patch cable and use it to relocate your access point closer to the devices you want to have the best connection - even if it means letting the cable lie on the floor and down the stairs temporarily.  If that doesn't improve things, buying better wi-fi equipment probably won't help much.

It's best to stick with wired connections when ever possible.  If you are connected to a 1 gig port, you should see 1 gig transfer (remember ethernet is a collision avoidance system).  Also duplex mismatch can be a problem but most systems sense and negotiate a proper handshake.  Ted Striker has the right idea.

Jim Driskell

Thanks a bunch guys. I think I will get the ATT extender in the hopes it will increase some of the missing bandwidth I need to the other devices and also to help avoid some of the duplex mismatch that @Jim Driskell talked about. For a direct connect to my main PC, it will probably take at least a 100ft cable to do the job. Cheers.

 

I would not advise you to immediately blame the reason on the router and rush to buy another. It would be ideal to test this without such extremes on another device.