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Wi-fi coverage for two-story home....

Discussion in 'PC hardware help' started by geordietx, Feb 10, 2013.

  1. geordietx

    geordietx Member

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    Comcast has once again been most unhelpful, I would say their usual Cluster-F*CK - Just need to get wireless coverage in big 2-story house....
    My poor old mom took all of her old cable boxes, analog converters, coax cables, etc. to Comcast and told them she had two new HDTVs - one up, one downstairs, and two PC's, one up, one down. They gave her the following equipment. ONE DVR, and one wireless N router. The house has coax cable split at the drop upstairs, running downstairs. Comcast provides her bundle (meaning phone, internet, TV, all come in over the coax, of course...) Based on the fact that if we place the wireless downstairs, the upstairs is dead to wi-fi. If we place it upstairs, the downstairs is dead (very thick walls in her big old house). With all that said, what is the best way to get coverage to her entire house? I have another dlink wireless N router that we could use, as well. Don't we need another DVR (one for each HDTV?) Can I get a coax-to-ethernet converter and put two routers in the house - one up, one down? That would give us the coverage we need, but can you do that?? If so, how do I configure those? Somebody please help, I can't believe Comcast really expected a 76-year old lady to figure this out!!
     
  2. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    what shape is the house in as in square, rectangular or what? how thick are the inner walls not the outside walls? what is the ceiling height of the ground floor? what is the approximate square footage of the ground floor? is that comcast router actually a combo unit that is both modem & router? don't think you need another dvr unless for highend channels as don't know what package you have for tv channels.
     
  3. geordietx

    geordietx Member

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    She just paid some extra dollars for the "high-def package", whatever that is, and yes, this is a combo router/modem. The shape of the house and all that isn't the issue, I don't believe. My house suffers from poor wi-fi coverage, too. I think it has more to do with the fact that the main drop from Comcast to both of us is in the far corner of our two-story houses, the wireless N signal just doesn't go far enough and strong enough, I don't care what stats they tout. I am ready to just give up and either have Comcast send a KNOWLEDGEABLE tech (don't get me started....) or just run a freaking ethernet wire outside the house, down to the first floor. Guarantee there won't be problems after that - except for the unsightly ethernet wire wrapping the house. <<sigh>> Since the coax cable splits, is it possible to use two routers, one up and one down? Any other suggestions?
     
  4. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    the reason i asked about size & shape of house is that i use a wireless "n"dsl modem\router in my house(built out of concrete in the late 1800's or early 1900's) & able to reach the 3rd floor of the house with a good signal. what wireless series cards are you using in the computers as in "b", "g" or "n"?
     

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