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I've got an issue with my home Wifi network. I get 300mbps on my ISP modem:

4 Gigabyte ports and Wifi N

There is an Xbox One (Wifi N) on the ground floor

I've got 1 desktop with Wifi AC and 2 other computers with Wifi N on the 1st floor.

And the issue is that I cannot benefit from my fiber optic connection to it's full potential.

On my PC with wifi ac card i get about 25mbps, on the other computers/laptop it's about 18-20mbps. On the Xbox which is the nearest device to the modem (~20m apart) I get a 40-45mbps.

I want to invest about 100euros and setup a network though Wifi (preferably but not limited to) that can let my xbox and PC get atleast a 100mbps (seperately in the best case).

Is there a Wifi router or a pair of PLC adapters that can manage that?

I've looked into Cat6 ethernet cable (pretty cheap) but it's a real pain to setup and ruins the looks.

So I'm looking into home plugs but the ones that give acceptable speed are pretty costly (as expected), and for the wifi part I've come across some Xiaomi routers that are WifiAC capable that costs about 30bucks but unfortunalety there are no reviews on them to see their actual speed.

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  • Looks like you've got interference. What is your home made of? It'll also be helpful to know the model of your router.
    – AStopher
    Oct 28, 2015 at 21:07
  • It's pretty old (about 20-30years minimum) so no clue in what was used in the walls. And for the Modem it's Neufbox SFR. it's a pretty standard crappy general purpose modem (I get a maximum of 50mbps while my laptop (wifi n) is litterally on top of it).
    – Rudra Matroja
    Oct 29, 2015 at 5:14
  • Wait a minute, you did do a proper connection speedtest (for example, speedtest.net) right? A 200Mbits/sec homeplug will deliver a speed of around 20MB/s. Please perform an Internet speed test with speedtest.net and insert a screenshot in your question.
    – AStopher
    Oct 29, 2015 at 9:58
  • I did run a proper speed test on seedtest.net. i do not have the screen shot on me right now, but trust me on wired connection i get 37.4MB/s that's 300mbps. the 200mbps homeplug was just like everyother product in the market, THEORETICAL. My wifi is supposed to give me 300mbps since it's 'N' but i put my laptop on top of the box and i get a crappy 50mbps. the wifi provided by the ISP modem/router is bad. I need something more powerfull or a better homeplug, caus if a 200mbps delivers 25mbps, then i'd need a 2.4gbps homeplug to get the full 300mbps, that's how bad the signal quality is.
    – Rudra Matroja
    Oct 29, 2015 at 10:20
  • The homeplug connects via Ethernet, not WiFi. Are you sure you're using the correct product?
    – AStopher
    Oct 29, 2015 at 10:27

2 Answers 2

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I've a fair amount of experience with homeplug - I'm not going to recommend specific models since I have no clue if the sinoji plugs I use are available elsewhere or are the best option outside my current market. Wirecutter seems to like zyxel at the moment and are a good place for up to date reviews.

I'd suggest getting homeplug 500 or better gear if you want 100mbps. Typically the advertised speed is for the whole network, and you never ever get line speed over homeplug. I have homeplug 1800 gear at the moment. Its got better noise rejection and reliability, even if realworld speeds are ~300mbps. They do work fantastically for me though.

Stuff to look for? homeplug units must be plugged directly into a socket, no powerstrips. Get passthrough models, and plug a powerstrip to that instead. Passthrough models also filter noise. Wallwarts and other SMPS devices produce some noise that may affect signal quality, so plug them into a passthrough or a powerstrip on an extension cord.

If you get cutouts - it might be due to a powerful motor like a washing machine. Move the homeplug unit.

As for wifi, I currently have a 2 AP setup. If I was doing it again, I'd pick up "professional" grade APs - we used to have ubiquity APs in my last workplace and they were fantastic, with easy management. Ars technica has an in depth review of the current models here. They are 'pure' APs so you can hook them into your current router. I'd probably end up with a 3pack, hooked into more homeplug units or directly into a (better) router.

Features like heatmaps and the way they handle clients are far ahead of most consumer routers. At a certain level of complexity, these give you more options and information to optimise your network.

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  • Wonderful. I'll try to find them in France, I can see they're on a discount in US so maybe i'll buy from there if the port is cheap. :D anyways thanks a lot
    – Rudra Matroja
    Oct 29, 2015 at 5:34
  • Make sure its for the correct voltage and plug type.
    – Journeyman Geek
    Oct 29, 2015 at 5:34
  • I can't see what this adds that my answer doesn't cover, besides the no powerstrips.
    – AStopher
    Oct 29, 2015 at 9:59
  • And to consider professional grade APs, and that sometimes washing machines interfere with homeplug devices, and some degree of specifics over the speeds I get, and why 'faster' homeplug standards may be better despite the advertised speeds never being reached and....
    – Journeyman Geek
    Oct 29, 2015 at 10:10
  • @JourneymanGeek 'Your router is too close to other appliances, Could simply be that you need a new router` (not entirely 'professional grade AP').
    – AStopher
    Oct 29, 2015 at 10:29
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Looks like you've got some interference somewhere. This can happen for a variety of reasons.

Bad placement of router

Radio waves cannot easily travel through granite and other certain materials walls are made of, and your WiFi signal could suffer from degradation if your walls are made of one of these materials. A solution to this would be one (or more) of the following:

  • Purchase a couple of signal boosters, and place them where WiFi signal is low;
  • Use a home-plug (aka, powerline adapter)- get a dual-pack so you can plug-in both your Xbox & PC. This works by sending the Ethernet connection via your home's wiring- be sure to get a Gigabit set.
  • Could simply be that you need a new router. This is often the case where the router is supplied by the ISP, as these are mostly low-quality routers that are not able to properly handle 'serious' Internet

So yes a pair of powerline adapters (I assume that's what 'PLC' refers to) may do the trick, but then it may not (see below).

Your router is too close to other appliances

This links to the previous point, but a router could be suitably placed but be too near other appliances, for example a microwave. If your router is too close to another appliance, move it to a location where there are no appliances nearby.

Your router & another router are sharing the same WiFi channel

To fix, change the WiFi channel by logging into your router's web interface & changing it appropriately. If you know how to use WiFi analyser programs, you can see which channel is free (if any) and then change the channel to that.

Routers on the same WiFi channel create digital noise (dBA), and will cause problems with speed, packet loss, etc.

It might not be your WiFi at all

Connect your desktop or Xbox directly to the router via Ethernet, and then run a connection speed test (ensure WiFi is switched off on the Xbox so the Xbox doesn't connect to the router via WiFi!). If it is much faster than WiFi, then you've got a problem with the wireless environment or the router itself (see above). If it is the same speed as WiFi, you've got a problem with the router or your ISP.

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  • PLC is what we call CPL here or homeplug as you say it. I've used the homeplug solution (200mbps as per advertisement) I got the same result as the wifi as in a mediocre 25mbps. My router is unfortunately not movable. The fibre optic port is installed there and thus restricting me from moving it around. there is a fridge and a washing machine nearby other than that it's pretty much the only electronic (Waves producing) device so the only interference I think is the walls materials.
    – Rudra Matroja
    Oct 29, 2015 at 5:24
  • For the channel interference I used an android app that scans existing wifi signals to choose the best possible channel. As for the last part I'm sure of that it's the wifi, First thing I did when I got router working was try the internet speed through gigabyte ethernet port and that's where I got the 300mbps, updated nvidia drivers at 37MB/s (nerdgasm).
    – Rudra Matroja
    Oct 29, 2015 at 5:28

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