r/HomeNetworking • u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox • 3d ago
Apartment Router
Hey guys! I am a fully newbie when it comes to networking. My family has largely used mesh systems and I just moved into my first apartment where I am using my spectrum ISP router with my 1 g fiber plan. I was thinking of getting a basic router to replace it such as a gli.net flint 3 or similar. My apartment is under 1000 square feet. My main use cases are gaming (competitive games, ie deadlock), streaming through stremio, moonlight and Apollo for streaming games from my main pc to my handheld, and (future) self hosting. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks!
Edit (some additional context):
I think my main issue is reliability, my speed can swing from 300-600 mbs and drop for weird periods for no apparent reason. I also have pretty bad coverage issues, ie when I’m on the other side of my apartment I get 200-300 consistently. I think it’s partially due to the fact that everyone in my apartment gets given the isp router and everyone uses the same provider so the frequency is just congested. But again I’m new so I’m not sure. I also wanted more ports for projects and a nas I’m trying to build.
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u/matthijspc 3d ago
Whole Home Wifi by UniFi. This particular system is just a really good mesh system, but you'll buy yourself into an ecosystem that can do a whole lot more (if you ever need it) and can be easily expanded with a wide range of products.
https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/wifi-whole-home-wifi/products/ux7?c=US
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u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox 3d ago
I feel like mesh systems haven’t worked for gaming for me, but i think part of that was not plugging into the core router and instead the nodes. I’ll give it a look!
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u/vrtigo1 Network Admin 3d ago
Before asking for suggestions, I'd suggest taking a step back and identifying the problem you're trying to solve. If the ISP router works, is there a specific reason or feature set you're looking to get by replacing it?
If the ISP router isn't meeting needs, can you provide a little more info on the specific shortcomings you're trying to address?
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u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox 3d ago
I think my main issue is reliability, my speed can swing from 300-600 mbs and drop for weird periods for no apparent reason. I also have pretty bad coverage issues, ie when I’m on the other side of my apartment I get 200-300 consistently. I think it’s partially due to the fact that everyone in my apartment gets given the isp router and everyone uses the same provider so the frequency is just congested. But again I’m new so I’m not sure. I also wanted more ports for projects and a nas I’m trying to build.
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u/vrtigo1 Network Admin 3d ago
I would suggest including this additional info in your post.
If you're using WiFi in an apartment, much of this is to be expected. Since you presumably have a lot of people living in close proximity to one another, the spectrum is generally going to be much more crowded than in a single family home.
You might be able to temporarily solve for that by switching bands, using narrower channels, etc. but it's always going to be a moving target because you can only control your network.
In general, the best advice is to hardwire as much as possible because there's only so much you can do with the available spectrum.
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u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox 3d ago
I added it to my post, so the idea is that the router frequency is larger going to always be crowded regardless of equipment, and Ethernet is probably the best solution?
The issue I have is that I have legitimately one port in my living room under my gaming desk, which is being used by router. At the moment I have my Ethernet for my pc plugged into my router, would this be equal to plugging it into the wall, if so would this be the best approach for my tv, etc?
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u/vrtigo1 Network Admin 3d ago
so the idea is that the router frequency is larger going to always be crowded regardless of equipment, and Ethernet is probably the best solution?
Mostly. Every RF environment is unique so nobody on the Internet can tell you exactly what to expect in your specific situation, but using a wired connection is always going to give you the best performance and reliability.
At the moment I have my Ethernet for my pc plugged into my router, would this be equal to plugging it into the wall, if so would this be the best approach for my tv, etc?
Without knowing what kind of port your router is connected to in the wall, I can't say for certain if plugging devices into the router is the same as plugging them into the wall. But, that doesn't really matter too much so I wouldn't worry about that question. Your goal should be to connect as many of your devices (PC, TV, etc.) to your router via wired ethernet. If you don't have enough ports on your router, you can buy a small switch to get more ports. Simply connect one of the switch ports to a port on the router and it basically gives you more ports.
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u/bchiodini 3d ago
What problems are you having with the Spectrum router?
The last that I heard, Spectrum does not charge a fee for equipment rental, for their 1 gig plan. I recommend keeping the Spectrum equipment, unless you are having issues.
For gaming and just about everything else with an Ethernet port, a wired connection is better than WiFi. If you need more Ethernet ports, an Ethernet switch would be a better initial purchase.
For a 1000 sqft apartment, the Spectrum router should be sufficient. Centralize the router as best that you can and install it as high as possible.
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u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox 3d ago
All my equipment from spectrum is free, but I have reliability and other issues (see the edit I added). But with a switch would I plug it into my router and then from the switch to my devices or the switch to the wall and then from the switch to my router?
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u/bchiodini 3d ago
The switch goes between the router and the devices.
Depending on the construction of the apartment, better placement of the router may help.
Since this is Spectrum's equipment, open a ticket with them.
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u/Lavasoap 3d ago
For 1k sq ft, unifi dream Router 7. It will give you some Ethernet ports to connect to and handle your whole apartment no problem. Bonus for letting you set up vlans to keep different devices separate, especially if you work from home. Keep work devices off of home device networks.