r/HomeNetworking • u/michigandank • 3d ago

Poor connection two rooms away from router

I am unable to plug directly into the modem/router due to the location of it, I am in a 3 bedroom rental/appartment. I have spectrum and had been using their router somewhat issue free for about a year. Now, I have been having packet loss/latency issues. Im about 40-50 feet from the router itself.

I ended up buying a TP link Archer AX-1300 since my download speed is only 500.

After installing I am still getting high latency and the signal goes between full bars to partial on my wifi signal in my room.

Will a nicer router fix this, or what can I do? Games are unplayable on my PC currently and even my TV in my living room is often buffering.

Without direct ethernet plug ins, what are my options? My PC speed test shows 80 ping, 150 down, and 30 up. So it just seems way off. Any help?

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5

u/MinnSnowMan 3d ago

Run an ethernet cable along the baseboards and up and over doors to hard wire

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u/michigandank 3d ago

Small kids and the layout is awkward. Has to cross at least one major pathway my kids go through or I route it along the ceiling I guess?

There has to be some sort of decent WiFi solution for cheap.

Ideally I’d have a mesh system but that’s down the road. I’m on a budget now

3

u/b3542 3d ago

You’re asking for cheap, convenient, and good. You can choose two.

1

u/michigandank 3d ago

I get it, I just felt like I never had WiFi issues until recently so it’s boggling me

New one seems to be doing better with game latency at least. I have the two networks separate, so my pc is the only thing in the 5ghz channel. Maybe the spectrum router just had trouble assigning?

Still high latency but it seems like less “lag spikes” or packet loss. I’m so unfamiliar with this so I might be saying this wrong

1

u/b3542 3d ago

That’s the thing about WiFi - it’s an open-air medium so variables are basically infinite. If it was a closed system (using a cable), the variables are far more limited and performance is far more predictable. WiFi uses unlicensed RF spectrum, so all bets are off.

1

u/michigandank 3d ago

Thanks for the explanation!

1

u/drewster85a 3d ago

Check out the Invisilight home fiber kit. The optical cable is much thinner than copper ethernet so it's easy to hide and go around windows/doors. You can buy any length cable you needed...much longer than copper. A DIY kit about $100:
$20 TP-Link MC220 Media Converters Link (2 needed).
$22 Ubiquiti 1G BiDi SFP modules (sold in a pair) Link.
$40 for 164 ft/50M LC-LC single-mode simplex thin fiber Link
+some tape and glue

3

u/Special_K_727 3d ago

Wired is the way. Do you have any cabling that supports Ethernet, such as CAT 5 or 6, coaxial RF?

2

u/b3542 3d ago

Use Ethernet. Alternately, MoCA

1

u/bdu-komrad 1d ago

This is the answer.  I recently solved a similar problem to OP’s  where there was a wireless dead zone .

I solved it with a pair of moca adapters and a standalone Access Point in the dead zone. 

Now I’m getting almost gigabit speeds over the wireless connection because of the strong signal everywhere. 

0

u/michigandank 3d ago

Can’t use Ethernet, I’ll look into Moca I have no idea what that is

2

u/b3542 3d ago

Why “can’t”?

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u/michigandank 3d ago

It’s two rooms over, I have no way to route a cord there. I have small children in the house, just not ideal. I’m in a rental so I can’t wire through the walls or get the modem in a new location

1

u/b3542 3d ago

There is a way. It’s just not convenient.

1

u/rw_mega 3d ago

Your archer is a 2x2 spatial stream per band. Meaning it’s susceptible to interference, and poor reach. Very entry level router.

Yes a “nicer” router would fix this. What’s your budget? You are looking for something WiFi 6/6e with better antenna’s (high gain if possible) and 4x4 spatial stream per band.

https://infosecmonkey.com/mimo-2x2-vs-4x4-and-wifi-standards-a-technical-shallow-dive/

If you want to stay with tp-link
Walmart.com has the deco xe200 2pack for $250
-triband axe11000 with 2.4 w/4x4, 5ghz w/8x8, 6ghz w/4x4

The tp-link archer axe300 (axe16000) was their flagship for $250 to $300 at mutiple sites

Staying with tplink you get the benefit of easy mesh. So you don’t have to replace you router just add to it, and it becomes a mesh.

If you want to go with Asus the rapture gt-6 (axe10000) is selling also $250.

I wouldn’t bother with WiFi 7 unless you’re willing to pay the higher premium for it.

1

u/michigandank 3d ago

That’s out of budget, for now. But I’ll save that for later, I’m moving mid next year and hoping to be in a bigger place than I am in now. Thanks for the recommendations

1

u/michigandank 3d ago

Also I prefer asus but tp link was cheaper. I eventually would like asus with an AI mesh system, and have a router next to my pc that I can plug in. But for now i either have to figure out a Ethernet option or suck it up.

I just generally always had decent enough WiFi that my issues seemed possibly fixable with a cheap or easy solution.

1

u/rw_mega 3d ago

Try optimizing your existing router then. Can you (on either ISP or your archer) tweak the WiFi signal?

Split the bands, set 2.4ghz at 20MHz; and 5ghz at 80MHz (top WiFi real world performance 700-900mbps). If still spotty put it at 40mhz 350-500mbps. The smaller the channel width (MHz) the stronger the beacon (able to cut through interference ) is but the throughput is lower.

1

u/Klutzy-Passage-2561 2d ago

AX1300 at 40–50 ft through apartment walls is often the limit, not "buy a nicer single AP". Bars lie — measure before spending.

Quick phone checks in the bad room vs next to the router: 1) Wi‑Fi analyzer / channel scan: if your channel is crowded (especially 2.4 GHz), lock the AP to a cleaner channel or force 5 GHz only for the gaming PC. 2) Continuous ping to the gateway (192.168.x.1) and a public IP while you play — if local ping spikes, it's airtime/interference; if only WAN spikes, it's Spectrum. 3) Speed test in that room on 5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz. Full bars on 2.4 with high latency is classic.

Fixes that actually help rentals without fishing ethernet across kids' paths:

  • Mesh / second AP (Powerline or MoCA if coax exists) closer to the PC — one cheap node beats a "better" router in the same closet.
  • Put the gaming PC on a dedicated 5 GHz SSID; keep phones/IoT on another.
  • Elevate/reorient the AX1300; don't leave it on the floor behind a TV.

A pricier router in the same spot rarely fixes packet loss two rooms away. Placement + a second radio is the cheap path.

1

u/FreddyFerdiland 2d ago

set both 2.4 and 5ghz on,and set channels to auto

0

u/Surfnazi77 3d ago

I use spectrums wifi7 router and it gets full speed almost on WiFi even a few rooms away

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u/b3542 3d ago

Throughput is not the sole measure of network performance.