Please bear with me. all this is NEW to me so I need some PRO guidance.
I’m trying to extend the WiFi reach to my v3 camera. Right now I’m getting one to two bars maximum. It is mounted in front of the garage where my WiFi barely reaches. I’m planning to add an extender. The consensus is that I should have the extender on different SSID, but others swear by having the same SSID as my router.
What is the best way to do this? I need to know pros and cons, not just “you shouldn’t do this” or “you should do this”. I need constructive criticism for both scenarios.
An extended will work - but the throughput on an extender is FAR worse than some other solutions. The problem is that an extended has to operate on the same Wifi channel as the main access point that it is extending. That means for example, your main AP transmits a packet on channel 1 for example, and the extended hears that signal and then it retransmits that packet - also on channel 1. Next your camera hears the signal from the extender on channel 1. Your camera replies on channel 1, and the extended receives, and then retransmits the packet on channel 1 back to main AP. If all three devices can hear each other (even if very poorly) this will work, but slows it down because each device has to wait for other devices. It gets worse if the main AP and the camera can not hear each other. In that situation, the camera and main AP may try to transmit at the same time. The extender hears both the camera and main AP, and can’t separate the signals. So essentially you are jamming yourself. Note for experts, this is a highly simplistic explanation.
Some mesh systems largely operate this way, but most (at least better ones) will use a different channel or even different band to link the different nodes together. This eliminates (or at least reduces) one node jamming another. In a mesh system, one or more access points will. act as a wired gateway - which is the bridge between the wired network and the wireless network. Also in better mesh systems, each access point can operate on different channels, and use additional channel or channels to communicate between APs. For example in the commercial grade mesh system I am using, each access point can operate as a gateway if it has a wired connection, and if that connection fails or is not present, that AP will look for another AP or gateway AP on a different frequency. In my case, I have four APs that operate on three different channels on each band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), and then have an additional radio that is used only for linking the nodes together if any of the nodes do not have a wired network connection - normally all four of mine have a wired connection.
With all that said, if you have the option of getting an access point (not to be confused with a router) close to the camera, and then operate that access point on a different channel than your main AP, you will be better off. There are advantages and disadvantages to using the same SSID vs a different SSID. If the SSIDs are the same, the camera can seamlessly roam between the two APs, however it may very will decide to stay on the AP with the crappy signal. If the SSIDs are different, you can force a camera to use the close by AP. If your APs can be set up with multiple SSIDs, you can have the best of both worlds. For example, with my APs, I can set up to 15 SSIDs and each one can be assigned to anywhere from one to all of the APs. So I have an IoT_2.4 SSID and an IoT_5 SSID that appear on all four APs, and on a couple of the APs I also have an AP specific SSID (IoT-Garage for example) because I found that certain cameras would consistently try to use the crappy signal AP. So I can set up one of more cameras to use the IoT_Garage SSID rather than the IoT_2.4. The upside is that the camera will always connect to the local AP. The downside is that if I move that camera somewhere else, I may need to re-setup the camera to use a different SSID. In my experience, the Wyze cameras are very good at sticking with a crappy signal even if there is a better signal from a different AP.
Awesome info @K6CCC! Lots of detail! I’m bookmarking that post!
I have a TP Link AC1200 Archer A6 dual band long range Mesh Gigabit Mu-MIMO WiFi Router. I had 3 cams and an Echo Dot in the garage that were not getting good signal from the router in the house. I installed a TP Link Mesh WiFi extender and all my connectivity problems went away. It was almost plug and play… Plug it in, log into the router and auto discover, grant access… Done. Uses the same single SSID as the router for both bands. Have never had to fiddle with it since.
Oh WOW! Thanks for the effort dude! Really appreciate the detailed explanation. Mesh system is not in the budget now, and I doubt one camera justifies the price. I’m looking for cheap alternative
As for access point, that is interesting but there is no way I can bring ethernet cable that far in the house from where my router is located.
So in theory, same SSID on the extender should work, but knowing how “well” Wyze behave, chances are it might stick to the weak signal. I guess, I’ll have to use different SSID and reset the camera. I was hoping to avoid scanning the QR code and all.
Is the TP Link Mesh WiFi extender different than NETGEAR N300 Wi-Fi 4 Range Extender (EX2700-100PAS)? Maybe price, connectivity, technology…
As I said in my original post, I am planning to add a $40 extender, not $1000 mesh system.
Although I appreciate all the tech info (how else would I learn), I still like to stick to the original question: Should I have the extender on different SSID, or the same SSID as my router.
Thank you all (extra and additional info is still welcomed, just like K6CCC provided, WOW, OH MY GOD PLEASE KEEP IT COMING)
Not sure if\how it compares, you should be able to look it up. I bought it because it was directly compatible with my TP-Link router, which I may have described wrong. I thought it was a “Mesh” router, but it isn’t listed in their OneMesh line. It is listed as a AC1200 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Router. I bought it so I could manage both from the TP-Link Tether app.
Mesh routers aren’t that expensive though. You can get the newest TP-Link Deco tri-band mesh for $250 - $350 or a OneMesh AX20 for $82.
The idea behind a mesh system is so that it smart switches and routes connections based on bandwidth need and signal strength. Because the range extender is just an extension of the network router, and I have no need for a guest network or isolated bands, I didn’t even consider setting up another SSID to remember. Doing so would require logging in every device that needs to use it separately and then wouldn’t let the cams, which use only the 2.4Ghz band, use the strongest signal available - router vs extender (they would be locked into the second SSID only). The mesh idea is supposed to make it easier to manage, not more difficult.
Once again, my existing network works fine. I have coverage throughout the house and backyard. I’m not looking into changing my router to a new mesh system. Don’t have money to throw away. The only dead spot I have is in the front of the garage where one camera is located. That camera is working OK, the signal is not the greatest and that’s what I want to improve, but not at the expense of changing my entire home network. Just want to add an extender and want to know if same e SSID will work or not. If it does or doesn’t, want to know why.
It’s not that my budget can’t afford that, it’s more like why would I throw a perfectly good piece of electronics? I hate to contribute to the landfill
Neither am I. I am adding the mesh system in AP mode and connecting it to my main router, a Ubiquiti ER-10X. I just need extended coverage and decided this would be better than an extender, especially since I have some degree of signal degradation throughout my house. I also have trouble getting a signal to a couple of devices in my garage and think this will improve things. I was also able to get the Deco S4 for $99 since I had some other credit to reduce it from $109. My thought was even at $109 it would solve multiple problems better than a $40 extender.
That makes a really good sense, however there is no way I can hardwire the Mesh AP to my router, unless I am missing something and it can be done wirelessly. Don’t, forget, I leave in an old house and pulling wires through walls won’t work
@habib I kept the existing router and used a short network cable to connect the mesh router to one of the ports on the existing router. The mesh router is right next to the main router. You don’t need to run anything. No need to add to the landfill. The mesh router would supplement your existing router.
Best performance for lowest buck: a WiFi extender with the greatest range within your price point that you can manage within the same app as your WiFi Router… So, same brand as the router and compatible in the management app used by your router. That way, it just extends the same SSID you have now and you can manage both within the same app.
Plug that thing in as close to the halfway point as possible or even right inside the garage door, like mine (the antenna on mine are quite large so they do very well at securing the signal, so I chose closer to the cams) and badda bing badda boom, connectivity problem solved.
You just made my head spin three times more than Linda Blair’s. This is an amazing info, I just have to go and find that mesh system (not a big fan of picking up used stuff from Paypal). If I don’t have to change my router (which I love) this might be my go to route.
On another note, can anyone tell me how I can hide the mesh satellites from the wife,
Occam’s Razor. Don’t overcomplicate it. Sometimes the simplest option is the best. Unless you are securing the network at CERN, keep it simple so long as it works. Look up your router on their website and find compatible range extenders.
Physically or electronically? Or just the purchase $$?
