Member Avatar for grandmagail

Hi,

I recently moved and am renting a room with a family in a 3 story home. My room is on the 3rd floor and the router and modem are on the first floor. The owner does not want to go through any walls with cables. I have limited or very low connection and have trouble getting on the internet. I have 1 or 2 bars. When I am on it, it is very slow to move from web pages or sites. The speed is only 12.0 MBPS right now. I feel like I am back on dialup! I have a desktop with windows xp sp 2. I purchased a Belkin N+ Wireless USB Network Adapter. I was temporarily using a borrowed Linksys Ultra Rangemax Dual Band Wireless N Network Adapter that did not get any better connection. They have a Westell modem and a Netgear Dual Band N Router and have a package plan from Verizon Fios.

Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions of anything I can do to improve my connection since I don't have any control over the router? Would it make any difference if I got a more powerful adapter? Is it possible for me to have my own router also without having a different service? What about a range extender? I see good reviews for this Hawking Technology - Hi-Gain 802.11n Wireless-N Range Extender at Best Buy. Would this be installed in my room or would it have to go with the router downstairs?

As you can see, I don't know much about this subject. In the past, I had Verizon DSL with a router they provided, and I had no problems.

Can anyone help, please?

Thanks,

Gail

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by kaninelupus

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Brief summary: the situation you described (router at ground floor, desktop on the 3rd floor, owner won’t run cable) usually comes down to physics and the two-way nature of Wi‑Fi: the AP may be loud enough for your PC to "see" it, but your PC’s transmitter and antenna are often much weaker than the router’s, so the router can’t hear you reliably. This mismatch is a common cause of the “one or two bars + slow” symptom. (manuals.plus)

Practical, non‑invasive steps to try first:

  • Force your PC onto the 2.4 GHz SSID (2.4 GHz gets through floors and walls better than 5 GHz) while testing; if latency/throughput improves you’ve found the band issue. (kb.netgear.com)
  • Use an active USB extension or powered USB hub so the wireless adapter can be positioned at a window or closer to the stairwell—passive USB is limited to a few metres, but active extenders or powered hubs let you place the radio where reception is better. (docs.oracle.com)
  • Update the adapter driver and Windows wireless settings, and test signal/link speed at several window/room positions to find the best spot.

If the above isn’t enough, hardware options that don’t require re‑routing cable:

  • A Wi‑Fi range extender or wireless client/“travel” router placed approximately halfway between the router and your room can help, but must itself be in decent range of the main router. Proper placement is critical. (tp-link.com)
  • Be aware repeaters/extenders rebroadcast traffic and can significantly reduce usable throughput compared with a wired AP or mesh backhaul—so they trade coverage for peak speed. (wired.com)
  • If you can get permission to plug a device at the router end, powerline adapters give you a wired drop over the house wiring and often work well — they typically need to be on the same electrical circuit. (tp-link.com)

Tie‑back: ’s window/antenna idea is essentially what an active USB extension + directional antenna achieves without drilling; is correct that moving the router is ideal but often needs owner buy‑in; ’s “antenna down” thought is on the right track but do it with an approved, weather‑safe extension. Start with positioning and the USB extension test—it’s cheap, reversible, and often fixes the problem.

Recommended Answers

All 5 Replies

Member Avatar for GrimJack

I note on the product summary for that router:

Short range; not true dual-band; no Gigabit support;

Hmmm, it has an integrated 4 port switch - can you drop cable down (window to window) and connect directly from your machine to theirs. Or connect your stronger wireless and run an extension antenna up to your floor??

Member Avatar for grandmagail

No, that's my problem. The owner doesn't want to do anything like that.

Member Avatar for kaninelupus

Would the owner be open to moving modem & router onto second floor?

As to signal/range boosters, Hawking Technology offer a couple of more suitable products.

The would be connected at router end to boost the wireless output signal. The second strengthens the ability to receive the signal from your end.

Hope this helps :)

Member Avatar for cybermo

Why don't you just drop an antenna out your window down to the first floor and i'll bet you'll get full scale signial as long as you use good cable and connectors. the closer the antenna is to the router or AP the better signial you will get...! Good luck enjoy your new high speed connection..

Hi,

I recently moved and am renting a room with a family in a 3 story home. My room is on the 3rd floor and the router and modem are on the first floor. The owner does not want to go through any walls with cables. I have limited or very low connection and have trouble getting on the internet. I have 1 or 2 bars. When I am on it, it is very slow to move from web pages or sites. The speed is only 12.0 MBPS right now. I feel like I am back on dialup! I have a desktop with windows xp sp 2. I purchased a Belkin N+ Wireless USB Network Adapter. I was temporarily using a borrowed Linksys Ultra Rangemax Dual Band Wireless N Network Adapter that did not get any better connection. They have a Westell modem and a Netgear Dual Band N Router and have a package plan from Verizon Fios.

Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions of anything I can do to improve my connection since I don't have any control over the router? Would it make any difference if I got a more powerful adapter? Is it possible for me to have my own router also without having a different service? What about a range extender? I see good reviews for this Hawking Technology - Hi-Gain 802.11n Wireless-N Range Extender at Best Buy. Would this be installed in my room or would it have to go with the router downstairs?

As you can see, I don't know much about this subject. In the past, I had Verizon DSL with a router they provided, and I had no problems.

Can anyone help, please?

Thanks,

Gail

Member Avatar for kaninelupus

Why don't you just drop an antenna out your window down to the first floor and i'll bet you'll get full scale signial as long as you use good cable and connectors. the closer the antenna is to the router or AP the better signial you will get...! Good luck enjoy your new high speed connection..

She's already said twice now that this is not an option. Wonderful that you're attempting to help, but is more useful to read previous feedback before jumping in

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