Does anyone have any suggestions as to which WiFi extenders work best with the LTE Internet installed WiFi? I've tried Plume but so far it doesn't work.
We need more information to accurately answer your question.
Generally speaking WiFi is WiFi. When you ask about WiFi extenders it is assumed you are referring to WiFi repeaters. These take incoming WiFi, process, amplify and then rebroadcast the same signal to another area. If one WiFi repeater is performing poorly then another may perform poorly too.
The best way to improve your WiFI reception is to install a wired Access Point. Then you are using an Ethernet cable to span the longest distances in the environment instead of WiFi.
To rephrase my original question, it appears that the Verizon TG790 LTE modem/router does not like to share it's wifi signal. It won't allow Plume pods to connect and a properly configured Asus RT-N66U has no wifi signal even though it thinks it does. I am suspecting that something in the TG790 must be configured to allow sharing of its wifi signal (such as a wifi repeater function) yet I find no clues by scouring the advanced router controls. I have ordered a TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender AV1200 Powerline Edition with Outlet Pass-Through (TL-WPA8630P KIT), which is essentially a wired Access Point. I still fear the TG790 will not share its wifi signal over POE. Thanks.
To be clear, WiFi is a wireless Ethernet communication service. Powerline is a wired Ethernet communication service that uses existing power lines as the cable between two points. What comes out of a powerline connection is not WiFi. This means that the primary home router (TG790) does not see the powerline as a WIFi connection, but a cabled Ethernet connection.
What you put on the end of the powerline adapter may convert that cabled signal into WiFi. in that case you have created a wired Access Point with its own unique WiFi signal. This is an ideal way to go if you do not have access to a normal full Ethernet cable in the remote location.
Here's a diagram of the normal setup:
Verizon )))) TG790 === TL-WPA8630 ==== TL-WPA8630 )))) Client Device
Where:
))) = wireless
=== = wired
Theres also a pretty diagram on the vendors site near the bottom of the page here:
https://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-5509_TL-WPA8630P-KIT.html
Note that a properly configured powerline adapter will extend the network from the TG790 as the TG790 will only see the Powerline adapter as an Ethernet cabled connected device.
There are two factors in the WiFi setup that need to be considered:
- The broadcast signal strength
- The throughput from the WAN to the client device
While you may have a scenario with good broadcast signal strength, the throughput may be poor or close to 0. This is a result of incompatible devices or a poor setup. What we all want is good throughput from the WAN to the client device in the remote location. Broadcast signal strength is not enough of an indicator to suggest a problem or that something is working correctly.
The point is, when your new devices arrive the WiFi signal from the source TG790 LTE modem/router is no longer a concern. All that device will see is an Ethernet cable connected device when you plug in your TL-WPA devices. If there are problems with those devices then it might be the cabling between them or the appliances sharing that cabling circuit that are causing the throughput issues. The TL-WPA devices should have some kind of an interface you can connect to and diagnose if they are connected to the TG790. At a minimum when the TL-WPA devices are connected they should have an IP address from the TG790.
The rest is a matter of configuring the TL-WPA devices to work with the TG790. What most people want is a single large network but what is often the default is to configure two separate networks with equal access to the WAN. The two separate networks is only an issue if you have a need to communicate directly between the two areas in your home. If all they need is access to the internet then the default setting should work.
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