basic question about internet package

[Anonymous]

We are about to move to a 2500 sq ft brick house, plaster walls. Modem likely located in basement. We need to figure out our internet package. We have long used RCN and been relatively happy with them.

Our needs are pretty basic: modem; possibly router rental (we own a router but it's old); probably a mesh system (which I guess would replace a traditional router?) or an extender; landline phone; connecting TV to internet (wired/ethernet) - we don't need cable TV as we watch almost everything we want on a Firestick or Netflix and DH thinks he can get whatever else he might need through Sling. In terms of devices, in addition to the TV, we typically would need WiFi for 3 laptops, 2 phones, and a printer. No Alexa, no smart doorbells etc.

Would love help with these questions:

1. If we were looking at the Eero mesh anyway, is it worth it to rent from RCN? It loos like it's $10/month for a 1 Pro and 1 Beacon. To buy on Amazon would be at least $150. Is it worth it to buy our own for some reason or, if the pricing works out, better to rent it from RCN for a year first to see if we like it before committing? Maybe it's always better to rent it because you can more easily update it?

2. Is it likely that the Pro and Beacon combo would be enough for a 2500 sq ft house?

3. I am pretty sure we don't need the 1G speed but is there a meaningful difference between 300 mbps and 600 mbps?

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Regarding wireless networking: is there any existing network wiring in the house, or is installing network wiring a possibility? The ideal situation for whole-house wireless coverage is to have multiple access points wired back to a central switch and a wireless controller (which could be built into one or more of the access points) to manage everything. The mesh systems that exist are just hacks to deal with houses that lack network wiring (and have many disadvantages). Ideally, you would also hard-wire things that rarely move, like desktop computers and printers. The latter would leave more wireless bandwidth available for things that actually do move.

If this is possible, then go that route. Look at Ubiquiti, Ruckus, Aruba, and Cisco for access point options. One AP, centerally located, per floor is usually a good starting point, depending upon the construction and design of the house.

As for the 300 vs. 600 mbps speeds: this won't matter much for casual browsing. You will notice it if you regularly transfer large files. Are these download speeds or symmetric speeds? If the upload speeds are slower, the 600 mbps service might be worthwhile if it comes with a higher upload speed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regarding wireless networking: is there any existing network wiring in the house, or is installing network wiring a possibility? The ideal situation for whole-house wireless coverage is to have multiple access points wired back to a central switch and a wireless controller (which could be built into one or more of the access points) to manage everything. The mesh systems that exist are just hacks to deal with houses that lack network wiring (and have many disadvantages). Ideally, you would also hard-wire things that rarely move, like desktop computers and printers. The latter would leave more wireless bandwidth available for things that actually do move.

If this is possible, then go that route. Look at Ubiquiti, Ruckus, Aruba, and Cisco for access point options. One AP, centerally located, per floor is usually a good starting point, depending upon the construction and design of the house.

As for the 300 vs. 600 mbps speeds: this won't matter much for casual browsing. You will notice it if you regularly transfer large files. Are these download speeds or symmetric speeds? If the upload speeds are slower, the 600 mbps service might be worthwhile if it comes with a higher upload speed.

Thanks. I doubt it's wired, though I'll check. It's an old house and was last renovated in the late 90s. I have no interest in opening walls for wiring, though if we could easily and discreetly run a cable up a wall and through the main floor, I guess that wouldn't be terrible.

[Anonymous]

I recently hired someone to run Ethernet to every bedroom in my house. This allows us to use a hardwired connection in bedrooms to TV's, video game systems, and PC's. It also allows us to have a WiFi extender in one room. The wireless router is in one corner of the basement and the WiFi extender is plugged into the wall Ethernet in the top floor opposite of the basement router. We now have great wireless everywhere as well as the ability to use wired Internet. Expect to spend between 100-200 per Ethernet drop. You can have them run coax at the same time.

If you don't want to run Ethernet and you have a cable jack in the basement and in one of the rooms upstairs, you can create a MoCA network. Basically, your router would have an ethernet port out to a MoCA adapter. The MoCA adapter goes into the coax in the basement. Then you have a MoCA WiFi extender on the far end of your home. This allows you to avoid any new wiring (so long as you have coaxial already) and gives you quite good WiFi speeds because MoCA 2.0 can do Gigabit. You need a POE (Point of Entry) filter where your cable comes into the house to prevent your MoCA data from leaving your home. If you're using FiOS, no filter is needed and no initial MoCA adapter is needed either because the FiOS router supports it natively.


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https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-802-11ac-Extender-Internet-Antennas/dp/B01BV1Y3W2

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