How to share Internet connection between apartments on different floors?

[canabiz]

Hello, Family Member A lives on the 5th floor and has the following set up

- Teksavvy DSL 15Mbps Internet
- TP-LINK AC1750 router

Family Member B lives on the 4th floor (not directly underneath Family Member A but not too far off) and would like to piggyback Internet from Family Member A. This is what I have done to help them out but it seems I have run into a wall (pun intended)

1. While inside Family Member B's apartment on the 4th floor, I was able to pick up Family Member A's SSID. I checked the speed and it was about 0.3 Mbps for download and pretty much nothing for upload. Too slow to do anything like VoIP.ms or streaming

2. I borrowed a NetGear extender from a buddy and placed it close to the primary access point (TP-LINK AC1750) with the intention of extending the wireless signal. I did not see/pick up the SSID_extender downstairs so the extender was a moot point.

3. I bought a cheap Asus router as a test (Asus RT-n66U), put it in repeater mode and placed in Family Member B's apartment. It saw the primary access point but was not able to maintain any connection.

Do you think Google Wifi/Orbi/eero Wifi System works better for this scenario or should I upgrade the primary access point to something stronger?

Running an Ethernet cable out the window from the 5th floor then along the wall and back into the apartment on the 4th floor is not really an option as the apartments are not on the same side.

Thanks in advance!

[1overcosc]

The concrete structure of apartments makes it difficult for signals to travel beyond a single unit especially if they're on different floors. You'll probably need a very strong signal at the origin point (ie. at Family A's router) for this to work.

[Buggys]

See if the layout of the ventilation system fits to run a RJ45? Either the system needs to be laid out in a particular way or big enough for an adult (or child) to crawl through. And take a cheap compass with you so you know what direction to crawl in.

[acottawa]

Is the balcony sheltered enough that you could plug in a booster outside?

[Spoonsy]

Originally Posted by canabiz

I borrowed a NetGear extender from a buddy and placed it close to the primary access point (TP-LINK AC1750) with the intention of extending the wireless signal. I did not see/pick up the SSID_extender downstairs so the extender was a moot point.

Extenders are supposed to go ~half-way between your router and the target device (in this case probably in the other apartment) so placing it next to your router wasn't the way to go

If you're seriously committed about getting this to work, look at prosumer gear e.g. Ubiquiti, maybe buy a pair of UAP-AC-LR access points, plug one into your router and turn off your router wireless, the other AP unit in the other apartment, link the two. Advertised 600ft range. Be warned that they are not as straight forward to configure as consumer gear (netgear/tp-link etc)

You will get better answers by posting to a tech forum e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/ or https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/

[ars]

Simplest option? You'll have to pony up some cash for an extremely powerful router with good range like the ASUS RT-AC5300.

Otherwise try plugging in the extender around where you want the signal to get stronger, so somewhere on the 4th floor apartment in your case, ideally as close as possible to the location of the router on the 5th floor.

You should also keep in mind that not all range extenders are equal. The one you have may not get the job done whereas a high end one, like the Netgear Nighthawk EX7000, would almost assuredly will.

[FFX-ME]

This is not a tech forum but an urban development forum. This thread should be removed.

[canabiz]

Thanks for the feedback, guys! I got some work to do over the holiday as folks on other forums also propose some interesting ideas (directional antennas etc) so I'll put more thoughts into this, trial and error, it's all about the experimentation.

I can't imagine this is the first time people try to share Internet in a building, I believe there is a solution, just have to find the right one...just trying to help a low-income senior get online that's all.

Thanks again.

[canabiz]

Hi guys, I am happy to report there has been solid progress. I borrowed a stronger router from a buddy (Asus RT-AC87U) and used it as a primary access point in Fam A's apartment on the 5th floor.

Fam B on 4th floor can still pick up the SSID but now the speed is about 4.10 Mbps vs 0.3 Mbps with the TP-Link AC1750 before!

I don't know if an extender or another router acting as a repeater can really boost it up further but I will continue to experiment and this is a really good start. I'll pay my buddy for the Asus router, get Fam B an iPad for Christmas and he can start going online right away

I know 4 Mbps is like ancient for us here but for a senior who has never used the Internet before, that will be lightning quick and best of all, he doesn't have to pay for that

Thank you once again for all your valuable suggestions and feedback guys. Remember to keep trying and finding solutions, we are Canadians, we are well-known for our resourcefulness...where there is a will, there is a way!