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Questions:
Why is my WiFi slow/bad ?
Will a mesh system help ?
Why are access points better ?
This sounds expensive. Is it ?
Do you do businesses ?
I need another outlet, can you help ?
I bought ______, can you install it ?
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A: Why is my WiFi slow/bad ? |
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- In general, bad or weak WiFi is due to poor and weak signal.
WiFi is a radio signal, and unlike your cell phone, it is very weak and does not penetrate the rooms of your home.
This is made worse when your WiFi router is hidden is some remote closet.
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A: Will a mesh system help ? |
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- On paper, mesh systems look very promising.
And, in practice, some folks have good luck with them.
However, these systems are just radios that "talk" to each other.
This process assumes that the separate units (aka satellites, extenders, or pods) are close enough to each other.
And that is the first flaw. In our big homes, we want the satelites to be far apart.
This once again makes the signal weak, and results in poor connections.
The second flaw is the specs of radios themselves.
The satelites have to both talk to each other AND to your devices.
So the bandwidth is competing between these functions.
And to make things worse, the radios are not designed to handle heavy loads like true access points.
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A: Why are access points better ? |
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- Access points (AP) have several advantages.
The most important one is they are individually wired back to the central closet.
This means that each AP has a dedicated high speed connection to the network.
It also means that they can be placed in the corners of the house to spread signal around.
Next, every AP has better radios to handle more connections and more traffic.
The units I specify are called "enterprise grade" so they are designed for the small or medium business needs.
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A: This sounds expensive. Is it ? |
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- In many of the homes, the cost for the just the network hardware and various materials is around $2k.
This varies if more AP's are needed to cover the rooms and if outlets and existing wiring are in good condition.
My average labor is typically $1-$2k.
Every home is different, and often there is poor access to the areas I need to connect with new wires.
Keep in mind, "Add-ons" will add to the hardware and labor costs as well.
I offer a free walk-thru to survey the site and discuss ideas
followed by a detailed quote before going forward.
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A: Do you do businesses ? |
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- I certainly do businesses as well as homes!
Ideally, I would love to discuss the complete ecosystem that Ubiquiti offers.
I have run bundles of backbone cables, building-to-building bridges, multi office/building infrastructure, and cameras systems.
Added to that, Ubiquiti has VoIP solutions, Door Access and more!
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A: I need another outlet, can you help ? |
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- The short answer to this is YES!
However, there are many caveats.
This is because it is not always easy to run a line from the central closet to the desired location.
Often I need to open up access holes in walls to perform drilling.
Another hurdle is in the attic. Often access is terrible.
These factors equate into labor costs. If you are interested, a walk-thru is essential beforehand.
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A: I bought ______, can you install it ? |
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- The short answer to this is NO.
As a rule, I do not install items that you have purchased on your own.
This is partly because I do not want to be responsible to ensure it works the way you think it will.
Also, my labor cost is often more than the price of the device you bought.
In general, this falls under my "no house calls" policy.
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