advice on wifi mesh systems needed

[#1]

My router will be in the living room, my computer in a downstairs room about 30 feet away, with two solid walls in between. Currently I can just about connect to wifi from my Hub 1 router but speeds are very poor - ok for browsing but no streaming possible etc.

My 'test' is being able to stream a 120gb 4k movie file smoothly from the computer to the living room router and then to an Apple TV which is connecting over wifi but is only 11 feet away and in direct line of the router - I currently cannot do this with out loads of buffering over power line adapters.

I am getting FTTP 300mbps installed next week and would like to somehow get the full 300mbps between the router and my computer and am looking at options:

wifi from the closest point in the living room doesn't give me enough speed.

previously I ran a ethernet all the way from the router to the computer but this looked rubbish in the hallway as it snaked along the skirting and around door frames etc - don't really want to do that again as I have redecorated and removed the old wire. I cannot run the cable under the carpet as the layout is very awkward in the hallway and would be a massive job.

I don't want to drill holes in external walls and run it around the outside of the house for various complicated reasons so that is a no-go!

I currently use 1000mbps power line adapters which are ok but still don't even give me the full speed that my current 60mbps FTTC connection supplies at the router and they are a bit flakey in terms of connection - research has shown that because of the technology/overheads etc I would not get a full 300mbps even off a 2000mbps home plug.

So, those are the options I have considered and discarded. Now to the 'possibles'...

a wifi extender plugged into the hallway at the half way point between the router and computer - that way each signal would only be going about 15 feet and through a single wall each time - would that work?

One of the new mesh systems - they seem better but vary hugely in price and I am a cheapskate, but most importantly, I don't want to spend money out on something only for it to not work 100%. Does anyone use one in a solid building with plenty of thick walls who can advise on their efficiency?

TLDR: What is the best system for transmitting FTTP speeds around a house without laying ethernet everywhere?

Thanks for any and all advice!

[#2]

@chubsta 

It might be possible to bring the fibre cable into the house near the computer (although it sounds like this would require drilling). If you get a good engineer they'll work with you on hte entry point and ONT location.

But then again you'd have the WiFi problem with your TV.

First move would be to wait until you have FTTP and then see what your WiFi is like.

Brian

[#3]

As @bmc says, wait and see. I assume you are getting a new router from Plusnet as part of the upgrade so that might have better WiFi.

[#4]

@chubsta 

 The good thing about mesh systems is that the mesh units’ WiFi is synchronised across all satellites, so you can move about the property and seamlessly connect to the nearest unit.

The downside is that unless you use an Ethernet backhaul you are still dependent on a good wireless link between satellites. Whether your problem can be resolved by using multiple units in your property can only really be determined by the suck it and see technique.

[#5]

Are there any "outdoor wireless bridge" pairs of gigabit throughput that could operate indoors and replace your old ethernet cable?

[#6]

I went from an old plusnet router to the bt hub 2 (I believe the new plusnet router is based on the hub 2)

The performance and WiFi capabilities of the hub 2 are far, far superior, I had to use repeaters to get WiFi around the house with the plusnet router (ours is an old cottage with 2 foot thick walls)

Using the hub 2 I do no now need any repeaters and it even gets to the bottom of the garden!

I would suggest (as said above) wait for the plusnet router before making changes, you might not need to

Hope this helps

[#7 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the replies everyone, much appreciated!

This who suggested I wait until I have it actually installed etc clearly do not understand the sort of person I am when it comes to stuff like this - messing around and trying different things are half the fun!

Anyway, I was chatting to a guy at work about my options and he mentioned he had some rods for putting wires under carpet - he brought them to work yesterday and this morning I ran the ethernet from the living room door-way to the opposite wall in the hallway and then along the skirting to the room where the computer is. The cable is hidden from view in the living room as it is behind furniture and as it is a white flat cable it doesn't really show up on the hall skirting, then hidden again behind furniture in the computer room.

Speed tests indicate everything is working fine so this definitely seems to be the best option for me - cheap, easily sorted and also fast, which is the whole point really. At least I don't have to worry about any wifi issues any more so should be future=proofed if I decide to increase the connection to 900mbps in the future.