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CG, have you stumbled onto any device that can extend the wifi range of the ILOX modem at a minimal cost? I tried connecting an old D-Link router I used to use with my Telecable modem but the results were only marginally better.

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This is the best one I've found, but can't be had around here. It is half the price of two years ago, and is WiFi ac (dual band).

https://www.amazon.com/Amped-Wireless-Screen-Extender-TAP-EX2/dp/B00WBK0BBU/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3KVISSXSE1PI0&keywords=amped+wireless+athena-ex+high+power+ac2600+wi-fi+range+extender&qid=1562198531&s=gateway&sprefix=amped+%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-5

Other than that, I'd say any range extender over $100 US is probably very good. But do not buy Steren. They have a weird internal setup that I can't figure out half the time.

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I cannot really say for sure. I'd have to have one of each kind and do tests and record the data. As I said, anything over $100 is probably about the same in the same price bracket; manufacturers tell us it is much better in the 200 and 300 dollar bracket. I don't have the money or time to find out.

Always, line of sight is best. Everything else is a compromise. Only setting it up will tell you for sure.

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Reading the comments about this repeater, it appears the design is to connect wireless to the ILOX modem and place it somewhere between ILOX and the dead space you're trying to cover. One would guess that if the signal the repeater picks up isn't very strong it will affect the speed of any devices connected to it. That's where trial and error comes into play.

The other possibility if there is no good place to pick up a signal to repeat is to power up the device close to the ILOX modem and see if the signal is broadcast better throughout the house. Again you wouldn't know for sure until you buy one, set it up and test. As CG says, line of sight is the best, concrete walls not so much.

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Correct on all counts, John. As others will not know, we tried a basic router (not a repeater) at your place and it was not much more effective distance-wise. Ideally, one would require a strong WiFi signal for a repeater to begin with, because a repeater grabs that signal and sends it outward. A router with a strong WiFi signal would be plugged in right beside the iLox modem, and replacing its WiFi altogether. Then, a good repeater could be used to grab the signal from that router. I can eyes glazing over about now...

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Honestly, I think plug and play only works in houses built with wood and drywall that are the standard NOB. Concrete walls and rebar? Not so much. This is not going to matter to me since my laptop stays in one place on my desk and will be wired directly to the iLox modem via ethernet cable. Each to his/her own. Nice to have options. All I see is improvement in internet capability in the last 23 years here. If you have come lately from NOB and were in a big city with screamingly fast internet, then nothing will impress you here except the weather, the people and the food. There ain't no perfect anywhere.

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I have been experimenting with using Telmex modems as additional wireless points and the seem to work pretty well.  You can pick them up for a song on Mercado Libre.     You have to put them in bridge mode or they´ll screw up your network...  Turn off the Ilox Wifi, put one next to your router, run a cable to another one where you want coverage, repeat.  Give each one their own IP address, and assign all the same SSID´s; If you have 2.4 and 5 ghz models, most people give a separate SSID for each frequency.   You don´t plug anything into the phone line or WAN port, just use the Wifi and switch part. 

What I´m not 100% sure about is the roaming..When you move away from one to another, your device should automatically switch over to the strongest one.  But one guy I did this for said it didn't, he had to switch manually.   So checking into that.

You can get these things for like 300 pesos each..new...

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, lakeside7 said:

So far  my experience with Ilox has been disappointing trying  to connect with Ethernet cable for max speed etc has not been possible, I guess it's time to call a computer "expert"

Hahaha, wonder who the lucky "victim" will be.

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On 7/3/2019 at 7:05 PM, ComputerGuy said:

This is the best one I've found, but can't be had around here. It is half the price of two years ago, and is WiFi ac (dual band).

https://www.amazon.com/Amped-Wireless-Screen-Extender-TAP-EX2/dp/B00WBK0BBU/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3KVISSXSE1PI0&keywords=amped+wireless+athena-ex+high+power+ac2600+wi-fi+range+extender&qid=1562198531&s=gateway&sprefix=amped+%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-5

Other than that, I'd say any range extender over $100 US is probably very good. But do not buy Steren. They have a weird internal setup that I can't figure out half the time.

I bought one of these for testing purposes. It does extend the wifi range of the ILOX modem by a substantial amount but it does have some quirks.

This is a dual band repeater for 2.4 and 5.0 GHz modems. The Fiberhome modem only supports 2.4GHz and if the internal options are correct, it only supports up to 802.11n, not ac. The default repeater scan finds the 2.4GHz network but never terminates a search for the other one. The workaround is to either connect it to a computer with cable or join its internal network in order to access the scan menu on a laptop or iPad. Doing it this way allows you to skip the 5.0GHz search. You can then either make up your own SSID and password for the repeater or clone ILOX. If you choose the latter, the network carries the same name (SSID) of the ILOX modem with a _RE appended. The password of the repeater then matches ILOX.

My ILOX wifi signal drops off about 40 feet from the modem. At that distance it shows 1 bar with a direct line of sight but then drops completely when a wall gets in the way. I tried positioning the repeater in a few places. The manual says to find a location with at least 70% signal strength. I ended up putting it about 15 feet from the ILOX modem which had 95%+ strength. 

After connecting to the repeater I was able to get a good signal at least 50 feet from its location. It's possible the signal would carry further but that was as far as I needed to go.

I had to call tech support to get around the 5.0GHz problem and while on the phone I was told that the most speed the repeater could provide is one half of the wifi speed when connected to the ILOX modem. The further away from the repeater the slower the speed but even at the furthest point I tested the speed was adequate.

I brought the repeater over to Tom Gates' house and got it set up there. He'll probably report his findings but after placing the repeater in a location with about 85% strength he was able to connect in a courtyard location that didn't even list the main ILOX modem. Good speeds on fast.com too.

Amazon ships this model to Mexico for an extra $14 duty and shipping. Unfortunately they do not ship the single band which is all we really need right now.

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