Ongoing Wifi Frustration

[JandN2639]

Our village only has AT&T and Comcast wifi, and unless one is willing to pay over $100 per month, service is slow and sputters a lot.

Is there a way to set up a wifi server oneself that is not too complicated for a non-IT person?


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[zinethar]

As of today your options are very limited. DSL (AT&T in your case), a cable option (in your case Comcast), or a satellite service. Not cheap currently and generally not as fast as cable options but there seems to be more choices on the horizon. That is about it for a non-IT person as I assume you are not planning on creating your own ISP or adding expensive trunk lines (like a T1 etc). Welcome to rural America.

 

[JandN2639]

We would like to create an independent wifi setup, but we don't know how. We are in suburban Chicago.


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[Sajo]

I'm a little confused. Do you have internet coming into your house / apartment, and are asking about how to setup a WiFi router? Or the only internet you have at all is over a WiFi signal, and you pay to access that? But you want to create your own WiFi, correct? You have to have internet coming in from somewhere to broadcast a WiFi signal.

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[JandN2639]

We are asking if there is a way to create our own ISP.


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[Sajo]

I'm sure there is, but I personally have no idea how. Hopefully someone else can offer some good advice. Seems like that would incurr expensive start-up fees, but probably not impossible to do.

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[xeene]

If you aren't willing to pay 100$ a month for internet, starting your isp isn't for you as monthly budget is about $10k to start with.

 

[JandN2639]

Why would it cost that much per month once it's set up?


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[JandN2639]

Also, it's not that we aren't willing to pay for decent wifi speeds, but that with AT&T and Comcast, they charge a lot and don't deliver.


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[Sajo]

A lot of factors determine your WiFi speed. A lot of companies load their routers & modems with so much "security" crap that it bogs everything down and you don't get the speeds you should.

How does the internet come into your residence? Traditional wired internet service into a modem and then to a WiFi router, or a modem / router combo?

You mentioned WiFi many times, but I assume you have wired internet coming in and then being broadcast via a WiFi router?

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[JandN2639]

We subscribe to Comcast wifi, but we have an Arris Surfboard router and the Eero system to extend its reach.

We currently pay $90 for Comcast’s slowest speed package, and service frequently is unreliable. We tried AT&T also, with similar results.


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[zinethar]

Remember no matter what you want you will always be tied to a provider. Someone always has to get the internet to you. Dedicated lines like T1/DS3 provide dedicated lines so you are not sharing the speed with others. Just to have a dedicated line can cost up to $1200/mo not to mention getting it installed. The benefit for most people just isn't there unless you need that speed both ways. Fiber provides much higher speeds and costs. It sounds like you are not getting the speeds you are paying for. Have you done actual speed tests both with the companies speed test and also the Netflix one? The Arris surfboard is a modem not a router and provides a wired connection. A separate router gives you the connection back to the modem and to other wired or wireless devices. What is the paid for speed to your modem? What is your router? Is it an n/g/AC type router.? Is it dual/triband? All this affects wireless speeds as does the home construction.

If a modem directly connected to a computer does not receive the paid for speed call and complain. If that doesn't work call your state PSA.. Once that speed hits the modem and it is tested to pass that speed on any resultant slow downs are no longer the problem of your provider. Thy are issues on your end.

 

[JandN2639]

That's exactly what we keep hearing. No matter what we do, Comcast insists it's our equipment.

How can we determine the source(s) of these problems?!


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[Sajo]

What happens when you plug a laptop directly in, not using WiFi? Is it better? Still slow?

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[JandN2639]

It depends...sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

However, if we have to attach everything to the system with cables, that defeats the purpose of wifi!


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