---

My rationale for the chosen products:

---

• CPU: Review
  A very detailed review from GamersNexus. These guys make incredible reviews and will go very in depth into every aspect of whatever they review. They also post on reddit a bit.
  This CPU is just the best bang for the buck right now, no question asked. Intel is too expensive and doesn't let you upgrade the CPU on the same motherboard if you would want to do this in a few years.
  
  This CPU is bought in MicroCenter with a combo kit to save $30!
  
  
• Motherboard: Product page
  A very solid board that doesn't break the bank. It comes with 7 USB type A (standard) & 1 USB type C port on the read. With the 2 from case, we get to the total 10 USB ports that was asked for.
  When you buy this motherboard at MicroCenter, you get a $30 combo deal.
  
  I highly recommend to ask one of the sales people if the BIOS is compatible for the new Ryzen 3000 series. I've heard that they would even upgrade the BIOS for you without extra cost to get it working. But it will probably work out of the box by now.
  
• Memory: RAM is RAM. Brands don't matter too much, speed & latency does have an impact for performance on Ryzen though. This video explains it very well. So I went with a 3000MHz, CL15 set from G.Skill. This will work very well and will give you a decent performance boost.
  
• Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD & 2TB HDD for mass storage. This is a very nice balance in terms of SSD & mass storage I find personally.
  The Sabrent Rocket NVMe SSD is extremely fast and very well balanced in terms of price to performance. The WD 2TB is a very standard drive that got a lower RPM to reduce the noise. It will be a tiny bit slower compared to a 7200 RPM drive, but you'll hardly be able to notice the difference. A slower RPM HDD also on pure merit, will last longer because of the lesser amount of mechanical tear it goes through over time.
  
• Video Card: Review & Review (written)
  This is the best video card for the budget of this build. We could spend less on the peripherals and get a better card, but considering the games that are mentioned. This would be a waste in my opinion. It will perform very well at 1440p (the monitor resolution I suggest) and will just be a lot of fun.
  
• Case: Review
  GamersNexus again! Well, this is an a very silent case. It does not come in army green or has handles, but there are very few cases that have either of that. It does have the 2 ODD which was also requested so I went with a case that got 2 out of the 4 requests. Silence is a main factor for my PC builds.
  
• Case fans: It comes with 2 very high quality fans, which is enough for this system.
  
• Power Supply: Review
  10 year warranty, 80+ gold efficiency, fully-modular black cables, semi-passive fan design, 650W PSU from Corsair made by CWT. The 10 year warranty should tell you enough, but if not then the 9.666.. score for this unit should tell you enough. I remove the "value" score from this review since prices change all the time. Ow right, it is the 750W unit, but the 650W is pretty much the same platform. So very close in performance and quality.
  
• Monitor: Review
  An other amazing review that looks at pretty much everything this monitor has to offer. It's a long read, so in short. It's one of the best TN gaming monitors available right now. It will diliver an awesome gaming experience. It also comes with a USB 3.0 HUB for 1 extra USB connection, since it got 2 on the monitor, but you have to connect it to 1 on the motherboard. So you lose 1 there, but gain 2 on the monitor. Useful for the microphone & something else of choice.
  
• Wireless Network Adapter: This card has been highly rated, although I personally have no experience with it. I also don't recommend to use WiFi if possible. It can and often will be a lot worse compared to a hardwired cable. If you can't reach the PC with the cable, then you can use a power-line adaptor. This will allow you to use the powerlines in your house to get from the router to the PC. You will lose some speed doing this, but it is still much better compared to WiFi.
  Regardless, this card does support both Bluetooth & WiFi. You have to connect the USB cable to get the Bluetooth working!
  
  Place this card in anything but the bottom PCIe x1 slot. Since that one won't work when you put the NVMe SSD into the top M.2/1 slot. They share the bandwidth.
  
  
• Keyboard: Review
  Probably the best wireless mechanical keyboard on the market. It's a 60% keyboard, so no F, arrow or numpad keys. If you want any of these keys, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Also because it's a mechanical keyboard, the switch type is something personal. Ask your brother if he wants to have tactile feedback when pressing down a key and if he would like it to click. The clicking can be very loud, so its something to be well aware of. I personally use MX browns and while I can hear it very slightly, it's by far my favourite switch. I had blues and tried reds as well. I don't like red switches since they don't have any feedback, so I don't know when I pressed the key. It's a minor thing and for "gaming" it can be better since you can press keys "faster" but in my opinion this is not really much of a difference or negative.
  
• Mouse: Review
  The best mouse reviewer there is. He rates it fairly highly and because of the cheap price, it was not a hard decision to suggest this. However, it would help a lot to ask your brother if he could measure his hands and how does he grip the mouse? Knowing those two factors will help to say if this mouse will work or if we should look at something else.
  
• Mousepad: I don't know if he will sit behind a desk or not, but can't forget to get a mousepad. I absolutely love the extremely large ones where you can place the keyboard on it as well. It also helps for your wrists a bit to have a softer place for them.
  
• Speakers: You wanted a wireless keyboard & mouse, so you also get some wireless speakers! I actually personally wasn't a fan of wireless audio for a while. But they've made massive improvements to make me feel a bit more comfortable with recommending it. If you want to use wires, you can simply get the T40 series ii. These speakers have been the bar for sub $100 speakers.
  
• Microphone: Review
  Well, finally a LinusTechTips video joins the list! Well, the Blue Yeti has been pretty much the staple of microphones for high quality voice recording and podcasts. I went with it, even though it may be a bit overkill. But heey, you buy this and can use it for many years while sounding crystal clear. You may even get some compliments on how sexy you sound!
  I also included a stand so that you can actually get it very close to your face that most streamers do. It also reduces the noise of the keyboard by a good amount + no shocks when you place something on the desk because of the shock mount.
  
  

  Hope you like it and If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

I apologize. Let me do my best to break it down clearly for you here. Because it's a lot of stuff I was confused too, so I made a document that I hope clearly details my build and the associated costs. For the sake of this, I'm excluding peripherals, because I can't buy them from Memory Express anyways. If you're interested in what I've chosen I can link those too.

So, to begin, ME is holding on to their last 1060 for me, if I do my full system build with them (due to miners, they won't sell it to me alone). As a result, I can price match any of my items with them -- including the video card (of course, I'll be hard-pressed to find the GPU for less than they're listing it for). That's why I listed PCPP -- according to the associate I spoke with, they're willing to price match with any of the sites on there, so long as they have the GPU in stock. This is the most up-to-date build I have -- I've for now excluded the peripherals and the RAM.

****

The CPU is the same as before:

Intel Core i3 8100 3.6Ghz, 6mb

Price Match w/ Vuugo @ $147.25

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX68268

**

The motherboard I think I managed to get the same one from a different ME, and it's being transferred to my local one.

MSI Z370-A Pro

Price Match w/ Newegg @ $149.99

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX68590

****

The RAM I'm still iffy about. The one I have on the build right now is a Kingston 2x4 GB for $125. I wasn't given a product number and forgot to ask, but through some digging on their website, I found this and I think it's that one because the price is the same (it's the only one at exactly that price). If not, they have it in stock and I can switch it out for this one.

As far as I can tell, it's identical to the one you linked. What do you mean by expandability? As far as I can tell, my motherboard has 4 memory slots. Can I not just add more RAM? Unless I need to use those to connect stuff like my HDD and SSD, but I thought those used PCI-e slots.

If 8 gb will do me fine then I'm happy, I just don't want to have to upgrade any time soon. The 16gb version of the same one is less than $100 more so it's something I'll have to consider. If it was you, what would you do? The choices:

Kingston HyperX Fury 2x4 GB

Price Match w/ PC-Canada @ $117.99

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX64812

OR

Kingston HyperX Fury 2x8GB

Price Match w/ Vuugo @ $218.50

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX66968


**

From what I could tell, ME had the best price on my SSD.

Samsung 850 Evo SSD 500GB

Memory Express @ $179

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX55510

I think I've decided on 500GB. More storage is always better, and again, I don't want to have to switch, transfer, or upgrade later. I aim to put only my OS and most of my games on there, so it will be dedicated to that.

*****

The HDD I went for 2TB. It's a $20 difference from 1TB so I figured the same as above.

Seagate 2TB BarraCuda HD Sata III w/ 64 M Cache

Price Match w/ ShopRBC @ $72.25

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX63178

*

The GPU I had to change from EVGA, because ME doesn't have that one in stock anywhere. This one, according to the salesperson and the Internet, has two fans and a higher speed. I figured that would end up being better anyways, but again, let me know if I'm causing a problem for myself here.

Asus GTX 1060 3GB

Price Match w/ PC-Canada @ $364.99

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX63930



The case I had to switch a bit to get one they had in stock. It's effectively the same as far as I can tell.

IN WIN G7 ATX Mid Tower Case, Black

Memory Express @ $59.99

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX52221




Same with the PSU. Think I used the filter to grab this one, sorted by Memory Express.

Corsair TXM Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply

Price Match w/ PC-Canada @ $94.99

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX65812



The monitor they have in stock. I was looking to get a cheaper one at about 120Hz but apparently nobody has those.

ACER GN246HL 24in Full HD 144Hz LCD LED

Price Match w/ Amazon.ca @ $249.99

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX64422



So the total price of all of the above comes to:

$1446,44 if I choose to go with 8 GB of RAM, OR

$1546,95 if I choose to go with 16 GB of RAM.

Prices may fluctuate a bit depending on the prices I'm matching with (I'll review as I get closer to picking up the parts) and tax etc.

I hope that was enough. Please let me know if there's any more info you need. Sorry for the late response by the way, trying to get some homework done at the same time, haha.

Once more, thank you for your help. You've gone above and beyond what anyone would have asked of you, and I appreciate your help very very much. This kind of thing is why I love Reddit.


***

I've added the details on my peripherals below, just for fun. You can totally ignore this if you want, but if you're interested, here's the extra stuff I'm looking to get.

Fasteners

$13.97

https://www.amazon.ca/Monoprice-106457-Fastening-Cable-Black/dp/B004AFUJZC/ref=pd_bxgy_147_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6JVF3PB6QH9VKNGJ9Z50

CM Masterkey Pro S RGB Cherry MX Brown

$139.99

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01D3BDN60/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2Q9BUBJBGLQRF&colid=27HBAHJXQ3YZ9&th=1

TP-Link TL-PA4010KIT AV500 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit, Up to 500Mbps, Plug and Play

$49.99

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00AWRUICG/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3UXQO0VKJJAHK&colid=27HBAHJXQ3YZ9&psc=1

Mionix Ambidextrous Mouse (AVIOR 8200)**

$79.99

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00D3F7D86/?tag=pcp0f-20

Mine was sold with an antenna, but there's other inmarsat traffic to poke at after Outernet moves. :)

I like the $49 price point, that's sort of a psychological magic spot. Under $50 for a board that's similar to any of the $30-40-ish embedded boards plus a $20 rtlsdr plus a $5 USB hub all built in? Yeah, that's pretty sweet. Somebody's gonna pair that sucker with a PoE splitter and put it tower-top.

Okay, so here's my logic: Let's assume a single SKU doesn't make sense long-term. You want to get the cost down on the 256MB, Outernet-specific version. So make that one. What's the most sensible configuration for the other(s)? Can just one additional SKU bring broader appeal?

I feel like making the 512MB version with 1090-specific RF parts might be the best route for general-purpose functionality. It still has the bypass path for "everyone else", the ADS-B market seems pretty active, and it would seem to minimize module count and soldering for the largest number of users. I never even looked to see if the bypass path also has bias-tee functionality, but that would be good.

And for those of us who want to build our own filters right into the thing, since we're comfortable with soldering already by definition, we can always scrape off the 1090 parts and reuse the pads. :)

The only folks left out in the cold by that split would be those who want to do L-band stuff but need the big RAM. Which is definitely a few people -- but I think most of 'em already have a Dreamcatcher, probably? Or just do another run of those and set 'em up as a while-supplies-last third SKU. Which may have been what just happened with the clearance sale. They had their chance!

Could (all) the alternate version(s) be offloaded to rtl-sdr.com or someone? So the only one you'd be on the hook for supporting would be the "official" Skylark-specific board, and everything else is for experimenters, here's a schematic, here's the radionerds page, figure the rest out.

I'm a really big fan of Hikvision cameras. They feel really solid for the price and image quality is very good. I'm looking pretty hard at an Amcrest for my next cam. They're getting decent reviews for the price too.

If you do get a Hikvision, look closely at whether the seller is an authorized distributor. I've gotten a grey-market camera and it was ok, but for a few $ more you can also get support and english firmware updates.

For myself, I have one of these in my garage
DS-2CD2332-I-2.8MM

I have one of these on my front porch.
DS-2CD2142FWD-IS-2.8MM

I have one of these powering them both NETGEAR ProSAFE FS108PNA

An unfinished basement and vinyl siding makes mounting exterior cams more tolerable. http://imgur.com/a/qufyW

For setup / testing, I keep one of these around TP-LINK Gigabit PoE Injector TL-PoE150S

I've also installed many more cameras for friends and family.

One 16 cam setup used a dedicated Hikvision DVR unit, DS-7716NI-SP/16-2TB. It has the PoE switch built in. Setup was pretty quick and he's still really happy with it. Runtime on a 1500VA UPS is pretty respectable too.

• 1x DS-2CD2132F-I-4MM
  
• 10x DS-2CD2032-I-4MM
  
• 1x DS-2CD2232-I5-4MM
  
• 4x DS-2CD2112F-I-2.8MM
  
  I've got a buddy with 8x DS-2CD2032-I-4MM powered by a Passive 10/100 Power over Ethernet PoE Injector. He's having pretty good luck with that setup.
  
  At work we install mostly Axis cameras, but we're trying 24 Avigilon cameras for one section of student housing. They seem pretty well built too. This is a mostly positive post, the only cameras I HATE are made by Arecont Vision.
  
  If you haven't decided on software, I've got an opinion on that too.
  
  I'm running Milestone XProtect Go on a spare PC. It's free for up to 8 cameras, up to 5 days of retention, no charge for the clients. I am familiar since I manage an XProtect Enterprise install at work, but it can be a pain to set up at first.
  
  I've also played with Blue Iris and ZoneMinder. I think Blue Iris is the way to go for most folk.

I can't believe that after 173 comments, no one has the explanation as to why this is the case. I guess it's finally my time to shine. Simply put, the PS3 uses a wi-fi standard that's currently in most homes today. The PS4 uses a newer, faster standard. So why is it slower then? Because most people's routers aren't upgraded to this new standard yet. Sony made the PS4's wi-fi module more future-proof, but as of now it's definitely too future-proof. There are two work-arounds to this issue. You either A) buy a router that uses the new wi-fi standard or the better option IMO, B) buy one of these genius little network powerline adapters. Why do I think the powerline adapter is better? It's cheaper than most routers that use the new wi-fi standard and it's a wired connection. You ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS, want a wired connection with your gaming devices. Save the wi-fi for your phones and tablets. Wire connections are faster and more stable than wi-fi. The network powerline adapter allows you to have a wired connection even if you don't have the ethernet wire routed to the room with your PS4.



"But wait u/IVIajesty, how does this marvelous machine pull off such a magical feat???"



It's simple young padawon. You connect the first module into the outlet and into your router. It sends the ethernet connection throughout your homes circuiting. You connect the second module into the outlet by your PS4 and into your PS4 via ethernet cable, and alakazam! The internet signal is transferred over through the rooms. It's like having a wired connection, without having a wired connection! Woo!



Bonus LPT: If you have an electronics store like Best Buy or Fry's by you, you can buy the device from them and make sure it works. If it doesn't, they have 15 day return policies. This device works in pretty much 99% of home circuiting layouts. There are a few cases where the circuiting of the home isn't compatible with this device, but it's rare. If it doesn't work, you can always return it.



Bonus-Bonus LPT: Best Buy and Fry's both price check, so if it's cheaper on Amazon or any other reputable online vender, make sure you take advantage of that to save a couple extra bucks.



Edit: Used some bolding and italics to make my comment sexier.
Edit 2: It seems as though I might've have confused standard with a different word or I might've gotten my info from an unreliable source. Crossed out the wrong info. Guess I'm not a savior after all :'(

There is a product out there called Powerline Adaptors that might be able to help you out. That link is just the first one I saw, but they range from 35-90 bucks. They use your home power outlets to transmit internet signals to other rooms. The rooms have to be on the same circuit, I believe. Do some research, but it would essentially allow you to run wired internet to other rooms easily.

Having a wired ps4 makes a literal world of a difference. If I was on wifi, I think I would literally get 1/10th if my actual speed. Last time I check I went from the 180/20 to like 20/2. For the actual remote play, there is an option in the ps4 for the vita to connect directly to the ps4. In some cases that works best, but for me I opt to go through my router to the ps4, and it’s a dream. There’s some boxes to check/uncheck on the vita and ps4, plus a few other network actions like changing device channels and so forth for additional fine tuning. I did tons of research and spent tons of time tweaking it. Once you go through it all and get it just right, it’s just...chefs kiss....perfect. Regardless, id highly recommend getting a Vita anyway if you don’t have one! Loads of great games, a wonderful feeling handheld, and of course, the remote play. If you ever do decide to pick one up, feel free to hit me up if you have any other questions

I'm a little late to your question but here's my two cents:

1. Nothing will be as good as running a cable. CAT5E or CAT6 won't really matter much for most users. CAT6 will get you past the 1Gbps speed at certain distances, but CAT5e supports 1Gbps at 100 m (about 300 ft). CAT6 is also more expansive and more difficult to work with (the strands are thicker which means they won't bend as well and they are harder to crimp connectors). The cable and connectors to do this will cost less than the Moca or powerline adaptors, but obviously you have to install the cable and that can sometimes be prohibitive. You could hire an electrician and he could possibly do it for less than $100, so don't rule that out either. Modular jacks can be terminated in a wall jack without the need to crimp, like Leviton (https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-5G108-RW5-QuickPort-Cat-5e-White/dp/B00029IYUM/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1539285173&sr=1-4&keywords=leviton+wall+jack). All you need is one cable and you can connect multiple devices in your office and even put in a wireless access point so your phone has a good connection.
   
   
2. Barring the cabling option, I think powerline is the next best option. A pair like this (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B5BTKS3/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1) will only cost you $70 and will give you speeds of a few hundred Mbps in most cases. It's cheap, easy, and reliable. I have personally experienced that these work pretty well, although not as good as real CAT5 cable.
   
   
3. If for some reason you must go with Moca, a pair like this (https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bonded-Ethernet-Adapter-ECB6200S02/dp/B013J7O3X0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1539284526&sr=1-1&keywords=moca%2Badapter&th=1) will cost you around $170. I have personally experienced that these are mediocre performance wise, but it depends on the coax wiring in your house. If you only have a 2 or 3 way splitter, and it's RG6, and not that long, they might perform OK. But if you have a 5-way splitter or a long distance over RG59, these will not perform well. In addition, you should install a MOCA filter (https://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Authorized-Point-Entry-Filter/dp/B01EKCL1U6/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1539284803&sr=1-2&keywords=moca+filter&dpID=31qi88Oe0PL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch) on your main cable line to prevent your network traffic from getting to the outside pole, where somebody could conceivably sniff it. All of these Moca adaptors will reduce your cable signal a bit and could lead to some boxes not getting their required signal, resulting in channel dropout or digital noise in the picture. I can't think of a scenario where Moca would work better than powerline adaptors.

Well lets step out of the can or worms and give you some realistic advice now =)

Power Line adapters are not a bad idea. Just as Wireless is not a bad idea.. It is just not as good as hard run Ethernet..

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-Pass-through-TL-PA9020P-KIT/dp/B01H74VKZU/

That is the best one you can get.. right now..

The trick to power line adapter is that it is hit or miss if they will work.. Some people get good speeds.. Other people crap speeds.. you should expect at best to get about half the rated speed..

So using the 500Mbps older version might give you an acceptable speed, but then again it might not..

The ONLY true way to figure out what will work is to GET them and try them.. If they do not work out make sure you get them from someplace like amazon so you can easily return them if they do not work out..

honestly I would not overly cheap out on the lower ones. They are based on older technology that is not as reliable..

The newer version of these are doing better and better.

Also keep in mind where you are plugging these things in..

So say you have a window AC unit in your room plugged into you wall outlet.. That might cause your speeds to tank due to interference.. same goes for anything else.. Microwaves / fridges / dryers / HAIR dryers lol yea I have had people that said their internet went real slow when the wife was blow drying their hair or using the Iron to iron cloths..

If you imagine how your house is wired.. all the little loops that go to each breaker and what each breaker controls - you will have an idea of what types of things might cause you not to get close to the rated speed of the PA you are using..

With a hard wired Modem/Router I once had an issue with my father that when a halogen desk lamp was turned on at night the internet would completely drop. Yes that was fun to figure out..

The story is a funny one...

So the best thing you can do it TRY it out and see how it works for you..

Wifi is utter crap, I used it for 2 months in my new home and had horrible lags. I switched to something called powerline. You basically take a cable from your router, stick it into a plug connected to your power outlet and then you take another plug and stick it into an outlet near your computer and from there you take an ethnernet cable and connect it into the PC. It took 5 minutes to set up and I had to install LAN drivers for my motherboard.

I have these and they work great. Also these powerlines work great for streaming!

Ok to your build, this is what I came up with:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor | $119.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard | $59.99 @ Newegg
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory | $59.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.99 @ NCIX US
Video Card | MSI Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card | $169.99 @ Newegg
Case | Thermaltake Commander MS/I Snow Edition (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $44.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $44.99 @ Amazon
Optical Drive | Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer | $17.99 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.00 @ Amazon
Monitor | Acer G236HLBbd 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $109.99 @ Newegg
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $761.91
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-12 11:18 EDT-0400 |

This rig could play most games on high settings (skyrim will be no problem), but since Bf4 is still in it´s beta stage, it is hard to say how the 7870 will perform. But it should play it with acceptable fram rates on high settings. The processor is an 6 core AMD CPU and will be strong in games optimized for multicores.Also it is very strong in multitasks. I added in an extra 1tb hdd, but you can leave it out if you want to put that money towards the purchase of an SSD.
Both Motherboard and the case support USB 3.0, so this is taken care of as well.
8gbs of RAM is standard and can be easily upgraded, there are3 more slots available for RAM in the Motherboard.
The case has enough slots for case fans and extra HDDs, so cable management and air flow should be no problem.
The monitor has an 23" screen and supports 1920 x 1080 resolution, it is a good choice when on a budget.
If you have any more questions, let me know and I will be glad to help you.


Edit: There was a mistake in the PCpartpicker list that showed the wrong price for the RAM, fixed it but now the build is 760$. I hope it is not to big of a deal, since shipping is already included in the price.

Unlike the other PC gamers in this thread, I'd say that rig for a PS4 is a decent deal - if you do plan on replacing your PC with something a little more powerful, as you say in another thread.

Once you pick up the PS4, what you need first and foremost is a PS+ subscription, which I think is $50 a year. Multiplayer is more or less dependent upon it (except where noted, in certain games). With the service, you also get two free games every month. So far, they've all been smaller indie titles, though the PS3 is seeing some older AAA releases. You can still make a PSN id to buy games and suchlike off the PS store.

Next, you'd probably want a second controller, especially if you're into fighting games like Mortal Kombat or Injustice. Sportsfriends, one of the free PS+ games this month, is also local MP only, and I've really enjoyed it so far.

If your WiFi is not ideal, and you don't have a LAN connection direct to the PS4, you could look into one of these.

Finally, you could look into upgrading the hard drive. 500 GB doesn't last long, since the PS4 installs all games, even ones on discs, to the hard drive. With each title clocking in between 25 and 40 GB, not to mention the two free PS+ games every month, it's gonna run out fast.

Thankfully, it's really easy to replace, as detailed here. I've heard good things on /r/PS4 about a certain 2TB Samsung hard disk, but I cannot find it right now. Or you could go for an SSD, which is faster but more expensive.

That's about all I can think of at the moment. Now for the disclaimer:

If your primary motivation for the PS4 is Destiny, you might want to hold off. I'm enjoying the game, but I would not recommend it to anyone who hasn't already tried it and decided if it's the game for them. I played the open beta for between six and eight hours before deciding to buy it. If you can, play for at least an hour or two on a friend's system before taking the leap.

I know unsolicited advice is often unwelcome, so feel free to skip the following paragraph if you want to:

UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOLLOWS

You could upgrade your GPU and get a PS4 for cheaper than assembling a new rig from scratch. I'm pretty sure you could sell just the GPU for between eighty and a hundred bucks.

UNSOLICITED ADVICE ENDS

Cheers, and welcome to the PS family!

You seem to be confused by marketing nonsense started at Linksys after Bill Gates suggested the phrase. There are two main integrated components here. One is the router (really a router + switch) and the other is the wifi access point.

You should return the model that you purchased. The best quality router that I could suggest would be the Ubiquiti ER-X, $50 and it has no integrated wifi access point. The reason why it is he best is due to the smart queue, which helps with bufferbloat. That does not solve your actual problem, but it makes as much sense as talking about stronger routers and makes my point that your wifi AP is a separate function that should be treated separately. Before I address that m, I should say that you will not regret getting the ER-X if you decide to do it. Its smart queue will fix the issue of web pages being slow when you are downloading things that you probably blamed on your ISP.

As for fixing your wifi, you will probably want multiple access points configured to use the same SSID and encryption. Then place them at strategic locations on your property and configure them to use non-overlapping channels. That will allow roaming between APs and allow your Netflix streams to go over the nearest one without causing one to step on another. Multiple Unifi AC Lite APs at $70 each would work nicely.

If for some reason you do not want to do that, you could try buying a used Ruckus Zoneflex 7982 off eBay. They get far better range than other access points due to their antenna array that does advanced beamforming and custom radio that had higher RX sensitivity than other radios. I have been testing one and I can get 140Mbps on 5GHz from about 40ft away with 4 to 5 ft of (drywall) walls in between my laptop and the AP. If you buy one, you will need to purchase a power supply separately because they do not come with them. They are mostly meant to be powered by 802.11af PoE and there are cheap adapters that you can buy to provide that. For example:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Gigabit-Ethernet-Injector-TL-PoE150S/dp/B001PS9E5I

You could be looking at ~$110 for the AP and a power supply. Note that those APs are EOL, despite being the best in the world 5 years ago. That is why you can purchase them used off eBay for between $90 to $120 rather than their original MSRP of $1099. They still work well. I gave one to my uncle for Christmas and set it up for him. A few days later, I asked him how he liked it and he replied it was the best Christmas present ever. He went across the street from his house and had a weak, but usable 2.4GHz signal on his phone. At 2.4GHz, it covers his entire property and likely his next door neighbor's entire property too. If I had to guess, his property is something between 150ft by 150ft and 200ft by 200ft. The Ruckus is located on top of a tall piece of furniture on the second floor to try to minimize obstructions.

That said, your mileage can vary, but either of the APs I suggested work nicely (especially if you go with multiple ones). In my experience, one centrally placed Ruckus zoneflex 7982 will cover the same area as two Unifi AC Lite APs, although top speeds are lower near the AP because the zoneflex 7982 is 802.11n while the Unifi APs are 802.11ac. I would expect the Unifi AP speeds to fall below the Ruckus unit at 25 ft with a couple feet of wall in between, although I did not verify it. I just know that they only do 110Mbps at about 30ft with 3 to 4 ft of wall and the Ruckus does 140Mbps at about 40ft with 4 to 5ft of wall. I did not explicitly measure distance and thickness, so those numbers are approximate and more accurate taken relatively than absolutely.

It's super easy. I never did it before either, and I'm a female who has zero experience with house repairs. I can build a computer but don't know a damn thing about house repairs like electricity, plumbing, or anything like that. Basically, my dad just used his drill, drilled a small hole and went into the basement and we snaked the ethernet cord up through to my room.

If you want to get a new router, I would recomend getting a Linksys WRT AC1200 Dual-Band and Wi-Fi Wireless Router with Gigabit and USB 3.0 Ports and eSATA. I have the model that's slightly higher, the Linksys WRT1900ACS Dual-Band Smart Wi-Fi Gigabit Router, but I don't think you would need to spend that much unless you wanted to.

Or you could get a powerline adapter or wireless range extender. You could get the TP-LINK AV500 AC750 Wi-Fi Range Extender, Powerline Edition (TL-WPA4530 KIT) which has both and currently has a $10 off coupon. Obviously, ethernet is always better than wireless if possible. Make sure what you get can handle the speed of your modem/router. You can do a speed test with any of these websites (I typically check a few different websites and then average the speed): Ookla Speed Test, CNET Speed Test, Source Forge Speed Test, Bandwith Place Speed Test, SpeedTest.Org, e-Speed Test, SpeedOf.Me Speed Test, Speak Easy Speed Test, Verizon Speed Test, Charter Speed Test.

Remember, if you make any purchase with Amazon, always use Amazon Smile which donates a portion of your purchase to a charity of your choice. So instead of going to http://www.amazon.com, always go to http://smile.amazon.com and help someone out.

If you want the absolute best reception possible, a PCIe card is the best choice. Not too expensive.

If you want something that'll save you money and still offer solid reception, there's USB adapters.

Alternatively, depending on how old your house is (I'm not sure of how the logistics go; you'd have to search around on that), powerline adapters are the next best thing to a wired connection.

Wired > Powerline > PCIe > USB

USB isn't bad, but PCIe is a good sweet spot if a powerline adapter wouldn't work.

So roughly $10-40 for WiFi. It's well worth it over purchasing a motherboard with it built-in.

---

With your budget? Yessir. Hardware before luxuries.

---

It's not hard at all. There are plenty of instructional videos and articles on how to do it.

tl;dr Make a bootable flash drive (at least 4GB on the drive; might as well have a bigger one, though), put the Windows ISO on there (make sure your Windows is tied to your Windows account; not as a local account either), install it to the SSD, boot up, sign in with the same Windows email as before, and activate it. Easy as that.

Make sure you wipe your hard drive, too.

Nope, nothing at all. You are the first person to ever run into the problem of being too far away from your router. There is no technology to solve this problem, and there never will be. Your only solution is to tear down your parents' house and build a smaller one so you'll be closer to the router...

I kid :)

This is a very common problem and it's easy to solve. Here's a few options.

The easiest is probably a WiFi Range Extender. These work decently well at re-generating the wireless signal to increase the coverage area. Put the range extender within the area that still has good coverage, set it up correctly, and it will expand that coverage.

There are a few drawbacks though. Your signal from the range extender will only be as useful as the range extender's signal back to the base station. So if you put the range extender on the fringe of the base's coverage, then you'll see a really strong signal on your device (from the range extender) but the bandwidth will still suck (because the range extender can't make a good connection back to the base).
Also, even when this system is working perfectly, it will reduce your wireless bandwidth by 50% or more. That's because the range extender uses the same frequency to receive and then re-transmit each signal, so each packet takes double the frequency time to send- once to be transmitted, and again to be re-transmitted by the range extender. Note that this may not actually affect your Internet speed- if your WiFi is going at 300mbit/sec, and this halves it to 150mbit/sec, then it's still not a bottleneck if your cable modem is only 30mbit/sec.

A potentially more reliable option is a MoCA Bridge Kit. That takes your local network as Ethernet from your router and re-injects it back into the coax cable. The result is anywhere you have a coax jack, you can just add another MoCA unit and whammo you now have a hardwired Ethernet port. In most houses this works slightly better than WiFi range extenders since you're getting a hardwired connection. To expand your wireless range, buy both this kit and the above range extender, plug one MoCA unit into your router and the coax, the other MoCA unit into the range extender and the coax, and then set the range extender to operate as an access point (not a range extender). Set the network name and security key to be the same as on the base router, but use a different channel. This will give you the fastest and most reliable system overall. Your laptop/phone/etc will connect to whichever device is closest (base router or the range extender working as a second access point).

IMPORTANT NOTE ON MoCA BRIDGES: MoCA only works on houses that use Cable internet and TV. If your house uses Satellite TV, then there's a similar device for DirecTV called DECA. If you have cable internet and satellite TV, that means there's two coax systems in your house (one from the modem, the other from the dish) so whichever bridges you use have to be on the same system.
If you have AT&T U-Verse, none of this shit will work because they use something completely different called HPNA-over-coax that's not compatible with either MoCA or DECA.

Hope that helps! Feel free to ask if you have any questions...

> I'm having an electrician come out to run Cat6 throughout my house. The idea is to have 6 pulls in the office/game room, 6 in the living room/media room, and 2 in each of 3 bedrooms.

Sounds good, but you'll also want drops for your APs. These go to the spots on your ceiling where you'll mount your APs, and the locations depend on the layout if your house. If you have one large spread out floor you'll want at least two that are fairly far apart and in rooms with heavy Wi-Fi use. If you have multiple floors you'll want one per floor, each centrally located. You don't need to run power to these as well as the APs will use PoE (power over ethernet).

> The cables will be terminated using RJ45 connectors on both ends. One end in pass-through faceplates on the walls and the other will terminate in a pass-through patch panel in a network rack. This will then hook into a Netgear Switch (linked below).

Don't do this. All permanently installed cables should terminate at punch-downs at both ends. Punch-down keystone jacks at one end and a punch-down patch panel at the other. Punch-down terminations are easier and quicker than RJ45 terminations and work better. The cable itself needs to be solid core copper, no CCA (copper clad aluminum) and no stranded cable. The only exception is the AP drops, these terminate in an RJ45 plug that will connect directly to the AP. Cat6 is fine as long as all your drops are under 180 ft.

> Second, is there anything I can do to lose the Verizon router if I plan to still use their television package? I may drop it in the future, but for now we plan to keep it.

Absolutely. You just get a MoCA adapter and connect it between your coaxial lines (just use the line that was previously connected to your Verizon router) and an Ethernet port on your switch/router. Before you install this you'll want to make sure to have Ethernet cable run from your ONT to your router and have your ONT set to use Ethernet rather than Coax for internet. This will not affect your TV service, and will already be the case if your service is 100 megabit or faster. Getting it done just requires a quick phone call to Verizon, but have the ONT to router ethernet cable in place before you do this.

> Third, is there any benefit to getting a different router if our wireless use is limited? We do a lot of gaming and a lot of people suggest getting a gaming router, but can I have 2 routers on the network? I don't fully understand what the second would do or how to use it for everything but TV usage?

Any typical home network always has exactly one router. The purpose of a router isn't to provide Wi-Fi, it's to act as a gateway and traffic cop between your network and the internet. It allows multiple devices to use a single internet connection, gives IP addresses to devices on the network, and blocks unwanted incoming traffic. Only one device, the device directly connected to your internet connection, can do these jobs.

The device that provides Wi-Fi is an Access Point or AP. A "wireless router" is just a router with an AP built in. In your case, you'll want to use dedicated APs. I already went over where they should be located and the cable that needs to be run to them. You do not need a PoE switch to power them, each one comes with a PoE injector.

As for the actual router, this will be your best choice. This is a router only, it is not a switch and it is not an AP. You just connect the WAN port to your ONT and the LAN port to your switch. It works particularly well with the APs I linked, as they're all on the UniFi platform they're all controlled with the same UniFi Controller software.

Here's my setup, which is pretty similar to what I'm proposing:

ONT. Nothing too special here, just notice that the Ethernet port is hooked up and the MoCA light is off, indicating the internet connection is not using the coaxial cable. The Coaxial cable goes to a 2-way splitter, one cable from it goes to the MoCA adapter (it used to go to the Verizon router when I used one), the other goes to a 4-way splitter, cables from there go to the cable boxes.

Front view of network gear. That's an EdgeRouter Lite at the top, it has the same hardware as the UniFi Security Gateway but uses its own web-based GUI rather than the UniFi Controller. Practically the same thing. The left port on it goes to the ONT, the right one goes to the switch at the bottom. In the middle is the patch panel, a punch-down one.

Rear view of network gear. There's a lot going on here. The back of the switch can be seen in the middle, above it are all the lines leading to the back of the patch panel and the outlet/surge protector. The MoCA adapter is at the top left, this takes the place of the Verizon router's MoCA hardware to give internet access to the cable boxes. At the top right are two PoE injectors for two UniFi APs.

A UniFi AP. Please ignore the wallpaper, it's not my decision. The Ethernet cable runs directly to one of the PoE injectors in the previous picture, then a short Ethernet cable connects the PoE injector to the switch. No other cable runs to the AP. The other AP is on the floor above. Mine are wall-mounted and work just fine, but they're designed to be ceiling mounted and will work better that way.

The benefit of doing a bridge is that you get to keep all the features from your main router. In my case I have all the features from Orbi router. Like I can still reserve ip address for each device so that they dont drop from network as much. Eero is just mesh wifi extender for me.

If for any reason you run into some dead spots still with Eero, this Powerline adapter is pretty awesome. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AWRUICG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have all my old 2.4ghz only devices that come with ethernet port like my Bose sound touch speakers and my other network printer connected via this Powerline adapter kit. When I check the connection Orbi consider them as hardwired so the speed is incredibly stable considering I am streaming from Pandora and syncing multiple Bose wifi speakers. I used to get stutters because one speaker gets dropped from wifi and it would stop syncing or playing music. Ever since I switched to the powerline adapters, the problem went away. The music only now stops when Pandora is asking "Are you still listening" I just have hit yes to resume the music.

It's kind of like Eero, just semi-wired. All you need to do is connecting Powerline adapter to router, plugging it into a nearby outlet, and then another where you want the device to be hooked up. There are no cables along the wall.

This is good for appliances and devices that literally dont need to be on wireless especially on older 2.4ghz devices. Fridges, printers, speakers, etc. Also less devices over wifi i think is better for every device in terms of stability. However, if you can get away with just relying on just wifi, dude that's super awesome :)

Other wise, hacking a bunch different system to work together seems to work for me lol. Gotta do what I must when I can't find one single router to handle all the devices and have stable connections.

Firstly I would get a "wifi channel scanner" app like Wifi Analyzer for Android, or anything that has a similar graphic to this. Find a channel that has the least amount of SSIDs on it, but try to stick to 1, 6, and 11 to avoid overlapping 2 channels at once. You can get a full signal but have horrible transfer ("tx") rates if it's too congested.

If that doesn't help you can look into something like Ethernet over power. Then you don't have to worry about only 1 device not working with wifi but everything else is fine. Plus better speed for video streaming.

Lastly, the most complicated option, installing DD-WRT on the router so you can get more control options and more in depth feedback, type in the model number here to see if it's supported, then check out some tutorials or videos on YouTube, it's very popular so there's going to be a lot of help available. Only do it if you're comfortable, and are ok with the possibility that it could "brick" the router. It's a fantastic tool even if you never use 90% of the added features, plus it's free.

Thank you for the well thought out response! What sort of headset do you use on your phone for Discord? I've tried using some cheap bluetooth headsets and my friends usually say I sound like a radio drama from the 50s.

Yeah I keep getting the vibe that I'm gonna need to have a pretty solid connection between the Link and my computer, preferably ethernet. I can't really drill into any walls at my apartment... I'm wondering if I should have one long ethernet cord go out to the Link in the front room? Seems kinda brute force but I guess that would work.

I've also been told that something like this works pretty well, but I'm not sure about it yet. Seems like black magic to me haha but it certainly seems like it would be a more graceful solution if it works.

I have a similar need and I tried using the wireless uplink feature and using a second UAP AC, but as noted in the other comments, the performance was not great.

I bought a Western Digital WD bridge from ebay for $35 and it works pretty well.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Digital-WD-My-Net-AC-Bridge-4-Port-Gigabit-WiFi-Bridge-WDBMRD0000NBL/231070268555?epid=151851167&hash=item35ccdc7c8b:g:2AMAAOxyOlhSq59y

The throughput was about double what I was getting compared to a second UAP-AC-PRO and it only cost about $35. It is a little temperamental and needs to be rebooted occasionally.

I really wish there was a UBNT solution (AC bridge ) that didn't require going to their airmax products as the intermediate link.

Also as mentioned, the power line products have gotten much better. I just bought a couple of the AV2 power line adapters with mimo and get really good throughput on those. I had tried the previous generation and found them unusable. Something like:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-Pass-through-TL-PA9020P-KIT/dp/B01H74VKZU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517531244&sr=8-3&keywords=powerline+mimo

Project is mostly done - disappointingly simple.

We have cable internet coming in, 100mbs to a MTA modem/router. That sends out WiFi to the local room, (middle of house) but doesn't get the two far ends, the garage and master bedrooms.)

Directv is also installed, ran with coaxial everywhere. Nowadays Directv sets up a series of WiFi emitters, and each TV has a 'mini genie' box to pick up that WiFi and bring video/sound to the TV. This avoids the need for lots of cable drops, and lets you move equipment around easier.

Played with running internet through the coaxial used by Directv, played with running extra coaxial and using MoCA, running Cat6 and setting up drops, looked at Ubiquiti, looked at several other items.

Ended up with four of NETGEAR's Powerline adaptors: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01929V7ZG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Plugged the wireless one into the router and wall socket, dropped a WiFi capable powerline AP in the garage, Master bedroom, a couple on each end of the upstairs bedrooms. Deliberately didn't name them the same as the main router, but otherwise they all have the same SSID and password as each other. Go anywhere in the house, and you pretty quickly lose the signal from one but come within the range of the next. Due to the house construction there are sharp dropoffs between rooms so simply going through a door is enough to force your device to switch APs.

/shrug Cost $400 and was pretty painless. The house was built in 1965, and they're running rock solid.

I tried a few different brands, ended up liking Netgear's the best. And as they're sold in sets, I have a handful of wired adapters for any rooms or areas that need a hardline. (One room doesn't have wireless capability, but now I just pop one of these in the socket and run a ethernet cable.)

I almost wished I paid more for a pass-through plug.

I was really looking forward to setting up Ubiquity through.

If you can't go wired, your best option is a powerline adapter. I've never had to use one as I can always wire directly to my router, but I hear it's the best option vs. wireless. Your second best and only other option really is wireless. For wireless, the best option is an internal PCI-E wireless NIC, 802.11 ac to use the 5 GHz band for the best speeds.

So, after a good hour and a half of research, I decided I really liked the ones you linked me for the price, but I gotta go all out on this. Especially since I may be moving out with a friend soon who will also be a heavy Internet user (Destiny, anime, Netflix streaming, etc).

Ended up going with this model and some surprisingly cheap CAT7 Ethernet cables in the hopes that they will be heavy duty and future proof. From what I've read, both the top-of-the-line adapters and the high-grade cables are super overkill for what I actually have as an Internet setup. But after 3 years of being mocked as the lagging guy in raids, I will do anything for an upgrade.

If these work, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for opening my eyes to this solution!

The old case will not fit the GPU and its generally outdated in terms of cooling and layout.Even if the gpu could fit,the case would run hot.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01929ESG6/ In order for it to perform well it must not be plugged into a power strip and it should be part of the same circuit breaker panel.

Gsync is used along with Vsync and also an fps limiter at 142 fps.This way input lag remains extremely low and screen tearing is eliminated.

If you disable Vsync then you get screen tearing.If you do not use an fps limiter with vsync on then if you reach 144fps Vsync takes over and you get huge input lag.(not that huge but big difference).

In overwatch at least,I cannot notice screen tearing on my 144hz monitor even if I try to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADYzuMe17q8 this video indirectly explains how to get the most out of the Gsync technology.Data at 8:20

Lastly by using Gsync you reduce the frametime variance.

I cannot vote against Gsync because I have never experienced it.I cannot vote for it also because i definitely do not need it.The monitor below comes with freesync(amd equivalent).Maybe amd can come up with a decent GPU that will be able to run 1440p144hz in the future.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $339.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $39.17 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI Z270 GAMING M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $112.98 @ Newegg
Memory | Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $99.99 @ Newegg
Storage | SK hynix SL308 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $155.99 @ SuperBiiz
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Gaming OC 11G Video Card | $684.79 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Corsair 270R ATX Mid Tower Case | $57.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $69.99 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $89.99 @ My Choice Software
Case Fan | ARCTIC Arctic F12 74.0 CFM 120mm Fan | $6.48 @ SuperBiiz
Case Fan | ARCTIC Arctic F12 74.0 CFM 120mm Fan | $6.48 @ SuperBiiz
Monitor | AOC I2279VWHE 21.5" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor | $99.99 @ Best Buy
Monitor | AOC I2279VWHE 21.5" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor | $99.99 @ Best Buy
Monitor | AOC AG271QX 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor | $429.99 @ Best Buy
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2343.81
| Mail-in rebates | -$50.00
| Total | $2293.81
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-28 19:06 EDT-0400 |

MPEG-2 HDTV over WiFi is a no-go. Things like Netflix can get away with it for 2 reasons:

1. 3Mbps H.264 vs. ~15Mbps needed for the same quality MPEG-2 from cable, with no option for a lower bitrate stream.
   
   
2. Internet streaming services buffer ahead of what you are watching, usually by 30s or more, so if your WiFi goes away for a second or two (which happens all the time...), it can be playing out of the already downloaded buffer during that time. WMC buffering time defaults to 100 ms. You can raise this in the registry but not by much. The reason they keep the buffer so tiny is because a bigger buffer would make it take longer to switch channels watching live TV.
   
   You have a few realistic options:
   
   

1. MoCA. (Ethernet over coax) Unlike Powerline, these things are actually good, and actually deliver the rated total bandwith they are advertised with! (but exactly half that between any two nodes) The FiOS router is in fact a dual band MoCA adapter, and their default installation uses one MoCA channel for the WAN connection from the router to the ONT and another for the LAN to talk to set top boxes. It adds 4ms latency, but that is still way better than WiFi. In the past year or so, MoCA 2.0 adapters have become available to give it 600Mbps bandwidth, but do not get the offbrands of these -- they are still buggy and need to be rebooted every day or two. Off-brand is OK for MoCA 1.0 as that is far more mature. ActionTec MoCA 2.0 adapters are here: https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bonded-Ethernet-Adapter-ECB6200K02/dp/B013J7O3X0/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1486960250&sr=1-3&keywords=moca+adapter
   
   
2. Configure Windows to act like a router, with the HDHR behind that router with Internet Connection Sharing: http://www.home-network-help.com/windows-7-internet-connection-sharing.html
   
   Note: the MoCA signal is much stronger than the cable TV signal, and even though it operates in a higher frequency range, the periodic scans for other MoCA devices will interfere with cable channels near harmonics of the MoCA frequency. If your neighbors are using it, that may actually account for the kind of signal loss you are seeing. You will need to put a MoCA filter in front of the cable tuner to block the interference. MoCA filters: https://www.amazon.com/2-Pack-Extreme-POE-F201C-Point-Filter/dp/B01FT8C5DW/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1486960793&sr=1-4&keywords=moca+filter -- Note: there are other filters listed on Amazon. I picked these out because it lists a larger stopband frequency which includes the MoCA 2.0 range, not just the primary 2 channels for MoCA 1.0. Oddly none of the ones currently on Amazon blocks the 1GHz used by FiOS WAN, but maybe this is OK because the WAN band wouldn't have the higher amplitude pings searching for new devices on the network. Most cable company STBs have these filters built in, while the InfiniTV and HDHR do not. The cable company is supposed to put a filter like this where the cable enters your house to isolate your signal from the neighbors for stuff like this, but might likely not.
   
   

You're right. I've never actually used an adapter, as I've always just had PoE switches available. It's nice working for a company with good available resources and funding for dev/prod upgrades often. Makes more sense to put the injector on the switch side. Still, makes no sense to use them over a PoE switch, though.

Why are you assuming I'm using Ubiquiti throughout the whole network? I have an ER-X, that's my only Ubiquiti product at home. I see tons of people recommend other brands, for instance like a TP-Link AC1750 as a decent cheaper alternative to Ubiquiti APs. And look, it doesn't ship with a PoE adapter!! Dang! https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Supports-Technology-EAP245/dp/B01N0XZ1TU/ Only ~$80, instead of ~$130 for a UAP-AC-PRO (Which on Amazon it says it doesn't come with a PoE adapter either! https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AC-PRO-Access-Included/dp/B079DSW6XX/ ). So here's an one adapter for $20 https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PoE150S-Injector-Adapter-compliant/dp/B001PS9E5I/ but wait, it can only push 15W! My Aruba APs can draw up to 25W. So less flexible, gotta get adapters for every AP, gotta power them near the switch, what a hassle.

It'd almost be awesome if there are affordable PoE switches available! Oh, look at this 8-port Gigabit PoE Managed switch for only ~$65! https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Gigabit-Lifetime-compliant-TL-SG108PE/dp/B01BW0AD1W/ whereas a Unifi Switch 8 PoE is ~$110 https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-Switch-60W-US-8-60W/dp/B01MU3WUX1/ Plus, you'll probably need the cloudkey if you're gonna use UAPs, so there's another $80. And might as well throw in a USG while you're at it for another $120, since OP needs a router anyways.

So, we could do your Ubiquiti stack:

• UAP-AC-PRO - $130
  
• PoE Injector - $20
  
• USG - $130
  
• Cloudkey - $80
  
• Still will likely need some switch, unless OP has one already. USG doesn't have enough ports. Could get a good ole' Netgear GS108 for $50, only $15 cheaper than the TP-Link PoE version above, which if you're paying $20 to get an injector (and more if you need multiple injectors) that doesn't make much sense does it?
  
  And we'd see that setting up your Ubiquiti network will cost somewhere around $400.
  
  If we do the other brands:
  
  
• TP-Link 1750 - $80
  
• TP-Link SG108PE - $65
  
• We can use an ER-X as our gateway since it's relatively cheap - $60
  
  Wow, look how much simpler that is! And it only cost around $205!
  
  So, remind me again in which section it's cheaper to use the PoE injectors? OP (likely) needs a switch anyways. PoE switch is $15 more expensive than non. But you're paying $20 for one injector anyways (PoE switch is like getting (Edit: 4, not 8) injectors for only $15). Did I miss anything here?

Access Points are better than a repeater, but they need to be wired - either you'll have to do ethernet cable run or use powerline adapters (that make use of house wiring) to connect your router to AP unit.

There are 3 in 1 units that can act as either an AP, repeater, router. So maybe get one of those and keep your options open. Something like an Asus RT-N12 or similar.

Then if you can run an ethernet cable from your router to the AP unit, that would be best. But I'm guessing you can't/won't do this, or you would have run a cable already to the bedroom.

So that leaves you with Powerline Adapters. Get a kit from a place with a good return policy in case it's not compatible with your home wiring. Then if all good, just connect your router and AP with it, and you're good to go. Something like this powerline kit should be good enough. Though you can get units with gigabit ethernet or passthrough if you lack wall outlets.

Sorry for this late reply, but I just wanted to mention anecdotally that my experience with the TP LINK AV1200 powerline adapters has been pretty good with the Steam Link, FWIW. And I live in a house from the 1880s. EIGHTEEN eighties, with questionable wiring upgrades since then, but not designed with powerline network in mind.

I'm happy with it since rewiring the house or running cables all over the place are NOT options I would consider.

Definitely if you're going to try to use wireless or powerline rather than wired you'd probably want to lean more toward the newer faster more expensive equipment to have the best chance of a decent experience.

Just informing that this is the equipment I ended up with and my experience has been ok.

Use the router for the powerline -- other users have mentioned the issue with double NAT, but keep in mind your powerline adapter, depending on how much you pay, will be much more limited in bandwidth than the gigabit ports on most modern routers.

If your concern is to extend your wireless network, I highly recommend the TP-Link AV500 WiFi Powerline Kit. I purchased one myself a few months ago and have it set up in my guest bedroom/office, with about 6 walls between me and my AC66U router. Speeds are fantastic, both wired and wireless. I have my laptop connected wirelessly, with my Pi and home server running wired (the adapter has 2 Ethernet ports), so it works out great and I get great N coverage on this side of my apartment now.

In the future, you can just purchase more modules to extend the network in case you have a house or a larger dwelling.

Hope this helps!

>If I buy a USB adapter, can I choose somewhere to disable the in-build adapter and use the plugged in one instead?

Yeah! You sure can disable the on-board adapter. Then it defaults to the other one. We can help too. but it's in device manager in windows.

>Is this a good idea?

Powerline? powerline. Yeah. Is powerline a good idea? Trick question it's always a good idea. It basically bridges a pair of ethernet with your buildings electrical wiring. You just need 2 ethernet cables and physical access to the router. If you're at home or apartment and just can't run a cable through 3 rooms this is great. If you're at a uni or work and lack physical access to the router, then this doesn't help. But powerline is going to be lowest latency, highest reliability, etc.

PCIe adapters are also a good idea. USB adapters are an okay idea. Onboard wifi is really most useful in mITX when you a) need wifi and b) don't have room for a PCIe card.

USB works okay too but frequent dropped connections on most of the USB adapters I've tried. by the time you spend enough for a good one you could have just bought a pcie card!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $299.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | NZXT Kraken X52 Liquid CPU Cooler | $149.99
Motherboard | Asus MAXIMUS VIII GENE Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $199.99 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $129.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $129.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Hitachi Travelstar 1TB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $57.98 @ Amazon
Video Card | Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB STRIX Video Card | $678.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Fractal Design Define Mini C with Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case | $79.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | SeaSonic 660W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $118.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case Fan | NoiseBlocker NB-eLoop B12-PS 58.1 CFM 120mm Fan | $19.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan | NoiseBlocker NB-eLoop B12-PS 58.1 CFM 120mm Fan | $19.99 @ Amazon
Mouse | Corsair M65 RGB Wired Laser Mouse | $59.99 @ Corsair
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1945.87
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-23 20:41 EST-0500 |

If you can't use an ethernet connection for the system use this NETGEAR Powerline 1200 and Extra Outlet (PLP1200-100PAS) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S6DBGIS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_hxKnyb2V6Z8D4

Lower latency faster Ram, extra fans for either better cooling or to replace any loud case fans, my recommendation for the most comfortable mouse for gaming, an excellent power supply. You should be able to run most games on 4K with that card at a stable 60hz, you may have to lower settings on some poorly optimized games.


Here is a much smaller higher quality case the Caselabs BH4 , link to a similar build.
https://pcpartpicker.com/b/4YyfrH#description

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $299.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | NZXT Kraken X52 Liquid CPU Cooler | $149.99
Motherboard | Asus MAXIMUS VIII GENE Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $199.99 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $126.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $129.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Hitachi Travelstar 1TB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $55.33 @ Amazon
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card | $629.99 @ Jet
Power Supply | Corsair SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply | $119.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan | NoiseBlocker NB-eLoop B12-PS 58.1 CFM 120mm Fan | $19.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan | NoiseBlocker NB-eLoop B12-PS 58.1 CFM 120mm Fan | $19.99 @ Amazon
Mouse | Corsair M65 RGB Wired Laser Mouse | $59.99 @ Corsair
Other| Caselabs Bullet BH4 mATX TX Case| $189.95
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $2002.18
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-23 22:49 EST-0500 |

First, don't go by the antenna bars, they aren't 100% accurate. Download a speed test app, and test the speed strength when you're in your room compared to being next to the router.

I can't imagine losing that much signal strength from being down the hall. You can try moving your router closer to the middle part of your place.

Your current router isn't the latest and greatest, but it is dual band, so I would definitely setup the 5ghz network as well. 5ghz is stronger and usually has less traffic on the frequency, but it doesn't do well with distance. If you have newer phones (iPhone 5 and better), they should have an antenna for 5ghz and might improve your speed. You can easily google if your devices are compatible. Most should now be.

If that doesn't work you can look into getting a MoCa or a Powerline adapter. Don't get a wifi extender, those are crap. Also, I wouldn't bother with any new "mesh network".

If you really need to strengthen your wifi signal, it's always the best bet to run an ethernet cable and setup an Access Point (AP). This is usually the least preferred option for most people because they don't want a cable running down their hallway, or don't want to deal with the hassle of running it through the walls.

The model I used for a church is discontinued and replaced by newer, but the Ubiquiti PowerBeam series are quite nice. Our buildings were around 150ft apart and we have full speed at the receiving end:

Powerbeam

Connect a WAP at the receiving end of the antenna and you have WiFi 500FT away.

Edit: Yeah $200 plus some cabling and install time isn't "Cheap" to some, but you can repurpose them after the party or attach them if you ever do another party. I don't think powerline would do well at 500ft but you can definitely try PowerLine Adapters - Just make sure you catch the same run of electricity that is shared with the house (If the electric is a separate service than the house then these won't work at all

Just to clarify, you're powering it over PoE? I'm new to RPi...so forgive me. Are you using "The Hat" or something like this. The latter seems like a better, cheaper & easier solution to me.

Using any particular distro? Or just plain old Raspbian? And how are you viewing that on the RPi? Just browser session in full screen? RTSP via VLC or some equivalent?

Our office is offsite from this location (accessible over our private WAN though), so would like some ability remote in and troubleshoot if the feed is down or not displaying properly. I'm assuming VNC would be OK for that unless there's a more elegant solution.

Well, one thing you can do is have a second router as a client bridge (Like a cheap WRT54G) and then have a NIC on the WRT54G feeding into the NAS. Or you can use powerline networking to get 100Mbps through electrical, allowing for a Router to NAS link without clogging up your Wifi. I strongly advise that you use Powerline networking if you have multiple devices that use wifi already.

Of course, the best solution is some ethernet, but since you said that's not possible, go for the powerline solution.

Here's a nice powerline networking solution:
http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=lp_1194444_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1382895299&sr=1-2


Cheers ! And happy FreeNas-ing !

Wow, I didn't even know this was a thing. I'll need to look at our coax wiring, but this might be the best throughput speed solution and I'm pretty sure out coax comes into the garage and splits from there, so it should work. Also looks like it'll be double what I'd pay for powerline though.

It looks like the Actiontec ECB6200 is currently the only product on the market that gives around gigabit speed, and supposedly the most recent firmware has fixed the speed issues it was having. $163.45 is a bit pricey though.

Has anyone used this that can comment on it?

I bought this powerline adapter and it's been great. My internet isn't very consistent, I only get the 60mbps I pay for during certain times of the day. But that TP-link powerline adapter gives me 65mbps when my connection is good enough. (I double check/verify the connection speed on my laptop).

From what I understand, powerline adapters don't work in every house. Mine works though, and it was definitely worth $28. It cut my ping in half from an Archer T4UH, which is the main reason I bought it. Was tired of inconsistent wifi speeds (I also live in a pretty crowded neighborhood, about 10 wifi channels show up).

If you have amazon prime or can find a store with free returns, I definitely recommend giving it a shot. I don't see any reason to pay for an adapter that is capable of delivering way more mbps than you pay for. Just get one that is capable of delivering what you pay for, maybe a little more.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor | $197.88 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI - B350 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard | $81.98 @ Newegg
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $134.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Western Digital - Blue 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $149.87 @ OutletPC
Storage | Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.99 @ Best Buy
Video Card | EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card | $549.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Fractal Design - Focus G (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $59.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | EVGA - SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.99 @ NCIX US
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $92.99 @ B&H
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1417.67
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-15 02:29 EDT-0400 |

Same build but 1080ti

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor | $197.88 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI - B350 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard | $81.98 @ Newegg
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $134.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Western Digital - Blue 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $149.87 @ OutletPC
Storage | Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.99 @ Best Buy
Video Card | Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Gaming OC 11G Video Card | $724.98 @ Newegg
Case | Fractal Design - Focus G (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $59.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | EVGA - SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.99 @ NCIX US
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $92.99 @ B&H
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1592.66
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-15 02:30 EDT-0400 |

Edit if you need a Wifi adapter this one will be good. Wifi is not recommend for online gaming thought. I would go with a powerline adapter if you have a free ethernet port on your router. I have some of these connecting the devices in my house and they work great.

They're pretty damn neat. But from what I understand it utilizes your house's electrical grid to route the signal through. It was the clear winner vs. wifi for my household. We had 1 powerline sending signal to 3 others upstairs and worked like a charm before hardwiring our PCs directly to the downstairs router.

We've had two separate ones, the TP Link AV500 and the TP Link AV1000. Honestly I'm not sure if there was a difference so I'd probably recommend just getting the AV500. We only went up to the AV1000 when we added on the third person.

Setup is super simple, plug the one adapter to an outlet by the router, and connect the two via ethernet. Then plug the other adapter into an outlet near whatever device (PC, 2nd router, etc) you want to connect, and they'll pair. I believe there may be a button to press.

This power outlet wifi extender works great for $30 and have good reviews. It's probably the easiest one to extend wifi in your house.

If your looking for powerline ethernet this is also a good one for $25 although you'll need to purchase Ethernet Cable for it because the box only includes one ethernet for the router.

You only gotta pay for the adapters and set them up it's pretty easy won't take 10 minute then you'll probably have wifi in your room.

Nice CSGO gambling im pretty sure it's illegal I spend most of my time playing h1z1 or just the casualy league of legend

I kept the standard FiOS router as the ingress/egress to the home simply so I didn't have to deal with fiddling around to retain the service feature integration with the STBs and mobile app. For example all of the mobile app functions work when on the local Wi-Fi or remotely, the STB self-help tools work, and Verizon support working remotely to the STBs still works without having to explain to some support person I'm not setup the way they expect.

I'm sure I could have figured it out, but the time to do so wasn't important to me and I'd rather avoid the headache of a frustrated support rep.

I currently have two AP AC Lite and one AP AC Pro spread around the home. The two AP AC Lite units were part of my original purchase and I added the AP AC Pro later on to boost signal in a couple areas the Lite units were covering a bit weakly due to a lot of walls the signal was going through. I also have the Cloud Key for management purposes which I strongly suggest getting. It makes management, evenly remotely, of the UniFi gear a very simple task.

I do have a USG sitting new in a box for about a year I haven't gotten around to installing. My plan is to hang that off one of the FiOS router RJ-45 ports and run everything non-STB IP related through it, while the STBs using MoCA go around it.

My current setup works great, but it isn't what I want in the end and probably not what you'll see most people with. We moved into this home ~1.5 years ago and it has no network drops. As an immediate solution I started using some MoCA 2 to Ethernet adapters to get IP into areas without network cabling run to them. My intent was to go back and run CAT-6 later, but these have been working so well I keep kicking that can down the road. The adapters I'm using: https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bonded-Ethernet-Adapter-ECB6200K02/dp/B013J7O3X0/

Here is what I currently have, you'll want to view this in a full browser and not a mobile app to see the layout well.


ONT--> RJ-45 Port--> FiOS Router--> RJ-45 Ports --> Some network connected stuff.
|
|-<#>-->Coax --> <> --> MoCA to Ethernet Adapter --> Small Gig switch --> UniFi AC AP Lite and other stuff
| |
| |--> Set top box
|
|_<>--> MoCA to Ethernet Adapter --> Small Gig Switch -> UniFi AC AP Lite and other stuff
| |
| |--> Set top box
|
|<*>--> MoCA to Ethernet Adapter --> Small Gig Switch -> UniFi AC AP Pro, Cloud Key, and other stuff
|
|--> Set top box

<#> = A three-way equally balanced MoCA 2 compatible coax splitter.

*<>** = A two-way equally balanced MoCA 2 compatible coax splitter. Although the MoCA adapters have a pass-through port for connecting STBs, the FiOS STBs didn't work with it so I added the splitters. The FiOS ONT puts out such a hot signal on coax that the splits don't seem to interfere with the signal quality.



Here is what I plan to do once I get off my butt and run some CAT-6 so I can remove the MoCA adapters and coax splitters.

ONT--> RJ-45 Port --> FiOS Router--> RJ-45 Port --> USG --> Large POE Gig Switch --> Small POE Gig Switch --> UniFi AP and other stuff
| |
| |> Small POE Gig Switch -> UniFi AP and other stuff
| |
| |> Small POE Gig Switch -> UniFi AP and other stuff
|
|-<#>-->Coax --> Set Top Box
|
|> Set Top Box
|
|_> Set Top Box

I've used the TP-Link AV500 set for the past 4 years or so. It looks like those are still the bestsellers on Amazon and go for only $35 for a pair. Before that I used some by Panasonic, but they don't make those anymore (plus they were slower speeds).

I've run into some folks in this forum who really badmouth powerline adapters, but I've had tremendous success with them. Honestly, you have limited options...laying down ethernet cable, using WiFi, or powerline ethernet. Cabling is the best solution, but not practical for many folks. WiFi (even 5ghz) is sketchy (IMHO). Powerline ethernet is generally binary in functionality--either it will work (because the adapters are on the same circuit) or it will not work (and you can just return them). Are they as "good" as a hardwire? Probably not. But when they work, they're more than satisfactory for the Link or even streaming HD movies via a Roku, Xbox, etc.

I rewired the phone jacks in my house (built 2003). They were all going to a central point in the garage and the builders used Cat 5e, so were easily converted from phone (2 pins) to data (8 pins).

I don't think cat5 was around in the 90's, but not totally sure. If the wiring isn't already there, then yeah it will be a project to wire it, but not impossible if you're comfortable fishing wire and crawling through attics.

Powerline adapters also work great in many homes, depending on the quality of your electrical work and are plug and play. I used to use these as WiFi extenders (before switching to Unifis), and beside rebooting them once a month or so they worked fantastic.

Example of powerline adapter: https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Powerline-Pass-Through-TL-PA9020P-KIT/dp/B01H74VKZU/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=powerline+network+adapter&qid=1571690335&s=electronics&sr=1-3

Edit: WiFi has come a long way in the past few years. Invest in a high quality WiFi setup and you may not care about having wired connections anymore.

You could try powerline ethernet adapter like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AWRUICG/

If the plug where your room is and the plug where the router is are in the same circuit, it should work great, if not it may be hit or miss.

Other than that you next best bet is to try to improve your wifi with a better access point.

Something like this will be better than most ISP provided routers

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002YETVXC/

Or something like this should really cover a lot of area

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HXT8S9G/

1. For fear of advertising my own thread... you may find these tips useful on improving your PS4 speeds. I basically had the same problem as you. I was getting 42 mbps download wired on my macbook and about 5 mbps wireless. The PS4 was getting maybe 20 mbps wired and 4 wireless. (Both wireless devices were about 10 yards from my router.) I vastly improved my speeds with the tips from my post. Hope that helps!

2. Since then, I've done two things because I had a little money to spend ($150 to be exact). I bought a new router to improve my speeds to my wireless devices and I bought a wireless bridge to my PS4. I'm now getting about 30 mbps on my PS4 when I was only getting 4 to begin with.

So #1 helps if you have no money to spend and #2 helps if you have some. If anything, I recommend just buying the $30 wireless bridge because it gives you a wired connection.

Good luck!

So the adapters I've found are apparently Moca 1.0. Where is a good place to get moca 2.0? Or do I not need it for my speeds?I pretty much just need 2 basic adapters, no range extension or anything.

Edit: Apparently the adapters I've found are moca 1.1. They are [ http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Ethernet-Adapter-without-Routers/dp/B008EQ4BQG] (here). I'm just worried it isn't what I want, but the reviews are great and it seems like it'd be perfect for my apartment. Any input would be appreciated.

The PL1200 is indeed a great adapter, but it's also for Gigabit speeds. If your internet bandwidth doesn't exceed 100Mb/s then you'd be perfectly fine saving some money on some nice little TP Link ones like THESE. It honestly depends entirely on your network speeds.

NAT stuff is going to be done on your router. You'll want to navigate to your router settings in a browser (typically at 192.168.1.1) and find the option that says "Port Forwarding" or something to that nature.

Once you're there, select your PS4's IP address (you may have to figure this one out if you didn't already label it in your router, but you can find it in Settings > Network > View Connection Status on your PS4) and forward the following ports for both UDP and TCP:

• 80
  
• 443
  
• 1935
  
• 3478
  
• 3479
  
• 3480
  
  Here is a site that can probably walk you through the procedure for your specific router.
  
  Edit: Also remember that NAT Type 2 is what you're looking for, not Type 1. Type 2 means that you've got everything configured correctly and your router is doing what it's supposed to, which is what you want.
  
  Edit 2: You could also look into powerline adaptors, which allow you to use the electrical wiring in your home to carry ethernet signals, allowing you to have a wired connection that is typically much more reliable than wireless but less reliable than straight ethernet. This solution is dependent upon how your house is wired though, so if your house is pretty old or the wiring job is pretty shoddy, then you might want to just look into getting a better wireless access point if it comes to needing a hardware upgrade. Alternatively, wiring a house with ethernet isn't the hardest procedure in the world, but I'm not sure if you're prepared or able to do that.

I prefer not to recommend, as what may work for someone may not work for you. WiFi is a very situational thing. But I'll give some more information:

First, find out if your router is running (802.11) AC or N or other (G/B?). AC is the most modern, N is still OK. Are you running a 5GHz network or a 2.4GHz network? Is the PC near the router, or a fair bit away? All this makes big differences to your choice of stuff.

If you do not think signal is going to be a problem (eg your phone is full signal in your room), a USB dongle is probably the most optimal starting solution. Preferably one that works fine on default Windows drivers, so you aren't installing unnecessary junk. One with a good cable to reposition as well.

If you think signal will be a bit weak, try the PCIe option. Reason is the antenna's are bigger and better, and if needs be they are replaceable with more suitable ones.

This little guy appears to mix the best of both worlds. However, I think you'd want a USB 3.0 extension wire according to the top comment...

I personally use a bridge. If you don't have reasonable network knowledge, don't go near one. Mine took a few hours over the course of a few weeks to fully stabilise and tweak. However, if you want a little challenge in the future, have a go. It'll be able to overcome most all issues people have with WiFi if you get it right.

Best no hassle solution. A powerline adapter and a pair of suitable length ethernet cables.

actually, IMO the best answer is a ethernet powerline adapter. The way this works is that it distributes the internet LAN signal through the electrical power outlets. The way this should be set up is when you purchase it you receive 2 units. 1 unit should be by the router, the other in the location of desired internet (in your case your room). It is extremely easy to set up and I was able to buy a unit for 30 bucks. I pay for 100Mbps service and constintatly have download speeds of 50 on my ps4 using this. If you go this route, which I recommend, I would make sure the unit is connected DIRECTLY to the wall, not to a powerstrip. The powerstrip acts like a "wireless booster" and reduces your speeds. IF you only have one outlet some products do have a jack built in so it doesn't even take up an outlet. Example below:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Powerline-Pass-through-TL-PA8010P-KIT/dp/B00Y3QPG1A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1474644742&sr=8-3&keywords=ethernet+powerline+adapter

Please note I realize this one is not in the $30 range I just wanted to give you an example.

EDIT: TL;DR Poweline ethernet adapter > 1000 FT ethernet cable. Check out link for example - there are cheaper models that work great.

Not the answer you're probably looking for, but I recommend you skip Wi-Fi and get a powerline adapter they give you wired speeds in situations where you couldn't normally run wires. They really are pretty amazing.

My friend has been having problems getting a stable connection on his house's Wi-Fi ever since he built his computer, even though the router is two rooms away, no more than twenty five feet. He upgraded to this just the other day finally and saw an immediate improvement.

I don't know why more people haven't heard of these, but I've had great success with moca adapters (power over coax). They offer faster speeds, better reliability, and easier setup than Ethernet over powerline adapters.

If you purchased a PowerLine adapter a long time ago, you probably had a PowerLine adapter with the original HomePlug AV1 specification. In short, AV1 sucked hard, and gave PowerLine adapters a bad rap.

The new PowerLine adapters with the HomePlug AV2 specification are more than capable of providing stability to online games. I use a set of 1000Mbps NETGEAR adapters, and I do not have this issue in any other game, just Rocket League, which leads me to believe that the game sends information too frequently at higher framerates. I don't have any packet loss issues when capped at 60FPS, but because I have a 144Hz monitor it looks very choppy without at least 144FPS.

As for your solution, that's what I used to do when I had a larger bedroom closer to our networking gear. Now I do not; because I've been going to higher ed for the past few years, my sister has taken over my old room, which makes perfect sense since I'm not there most of the year. My new room is too far to pass an Ethernet cable to (and too small for a desktop), so I situate my desktop in our living room and use a PowerLine adapter.

Thank you for the suggestion though! I appreciate the politeness, your English is great for someone who isn't a native speaker.

If you've got a PCI slot on your mobo free you can get a wireless card to put in there for sure. Like this.
You could also get an Ethernet Over Power kit like this. You'd plug one into an outlet near your router, and run an ethernet cable from the router to it. Then plug the second one in near your PC, and connect to it with your ethernet cable. Voila. I've never used them, but I have a friend who uses one with great success.

Would highly recommend powerline over a wifi adapter! wired connection is always better imo! other than that looks like a beastly build... leaving 450 on the gpu should get you a awesome card as well. Good luck!

I have Eeros and am a big fan, but it sounds like you need some hardwired connections. One option that worked well for me was using the preinstalled coax cable in my last apartment. Every room seemed to have coax hookups, and I could run it over the same coax that spectrum was running my internet connection on.

What you'd want is a MoCA adapter (or really, at least 2, one per end) to inject ethernet over coax and then pull it off elsewhere in the house. Had 450Mbps at my Xbox 2 floors away from the modem, and an eero beacon on the other side of the room for wifi devices.

I used these from Amazon with great success. You'd also want to put a high-pass filter on the incoming connection from the street to keep your network private.

As for wiring it up: Modem <--> Eero <--> MoCA <--> Coax Cable (the same one the internet was going to the modem on) <--> MoCA (in another room on a different floor) <--> switch <--> TV, Xbox, Receiver, etc. And the filter on the coax splitter outside coming from the street.

I got one of these from Amazon for $52.99 to extend the range from my crappy Verizon FiOS Actiontec router. The big difference is its not a repeater, but a range extender. At best, a repeater can only boost an already poor signal, meaning a slow connection, though stronger, remains slow. The range extender actually extends the wifi network itself.

With the range extender, one end connects to an ethernet port on the router, and gets plugged into a wall socket. The other end can be plugged into any other wall socket in the house. The two ends communicate via the electrical wiring (which is basically turned into an ethernet network between the two ends. The second end broadcasts a wifi signal with faster speed than the Actiontec wifi since its driven by one of the ethernet ports. Set it up in 5 minutes and works awesome. Gives me full coverage for a 3,000 sq/ft house. Highly recommend.

I got you. I have a similar setup. So here’s what you need.


Wilson Electronics Wideband Directional Antenna 700-2700 MHz, 50 Ohm (314411) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J14YEHQ/

Buy two of these. Place on a pole as high as you can get it. Mount them 45° and -45°. That’s how LTE is polarized.

Example: https://www.solwise.co.uk/images/images3g/4g-ren6702709-lpda-5.png


Heavy Duty Weather Proof Multi... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4FSKZM

Put the M1 in this on the pole too.

Use this to send power up the Outdoor cat6 cable:


TP-LINK TL-PoE150S PoE Injector Adapter, IEEE 802.3af Compliant, up to 100 Meters (325 Feet) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PS9E5I/

And this to pull the power out of the Cat6


ANVISION Gigabit PoE Splitter,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PW9FJNT

Then convert the mini to USB C:


ARKTEK USB-C Adapter, USB Type C (Male) to Micro USB (Female) Syncing Data Transfer and Charging Converter for Chromebook Galaxy S10 Note 9, Pixel 3 and More (Black/White, Pack of 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I0ZAJXO/

Ok.

That’ll get you where you want. Don’t get a booster or anything else. It’ll make your signal slower.

Put the whole thing on the pole because if you leave it inside you’ll get a lot of signal loss along those long cables.

———

Now the M1 is a 4x4 MIMO which claims it can get you gigabit speeds. But once you plug in the external antennas you’ll get 2x2 MIMO. the only way to solve this is a bit hacky.

You’ll need this:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F183651187710

(This isn’t me but it’s the only guy I’ve seen selling these wires)

Then you’ll need two of these:

weBoost Outdoor Directional Yagi Antenna with N Female Connector 301111 for 700/800/900 MHz Band https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006H4FVM/

These will be you MAIN antennas. While the other covered ones will be your additional.

To explain. LTE towers send out 45° 800mhz, -45° 800mhz, 45° 2700 MHz, and -45° 2700 MHz You need an antenna for each. This will get you the fastest speed and best reliability. But this is hacky. I haven’t done this, YET. I’ve just planned it all out. I’m using a LB1211 with two covered yagis. I’ve gotten up to 70mbps with just that 2x2 setup (in a valley).

I plan on getting an M1 with 4 antennas soon, but right now my pole situation sucks. I need to figure out a better solution first. Then I’ll be comfortable spending that much more money. But just getting those two covered yagis and putting you M1 up until the pole, you’ll get a much better issue

Depends what you mean - there are a number of things CoAx can be used from in conjunction with a (set of) Raspberry Pi(s) with the details being country specific

1. Legally watch Free to Air Broadcast TV - Get a DVB-T/T2 or DVB-S/S2 tuner if you're in Europe or an ATSC tuner if you are in North America. Install TV Headend (comes with OSMC) and connect the tuner to your aerial or satellite dish via the Coax and the tuner to your PI (Only Ireland, the UK, and Germany have full free to air presence via Satellite for there main channels AFAIK - most places you'll need an aerial which can receive digital tv broadcasts) - you can now watch and record (with a suitable external hard disk) broadcast TV on all your RPi's using something like OSMC. You can use one tuner to watch all the channels on one multiplex at the same time - in the UK that might be BBC ONE HD on one Pi, BBC TWO HD on a second one, and ITV-1 HD on a third. In Boston USA that could be WGBH-DT1, WGBH-DT2, WGBH-DT3, and WGBH-DT4 at the same time. You can add more tuners to increase flexibility.
   
   
2. Share the video output of one RPi round the house - If you mean watch the output of one RPi on all the TV's in the house via the TV's built in analogue tuner - then an RF Modulator will allow you to take the composite output of the RPi and modulate it onto an analogue TV frequency. If you were in the UK Something like the TRIAX TRI-LINK Kit coupled with a TVLink at the remote end and an IR receiver at the main PI would allow you to do this. You can also get DVB-T Modulators with built in HDMI inputs for better quality. However the cost of these and the low costs of RPi's means it's just cheaper to get multiple RPi's.
   
   
3. Use the Coax as network cable - In the US MOCA adapters (e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Ethernet-Adapter-without-Routers/dp/B008EQ4BQG ) allow you to use your existing coax cable as a substitute for running Ethernet cables - however they are expensive, if possible you just want to run some Ethernet cabling.
   
   However when it comes to Value for Money 2 and 3 are pretty much a waste - WiFi and Ethernet are less expensive alternatives which should work just as well or much better. 1, depending what channels you can receive FTA via your aerial/satellite dish may well be a sound investment. Unless you have a large number of rooms where you always want to watch the same programme as on the main set don't bother with 2. either (the only reason I've done that is I already had the RF Modulator from when we used to share Freesat)
   
   RE: Point 1, A few things to note if you're in Europe:-
   

• Germany, which has historically had extensive FTA broadcasts on satellite, the commercial FTA channels are in standard def only (i.e. HD is only for ARD, ZDF, and the third channels) - while over on DVB-T the only FTA services are those from ARD/ZDF/3rds and use x265 which the PIs struggle with - i.e. in Germany you want to choose satellite and you'll be stuck on SD.
  
• Ireland - You won't be able to use a Sky dish for FTA channels from RTÉ - you'll need a dish aimed at KA-SAT which carries Soarsat - if you can get it Soarview is a better choice as it includes UTV Ireland.
  
• UK - Local TV channels (e.g. Notts TV) and Sony Movie Channel are only FTA on terrestrial, but otherwise Freesat is now the better choice and can use an ex-Sky box coax cable/dish

I don't live in a FiOS area anymore, so I can't actually give you a step-by-step guide. You're going to have to figure out a lot of this on your own.

Here's a brief primer on FiOS MoCA:

MoCA is a system for transmitting IP over coaxial cable. In most FiOS installs, there's actually MoCA running on two different frequencies: First, the WAN-side connection from ONT to the primary (in 99% of installs, only) Actiontec router, which IIRC runs at 1000 MHz. Second, the LAN-side connection from the router to any cable boxes and other MoCA devices, which runs at 1150 MHz, and is bridged to the router's WiFi and LAN ethernet ports. You're going to want to get your second router to listen to this 1150MHz signal, but not to act as a DHCP server.

If you disable the 1000MHz (again, not sure this is correct, but it's labeled as something like WAN Coax) MoCA connection, your secondary Actiontec won't have any way to connect to the ONT directly, which is what you want.

The first problem that comes to mind with this setup is getting the non-WAN Actiontec to run a DHCP client on the LAN side. The easiest way around this is probably to configure it using a static IP address in the same subnet, but outside of the primary router's DHCP range, which I believe you can do pretty easily.

Good luck!

Vote for a powerline extender. TP Link makes a good, cheap pair. One goes by the router, the other by you, then plug in a WiFi router of your own, which can be cheap, to extend the network. I'll throw links in when I'm not in mobile, but just wired a friend's condo like this, and it was literally the first pick on Amazon for both pieces. Install was plug, plug, plug, tap sync button, done. Good luck!

Links! Powerline Extender at Amazon

They make more expensive ones, but I doubt your network is fast enough to make a huge difference. Setup is trivial, and hey, easy returns?

Powerline adapters are not the greatest and you never get the speeds advertised on the box, but it is a cheaper solution and can be used to connect two routers via powerline. You'll also have to play with settings on the upstairs router (whether you choose the EA6100 or the comcast modem/router) to turn it into a wifi access point or not to assign DHCP.
Best long term solution would be to run the CAT6 cable inside walls and make jacks. (Same playing with routers will have to happen, but you'll have done it already for the powerline.) It's not a major remodel and can be done with some simple HomeDepot tools/supplies. It would add to the value of your building.

good news, there's a thing called a 'powerline adapter' that will allow you to use the copper wiring in your house as a lan cable

I've used these in the past and they're excellent for your situation.If you ever need more than one port up in your room you can buy a switch to connect to this thing.

Heres a link to amazon for one i recommend:

(under $50)https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-ethernet-Adapter-TL-PA4010KIT/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_1_acs_ac_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1549467799&sr=1-1-acs&keywords=powerline+adapter

(under $100)https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AV1000Mbps-Powerline-WiFi-Extender/dp/B0725LPTZR/ref=sr_1_4_acs_ac_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1549467595&sr=1-4-acs&keywords=powerline+adapter

Heres a link to a youtube video futher describing how these things work:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywQeJCa3jl8


You mentioned your house may not have the proper electrical wiring/layout in order for one of these to work. In my experience that's rarely the case, but it is possible. Amazon has an excellent return policy though. If you buy one of these and it turns out it doesn't work due to your homes electrical layout, you can always return it free of charge and be in the same boat you're in now.

You can use one of these

RP-SMA Male to RP-SMA Female Wifi Antenna Extension Cable Cord 2m / 6' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E9V8T62/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_HHtMzb5F3TAPV

To extend the routers antenna. After that you can build a focusing device. Pringles can and parabolic cookware antennas are popular. Google a bit and you'll find tonnes. Extend the routers antenna for one and put a USB adapter in the other. Bam, point to point WiFi.

Wires and plumbing is a good thing. Means the holes are pre drilled and you can just piggy back. 400 ft is a long way for wifi under the best circumstances. Are you sure that's the distance?

Ethernet bought in bulk would always be the best way to go, offering the best speed and reliability. Second to that is MOCA or power line adapters. Both will be faster and more reliable than wifi over that distance. I had better luck with MOCA personally, but power line adapters can be had pretty cheap.

orbi is a beast on speed, but googles app is better. The app has some downsides, like when the cloud barfed a reset a bunch of our units.

I have my onhub/GW in wired gigabit backhaul mode and it outperms pretty much everything. if i didn't have gigabit backhaul I would have kept orbi.

Another option since you're already using MoCA. Check out these actiontec bonded MoCA adapters you can use that to backhaul GW and potentially get the best of both worlds.

Gunnie, I wanted to come back and thank you for the suggestion. I did not even know these things existed; and after some research I found that a powerline adapter is definitely my best solution. My new PC will be in my room while the router is in the living room, so there is quite a bit of space and a few walls between us. I have decided to go with this (also a tp-link). You have saved me many headaches from having to deal with wifi adapters. Thank you :)

I'm somewhat in between. I just moved into an apartment where I can't really drill holes or anything to put cables through walls but I also can't stand having to rely on wifi. My router is basically on the other side of the apartment and so the easiest solution I found is one of these. Basically uses electrical wiring of your building as an ethernet cable and it works awesome.

Still about 15ms more latency and 1Mbps slower than being directly wired in but its much cleaner than say running a 100ft cable from the router to my room and I love it.

Any kind of wired connection > wireless in basically every way except convenience IMO.

Don't get that SSD. it has known performance issues.

Here's a 250 GB Evo 840 (also known issues but not as bad as kingston) for $65. Link

Also definently go i5 if you can. Do you need wifi in your motherboard? WIll a powerline adapter work for you?


>Being that this is my first PC I'm still learning about all the connections on the MOBO. What are some gotchas I should be looking out for?

Make sure the PSU has an 8 pin connector - your graphics card will require it. They usually have a 6+2 pin or an 8 pin. Edit!! - looks like it has a 6+2 pin, you're good OP.

Also be advised - that is a non-modular PSU (which is fine) but your case is a mini-ITX. I have had that case in the past. Cable management is challenging but not impossible, especially if you do nothing with the 5.25" bay drive. But if you load it up to capacity, it's gonna be a tight fit.

I don't think anyone's helped you on your internet question, so here's some help:

I was in the same boat and what I ended up doing was after a few hours of research, getting a powerline adapter, this one to be specific, as a powerline adapter doesn't cripple your speeds as much as regular wifi or a repeater/extender does.

Regarding how and why I chose the TP-Link AV2000, it had really good reviews and it's apparently the fastest option if you need a good, reliable connection/speeds. You could cheap out on this but expect the opposite result. As a competitive FPS gamer (csgo, h1z1, pubg, etc), any potential loss of connection can ruin your game, so if you do these things, it will help to get a better powerline adapter.

Keep in mind you'll need two ethernet cables (CAT-4-6 should work, depends on your internet speed (one that connects from one of these units into your modem, and another one from the other unit into your ethernet port on your computer)), two unused wall-plugs (highly recommended not to plug either unit into, eg: a power strip, because then there will be interference which can cause issues), and of course the powerline adapters.

Also be aware that the closer the distance between the two units, the better the connection/speed. So if you're upstairs and the router/modem is downstairs like what it is for me, connect the first unit as close upstairs as possible (of course with the extent of how far your cable is (I had a 30ft one)) and the other one as close to it and to your computer as possible.

AMA if you need any more help regarding the above (or even build help).

Can you find a display that is powered from the RPi itself? If so, then you can power the RPi from this device for $11.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MDLUSE7/

Here are two comments from this Amazon page:

I bought this for a FingBox (5v 2A, micro USB) and it works great! Also hooked it up to a RPi3 with the RPi touch display. Worked just fine, but I must admit I didn't leave it running long, just booted it up. Using this w/ the FingBox saves me from using an AC outlet in my server closet which are in short supply. Must use 48V POE on the switch.

Works perfectly. My switch recognizes it as a class 3 PoE device, and typically consuming 3.1 to 3.5 watts of power. It plugged right into my pi (with a 3.5" display) and so far I have not found any problems.
The only thing I'd mention is there's no clear indication of which network connection faces the switch, and which faces the client device. I took a guess that with the male RJ45 and micro-usb cable being the same length, that was where the pi should go, and I was correct. (I include a picture of the "correct" manner of connecting it.)

Hope this helps.

I had Wyze cameras and had 3D printed outdoor housings but the quality wasn't great at night after our last run in.

Went Ubiquiti. Three G3-FLEX cameras (four tonight) and ran some CAT6 with a powerline adapter for the camera you see above. I'm runing the UniFi Video software on an old Mac mini with a 5TB USB HD but I'm strongly considering one of their CloudKey Gen 2+ to dedicate specific hardware for the cameras/network.

The interface is fantastic, the camera quality is fantastic (they also offer a 4K camera though $$$), and security hardened. I like the idea of them being wired to take that busy constant video traffic off of wifi.

Edit: added links

>My questions are: is there a special kind of ethernet cable used for VoIP.

Nope - any CAT5e or CAT6 cable will do.

>is there an adapter that I could use to connect multiple ethernet cables?

Possibly. But the easiest (and most reliable) thing would be to install a switch somewhere along the line. A 5-port switch can be had from Office Depot for as little as $10... although I would prefer this TP-LINK gigabit switch from Amazon for $21.22. [NOTE: all switches should support speeds of 10Mbps and 100Mbps, also called "10/100". This should be fast enough for most people, and the $10 10/100 switch should work fine. However, a switch that supports the newer, faster 1000Mbps (gigabit) standard only costs a few dollars more, and offers 10x the speed. Essentially, if money's tight, get a 10/100. If you want something that's more futureproof, spend the extra $10 for a 10/100/1000 model.] Also, if your home internet is faster than 100Mbps, you'd obviously want to skip the 10/100 models and go straight for a 10/100/1000 switch.

Setting it up is super-easy: plug an Ethernet cable into your router and run it to wherever you want to put the switch (it will only need a power outlet). Plug the power adapter into the switch, then plug the cable (from the router) into any of the ports. Then, plug in a new cable into any of the remaining ports, and run it to your GF's PC. Done!

EDIT: If Wi-Fi isn't an option, another would be a powerline adapter, which uses your home's electrical system and only requires electrical outlets on both ends, and Ethernet cables from the router to adapter #1 and from adapter #2 to the PC.

Another option would be to take an old (or a cheap new) wi-fi router that supports client mode and use that. Basically, the old router acts as a "reverse wi-fi hotspot", in that takes your home's existing Wi-Fi signal and makes it available via its ports to Ethernet devices.

Your router might have two types of connectors at the back: One for ethernet (RJ45), one for phone (marked with the phone sign). If you plug in your phone into the designated phone plug, it's not a VoIP phone! If you only have ethernet ports, it's a VoIP phone.

If you don't have a VoIP phone and don't need one, look into cheap DECT phones. You can move your router now and have one extension of the DECT phone where your phone is currently located. It's the cheapest solution.

If you already have a VoIP phone, you can extend your network. Move the router and use e.g. powerline adapters to make the connection to the VoIP phone in another room. The powerline adapters transmit the network information via the electric cables in the wall. There will be a slight increase in latency, but VoIP has that anyway. There are proprietary wireless VoIP phones as well that work for specific router models. Check your ISP's homepage if you are interested or call them.

The solution /u/jeffrey_f suggested is viable as well, but only for VoIP phones! However it has the downsides of high cost of purchase and upkeep. In addition the latency will increase. If you don't need another router there to plug in additional devices, I would not purchase one.

Edit: /u/AizenStarcraft suggestion is a VoIP to analogue converter. You can't use that, since you'd need to run a cable.

Looks good. Taking out the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, this is an $833 build. What is your main use for the PC? Could use a slightly beefier GPU, but that is for a future upgrade. I think I have some alternative builds saved on PC part picker that are right around your price point, if you're interested in seeing them. Otherwise, nice build for the price point :)

Oh also...look into these as an alternative to the Wireless card: http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396989232&sr=8-1&keywords=ethernet+powerline

Maybe something like plume would be the ticket for you since you say you aren't super technically oriented.

https://www.plumewifi.com/

Or perhaps a powerline wireless extender. Instead of slowing down all your wireless traffic by repeating it, it passes it over your powerlines back to an ethernet port on your router. When it works well, it's great. Not all houses are ideal for powerline networking though, so until you try it you can't really say for sure.

https://www.amazon.com/Extender-Powerline-Starter-300Mbps-Wireless/dp/B00HSQAIQU

If you don't have a high end wireless router, you might just start there. A nice device like the Asus 68u can give triple your wireless throughput or more. With beam steering and 3x3 mu-mimo it will reach further and deeper than older devices.

https://www.amazon.com/Dual-band-Wireless-AC1900-Gigabit-Router-RT-AC68U/dp/B00FB45SI4

Thank you for your input, if you are still interested, I can give an update in the future regarding my speed and wireless situations.

Do you recommend any MoCa to replace my 2 in 1 actiontec router? I was thinking of this: http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Ethernet-Adapter-without-Routers/dp/B008EQ4BQG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406999088&sr=8-1&keywords=moca

Someone living in my house feels conflicted to spend too much money on a router + modem. Unless there's another budget friendly router which is close to the nighthawk then I would be very interested in checking it out.


EDIT: I followed your advice and bridged the actiontec MI424WR acting as a modem and used an old e1000 v1 router. It's working fine for now and we're looking into purchasing nighthawk to improve our internet in the future.

Depends on your home network tbh. If you're on WiFi it'll have more latency (input delay) than wired, but if you wanted to get kind of wired without rewiring your house you could use a solution like Powerline. Here's a fairly decent overview and review of the Steam Link.

If you were interested in switching to PC btw, you can check out subreddits like /r/buildapc for help, and AMD have a new graphics card coming out at the end of the month which looks to be a beast at a $199 price point.

I used Powerline adapters (500 mbps) but ran into some latency when streaming off my HDHomeRun Prime.

I discovered MOCA Adapters that run over coax that are pricy, but amazing. Requires you to have coax run to the room you want Ethernet. 2.0 can do gigabit, 2.5 isn't really out but will be even faster.

EDIT: Link to adapters. There is a $129 package but reviews seemed to favor this model (6200 vs 6000). Works great with Verizon Fios because you don't need one at the router if you are already using MOCA.

I am generally opposed to VOIP over wireless. However, in the past I have setup a lot of wifi voip phones from Snom, Grandstream and some "whitebox" manufacturers and the users have generally been happy with them.

So, as long as you are aware that I believe you will end up having call quality issues at some point. Easiest method is to Buy one of these. Second easiest is to find an old wireless router that supports DD-WRT, install that and set it to AP Client mode. Third is going to be going through the various Windows utilities or trying to setup Internet Connection Sharing on your Windows laptop.

Or (!), see if your company has a license for the Altigen Max Communicator which is a software IP phone you can run on your desktop. Set that up, plug in a pair of good headphones, and use that as your phone.

I need a wifi adapter that i can hook into my mother board

I know there are mother boards built with Wifi Adapters, but it's too late because I've had my computer finished for about 3 months. I currently use a TP-Link Wifi repeater around my house to try to get us a good connection, but it's pretty bad.

I have a moderately large house and i'm almost the furthest away from the WiFi router. We have no Ethernet ports in our home so everyone has to just use wifi.

A MS Paint diagram of my house:

http://image.prntscr.com/image/1a9b7c60945f4fd7a311777196197dc4.png

Is there any wifi adapter that will help improve connection? I had usb adapters, and they were ass, now we have TP Link repeaters and they're nice but they don't stay connected to eachother for a long time. I'm looking to just build in a wifi adapter to my motherboard. I don't want anything cheap though because this PC will be with me for 5+ years.

Here is my current build (I have a GTX 760 atm, upgrading soon to 1080)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $233.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $24.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI Z170A GAMING M5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $167.88 @ OutletPC
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $74.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $149.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $72.89 @ OutletPC
Case | Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $84.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $69.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | BenQ XL2430T 144Hz 24.0" Monitor | $349.89 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Razer BlackWidow Chroma Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.99 @ Amazon
Mouse | Razer DeathAdder Chroma Wired Optical Mouse | $54.98 @ Amazon
Headphones | Razer KRAKEN 7.1 CHROMA 7.1 Channel Headset | $89.99 @ Amazon
Other| EVGA GeForce GTX 1080| $599.99
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2139.45
| Mail-in rebates | -$35.00
| Total | $2104.45
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-26 17:14 EDT-0400 |


These are the extenders i have:

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1464297476&sr=8-11&keywords=tp+link+range+extender

I could be talking out of my ass, but isn't ping in online games like LoL and Overwatch based on the game servers' location? So the Speedtest wouldn't be using the same server as LoL and Overwatch use, which could explain the difference in ping. For example, when I do a Speedtest on Ookla I have 22 ms, but my ping in Overwatch is never below 70, which I believe is due to my distance from their server. Then again, I could be completely wrong about this.

The only thing I could think of would be to try a wired connection as the person below me suggested. You could even move your computer into your mom's office (where the router is located) and plug it directly into the router for 5 minutes to see if that effects your ping. If it does, then buy a Powerline Adapter, again, as suggested by the user below and you're all set. A Powerline adapter works by plugging one adapter into an AC outlet near the router, and plugging and ethernet cable from the router into that, and then placing the other adapter near your computer and plug an ethernet cable from that adapter to your PC. This image explains it very simply. Best of luck!

If all you're looking for is an internet connection but can't run a cable across the house a Powerline adapter works pretty well, as long as they're on the same circuit.

I have these: TP-Link AV200 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit, up to 200Mbps (TL-PA2010KIT) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AWRUIY4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_WHrGzbAM87XEE

Alternatively, a cheap USB adapter would be nice, I have used this one before: Edimax EW-7811Un 150Mbps 11n Wi-Fi USB Adapter, Nano Size Lets You Plug it and Forget it, Ideal for Raspberry Pi / Pi2, Supports Windows, Mac OS, Linux (Black/Gold) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_OJrGzbXJTB3PB



Ps sorry about the links, I'm on mobile...

Get a power line, as long as you have a free power outlet in you room and near your modem you will get a better connection since it is wired. I already use one and i'm happy with the performance. My room and the room where my modem is, are right next to each other, but I refuse to use wifi because a wired connection is always better, or until wifi connection speeds become more advanced. Which I doubt it will be anytime soon. Hopes this helps. Here's the one I have right now, fairly cheap, number 1 on Amazon's Best Sellers Powerline Computer Network Adapters

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=zg_bs_1194444_1

GLHF

My entire house is powerline adapters and I love them! I never have any issues with latency. They are very easy to set up as well. pretty much plug and play.

I use the TP Link ones from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010Q29KRK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


The only issue I ever have is once in a while(Like every few months) I will drop a connection on one so I need to unplug it and plug it back in. However, I also have another brand in the mix and that may be causing that issue. So...Yeah, pick them up IMO, they are amazing.

Edit- My house was built in the late 70's as far as my power grid goes... Again, no issues.

Easiest solution.

Powerline adapter with a Wifi AP point it. I would suggest picking a few different APs and spreading them out throughout your house. It depends a bit on how the house is laid out as much as the sq-footage as to where they are best placed.

In my experience these are a lot more successful than setting up AP repeaters etc. Plus really useful for connecting via ethernet if you have TVs/consoles etc in different rooms. It is always going to be more reliable than Wifi

This has been a godsend for me. I would consider this above a Wifi adapter. It's $5 above budget, but it allows you to get an ethernet connection which is leagues better than WiFi.

 

The thing I linked with comes with two adapters, and two ethernet cables. Basically you run an ethernet from your router to the adapter which is plugged into the wall. Then, you plug in another adapter to the wall near your computer and run an ethernet cable from that adapter to your computer. Super simple, much faster than WiFi, and much easier than trying to figure out all that wireless adapter jargon.

The best solution for using WiFi on your desktop would probably be to get a PCI wireless card, like this one.

If you aren't comfortable adding a PCI card, or don't have any space for one, you can get a USB wireless adapter, such as this one.

Finally, if you want a better solution that's not running a long cable, buy power line adapters. You plug one into a socket near the router and connect it via Ethernet to the router, then you plug another one in beside your PC and run Ethernet from it to your PC. It uses the wiring in the house to carry data, and is often better than WiFi.

Personally, I would go with the power line adapters then the PCI wireless card.

for triple monitors, it depends more on your gpu, and the connectors you use with the monitors. your gpu has 2 DVI-D's, 1 HDMI, and DisplayPort connection, so as long as your monitors will work with that, you shouldn't have a problem.

the 1060 will do fine with these games at 1080p

ping depends a lot more on your actual internet connection than your wireless connection to your router. but like i said originally that adapter will be fine, as well as the one i posted too.

lastly, do you have access to your router at all, or do you live in a dorm of some kind where you only have wifi hotspots? because if you have access to your router, but your pc just isnt in the same room, you'd be a lot better off with powerline adapters, which are like running a wired connection through your power outlets, rather than relying on wifi. they're magic

Powerline isnt wireless though, unless you get a 2 in 1 powerline adapter that also allows for wifi.

Powerline is where you are basically hardwired into your internet connection even if you are on the complete opposite side of your house. There is an adapter you put in a power outlet by your router and run an ethernet cable from that adapter to your router. Then, you will place a 2nd adapter in a power outlet in the room with your computer and run a 2nd ethernet cable from that adapter to your computer.

The adapters send the signal over the powerlines of the house, hence the name of the technology. This basically allows you to run your full rated speed via a hard wired connection, without any flaws that wireless has like reduced speed due to the dropoff over distance, or the signal cutting out randomly.

I personally have the TP Link TL-WPA4220KIT. There are newer options that are better and cheaper as this is outdated now.

If you dont mind having an ethernet cable running from a power outlet to your mobo, then this should be a good option. Although, if you live in an apartment (where the power lines can span multiple units), or an 80 yr old house with a janky electrical system this is probably not the best option.

I dont have very fast internet (only around 26mbps), but this allows my PC to get that full speed as well as my phone when I use it with the built in wifi adapter that model above has built in. Previously with various different wifi adapters, the best I would get is about 15 mbps. So, for me, this was a massive improvement.

Get a powerline kit? Plug one into a plug socket near your PC and one near the router. Connect them up with ethernet, and you have a faster than wifi connection. Something like this (uk), or this (us). Wifi cards aren't really that great if your existing laptop one isn't very good. Avoid USB wifi dongles, they don't really work long range.
For a keyboard, get a mechanical one if you can. The Corsair Vengeance K70 is good, as well as Cooler Master or Ducky ones for a lower price. I would recommend a brown or red switch for gaming. For a cheaper keyboard, avoid Gigabyte (not very durable), but most other manufacturers are good. like this one for $54
The Zalman Z11 plus is a good cheap case, although you might want to spend a bit more on a NZXT or Corsair one. If you give more details, we can give a better suggestion.

Please then for the love of god do NOT use wireless for gaming. It's not the best connection for it. Look into Powerline Ethernet. It's like wifi in you don't have to be right next to the modem but you still get the stable wired connection. HERE's one that's pretty good and cheap.

This question should be asked in /r/HomeNetworking not here but idgaf so...

A router can be used as an access point if you can connect them via ethernet, not wireless. That would be your best option. If you can't connect the two routers via ethernet then what you're after is called a range extender. This device will pickup your current signal and extend it. Here's one to get you started: NETGEAR N300 Wi-Fi Range Extender, Essentials Edition (EX2700)


Better than a range extender would be a powerline access point like these: 500Mbps or 1000Mbps

I'm using a T-Mobile Wifi Cellspot router, and it has excellent performance throughout my home (even down in the basement). It's basically an Asus AC1900 router with special firmware that gives QoS priority to VoIP calls from T-Mobile numbers. If you're a T-Mobile customer, you can use one for free as long as you're in good standing with them; just stop in their store and ask for one. If you're not, T-Mo often sells off refurbed units for about $100, and you can find them on ebay for less. One thing to keep in mind is that, if you're going to stay with cable internet, you'll also have to provide your own cable modem to go with it (if you don't already have one). For that, I recommend the Motorola/Arris Surfboard series. Get the cheapest one that supports the speed you get from your provider (but stay away from the 6121 and earlier models, since those are EOL).

As for getting your main TV online (I'm assuming from your question that it doesn't have built in wifi), you have a couple of options. One would be to use a wifi range extender with an Ethernet port, such as this one. Another option would be to use a Powerline network kit to run the connection over your electric cabling.

I think staying with 6 is fine. Most people will say if you are wiring now to go with 6a because the cost is similar but I find it is thicker and harder to bend. If you really want to future proof then you could go with 6a but right know 10Gbps is a little excessive.


AP wise you call Ubiquity expensive but the newest UAP-AC-PRO is the same price as the Linksys and will be much better, it is hard to find now because of limited supply. Sorry Its actually $20 more



I would spend a little extra for the Edgerouter Lite over the X but they are similar.



Unless I missed it I don't think you mentioned how many wall jacks you will have. So I will assume 24 drops. A good 24 port non POE switch is This normally $160 is on sale for $100
And This for POE only 8 ports though

EDIT

Sorry didn't release the netgear switch wasn't all POE you might be better off with a cheap 8-10 Port switch and POE Injectors


Like /u/topcat5 said you can get UAP-AC-LITE for $90.

You have your FiOS router plugged into the WAN1 port? Does you FiOS router have a WAN port of its own? I think technically the Ubiquiti ports can be configured for anything but you might as well use the suggested ports.

On my Ubiquiti switches it shows my modem/router as an uplink port. Does your USG show your FiOS as the same? I would definitely start by making sure DHCP and Firewall are turned off on the FiOS router. You basically want to turn it into a modem-only.

If it's anything like the crap Comcast tried to get me to use I'd suggest scrapping their setup and get yourself a replacement that just does modem duty. I have never used Verizon's FiOS so I am not sure the setup but I am sure a quick Google could link you to several verified alternatives. Maybe even something like this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013J7OBUU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_GYTLAbHZZ9SVJ

Is it a desktop or laptop? "Best" can be a bit subjective when we're balancing affordable. Personally, I wouldn't want to go below a dual band n adapter, but you can very easily save money by going to a single band n. You could also look at going with a powerline adapter, which can potentially be a lot more reliable.

Edit: Bonus high end wifi card for comparison's sake. It's also worth noting that there's no sense in getting an ac card if you have an n router, unless you're willing to spend extra dollars to future-proof yourself.

Dude. Go for the ethernet through power lines adapter first(btw this is more commonly called a powerline adapter).

This one has 500 mbps, which is considerably higher bandwidth than wifi. It will also give you lower latency, and a generally more stable connection. Take it from me, I have had some TERRIBLE experiences with wifi repeaters. Powerline ftw.

Or you could go all out and get the best of both worlds. Buy one of these, another router, and a powerline adapter. Then what you do is you set it up downstairs (where you normally have your router), and have it go, modem -> ethernet switch -> old router. Then plug one end of the powerline adapter into the switch.

Then plug in the powerline adapter into the wall upstairs where you want wifi. Plug in your new router to it. Set the SSID (the wifi name of your router), as the same name as the router you have downstairs. BAM. You now have STRONG wifi anywhere in the house. Devices will automatically connect to the router with the stronger signal. It will only appear as one wifi network on phones, tablets, etc.

No problem!

Ahh I've never even heard of this technology but it seems like the perfect solution to my needs. So one last question before I'm done. How do I know which powerline adapter should I buy? I'm completely new to the technology so I don't know what to get but it seems that the bestseller on amazon currently looks like it'll work for me:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Powerline-Adapter-Starter-TL-PA4010KIT/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466484548&sr=8-2&keywords=power+line

It's definitely worth the try over the wifi card, if you're having issues with the extender it's likely you will with the card as well. The powerline has a lower latency and will be much better for gaming. Assuming of course the issues tigojones mentioned don't crop up. Personally I've had very good success, and I'll add that if you pick up from a big box retailer and it doesn't work well, you'll be able to return it.

Something like https://www.amazon.ca/TP-Link-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/

There isn't really much to it. You can either use a PoE capable network switch or get a PoE injector. Just have that inside somewhere safe near a mains socket and the Cat5 plugged into the output will run outside and into the enclosure. The PoE splitter I linked above then splits out the power, regulates it to 5V and terminates in a RJ45 plug for Ethernet + micro-USB plug for power. Not all PoE splitters will regulate down to 5V so check before buying it. Just plug both wires into the RPi and you're good to go. The RPi doesn't know or care that it is using PoE because it is all handled before it sees anything. There is a PoE HAT for the RPi but it is far more expensive and you don't gain anything useful apart from it screwing onto the top of the RPi as a HAT.

> Enclosing stuff would be great, assuming you can also dissipate the heat.

I've not had any problems with heat buildup. If it is in direct sunlight and acting like a mini greenhouse then you might need to work out some way of shading it. You want a certain amount of heat anyway to ensure no condensation and so it doesn't get too cold during the winter.

Funny you should post this. Five days ago I bought this tplink powerline adapter. Worked great for a day or two. Then speeds fell or connectivity lost altogether. I could temporarily fix the problem by rebooting the router or disconnecting and reconnecting the powerline adapter. Either worked. I never lost connectivity on any other devices except for the one connected through the powerline adapter. Since Amazon has a good return policy I'm returning the tplink adapter for a zyxel in hopes I might have better luck.

Just get some actual PoE equipment. You can get a nice Netgear switch that does PoE for only $65. This would be a good choice if you think you might have more PoE devices in the future.

An cheaper solution would be to get a PoE injector.

There are a number of active PoE dongles out there, too that would work with the Pi, as far as powering it.

Another option on the Pi end is a HAT specifically designed for this purpose.

Depending on which way you go, it looks like you could do it as cheaply as $30.

I would recommend against what the other commenter has suggested, though. PoE standards are designed with Cat5/5e/6 cabling in mind and should include some over-current and over-voltage protection to prevent overloading the wires in the cable, which are meant only for low voltage and current. If you were to accidentally short something or have an electrical fault with a homebrew system, you'd run the risk of starting a fire, and given that a homebrew setup that was properly done wouldn't end up being all that much less expensive (after buying adapters and plugs and power adapters and such), it's better to go with a professionally made solution. It's unlikely that you'd have an issue, but better to play it safe than sorry. Besides, the purpose-built equipment is likely to give you fewer headaches over time.

> My folks doesnt want me punching holes in their newly built house.

If you get AT&T and they have to bring a new line inside the house, they'll have to drill whatever holes they need AND you would need to run an Ethernet cable from the AT&T modem into the attic, and then into the wall into your room and you'd have to cut a hole into the wall and patch the cable in, well if you want ethernet. I had to do something similar for a friend's apartment and put one of these in the wall: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F15CKQQ/

OR you can buy some powerline adapters and see if that works to bring internet to your room. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-Adapter-Starter-TL-PA2010KIT/dp/B00AWRUIY4/

Running ethernet cables in the attic is much easier in a 1 story house, you just have to watch your footing and only step on the rafters, otherwise you'll fall through the ceiling. If you're in a 2 story house then good luck, not happening.


Powerline adapters are probably your best bet.

Lol, no children yet. Not for awhile

Yeah its a powerline line. This one specifically.

Its pretty great cause I can "hardwire" my ps4 to it in my living room because it has a terrible wifi built in. It also doubles as a wi-fi signal boost. Helps reach the back area of the house. Speed isn't terrible, I have 100mbps internet speed for the front room. It hits around 60mbps through the powerline. Sometimes you need to re-pair them. Otherwise has been working great for a few years now.

Basically it sends data over your power lines. So in most homes you can plug one adapter close to your router and another close to your pstv. It's not quite as good as a direct cat connection but pretty good. I found this on amazon. I haven't personally used it but it has great reviews.

>Will each line on the network require PoE or just the ones feeding the Aps?

Just the ones feeding the APs. The APs use PoE exclusively.

PoE stands for "Power over Ethernet", which is just like it sounds. Devices need to support PoE for the switch to send power over the Ethernet connection.

You can connect a non-PoE device to a PoE port and that would work fine, no worry you'll "fry" anything by doing that. But PoE devices need PoE ports, unless you want to use the provided injector (more below).

>
>Along those lines, a few of my LAN runs have small switches I used to feed other hard points. Rather than one powered switch for the network can i use individual/ PoEs for each AP?

You can indeed use what's called a "PoE Injector" to power each AP individually .

The ceiling APs (the ones that look like flying saucers - The nanoHD, Pro, and Lite models) come with this Injector free!

However, the In-Walls do not come with a PoE Injector. You'd have to buy one for each separately. The In- Walls use a PoE standard known as "802.3af", and you want to make sure the Injector you buy also supports gigabit speeds (some are only 10/100, make sure you dont buy these).

Here is one that would work:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PoE150S-Injector-Adapter-Compliant/dp/B001PS9E5I/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=poe+injector+af&qid=1574915029&sr=8-3


If you go with all Injectors, you don't need to buy the PoE switch at all

>I'm guessing you need the extra power to amplify the wifi signal. Does it work that way?

No, it's not "extra power to amplifi", it really is just simply powering the APs for regular use. There is no other way to power them; they do not have a "power plug".

Be sure to watch a few YouTube videos on how to set up the Ubiquiti gear you choose before you buy. Make sure you are comfortable with the technical skill you need to administer them. It's a step up from your basic home router setup.

I'm not going to say this will totally work for you because I don't know all the factors that made this work for me but here is what I did. (my switch was also too far away to run a cable to). I bought this https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-Pass-Through-TL-PA4020P-KIT/dp/B010Q29OW6/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1509712689&sr=8-8&keywords=ethernet+powerline+adapter and this https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Ethernet-Adapter-Nintendo-Chromebook/dp/B00MYT481C/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1509712641&sr=8-5&keywords=switch+ethernet+adapter&dpID=41xJwvUzySL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

The powerline adapter was easy to set up and in my house the outlets they are in are on different breakers and that seems fine. After setting them up, plugging in the switch, and setting it to run on wired not wi-fi there's one more thing I did. In a connection test I saw my nat type was B also, everyone said that wasn't great and it should be A for best performance so after lots of googling I figured out how to change that in my router settings.

For me I have comcast so to get to my router settings I type 10.0.0.1 into my address bar and enter the default username and password for comcast (admin ; password) then on the left there is and advanced tab and under that DMZ. Enable that and for the host set the switch's ip witch you can see in the connection test, mine was 10.0.0.11 yours will probably be different. Save that then run a connection test again and it should be type A. Whatever router you have should have something similar so just google how to set up dmz for your specific brand.

After doing this I very rarely disconnect.

It's a waste of money spending $250 on a mesh setup with dedicated backhaul radios if you're not going to use it when a superior option of running MOCA backhaul exist.

You can get 3 AC Lite's or 4 EAP 225 for the same price as as the RBK40 setup.

Does all your houses coax cables converge into the basement? If so then all you need to do is get a simple wire only router like an Edgerouter X and connect an ethernet cable from the router to a MOCA adapter connected to the COAX splitter.

Then at the locations you want to have good wifi you'll need another moca adapter connected to the coax coming out of the wall and ethernet out into a wireless access point like the two mentioned above. In addition you can have say ethernet switches connected to the MOCA adapters. This way you can plug in devices like your PS4, desktops, etc in addition to a WAP at the same time. Doing this will reliably get you the 150 mbps you're paying for at each location.

I have read all of your post (including updates) as well as everyone's comments, and although I am neither as technically skilled nor as experienced as you, I do believe you and I are having the same issue.

The utterly strange part is that you have employed a TP-Link brand smart switch, and I have employed a TP-Link Ethernet power-line adapter. I sure hope there isn't some correlation here, because this adapter has been one of the best things I've ever purchased. I guess I'll start some testing on my own end to see if I can reproduce the issue without this product in service. Like you, I've tested the CPU, GPU, RAM, and power supply to no avail, and it would seem that drivers have not caused my issue either.


I hope we can figure this out.

I've used this set before at a customers house for streaming Appletv and it worked great. I wouldn't get the cheaper one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00Y3QPG1A/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468775515&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=ethernet+over+power&dpPl=1&dpID=41lTgRCVtIL&ref=plSrch

Just make sure you don't use an extension cord on it and make sure both outlets are on the same circuit breaker (which unless you have a huge house they should be). Was easy to setup.... Plug and play.

Does the Frontier modem have built-in MoCA capabilities by any chance? I had a similar situation in a three story townhome. Each room had coax, and instead of running Ethernet to each of the floors, I utilized a MoCA adapter to provide internet connectivity to the rooms over coax, since each room was already wired for coax. The cable modem provided by Comcast had built-in MoCA capabilities, so all I had to do was ensure all of the coax outlets were on the same splitter, and add a MoCA Ethernet adapter on the other floor to extend network connectivity to my office. Below is my current setup.

[Outside Incoming Coax]
|
[Coax splitter in the Attic]
| -> (Cable modem on 2nd floor) <-> den switch
| -> (MoCA adapter on 1st floor <-> office switch

However, if the Frontier cable modem doesn’t have built-in MoCA capabilities, then you’ll need a second MoCA adapter to terminate the MoCA connection at both ends:

[Outside Coax]
|
[Splitter]
| -> (Coax Outlet #1) -> MoCA Adapter -> Frontier Cable Modem -> switch/router
| -> (Coax Outlet #2) -> MoCA Adapter -> Ethernet Switch

I recommend this kit: “Actiontec Bonded MoCA 2.0 Ethernet to Coax Adapter, 2 Pack (ECB6200K02)” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013J7O3X0/

You’ll also want to install a MoCA filter on the outside incoming coax line so the MoCA network demarc terminates there and doesn’t extend outside of the home: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DC8IEE6/

Hope it works out! Let me know if that doesn’t make sense, and feel free to PM with questions.

In my experience yes. I had a TP Link wifi adapter plug (basically sends Ethernet through outlets... Don't ask me how I don't know) connect one of those to the router and another one to the computer and you can get Ethernet. Well this worked for a while but eventually the internet just crashed. Replaced the TP Link with a router and the Ethernet works just fine again.

Note the TP Link was a few years old at this point so it is also a viable option. A lot better than rewiring your house anyways.

Edit: TP-Link AV1200 Powerline Adapter, Gigabit w/Power Outlet Pass-through, Powerline speeds Up to 1200Mbps (TL-PA8010P KIT) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y3QPG1A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_UAk8Ab7RV8MVD

Similar to the ones I had just newer. Would still research for best product though.

Ok man, if you are trying to just play league, your graphics card is fine.

Wifi card - can you get Ethernet cable to your computer? If so, go with wired connection or get something like a powerline ethernet: http://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Powerline-Ethernet-Adapter-TPL-401E2K/sim/B004D9V8C8/2

A couple of my friends are really into league and you need as low ping as possible for such games. Try to go for wired connection.

For low latency, I would suggest getting wired mouse as well.

You DO NOT need a sound card. Trust me.

You don't need to buy case fans either. The default config should be good enough.

As others have said running standard 5e or 6 will work just fine.

I'd like to throw out a couple other options that I haven't seen covered yet.

I've used something like these PowerLine Ethernet adapters at my parent's house and even with older wiring it still worked out very well: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-Adapter-Starter-TL-PA4010KIT/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499982359&sr=8-2&keywords=powerline+ethernet

And another option would be to get a wireless system that is built to handle a bit more. Ubiquiti has a great range of wireless access points that are built to handle the load. You would install multiple access points and then turn down the transmission power of the radios. Doing this will help the devices split up and connect to the access point they are closest to. At the same time those devices are rated to handle something like 30 clients.

This.

TP-Link Powerline Adapter AV2000 Mbps - Gigabit Port, Ethernet Over Power, Plug&Play, Power Saving, MU-MIMO, Noise Filtering(TL-PA9020P KIT) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H74VKZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_v30vDb5QPB7MQ

Best and easiest way to jump from one side of the house to the other. Was easy to set up and works awesome. Wired speedtest from the modem is almost exactly the same DL speeds as the TP-link. About 120 feet from the modem to the room it is used in.

It sends the signal over the power lines.

You plug them into electrical sockets. Some are better than others. You definitely want to do research before buying.

I use some that work flawlessly, except they disconnect every once in a while, and take a few minutes to reconnect. The signal is great over a pretty long distance, and the speeds are as advertised.

Honestly, your best bet is Ethernet powerline adapters. They use the power wiring to transmit from your router, super easy.

I've used these and they worked out well for me. I will be completely honest though - when I bought them it was because they were one of the cheaper options and had pretty good reviews on Amazon. I did like, zero research.

I would highly recommend getting a Ethernet powerline adapter. For example like this http://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Powerline-Ethernet-Adapter-TPL-401E2K/sim/B004D9V8C8/2.

If you need wifi what you can take a wireless router or access point (Ubiquiti has great stuff) and put it in bridge mode. Easiest way to do this honestly.

If you want a wired connection just plug in directly. If you need more than one wired connection you can take a wireless router and use it like a switch by plugging all devices in the LAN ports (do not use the WAN port). Alternatively, you can buy a switch.

I've got a TV and office on the 2nd floor and a home theater in the basement. My antenna is on the roof and there's a splitter coming off of it with one cable running down the outside and through the basement window frame. The second cable goes into the 2nd floor from the outside in through the wall.

My wifi signal in the basement is fairly solid even though the router is on the second floor, but my AVR only has Ethernet (no WiFi). I ended up buying Ethernet over power adapters like these (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AWRUICG/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_147_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=31IYBNuPwFL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL100_SR100%2C100_&refRID=1T3VTMEETPM5A73YCT8P) They work great and it saved me from running an Ethernet cable.

In order of preference my opinion:

1. Wired Ethernet
   
   
2. MoCA
   
   
3. Powerline Adapters
   
   
4. Wifi Repeaters/Extenders
   
   1 is obvious.
   
   2 - MoCA is a standard that cable companies created to create networks over cable lines, using frequencies outside of those used to deliver digital cable TV and cable internet. Certain cable companies will use MoCA (namely Verizon FiOS - if they don't use ethernet off the ONT [your Verizon modem screws in with a coaxial cable connection] you use MoCA already!). You buy bridges and plug one in modem side and one in a room where you need service (you can buy more than two if you want service in each room). Here's the newer ones on Amazon. I have the older Actiontec Moca bridges at a relative's house and they max out at 100mbps (non-gigabit ethernet port on the bridge) with sub-10ms ping to online tests outside of the cableco's network.
   
   PROS: You order the bridges and all you need is a coaxial plug where the first adapter plugs in and then a second where you want a wired internet connection and they work (see the manual.
   
   Cons: They cost a bit of money, and if there are older splitters within walls that you can't access that filter out the MoCA frequencies, they won't work. I bought the last generation of these and they worked fine in the basement and two points on the first floor, but not the second or third floors (so I returned the two I couldn't use to Amazon). If you cannot screw in a MocA point of entry (POE) filter your neighbors may be able to access your internet connection - the Actiontec I linked to above does not allow you to change the encryption passphrase (although the last generation does in a sort of unintuitive way).
   
   ------
   
   
5. Powerlines are unreliable, it depends on the quality of wiring, how far apart (electrically) the two bridges are from another, etc... in most houses that didn't have at least good coaxial powerline didn't work. You can try it but if your home was not built in the last ten years there's a very good chance it won't work. Don't put the powerline adapters behind surge protectors or they won't work at all.

There are different options available. Here are two common and useful options:

1. A long cable running from your PC to the router. As far as I know maximum cable length for Ethernet is something like 90m (180ft). For longer distances you'd need something repeating (strengthening) the signal. It would be the cheapest solution.
   
   
2. A Powerline Adapter is another good option. They send the signals over the power line in your walls. Simply connect one of those to your router via Ethernet cable and plug it into the power outlet. Connect the other device to a power outlet in your room and connect it via Ethernet to your PC. Of course that's only going to work if the power lines in your house aren't completely separated.
   There are different models available. The model I linked to has a single Ethernet port (which would be enough). You could also buy a model that offers WiFi and Ethernet. So you could have your own WiFi hotspot in your room and also best connection via Ethernet.

I think you only really have two options if running cable is out of the question.

Wireless Network Extender

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wi-Fi-Range-Extender-EX3700/dp/B00R92CL5E/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1V6VFPS74O1AY&keywords=netgear+wifi+extender&qid=1564151119&s=gateway&sprefix=netgear%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-3

This is what is called a wireless range extender, this on has a outgoing ethernet port on the bottom. Basically, what it will do, is connect to your wireless network, and send out the signal as a secondary wireless signal and/or a wired signal. I use these at my house, and they work great for my needs.

One con is that the connection speed will be slower than a direct connection, or somebody connecting to the originating access point.

Powerline Ethernet

Another thing you can try is powerline Ethernet, I have not used it myself, and do not understand the requirements as well as I would like to yet. I have heard good things about them, however. Basically what it does is use the existing power wires in the building to carry a ethernet signal.

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-PowerLINE-1000-Mbps-Gigabit/dp/B01929ESG6/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=netgear+wireless+to+wired&qid=1564151336&s=gateway&sr=8-6

CPU fan: pick one of the 220W compatible models from the TDP page like NH-D14/15. When installing the cpu cooler, don't add the fans (0dB!). The heatsink is enough to cool a 95W+ cpu and you can even overclock a little. ALT. solution (if your mobo allows it): place 1 fan and configure it to turn itself off when it's under a certain temperature, like 60ºC.

GTX970: the ASUS STRIX has a 0dB mode when idle. The fans only start when the card needs to be cooled. The Gigabyte Windforce is the quietest under load. It also has a "0db mode" but it's not covered by the warranty.

Silent Base 800: remove the case fan in the middle front, leave the one in the bottom front. If you want to replace the 2 remaining case fans (bottom front and upper rear), buy two Noctua NF-S12B redux 700(6.8 dbA) or NF-S12A ULN(6.7 - 8.6 dbA). Don't buy the be-quiet pure wings. Don't buy more case fans. If the case contains more fans I didn't see, remove them.

Power supply: you could either buy a fanless Seasonic 520W 80+ Platinum or a model with a zero rpm fan mode like the Corsair RM650 or RM750.

If the computer case doesn't already have it, electronic components emit a high pitch noise than can be reduced by adding accoustic foam.
There are also antivibration screws for the case fans, but I think those are included with the Noctua fans, mine were.


Wireless card: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac. Not about silence, just a better card. Consider powerline networking if possible.

If at one point you need much more storage space but SSDs are not affordable, noise can be a problem with HDDs. For this, place each HDD inside a HDD silencer. There are cheaper models, but you get what you pay for. Also, I'm assuming, you'll place a 2TB or 4TB HDD inside it. HDD price + silencer is still much cheaper than 2TB or 4TB of SSD storage.
Another problem with HDDs is interference. If you hear it, using a dedicated sound card may suppress it.

Ever heard of Powerline adapters? These useful adapters transmit internet access thru the home power supply, most of them are plug and play, and you can find a couple of them for less than 100 bucks, let me find a good one for you

Edit: here's an 500mbps TP-LINK powerline kit for less than 35$
http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425250712&sr=8-1&keywords=Powerline

Ps: it's easy to use, just plug one adapter to a power port, then connect it to router or modem using ethernet, then connect the other in the room that has the xb1, and connect the latter to the adapter using ethernet, and you're good to go!

Do you have your own meter? To be honest, the best way to find out is to try it. These things are not overly expensive. If they don't work then return them. If it works well, and it should, they are 90% as good as running a cable. Even if they are a little crap they are going to be better than crap WiFi you have.

The simplest type that doesn't have WiFi and just cable are around $40.

Around $60 for one with WiFi. Plug one in near the router, the other in your room and bingo! you have WiFi!

Maybe something like this LINK I have not used this particular set but I have used TPLinnk in the past and it works well enough. Do some research, you might find a better one.

Your build is amazing, the only issue i see here is from the 'Wireless network adapter'. Think about it, you have this workhorse of a PC that can do anything, play any game, render/compress anything. However we are throttling it by purchasing a cheap $10.00 'WiFi USB Adapter'. If you plan on playing games you need a hard line connection, if you cannot get a hardline connection from your PC to your Router, use this: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-Adapter-Starter-TL-PA2010KIT/dp/B00AWRUIY4/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1500930653&sr=1-3&keywords=powerline
Its called a "PowerLine" its the middle of the road between WiFi and a hard-line connection, its easily your best bet,

Here is a video explaining what a "PowerLine" is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sue1Zvmh8JA

You can using either the official Raspberry Pi PoE hat or an adapter like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDLUSE7/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_-VWFDbQP627W6

My home network is also all Unifi and about every Raspi I have on it is running off of PoE. It's a little more challenging making it look pretty with cable management but I'm always happy to save a power outlet where I can.

> These are a type of media bridge. They transmit over your power lines.

I didn't understand or trust the power line adapters about a year ago but took the plunge and bought a pair. Was previously using wireless in my living room to my upstairs ( far away ) office and everything would buffer - wasn't happy wife times.

After purchasing these my speed was almost like being straight hard wired to the router. What a difference. It was night and day.

At the end of the day , this was cheaper than buying a new router, trying to 'extend' wifi or running cables.

Good luck :)

Ah I see. The ONT is the box that they installed in my home, right? That's in my basement (I think), so does that mean I would need to hook up an ethernet cable from that to my router? There's an ethernet port on the same coax outlet where the coaxial cable that connects to my current rented verizon cable is. Could that possibly also be connected to the ONT too? I guess only way to find out is to try it right? xD

Also, if you don't mind me asking (sorry for all the questions), assuming I have that the ONT stuff all set, I currently have this TP-LINK router that I was recommended by a friend. Would it be better to get this adpater or would this cheaper one work just as fine?

You shouldn't need anything else. For me I just got a powerline adapter for the xbox one the tv, don't ask I got a deal on it ($80) COMPLETE overkill but the wifi functionality is also very handy for where it is, internet used to be unusable there. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/netgear-powerline-wi-fi-1000-access-point-and-adapter-white/4760605.p?skuId=4760605&ref=212&loc=1&ksid=bac6a3e4-eb83-48c2-a7ec-46bf847acf9c&ksprof_id=401&ksaffcode=pg112537&ksdevice=m&lsft=ref:212,loc:2

Didn't even have a pair button, works like magic. Id get a gigabit one for sure but you can pay less than $100 for it... Highly recommend this option.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01929ESG6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1484502846&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=powerline+adapter&dpPl=1&dpID=41vAVpQaRtL&ref=plSrch

This is probably better for you.

Im taking a look at your list.

I'm curious for a source too, but it's not at all far fetched. Scanners are tiny nowadays and could easily be put into the feed chute of a shredder. The guts of this would do nicely. Data over power lines certainly isn't a new technology. Hell. You could use a wifi scanner and not even screw with that.

I could cobble this together in my garage over a weekend probably.

Edit to fix link.

Here are some things you can try if you haven't already:

1. Use ethernet the whole way. If you do this, there will be almost no latency or noticable compression. This may not be feasible for the steam link itself, but you can likely pull it off for the PC connection. The less Wifi you use, the better the picture quality is.
   
2. If you can't use ethernet, try using a Powerline adapter. Essentially these things send super small electrical signals through your house's circuit (unnoticable to any of your appliances) to replace ethernet. It's not quite as fast as ethernet, but It's a hell of a lot faster than wifi and should be fine for the Link. You can only use this if your PC and Steam link are on the same circuit.
   
3. If you can't use powerline either, use a 5GHz Wifi connection if you can. It has smaller range but much higher bandwidth so you won't have as much latency / compression
   
4. If you're using Wifi move your modem, PC, and steam link away from large metal objects (think about what's behind your walls!). Note that the material is important here - wifi signals can travel through wood and drywall pretty easily but not aluminum.

Yes, it uses the electrical wires in a house/apt to transmit ethernet. Somehow using the same tech as wireless but the signal is going though a wire so its usually faster.

Speed and reliability depends on how good the wiring is inside your house. The one thing I heard when reading up on it is you cannot plug them into an extender they need to be directly in the wall.

I use
http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA6010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00IBPLI48/ref=zg_bs_1194444_4

and they work great for me. Utility on a PC says I get 300mpbs but havent tested the speed. Got them because with wi-fi I could not stream downloaded HD movies to a ps3 even with apple extreme AC router when the PC was wireless, and with those it works.

There are also models that have wi-fi and ethernet in one of the modules if you need to extend wi-fi.

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WPA4220KIT-ADVANCED-Universal-Powerline/dp/B00HSQAIQU/ref=zg_bs_1194444_3

What you might want to look into are power line adapters. Something like this. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HSQAIQU/ref=s9_top_hm_b50jE_g147_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-11&pf_rd_r=06XWQR8D72M1RDXRX4M2&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_p=3b52e653-8edc-59d8-8d3e-b10a96ef91ed&pf_rd_i=1194444


What these do is allow you to use the existing wiring in your house via wall plugs. You plug one in by the modem/router and plug a cable in. Then plug the second half by your Xbox with a short cable from it to the Xbox.

Sounds about perfect for your situation 😊

WiFi is pretty bad/not reliable unless you spend a lot. I like to hard wire everything. This has worked great for me. You can plug in a network switch or Wireless access point on the other end also. This way it will take the hardwired signal and boost it.

TP-Link Powerline Adapter

WiFi SweetSpots is a cool mobile app to test WiFi connection speed as you move around the house.

I didn't investigate too closely, but if you are looking for a good upgrade, the WRT600N is a MASTER at long range wireless N - and I noticed Amazon has them available starting at $55 used. It also is loaded with other features like a USB port to plug in an external hard drive for network storage. One thing I would like to correct after looking at mine is that mine does not have user-replaceable antennas unless you are willing to do modification of the hardware possibly involving soldering. Mine has insane range, it is running my parent's home-office in a 2 story 2500 square foot home with no gap in coverage anywhere on the 2 acre plot of land.

http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WRT600N-Linksys-RangePlus-Wireless-N/dp/B000WG3ZU4

Short of that, you might want to look at a wireless repeater, or powerline networking: http://www.amazon.com/Linksys-Powerline-Network-Adapter-PLSK400/dp/B006JG5S6U/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1398464903&sr=1-2&keywords=linksys+powerline

They also have one that has a wired port and broadcasts wifi at the same time for $76. Wish I could be of more help but $50 is a tight budget to squeeze range into.

What are the best solutions for getting a wifi signal through/around concrete from one side of the apartment to the other?

A search in English brought up powerline kits like this, but a Japanese search brought up more expensive solutions - 30k yen repeater sets and the like.

Or is it as simple as upgrading our (already pretty good) router?

Try both. Never hurts to find out but we first need to start where all the magic happens and that is where your PS4 is at.

Guaranteed it's your wifi causing your issues not your connection. Give these a shot if you can convince your parents. They are cheap and reliable and offer superior speeds and latency compared to wireless. TP-LINK TL-PA4010KIT AV500 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit, up to 500Mbps https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_yWDoub10VHJNY

Connect one to an outlet (not a power strip) by the router/modem and one to an outlet by the PS4 and the connect the Ethernet cables and you have yourself a wired connection that is only about 5-10ms latency over a standard Ethernet connection. And the bonus is it uses your existing power infrastructure to send the information instead of cables all over the place.

Ok I get what you're saying now.

If everything is working fine in the theater, I don't think you gain much by moving the cable modem behind there.

One other option, instead or unning a cable, is to use something like these Moca Boxes. This would allow you to create a network connection using your homes Coax cable. (if you've ever used a powerline ethernet box, its a similar idea, you put one box downstairs, and plug into coax, put another box upstairs and hook into coax. both boxes also have a network port and will link together). So in your case, put a moca box near the theater TV, put another upstairs, hook network cable from moca into router/switch downstairs. Upstairs, hook that moca box into the ubiquiti injector, and then hook the injector into the access point. You could try this route first, if it doesn't work, send the MOCA boxes back and then run a cable.

The only time this doesn't work is if you have cable or direct TV, and use a "whole home DVR" which also uses a MOCA connection, as they will likely interfere with each other. (although some have been able to get it to work)

As far as switches, you don't need to spend a lot, I really like the Netgear switches for the price. Something like this should work fine.

These aren't wireless, but I bought these Powerline Adapters a few weeks ago and they work amazing. I've noticed a huge improvement in my speeds.

Is powerline networking good? Im looking at this one. I know it doesnt have the highest max speed but its also a lot cheaper than some others and at best my internet is around 70/6 anyway.

Also, is there a way to check compatibility with my homes wiring? Is it common/uncommon for it to not work? Im debating between this and just a good wifi card for my build

So you can use a wireless bridge to not have to use an ethernet cable all the way across.

Look at link below

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Wireless_Bridge

Basically what it does is, it will connect wirelessly to your AP and then give you LAN/ethernet ports to use locally

So for your TV you can buy something like this

http://www.amazon.com/Netgear-WNCE2001-Universal-Internet-Adapter/dp/B003KPBRRW/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_ex


The first link I mentioned would be definitely cheaper but will involve tinkering with software installed on the Router/Access Point

Also do you live in an apartment complex? Maybe there is too much interference around you? (I mean too many wireless networks)

So if that i the case buy something which supports 802.11a or 5.2GHz 11n, and not just 2.4GHz n.

Is your PS3 wireless enabled? If yes then maybe 802.11a/5.2gHz is not a good option.

PM or send me a message and i will try to help you out...just make a list of all you want to get connected....and do not buy that device I posted a link about, this just an example to show it is possible to do that. But I would rather buy somethign which would let me connect more then one device, this one only allows one...

Also for online gaming wireless WILL suck...so remember that too

I did this and it worked well - until I moved the cable modem from one room to another. I've heard the connection/quality of your electrical lines affects the connection, so individual results can vary wildly. I then heard about MoCA - while a little more expensive it works MUCH better. It uses the coax in your house to transmit data. So my HTPC in the living room gets speeds just as fast as being wired to the cable modem directly. I also set up an old router as a repeater so wireless reception is better on that end of the house as well.

These are what I purchased and they work great.

Have you considered a Network Powerline Adapter?
http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG

Could save you the hassle of running cable.
I have these ones in particular for other reasons, and they rock.
My father is using these in their home for IP cameras and has had great success with them as well.

It may help. Wireless problem is very hard to diagnose. One thing you can try is if your router support 5Ghz, try force your wifi card to only use 5Ghz and see if it work better. There are many 2.4Ghz interference source like cordless phone, wireless mouse, leaky USB3 port, microwave, other wifi AP etc, that even though 5Ghz have shorter range and only show one bar, it may be more stable.

Power line adapter would be much better solution if you can use them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AWRUIY4/

https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bonded-Ethernet-Adapter-ECB6200K02/dp/B013J7OBUU

Moca 2 adapters that will do 1gb/s are fairly expensive, you need 2 of them so a total of $140 per link. However, this approach plus a cheap access point will give you better coverage than having a single more expensive access point.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

Measure the strength of your wifi and your neighbors at various points around your house. You want to set your access points to channels with the least amount of interference, for the best performance.

If you have an android phone I recommend this app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer

Sorry for the late reply, but I thought it might still be helpful.

Something like these for instance.

Basically, it's a wallwart that plugs in, an ethernet port and (optionally) has a passthrough AC output. On the wall/house wiring side it accepts AC but also spits out an RF signal carrying the ethernet data, where another unit of the same model can decode it again, so you can send ethernet data over your existing wiring.

As the signal is going over wiring, it's less susceptible to radio noise and way more reliable than things like wifi.

Get yourself a powerline adapter with an access point like this -
https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Extender-Powerline-Wireless-TL-WPA4220KIT/dp/B00HSQAIQU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473044783&sr=8-2&keywords=powerline+access+point

As you aren't too familiar with networking I'd say this is the easiest option. I would hazard a guess that this is also the cheaper option in all. Simply plug into a socket (next to the router) and plug an ethernet cable into it. Then take the second one and plug in where you would like the access point. This will then act as an access point.
Good luck!

Honestly, even though this goes against your preferences a bit, I would personally choose this over what you are asking for. Explanation below.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | $257.98 @ Newegg Canada
CPU Cooler | Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $112.84 @ Amazon Canada
Motherboard | MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $168.98 @ Newegg Canada
Memory | A-Data XPG V1.0 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $157.98 @ Newegg Canada
Storage | PNY Optima 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $123.32 @ TigerDirect Canada
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $104.99 @ NCIX
Video Card | MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) | $434.99 @ NCIX
Video Card | MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) | $434.99 @ NCIX
Case | Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case | $149.98 @ Newegg Canada
Power Supply | SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $189.98 @ Newegg Canada
Optical Drive | Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer | $15.79 @ DirectCanada
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) | $99.79 @ DirectCanada
Monitor | AOC e2752Vh 60Hz 27.0" Monitor | $199.00 @ Canada Computers
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $2430.61
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-12 00:54 EDT-0400 |

Then get your peripherals.

This will perform perfectly to what you want to do.

An Intel I5 will not perform any differently from an I7 with what you are doing with it. No need to spend money for no reason.

You don't nee to buy thermal paste, it comes pre applied with the H100i.

Better Motherboard, if you want to you can upgrade to the Gaming 7 but it has almost no difference.

Cheaper SSD for the same performance.

Dual R9 290s are more powerful than a single 290x, obviously, you can still get away with a single r9 290 and it will still destroy the games you want to play, but for a budget so large no need not to, just don't go 3-4 way crossfire, it is a waste of money, power, and is crazy on heat.

1000 watts is unnecessary, 850 is still overkill really.

Cheaper optical drive, this really doesn't matter.

Windows 8.1 is so much better than 7, you can download a couple programs to change the layout back to 7, and it has better performance, and it supports more games, and more future games.

You can get the same monitor really, but this one is cheaper, if you want 1 less milisecond response time (unnoticable) and 144hz instead of 60 go right ahead.

Sound cards are snake oil, don't buy any at all.

Ethernet is much much better than wireless. You can either connect via an ethernet cord, or if you are setting up in another room from your modem, use [powerline] (http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407819561&sr=8-1&keywords=powerline), you plug one end into an outlet near your modem, and connect an ethernet cord, then the other end in an outlet near your computer, then an ethernet from that to your computer, it provides ethernet like speed without a cord running around your house. Also if you do get wireless, you only need one, not two adapters.

You don't need speakers, both the monitor you chose and the one I chose have them built in.

I can make this even cheaper and keep enough performance to dominate current games if you want, just PM me if you have any questions.

the above is all true. dont cheap on a psu - if it means another $10-20 get a decent psu (evga, corsair, and to an extent enermax)

the usb wifi adapters work fine, but may be a bit 'meh' for gaming. these can be superior to wifi: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-Adapter-Starter-TL-PA4010KIT/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1485321103&sr=1-3&keywords=powerline+adapter

as others metnioned, a 1050 would be a nice step up - but a 750 is just fine

OK. I see on the TP-Link page you sent an illustration that helped clear things up for me.

One unit plugged in next to the router, connected by an Ethnernet cable.

One unit plugged in next to where I want better wifi, connected to "any device" with an Ethernet cable.

Now... what would that "any device" be? Is that the AP? I'm guessing AP means access point. OK! Is that one of these things, Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US)?

Also want to add that I do have a pretty good PC (8700k + 1070ti) and pretty good internet (1gbps) But am using a ethernet adapter. (For those who do not know what it is https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AV1000-Powerline-Ethernet-Adapter/dp/B06WP2ZT5N/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ethernet+tplink&qid=1571797166&sr=8-2 )

This can be a very frusterating endeavor depending on many many different variables. To be honest, if Verizon will really run ethernet through your wall correctly for just $75, I would do that 10 times out of 10. Should be no hassle, and you'll never have to worry about it again. I used to have ethernet run throughout my house and I miss it so so much.


When I moved I have had nothing but trouble with my wifi. I live in an old city with brick houses, meaning there's 20+ networks in range at all times and apparently the old brick just kills with interference. I went out and bought a great $180 dual band router and still barely helped. Connection would be fine and fast but every 10 minutes huge ping spikes, certain hot times of day wifi would basically slow to a crawl. Wifi is unreliable if you game at all.

What ended up working for me was these TP-Link Powerline adapters. I was really hesitant, but they really do work my friend. When connected the ping is great and there are no random drops for me. The only problem I've had is occasionally the internet will go out and I need to unplug and plug into a different outlet. This hasn't happened while in use for me so it's not a big deal, it's more of a I just woke up and noticed it after my PC was off all night. But I am actually running through my surge protector which they say not to do... so that's probably my problem lol.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AWRUICG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bro these things are amazing. I have this one. Can't go wrong. Just make sure to unplug it and plug it back in every few days to flush the lines. Otherwise its a godsend. Pure sorcery though. Whoever thought of the ability to send internet through powerlines.. sorceror.

I use tp-link power line adapters and they work really well for me but Im not sure how they would work in an apartment building. All you have to do is plug one into an outlet and your router then the other one plugs into the wall and wires to your xbox. They send the signal over the powerlines but the 2 outlets and power lines all have to be on the same circuit for it to connect. In an apartment your outlets may not all be on the same circuit like they would a house. You could definitely get some from walmart or amazon and return them if they dont work. They run about $50 for cheaper ones and 80-90 for better ones

Heres what I have
https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Powerline-Pass-Through-TL-PA9020P-KIT/dp/B01H74VKZU/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=powerline+adapter&qid=1568409038&sprefix=powerline&sr=8-5

As the other user's have said, its pretty much hands down a Wi-Fi Issue. It could be a hundred different reasons why your Wi-Fi just doesnt work in that room. And its simple to address they are plenty of options.

Personally I have had great success using Powerline Adapters in the past in Apartments, even in a Duplex.

This Should solve your problem

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EQ4BQG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These are the ones I have. I put them in myself. They were pretty easy to install. You go to the modem, and disconnect the coax going into the modem. Plug the coax from the wall into the moca adapter in. Then plug the moca adapter coax out cord into the modem in. Your router should be already hooked up then you just plug an ethernet cable from your router to the moca adapter.

Then on the other end, where you want the internet, you just plug the other moca adapter into the coax, and an ethernet cable from your moca adapter to the computer. Sounds complicated, but was really pretty easy to hook up. I did have some problems where they stopped working a couple of times. I think it was related to the fact that if you don't have a terminating filter the signal can go out of your house, I got one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Filter-MoCA-Cable-Coaxial-Networking/dp/B00DC8IEE6/ref=pd_bxgy_147_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00DC8IEE6&pd_rd_r=KV9MW2G56NMKNDZY9FD9&pd_rd_w=Kicrs&pd_rd_wg=BnTIO&psc=1&refRID=KV9MW2G56NMKNDZY9FD9

And plugged it in in my outside cable box and they have worked trouble free for me since October 2015. I like very much not having to depend on wifi

Definitely should be wired as much as possible. Channel interference alone can cause a lot of performance issues if you live in a moderately populated area, especially in apartment buildings.

Most wifi routers are pretty poor quality. dd-wrt helps, but wired is much better if possible. I used this for a while and it worked great: http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG

Even 802.11n doesn't really compare to wired in my experience, living in cities.

Alternatively I recommend you using Powerline Adapters such as these. I have used these for the past 4 years and are a lifesaver. You should never game on a wireless network and you will find yourself happier knowing you have a wired connection.



What is it like in speed compared to normal ethernet?



5-10ms slower and depending on if your flat has really old wiring then you might have some issues. Most of the time though I don't have problems. (2-3 times a year it just drops out, I simply reset them)

Great idea! These ones look pretty awesome.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $219.95 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $128.99 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard | MSI Z97S SLI Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $119.89 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $65.98 @ OutletPC
Storage | Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $99.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $53.99 @ SuperBiiz
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card | $338.99 @ NCIX US
Case | NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $119.99 @ NZXT
Power Supply | EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $104.99 @ SuperBiiz
Monitor | Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $149.99 @ Best Buy
Monitor | Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $149.99 @ Best Buy
Keyboard | Corsair K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.99 @ NCIX US
Other| LG Electronics External Slim Optical Drive| $25.91
Other| TP-LINK TL-PA4010KIT AV500 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit| $32.08
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1740.72
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-02 08:33 EST-0500 |

You did say that you won't be overclocking, but not having the option to overclock is a bit absurd at this budget so I included it anyway.

It fits all of your specifications - your desired case, colour scheme, keyboard, SSD, (external) optical drive, powerline adapter and monitors.

You can expect very smooth FPS at ultra settings for pretty much any game out there on 1080p resolution. You also have the option to SLI in the future, though I wouldn't upgrade your monitors' resolutions to any higher than 1440p since you will experience microstutters once you start using more than 3.5GB of VRAM.