Improving broadband connection to a bedroom gaming computer?

[TPMB12]

We live in a bungalow with fibre coming into a router in the middle of the house. The bedroom at the furthest corner but not actually that far is the location wanting better WiFi or connection. We're thinking of moving house within the next year so are thinking of cabling it up,  drilling through walls and trying to make it look OK might not be the best idea.  So what is?

I've used those links that plug into sockets and they were variable at best. What about a mesh based system? Will it really make much difference? We have the latest bt router which I've heard isn't that bad. We're on 100mb/s fibre bt deal,  we had the 500 initial trial period of a month which actually wasn't any faster. Apparently 100 stayfast guarantee but it's not true. We're not in an area that actually gets what is advertised as possible. So I'm thinking we're not going to get much better overall connection in that room even with mesh.

What do you think? Is it worth doing something? What's best option?

[fruitcake]

In a previous (three-bedroom Victorian) house, a mesh solution improved poor signal - it just allowed that signal to travel the length of the house from back bedroom where the phone line terminated, to the living room where we wanted to watch Roku TV (streaming over wireless). That was ADSL copper wire link to the internet, and a cheapo router which was new 5 years ago. it was good enough for HD TV via the Roku which had been stuttering or just dropping out before the mesh. But whenever I wanted to download a security update for the laptop or transfer a large file, I plugged into the router with a cable and got speeds twice as fast.

I know that gamers appreciate fast connections for the advantages that gives in multi-player games played over the internet. 

I guess those powerline adapters aren't great because there's other things happening with those power cables. Not tried em though.

So a mesh would be better. A network cable better still.

[Kim]

The best option is wires.  (Gaming is as much about latency as throughput, and wireless tends to give unpredictable latency, on account of being a shared medium.)

If you're moving and don't want to make holes in things, can you do some sort of Generation Rent bodge, wedging the cable under doors and carpets and so on?  I know that even the most weaselly landlord's agent won't notice you sanding a few mm off the bottom edge of a door...

[PaulF]

I successfully used the homeplug to do exactly what you need. But they all need to be on the same ring

[Kim]

Those powerline adaptors are basically WiFi, but using the mains cabling as a waveguide.  That's why their performance is so unpredictable.  The only way to find out if they work is to suck it and see.

[Kim]

Actually, re-reading the OP, it isn't clear that you actually have a WiFi performance issue rather than a crappy broadband connection, or ISP or router.  I'd try a temporary lash-up with wired Ethernet and see if it actually helps.

[TPMB12]

I thinking of getting a length of cable and running it through the doorways just to see if it has a significant effect.  If not then it's not a big expense or hassle.  If it works then I can think about hiding it.

We have this shelf running around above the doors. A cable from router up to above the shelf then around, through the wall and down the bedroom door frame to the top of the skirting board might make a discrete cable run. The only obvious cable run would be one running from the bookcase in the hall the router is in up the wall and over the edge of the shelf.  I could drill through the shelf too perhaps but white cable on white shelf is subtle,  not on the coloured wall. Can you paint ethernet cables?

[Morat]

Yes, you can paint ethernet cables. The cable itself is also pretty cheap - at least in bulk. You could get something like this: http://tinyurl.com/4eku4rbp for not a huge pile of money. I'm not sure how long your run is going to be.
I'd advise against CAT-6 cable if the run is 100m or less as it's a lot thicker and Cat5E still does a gigabit.

[IanDG]

We have a 3ft thick wall dividing the cottage. I use a Tenda powerline adapter

https://www.tendacn.com/uk/product/PH5.html

[rr]

I get good results with power line, our TV is connected via a flat cat6 cable, cost less than £1/m

[Canardly]

Good results with powerline but not on a spur. However, for main bedrooms now have hard wired EN run externally in conduit. Adaptors are left in the other bedrooms for visitors. Wifi signal otherwise, not brilliant, but does work.

[aidan.f]

If a dangly wire through the house works pop a couple of 'oles in the ceilings and run through the loft. Not going to look briiliant, curtains and cupboards may be in the correct position to hide some but when you move that's 2 small holes that a bit of filler can cover up..

[Afasoas]

Ethernet over PowerLine adapters 

https://www.rtl-sdr.com/showing-the-hf-interference-problem-from-ethernet-over-powerline-devices/

[Wombat]

Ethernet over PowerLine adapters 

https://www.rtl-sdr.com/showing-the-hf-interference-problem-from-ethernet-over-powerline-devices/

I didn't want to, either, but I couldn't manage an alternative.  In my case (a foil lined insulated workshop built inside a corrugated iron barn 10 metres from my bungalow where the wifi barely reached that side of the house anyway) Powerline did actually work.  I know its 'orrible, but it does the job I need.  Its on a different circuit from the room in the house where the transmitter bit is, too.  The house itself is fully cabled, so no problems.  I tried to get a Cat6 cable down the disused heating oil pipe between barn and house, but there must have been a kink in it, it wasn't having any of it.