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I cannot seem to locate a wifi extender that will be connected to the router/modem via Ethernet cable?

My situation: I am moving into a 2-floor condo. ISP is coming to install the modem in the office on the first floor. I know the wifi coverage to the above floor is going to be total crap. I want to run ethernet up from the office to the second floor (exact location tbd) to connect to an extender/repeater. I don't want a high gain extender trying to pick up a weak wifi signal and then using a 2nd band to to transmit data over.

But I cannot seem to find a product that does what I want. I do find extenders that have ethernet ports, but that is not how it connects to the router/modem, rather its another option for devices to connect to that endpoint which would then be transmitted over wifi (ugh).

Anyone have any experience with this?

JohnO
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    Try looking for a wireless access point, rather than an extender. – Drew Sep 26 '16 at 18:44
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    Are you sure Wifi signal to the second floor will be crap? Depending on how your condo is constructed, it may work quite well. I live in a 2 floor 1200 sq ft condo (wood frame construction) and use one Wifi node upstairs to cover the entire condo and have good coverage throughout the condo. but as Drew said, if you do need separate coverage, all you need is a regular wireless Access Point for the upstairs. – Johnny Sep 26 '16 at 18:52
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    And note that most any wireless router can be configured as a wireless access point. Many times they are cheaper than dedicated APs. – mmathis Sep 26 '16 at 18:58
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it isn't about home improvement. – isherwood Sep 26 '16 at 19:23
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    Yes I do believe there is an actual networking exchange – spicetraders Sep 26 '16 at 21:24

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I've had good results with a HomePlug wireless extender - specifically, NetGear's "PowerLINE WiFi PLW-1010 Essentials Edition". One end - a HomePlug AV2 network adapter - connects to the existing access point via an Ethernet cable and plugs into the house's power, making other adapters on the same[1] household power system appear to Ethernet attached to the access point. The other end - a HomePlug AV2 wireless adapter - plugs into a power outlet elsewhere in the house and runs as a WiFi access point. In the specific case of the PLW-1010, both adapters are part of the same package, and the WiFi adapter can auto-configure itself to clone the existing WiFi name (SSID) and password. Thus you can walk from room to room and bounce between access points seamlessly.

[1] "Same" can get pretty technical, and have lots to do with where electrical transformers are in the grid. All HomePlug data on the electrical side is encrypted, and any HomePlug device will let you choose a non-default encryption key, for cases where "same" accidentally includes your neighbor's house too.

Ross Patterson
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