The original post: /r/homenetworking by /u/digitalgoodtime on 2025-06-03 04:02:00.
Hey everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice on improving my home network setup.
I’m in a new house and I just signed up for Optimum Fiber 2GB, and while I’m seeing decent speeds over WIFI, it’s nowhere near what I’m paying for. My PC, which is near the modem and connected via Ethernet cable, gets 2GB download speeds according to speedtest.net and fast.com and about 800/mbs on WIFI up/down. I know that’s solid for Wi-Fi, but on a 2Gbps plan, I feel like I should be getting closer to 1.5 Gbps at least over WIFI with proper home networking.
Another issue is signal drop-off. The fiber line comes from the street to the side of the house where the modem/router is located. Near that area, speeds are decent. But further into the house, I’m getting under 100Mbps — and my Tesla in the detached garage (just ~15 feet away) often struggles to stay connected at all or drops to similarly poor speeds.
Optimum has already sent techs out twice. They added a third Wi-Fi extender in the garage, but all that really did was boost the signal bars — not the actual speed. The tech told me (basically parroting his manager) that I need to buy a real router if I want better performance.
So I picked up an ASUS RT-BE86U to test it out. He told me to return it and switch to Verizon if it doesn’t help, though he admitted, being a contractor for Verizon as well, that their fiber has similar issues 🙃
Our Devices Include:
4 PC's
3 Ipads
1 Iphone
1 Samsung S23
6 gaming consoles w/ wifi
3 Nest Protect
A WIFI lawn sprinkler system controlled over WIFI thru a touchscreen device in the garage (from prior owner)
I have wifi smart plugs that I plan to install on the entire property
Probably more wifi devices I forgot about.
So I need speed, bandwith, and reliability.
My questions:
- What’s the best way to set up the ASUS RT-BE86U with Optimum's modem/router to improve speeds and coverage?
- Should I ask Optimum to turn off Wi-Fi on their modem or enable bridge mode?
- Does bridge mode matter if I’m using the ASUS router as the main unit and plan to use AiMesh?
- If I want to expand the setup with AiMesh, what are some budget-friendly, reliable ASUS routers to use as nodes?
- Is there a way to keep the 5Ghz channel for my personal devices and let the other peasants in the house use 2.4Ghz?
My goals:
- Consistent, high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the house
- Reliable connection in the garage
- At least 1.5Gbps Wi-Fi speeds
- No more extenders that just give fake bars with no real bandwidth
Would love some setup tips or gear recommendations to finally make this 2G plan feel worth it. Thanks in advance!