Resolved Wireless Router Recommendation Needed

In what way? Do you mean because the elevator is a big metal barrier that slips in the LoS (line of sight) between her and the WAP (wireless access point)? Or do you mean the electronics associated with the elevator is creating EMI/RFI (electrical interference). If EMI/RFI, a qualified elevator technician should take a look. There may be a loose connection, faulty components, or poor grounding somewhere.

I am searching for a new wireless router too and I have been hearing mixed things about ASUS routers. The good news, is they seems to work quite well. But bad news is inconsistent quality control during manufacturing. So if you get a good one great. But many have reported problems with premature failures.

So I have settled on this Linksys. It has a Gigabit switch for best performance with Ethernet connected devices. It supports 802.11ac for the latest wireless protocols. It is dual band for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz devices. It supports MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) which means the router can communicate with multiple connected devices simultaneously instead of sequentially (though connected devices must have a MIMO adapter to take advantage of this feature). I also like that it has detachable antennas so I can mount one or more up high on the wall, for example. And last, the price is right.

FTR, I used to use Linksys years ago but switched to Netgear and I have been happy with my current Netgear, but it is getting old now.

One thing you need to look at is range. You say two-story building but that does not tell us the range. And the construction of the barriers (walls, floors, and ceilings) and the contents of those barriers (wires and metal pipes) can affect range too.

 

I'm also using Linksys.

 

At the risk of muddying the waters.

For a number of years I used a Draytek router which was good both wired and wireless. Finally, if began to drop Facetime calls, and only Facetime calls. Everything else was fine. Talking to Apple lost me hours which I will never regain, all to no avail. Finally I decided to replace it with a TP-Link, (Archer), router which thus far, and tempting fate, has been both more stable and has given a better wireless range .

Choice, choices!

 

In theory, that is not too far. In practice, it may be, especially if there are a number of barriers (walls, etc) between her adapter's antennas and the WAP's antennas. You might need to look at wifi range extenders to hang in the hall outside her office. That may do fine instead of a new wireless router.

As for Belkin buying Linksys, I saw it as a good move because IMO, and surprisingly, the quality of Linksys products went down after Cisco bought Linksys. I believe this was due in part to Cisco wanting more small and medium size businesses to buy their much more expensive business routers.

While Belkin does put their brand on some inexpensive, entry-level products, that is not true across their entire line of products. That said, IMO it is because Belkin provides quality products at decent prices that I have bought many - with no regrets.

As I said before, ASUS routers are good, if you happen to get a good sample - but quality consistency seems to be a problem. As seen here, not everyone gets a reliable unit. This ASUS RT-AC55U AC1200 received high praises in test lab reviews but clearly not everyone got the same performance when put to practical use.

Also, I think it is a mistake to judge an entire brand based on the experience of 1 or 2 models when that brand produces dozens or even hundreds of products. So IMO, you should research specific models, not brands.

 

Static IPs are RARE? Did it say that?

Lots of users use static IPs. I have a Netgear and I have a static IP on my network printer and NAS computer.

It is simple - once you see it. Living in Tornado Alley, extended power outages are not uncommon. Before my "No duh!" moment, I was constantly having shifting IP address issues after power came back up and the DHCP assigned addresses to all my connected devices shifted - depending on which device connected next after the power was restored.

I simply assigned an IP address to my printer that was way above the range of normally assigned IPs. For example, if you have 10 connected devices (don't forget smart TVs, blu-ray players, NAS devices, cell phones, and of course, all your computers), if you assign 192.168.1.35 to your printer, it will never change.

The only hard part was finding in the Netgear menu where that option was. For my WNR3500L, it is under Advanced > LAN Setup > Address Reservation.

 

Well, I think "rare" is the wrong word. "Less common" or DHCP is more common would have been more appropriate and perhaps less confusing. No big deal. Glad you got it sorted out.

Now the big question: is the boss happy?

 

Well, a unique (or disabled broadcasting of) the SSID is not really much of a security measure. Anyone with a sniffer or wifi network signal strength meter (found on every smart phone) can easily tell where a wifi signal is coming from - even in a crowded apartment complex with multiple nearby wifi networks. With a simple, home-made directional antenna, they can even pinpoint the room the wireless access point is located in. Of course, a disgruntled ex-client or ex-employee sitting in the parking lot pointing an antenna at your building will (or should!) attract some attention towards them they would not want.

The key is to have a very strong passphrase (changed every time there is an ex-client or ex-employee - disgruntled or not) and using the highest level of encryption supported. Limiting the number of allowed connections is also prudent. Allowing access only to specific MAC addresses helps, but a savvy user can easily circumvent that by spoofing a valid MAC address.