Getting wifi in a 1959 home...

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Forgive me as I am showing my ignorance here, but I am set to close on my first home, a 1959 rancher next week. I would like to have wifi set up shortly after closing, but I am a bit confused if the home is internet ready. There aren't any ethernet plugs anywhere, so will the home have to be wired for one? I guess what I am asking is, what exactly does the home need in order to hook up wifi? Do I need to have a desktop to have wifi? Or will my MacBook do the trick? Also, do you need an ethernet outlet or does the modem / router etc. just need a standard power outlet? Thanks in advance.
 
Your ISP will provide some kind of connection into your house (be it fiber, cable or DSL). That will plug into the modem (that they'll likely provide for a monthly fee), then the modem will plug into your router/wireless router. You'll need to power them all up, but other than that, you shouldn't need any ethernet jacks or anything like that.
 
Internet comes in via phone line or coaxial cable to the modem device that may create its own wifi. I suggest a better external wifi router anyway.
 
You need to get internet service through an Internet Service Provider.
An Internet Service Provider, or ISP, will configure Internet access to your home through a device called a modem. The modem typically connects to existing cable television service connections or telephone connections.
The modems that they offer will sometimes offer wifi capability, but many folks opt to use an aftermarket router with WIFI capability. You can buy these routers cheaply online.
 
There are many ways to do it yourself or let the ISP do it for you. My parents have AT&T U-Verse and they have a box that contains everything including the modem, router, and WiFi. They have no means to change the SSID (name) of the WiFi box and no way to change the password. I have Comcast service and use a separate cable modem and WiFi/wired router. I set up the router with a name and password of my choice. It works pretty well. My house is older than yours and not wired for ethernet. That's not really much of a problem since WiFi can reach most of the house.

Often better WiFi can come when your antenna is higher up. A lot of businesses use cables and separate antennas that can be mounted at a high location. I've seen antennas up in the rafters.
 
No requirement for cable to be installed around the house for Wifi, that is why the "Wi" stands for Wireless which means no wires.

There is a need to at least 1 wire comes into the house which depends on what company available in the area where the house is located.
The cable company have to pull a wire into the house if it never have any cable tv before.
Provider like ATT U-Verse will pull that 1 wire into a part of your house and they took care of the rest like mentioned above.
 
Your Internet Service provider (ISP) will run a connection to your house. It can be fiber, coaxial cable, or DSL....

DSL uses the phone lines, and you plug a modem into the phone jack,
and a second jack on the modem has an Ethernet port.
Plug a Wireless router into that Ethernet port,
and it broadcasts throughout the house, to all the computers / laptops...

Fiber Optic uses glass fibers, and it is brought up to the house,
where it can be converted to either Coax cable or Ethernet.
From this converter box, it runs to a modem,
usually a modem/router combo, which broadcasts the signal to all computers

Cable is the same as fiber optic, just a different modem or modem/router.

So, no cables to run throughout the house, only the one to the modem or modem/router.
Everything is wireless from there.

I used a wire bakers rack to put my modem/router on, allows air to circulate, keeps it cool.
I put a backup power supply at the bottom, keep equipment from being damaged during power spikes and outages.
I put another on my main computer, a 300 to 450 watt one is more than enough...
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/383084/APC-Back-UPS-BN450M-Battery-Backup/

For a router, the minimum I would consider is a Linksys EA2700,
Dual band, 2.5 and 5 GHz, and has four gigabit Ethernet ports on the back.
https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-EA2700-Ap...;qid=1501202447
 
I will just clarify as i did in a thread years ago, that people use wifi/firewall/router/modem seemingly interchangeably only because the functionality is often integrated into 1 piece of equipment. The terms are NOT interchangeable and refer to specific technical functions of a wireless home internet setup.

There is no such thing as a 'wifi modem' or 'wifi router." It is a modem with integrated router and wifi access point or router with wifi access point.

modem = device that coverts digital signal into something that can be transmitted over wire/coax/fiber
router = device that 'routes' your home network requests to the internet (if they need to go there)
wifi = device that allows wireless devices to connect to your home network
firewall = device that blocks internet queries from your home network.
 
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The wifi routers/modems that most ISPs give you are cheap routers which use the 2.4 GHz band and offers slower speeds. The newer standard is an AC router and those go way up in speed assuming that you're getting a fast enough connection. If you're doing DSL through the telephone, those connection speeds can be pretty slow, maybe anywhere from 1.5-15 megabits. Cable is faster, typically anywhere from 25-200 megabits. If you're getting DSL, the slower speed routers are probably fine but if you get your own AC router, you'll get higher speeds and better reliablity as many devices use the 2.4 Ghz band but not that many use the 5 GHz band like AC. Also if you have a laptop, it's best to plug in directly to the router as wifi can be unreliable. I'd set up the router/modem in the same room where you expect to use the computer the most so you can plug directly into it and avoid wifi.
 
So you want to get on the Internet, eh?

I'm a designated driver on the information superhighway. Welcome!

To get started, you need the following:
1. A modem. You can get a modem from your local computer store. Modems are available that can transfer data at up to 2400 bits per second.
2. A serial cable to connect the modem to your computer.
3. A terminal program that will connect you to the information superhighway.
4. A computer with an available serial port.

Connect the modem to your telephone line, and connect the serial cable to the modem and computer. Install and configure the modem on the appropriate COM port. The modem will have the appropriate information and software required on a floppy diskette.

Then install the terminal program. Once it is installed, you can connect to your favorite BBS when you dial out to your internet service provider.
Put your modem into command mode and type ATDT5551234 (5551234 being your ISP's telephone number)
Once connected, enter your username and password, and enjoy the wonders of the connected world!
 
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
The wifi routers/modems that most ISPs give you are cheap routers which use the 2.4 GHz band and offers slower speeds. The newer standard is an AC router and those go way up in speed assuming that you're getting a fast enough connection. If you're doing DSL through the telephone, those connection speeds can be pretty slow, maybe anywhere from 1.5-15 megabits. Cable is faster, typically anywhere from 25-200 megabits. If you're getting DSL, the slower speed routers are probably fine but if you get your own AC router, you'll get higher speeds and better reliablity as many devices use the 2.4 Ghz band but not that many use the 5 GHz band like AC. Also if you have a laptop, it's best to plug in directly to the router as wifi can be unreliable. I'd set up the router/modem in the same room where you expect to use the computer the most so you can plug directly into it and avoid wifi.

I've checked the download speeds on my parents's all in one box from AT&T. It goes 60 Mbit/sec through WiFi. Not only that, but it's ready for connection to a fiber modem. I've seen AT&T crews installing fiber all over.
 
OK, these others have discussed the wired and wifi side of things. But you asked about the home. So tell us more about the actual house?

Is it wood framed and wood sided?

Is it stucco? In 1959 they did not likely use small wire mesh to secure the stucco like they do now-days. It can easily kill a wifi signal.

What type of insulation does it have? If it has foil backed fiberglass insulation, it can also easily kill a wifi signal.

Does it have an asphalt shingle roof? Does it have an aluminized infrared barrier in the attic ?

Is it an open floor plan, or all doorways and halls?

Has the electrical been upgraded to actual ground 3-way outlets?

Has it had Cable TV installed in the past? In more than one room?

The wifi access point us best close to the load. The speed drops with distance. Sometimes it's best to place the access point in the middle of the bldg in the attic. Sometimes on an interior room wall. This depends on the construction we are dealing with ...
 
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I had a 1920 house in New York with all that wire mesh nonsense and probably asbestos everything and never had trouble with a wifi signal.

Back then I had a cheap linksys wifi router wrt54g.

If you are asking the question, then just let your ISP rent you a modem/router combo and let them give you the password for your wifi.
 
They'll drill a hole and run a coaxial cable line onto that wall. A coaxial cable plugs in from that jack on the wall into a cable modem. Then you buy a wireless router and plug that into the modem with an Ethernet cable (routers come with them). Then you connect to the router with your wireless device, type in the IP address (should be on the router or in instruction book), log into router with credentials given in instructions, and setup the wifi network. You'll need to secure it with a password and they usually give you an option to run a software update on the router, which will help it work better.

Modem basically converts the cable to internet
Router then projects that internet signal wirelessly.

Almost no devices these days run on hard wired Ethernet cables unless you're in a corporate office.
 
So first you need to decide on a provider. In my area I have used AT&T and Charter. Charter provided a modem. I added a router for Wifi. AT&T was a little different. I just used the Wifi on the Gateway device they gave me. No rental. AT&T 6mbs was same price as Charter 130 mbs in my neighbourhood. Choose wisely.

Once you get that arranged then you will better know what is needed. Security is important when setting up Wifi. I was a noob and relied alot on this forum to get me going.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Router then projects that internet signal wirelessly.

Almost no devices these days run on hard wired Ethernet cables unless you're in a corporate office.


Most routers are also wifi routers, but you can have routers that just have an ethernet connection with no wireless connection. Most desktops still have ethernet connections but if your macbook doesn't, you can always get a USB to ethernet connection. I have a 200 megabit connection so in order to get the full speed, I like to use a wired ethernet connection. Much more reliable than a wireless solution, but for tablets, wireless is fine. Remember, the further you are from the wifi router, the more the speed can drop. With a wired connection, you'll get the full speed.
 
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
OK, these others have discussed the wired and wifi side of things. But you asked about the home. So tell us more about the actual house?

Is it wood framed and wood sided?

Is it stucco? In 1959 they did not likely use small wire mesh to secure the stucco like they do now-days. It can easily kill a wifi signal.

What type of insulation does it have? If it has foil backed fiberglass insulation, it can also easily kill a wifi signal.

Does it have an asphalt shingle roof? Does it have an aluminized infrared barrier in the attic ?

Is it an open floor plan, or all doorways and halls?

Has the electrical been upgraded to actual ground 3-way outlets?

Has it had Cable TV installed in the past? In more than one room?

The wifi access point us best close to the load. The speed drops with distance. Sometimes it's best to place the access point in the middle of the bldg in the attic. Sometimes on an interior room wall. This depends on the construction we are dealing with ...


Are you serious? Unless this guy just bought Versailles, a modem supplied by his ISP will be fine.
 
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
The newer standard is an AC router and those go way up in speed assuming that you're getting a fast enough connection. ..... if you get your own AC router, you'll get higher speeds and better reliablity as many devices use the 2.4 Ghz band but not that many use the 5 GHz band like AC.


99% of residences in the United states can't "use" 5 GHz because their ISP doesn't run that fast.

The "range" (distance) on 5 GHz S U C K S .. . . . . .
 
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