mixing manufacturers to extend home wifi range

94wahoo

I have Google Fiber home internet in a small two-story home with a finished basement. The Fiber modem/router is on main floor. The signal on floor 2 was not great so we bought an Amped Wireless access point which is hardwired via ethernet cable to the Fiber modem on main floor. But the signal in the basement is still also not great, and we want to improve it there. We are wary of buying yet another device to extend the signal down there and afraid of ending up with a patchwork of different devices that don't play well together. 
questions: 
Is the Google Fiber modem/router a quality product that we should continue using or should we start over and turn off its router and replace it with our own router?
Anyone know the manufacturer of the Google Fiber modem/router?
Is it ok to mix manufacturers of hardware on a single home network wifi?
If the Google Fiber modem/router is worth using, and the Amped Wireless AP worth keeping, should I look to use the exact same Amped Wireless product in the basement, or a different Amped Wireless product, or can I use any other manufacturer?
Note: I have Cat5e hardwire run from the Google Fiber modem to both locations where I want to extend the signal (floor 2 and the basement).

TSTonyV

So we actually have a guide on boosting your wifi in your home. I think it should have some good information for your questions, you can read through it here:

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/3891/how-to-boost-your-wifi-signal#latest

As for the Google modem/router being worth using, there's no reason not to use it and it should be a quality product.  I'd say unless you're specifically having issues with the main router, stick with it. From what I can find online, I couldn't find anything showing that a company like Netgear or other router manufacturers are the ones who make the Google devices, as far as I can tell they're actually manufactured by Google. I could be wrong about that, but that's the best information I could find. 

TS_JosephF

Hello @94wahoo
It is okay to use routers or access points from different manufacturers. Obviously, there are some brands like Ubiquiti that work better when only using their brand equipment but they can be mixed with other manufacturer hardware and still work.
As for the Amped Wireless access point, I am not a fan of Amped Wireless products. There are other brands you can get around the same price that I think would be better.  I actually replaced an Amped Wireless AP with the Ubiquiti AP that is in the buyer's guide and I have yet to have any connection problems. 

As for the Google Fiber network box, I am seeing it is required for Google Fiber internet. I am seeing that others have connected the 2nd router after this network box which will work but it can cause a 'Double NAT' error on some devices. I have been able to set up one router after another without running into this Double NAT issue, so it can be done. I am not sure who manufacturers their modem but that would not be a determining factor on what other access points you should get for your home. Google has some information on how you can set up your own router after their network box:
https://support.google.com/fiber/answer/2446100?hl=en

And here is the information they provide on their network boxes:
https://support.google.com/fiber/answer/2667456?hl=en 

For a basement, you may want to consider the ceiling mountable Access Points (if your basement has ceiling tiles it would be ideal). Since you have an ethernet cable already ran you could also get a WiFi extender that can be set up as an access point as well. You would likely get better coverage from an access point like the TP-LINK EAP225 V3 AC1350. It is PoE powered so set up is fairly easy. 
And for the 2nd floor, you should be able to use a standard WiFi repeater like the TP-LINK RE450 AC1750. It has a gigabit ethernet port and would provide reliable speeds. If you have a large area to cover upstairs than you may want to consider an access point as the antennas would have more power to broadcast the signal farther.

94wahoo

TS_JosephF said:

...
And for the 2nd floor, you should be able to use a standard WiFi repeater like the TP-LINK RE450 AC1750. It has a gigabit ethernet port and would provide reliable speeds. If you have a large area to cover upstairs than you may want to consider an access point as the antennas would have more power to broadcast the signal farther.

First of all, thank you so much for lending your expertise!
I'm a DIY novice at this, so bear with me...when you say that a product like the TP-LINK RE450 AC1750 has a gigabit ethernet port, is that a port for receiving the Cat5e signal from the Google Fiber modem, or is it a port for delivering the signal to an end user device? Does it only receive the signal from the Google box wirelessly?

Since I do have the Cat5e run to the spot where I want to improve wifi signal, the signal from it ought to be pretty strong, and whatever extender or repeater device I use ought to take advantage of that hard wire, right?

TS_JosephF

94wahoo said:

TS_JosephF said:

...
And for the 2nd floor, you should be able to use a standard WiFi repeater like the TP-LINK RE450 AC1750. It has a gigabit ethernet port and would provide reliable speeds. If you have a large area to cover upstairs than you may want to consider an access point as the antennas would have more power to broadcast the signal farther.

First of all, thank you so much for lending your expertise!
I'm a DIY novice at this, so bear with me...when you say that a product like the TP-LINK RE450 AC1750 has a gigabit ethernet port, is that a port for receiving the Cat5e signal from the Google Fiber modem, or is it a port for delivering the signal to an end user device? Does it only receive the signal from the Google box wirelessly?

Since I do have the Cat5e run to the spot where I want to improve wifi signal, the signal from it ought to be pretty strong, and whatever extender or repeater device I use ought to take advantage of that hard wire, right?

That is actually a good question. The one I sent you can only receive its internet connection wirelessly. This repeater -  Netgear EX6150-100NAS  -  can be set up to either receive the internet connection through the Ethernet port OR wirelessly. If you want it to receive the internet connection wirelessly, you would set it up in extender mode (And yes it would receive its signal from the Google network box). If you would like to set up the internet connection via ethernet then you would set it up in Access Point mode. If you were to set it up in extender mode, then you could connect another device, like a desktop PC, to the extender via CAT 5e to provide the internet to that PC. 

This one also allows you to set it up with the mobile app, which is typically easier. Since you are able to run an ethernet cable to it, that is what I recommend. Also, you are correct, you will get more reliable speeds from the extender when it is receiving the internet connection via ethernet. Mine as well take advantage of it when you have the option.