Home network & Wi-Fi

Not necessarily. Often the router is in the wrong spot, set up poorly or simply old. We first see whether your current equipment can be made to work better. If something new is needed, we explain why and suggest models; it is bought only with your approval, at cost with the receipt. You can also buy it yourself: send us the model first and we’ll tell you whether it suits your home.

We test the speed with a cable plugged into the router, then test the Wi-Fi in each room, and the comparison usually makes it clear. If it is already slow or dropping right at the router, the problem is most likely the internet line or plan, which your provider has to fix; we tell you what we measured so you can take it up with them. We can’t repair the provider’s line or equipment.

A single router at one end of the home loses strength through every wall and floor. Mesh uses several units on different floors or in different rooms that work as one network with one name. Not every home needs it: in a small apartment, one well-placed router is often enough, while multi-story houses, basements and older brick homes usually do better with mesh or a cable run. We advise after seeing the place.

Cable can run along baseboards and door frames in raceway, avoiding holes in the wall where possible. Drilling through a wall or floor needs the landlord’s or building’s permission first; in a co-op or condo, please check the building rules too. Where cable can’t go, mesh units can link wirelessly.

The trip charge is based on round-trip mileage on the Google Maps fastest route. Labor is billed by actual time, with a 1-hour minimum per visit and 15-minute increments after that. Tolls, the Manhattan congestion toll and parking are passed through at actual cost with no markup and itemized; parts are at cost with the receipt and bought only with your approval. You get a written quote after an on-site assessment. See the Pricing page for details.