I've actually tried powerline adapters in my older apartment, and honestly, they were pretty decent for the price. Definitely better than dealing with spotty Wi-Fi signals through thick walls. But heads up—if your wiring is super old or weirdly set up, they can be hit-or-miss. Mine worked great in one room but barely at all in another... still, worth a shot if you're on a tight budget and can't run ethernet everywhere.
"Definitely better than dealing with spotty Wi-Fi signals through thick walls."
True, powerline adapters can help, but honestly, I've had better luck with mesh Wi-Fi systems. They're pricier upfront, but setup is straightforward, coverage is consistent, and you avoid the wiring lottery altogether... might save headaches down the road.
Mesh setups are great, but if budget's tight, a well-placed extender or two can work wonders. I've seen clients get creative—sometimes just repositioning the router away from metal or mirrors helps more than you'd think... Wi-Fi can be weird like that.
Honestly, repositioning the router made a huge difference for me. I had mine tucked behind the TV stand (rookie mistake, I know), and just moving it to a higher shelf cleared up most of my dead spots. Also, don't underestimate the power of DIY hacks—I've seen folks online using homemade reflectors out of soda cans or aluminum foil... sounds crazy, but apparently it works. Wi-Fi really is a mysterious beast sometimes.
Yeah, router placement is surprisingly underrated. I've tried the aluminum foil reflector thing myself—felt kinda silly doing it, but it genuinely boosted signal strength upstairs. Sometimes the simplest DIY solutions are the best ones... Wi-Fi really does have a mind of its own sometimes.
