Why WiFi dies in some rooms
Your ISP router arrives and gets placed wherever the cable lands: usually the hallway, the living room or a utility cupboard. From there, the signal travels through the air and runs into a very specific problem common across Spain's Costa del Sol: reinforced concrete walls, load-bearing partitions and floor slabs built in the 1980s and 90s. Reinforced concrete can attenuate a WiFi signal by up to 70% through a single wall. Three walls between the router and the back bedroom, and the signal is already too weak for smooth streaming.
The Costa del Sol also has a huge number of townhouses, duplexes and penthouses spread over two floors, where the router sits buried on the ground floor and the upper level gets no usable coverage. Add terraces, garages and basements into the mix.
The result is the same in every case: a dead zone. And for that there are three real solutions. Here's each one, straight to the point.
Option 1: WiFi repeater or extender
When it works: flat up to 80 m², one isolated dead zone (a bedroom, a small terrace), a modern router and a decent signal at the spot where you plug the repeater in.
A repeater picks up the router signal and re-broadcasts it. It's the cheapest option (between €30 and €60) and the easiest to set up: plug it in, configure it from your phone, done. But it has a fundamental limit: speed drops considerably and in some cases can cause connection drops (on single-band repeaters; dual-band models with a dedicated backhaul avoid this, but they cost more). If your router delivers 300 Mbps and the repeater is three metres away through a wall, you might end up with 80–100 Mbps in the extended zone. Fine for Netflix, but not for conference or video calls. There may be drop-outs.
There's another practical problem: the repeater creates a network that is technically separate (same name or not, the logic is different underneath). Devices don't always switch automatically to the strongest node as you move around. You can walk from the living room to a bedroom and your phone will stay stubbornly connected to the distant router.
- Pros: low cost, instant setup, no works required, no engineer needed.
- Cons: speed drops considerably per hop, manual roaming, doesn't scale well if you need to cover multiple areas.
Option 2: WiFi 6 mesh system
When it works: large house (over 100 m²), multiple floors, lots of connected devices, need seamless roaming between nodes without noticing the switch.
A mesh system is a set of nodes — two, three or more — that form a single network with one name. Devices connect automatically to the nearest node with the strongest signal as you move around, without you doing anything. That process is called transparent roaming and it's the most important practical difference from a repeater.
The key is how the nodes communicate with each other. If they're connected by Ethernet (wired backhaul), performance is at its best. If they run wirelessly, the better systems reserve an entire band for that communication (dedicated backhaul) and keep it separate from your devices' traffic. WiFi 6 improves this further: with OFDMA and expanded MU-MIMO, several devices can transmit at the same time without colliding, which reduces latency and dropouts when the whole family is on the network at once.
For two-storey homes on the Costa del Sol with thick walls, a two-node Reyee WiFi 6 mesh — one node downstairs, one upstairs — solves what a single router never will, regardless of how powerful that router is.
- Pros: uniform coverage, automatic roaming, app management, single SSID, easy to expand by adding nodes.
- Cons: higher price than a repeater (from around €100–150 for a two-pack), nodes need to be placed correctly — not too close together, not too far apart.
Installation tip: the second node doesn't go at the far end of the house — it goes halfway between the main node and the area you want to cover. And if you can run a cable to it, even a short one, do it: wired backhaul multiplies performance.
Option 3: Cat6 cable with access point
When it works: you want the most stable, long-lasting solution; you're mid-renovation; you have a commercial premises or warehouse; or a wireless mesh can't reach with enough power.
This is the solution that network professionals use. Here's how it works: a Cat6 (or Cat6A) cable runs from the router to the area that needs coverage, and a WiFi access point is installed there. The cable carries the signal without any loss or interference, and the access point broadcasts WiFi at full power from that exact location.
The advantage is clear: speed doesn't degrade. A gigabit in the cable is a gigabit at the access point. There's no shared wireless backhaul. There's no wall attenuation because the signal passes through them via the cable, not through the air. It's the only solution that works reliably in underground garages, warehouses with block walls and houses with steel-frame structures.
The downside is the installation: cable has to be run through walls or along trunking, which requires a physical intervention. If you're renovating, this is the ideal moment — the marginal cost of running cable during building works is minimal. If the property is already finished, the installation is more expensive in labour, but the result is permanent and maintenance-free.
- Pros: maximum performance with no degradation, 100% reliable, a permanent fix, ideal for multi-storey properties and commercial premises.
- Cons: requires physical cable installation (works or trunking), higher labour cost if the property is already finished.
What about powerline adapters (PLCs)?
Powerline adapters use the electrical wiring in your home to carry internet from one socket to another. They're a middle-ground option when you can't run an Ethernet cable and a wireless mesh can't reach well enough. Real-world performance depends on the condition of your electrical wiring, whether both adapters are on the same circuit and what other electrical appliances are plugged in. In a modern, clean installation they work reasonably well. In an older setup with old-style junctions and meters, results can be unpredictable. It's not our first recommendation, but it can get you out of trouble in situations where the other options aren't feasible.
Quick comparison: which to choose for your situation
| Your situation | Recommended solution |
|---|---|
| Small flat (<80 m²), one isolated dead zone | Repeater / extender |
| Large or two-storey house, many devices | WiFi 6 mesh (Reyee) |
| Under renovation or building works | Cat6 + access point (permanent fix) |
| Commercial premises, warehouse or store room with thick walls | Cat6 + access point |
| No cable possible, mesh doesn't reach | Powerline adapter with WiFi (emergency option) |
Before you spend anything: three free checks
Before buying anything, it's worth ruling out simple causes first:
- Move the router to the centre of the property. If it's in a cupboard or at one end of the flat, that change alone can solve 30–40% of coverage problems.
- Change the WiFi channel. In urbanisations with lots of neighbours, everyone competes on the same channels 1, 6 and 11 on the 2.4 GHz band. A channel analysis with an app like WiFi Analyzer will show you which one is least congested.
- Make sure you're using the 5 GHz band. The 2.4 GHz band has longer range but far more congestion. If your device is close to the router and connects on 2.4 GHz, performance will be worse than if you force it to 5 GHz.
If dead zones persist after all that, then yes — it's time to invest in a proper solution.
Why we install Reyee at Dartel
For mesh systems in homes and small businesses on the Costa del Sol, we install Reyee (a brand of Ruijie Networks). The reasons are specific: no monthly subscription (app management is free permanently), solid value for money compared to premium brands, WiFi 6 with dedicated backhaul, and a simple app that clients can use without any technical knowledge. With Reyee we've solved cases where the ISP router left outdoor terraces, ground-floor garages and back bedrooms on two-storey homes in Marbella, Torremolinos and Rincón de la Victoria without usable signal.
When the situation calls for cable, we run Cat6 and install access points on the same managed network. The result is the same seamless network throughout the property, regardless of whether a section is wired or wireless.
If you'd like to see the equipment we have available, you can browse it in our WiFi networking shop. If you'd prefer us to assess your situation before buying anything, get in touch directly.
Want full WiFi coverage with no dead zones?
We do a free coverage assessment and give you a concrete recommendation: number of nodes or access points, locations and a fixed price before we start, with no unnecessary visits.