In comp.sys.raspberry-pi Derek.Moody  wrote:
> In article , Grant Taylor
>  wrote:
>> On 4/13/19 9:16 PM, Computer Nerd Kev wrote:
>> > Has anyone used a Raspberry Pi ZeroW (or another Pi, plus a USB WiFi
>> > adapter) as a WiFi router?
>
> It works well for light traffic.
>
>> My biggest concern would be the bandwidth and any constraint /
>> contention for the USB bus.
>
> How many devices?  The Pi0 can handle ten or so gamers concurrently
> fetching small text files but two or three downloading graphics makes it
> sweat...

It's just me, so two at most (if I leave something downloadling /
updating while I'm using my laptop, or am transferring between
computers). Though the 3G (soon to be 4G) mobile broadband modem
is on the USB bus as well, I don't know if that would be worse for
performance than the Ethernet adapter. I'm guessing that it's
unlikely to be a problem though - and I usually don't do any form of
streaming.

>> > My cause for looking down this path is that I want to set up a HTTPS to
>> > HTTP proxy on the router to serve all HTTPS connections to computers on
>> > my local network via unencrypted HTTP.
>
> Proxying tends to eat memory - and if you start swapping to external storage
> you'll impinge bandwith.

Hmm, and swapping to Flash memory on the Pi's SD card wouldn't be ideal
for longevity either.

>> > The Raspberry Pi ZeroW with a 1GHz CPU and 512MB RAM should be fast
>> > enough, and as I'm only using WiFi and USB in the existing router, it
>> > should have all the hardware that I need built in. It would use less
>> > power as well.
>>
>> I get the impression that a Pi Zero W might not be the best choice.  But
>> that a regular Pi might be acceptable.  Or some comparable SBC.
>
> You might need the bigger pi just for the memory.

Given the price, it might make sense to try it with the Pi Zero
first. If it works, it will use less power as well, if it doesn't,
then I haven't wasted much money on the Pi Zero anyway.

>> > The main thing that I'm worried about though is
>> > the WiFi range. I should be able to solder on a
>
> The low power Wifi is a big plus.
>
>> > However looking deeper it seems that my existing router may have more
>> > transmitting power (28.11dBm) than the Pi ZeroW (17.0dBm).
>>
>> Remember, Tx power is not all that it's cracked up to be.  Sometimes you
>> get better overall service with more lower power devices than fewer
>> higher power devices.
>
> A a general rule the more powerful the wifi signal the slower the transfer
> as high power devices are in range of a greater number of competitors for
> the channels - so they have to back-off more.  One powerful device can slow
> an entire neighborhood including itself.

Ah well, there are no other WiFi networks in range out here in the
middle of nowhere so I can pump out all the WiFi power that I can
get. :) - Some compensation for all the struggle to pick up mobile
broadband signal...

> Aim for the signal to -just- cover the area you need and no more.
>
>> > I don't really want a significant drop in my WiFi range, so would it be
>> > better to use a Pi Zero (non-W) and a USB WiFi adapter? In which case,
>> > which WiFi adapters should I look for to suit this application?
>
> Better to have two or three strategically placed low power (Pi?) APs on
> wired connections; never use WiFi extenders, each one you add halves
> throughput.

The existing set-up proves that I don't need to do that, so I'd
prefer to stick with a single unit and have less to go wrong, update,
etc.

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