How to Choose a Router for Your Pool Wi-Fi

If your pool has no Wi-Fi you can use, a strong home router at poolside will get your cameras streaming. If your pool already has usable Wi-Fi, follow How to Connect Your Cameras to Pool Wi-Fi instead.

We can't provide support for general pool Wi-Fi setup. There are too many products, pool layouts, and IT policies for us to cover meaningfully. If you get stuck, ask your facility's IT department.

Your pool router doesn't need internet access

Your cameras stream over the local network, so the router doesn't need internet access. An iPad, though, will sometimes switch from a network that has no internet to one that does. See, I connected to the Athlee network, but my iPad automatically jumps to another Wifi network if yours does.

What you need to know before buying a router

Your cameras stream on the 5 GHz band. The more data streams on the 5 GHz band the router supports, the better.

The antennas on the box won't tell you how many streams a router puts on that band: antennas are shared across bands, so a router with six antennas might still run only two streams on 5 GHz, because some of them are reserved for other bands.

Four streams on 5 GHz beats two: the router listens and reaches with four radio paths instead of two, so it picks up weak signals better and covers more of the pool. Look for 4x4, or four streams on 5 GHz, in the specification.

Examples of home routers that can be used

Here is a small set of routers that are good candidates for an indoor pool. Two run four streams on 5 GHz; one runs two.

• ASUS RT-BE88U: four streams on 5 GHz. Default address: no change needed.
• TP-Link Archer BE6500 (sold in Europe as the Archer BE400): four streams on 5 GHz. Ships on 192.168.0.1; you'll change this below.
• ASUS RT-BE3600 (sold in Europe as the RT-BE58U): two streams on 5 GHz. Default address: no change needed.

These are examples, not certified hardware. Athlee can't guarantee that any router, or any placement, will cover your pool. Note that a consumer router in a pool hall also corrodes over time, just like a television in the hall, so expect to replace it eventually.

Not sure whether a router qualifies? Email support@athlee.com and we'll read the specification with you.

Configure the router for your cameras

The router needs to be configured before you connect any cameras.

1. Set the 5 GHz security to WPA2-Personal (PSK), labelled WPA2-PSK[AES] on TP-Link routers.
2. Turn off Smart Connect, so the 5 GHz band gets its own network name.
3. If the router's address is 192.168.0.1, change it to 192.168.10.1. Leave the subnet mask at 255.255.255.0.
4. If your router supports Wi-Fi 7, turn off MLO and set the band mode away from 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7).

Leave the channels on automatic. None of this costs you anything: your cameras don't support WPA3, mixed WPA2/WPA3, enterprise or open networks, and gain nothing from Wi-Fi 7.

Placement of the router

Put the router where there's a power outlet, as near the middle of the pool as that allows. If your cameras and iPad are used mainly at one end, put it at that end instead. Use only a single router, since your cameras don't move between access points.

From here, follow How to Connect Your Cameras to Pool Wi-Fi from Step 1. Your cameras will appear in Athlee Coach, now running on your pool router.

Related: How Athlee Wi-Fi Works · How to Connect Your Cameras to Pool Wi-Fi