Routers

[Chris]

I have wired up a few new rooms that I built with ethernet connections, one of the rooms has been insulated with foiled back insulation boards, walls and ceilings.

So the new streamers I have bought connect good to the ethernet sockets that have cable back to the router, but the new ipad that has the software for music selection is not picking up wi-fi from the new rooms. so it's like having remote control in another part of the house, lol.

The router that I was using was virgin super hub 2, with such a name you would expect a lot, but not so. I requested their hub 3, but having installed it there was no improvement.

I know you can get wi-fi extenders but they just plug into the mains sockets and I expect add noise to the power supply.

So I have two routers now, just wondering if it's possible add a second router purely to link to the first from a different room?

If anyone has a soloution It would be much appreciated as am not really IT skilled.

If the best option is to get those wi-fi extenders that plug into the mains sockets then I will give it a try?


Chris.

[Richard]

If your Hub2/3 is in the foil lined room I'd try and get it out as that may be blocking the signal. Then you'd just need to fire the hub or an extender towards the door space of that room and you may get enough signal in there.


Our house is quite large and I'd tried different plug in extenders to get coverage in all the rooms. This has been successful with a wired and wifi combined network running Squeezebox media server to 3 devices in different rooms and 3 phones/tablet controlling from any room using the same network and smart TVs in 2 rooms streaming video.


The extender that eventually sorted it for me was
TP-Link AC1750 Dual Band Wi-Fi Range Extender & Booster888/1166

from Argos, not cheap but very simple push synch with your hub (mine is Hub2) and very powerful. Wifi is directional though so orientate your hub and try to get the extender in a socket part way to the other rooms and facing towards them. What the hub and extender don't do well is fire backwards, rooms behind them do not get signal. Wooden floors/ceilings and plasterboard walls are no problem but try to avoid pointing into denser walls or a room that is behind 2 walls etc.

[willslenco]

I had a very similar problem here:

1940s house with walls made of 'slag' blocks with high iron content, I tried 'homeplugs' and yes they introduced noise into the system!

I use a Vortexbox streamer so I connected this to ethernet (I ran a cable to an ethernet socket in this room).

I have a 4way ethernet switch plugged into this socket. The Vortexbox is plugged into this and I also have a TP Link wifi access point plugged in as well.

Thus I have streamer connected to ethernet and also separate wifi access to the room, it all works really well and was pretty simple to setup.

The ethernet switch is just plug and play and the wifi access just needed setting password etc.

Here are links to what I use:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0766D8HZ3

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-.../dp/B003HVKTWI
(this is no longer available but this appears to be the same https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-...85M4ZJ2L&psc=1)

[Chris]

Thanks Richard for your good advice, will look at buying the wi-fi extender, the super hubs have a difficult job to function with the extension being on the other side of a double leaf wall, then surrounded with foil insulation. Having googled the virgin routers performance it does come back with bad feedback, it may be that no router would achieve good results in this situation.

Chris.

[Chris]

Thanks for the above links, the extra ethernet connections is very helpful.


Chris.

[John Caswell]

As some of you know I live in a bungalow with an outside workshop about 3 metres from the house. In the wet the wifi signal was poor to non existent.
I solved the problem by purchasing the BT 3 disc set. I have two in the loft - one connected by ethernet and the other one daisy chained via wifi with the third in the workshop outside once again wifi daisy chained. All the rest of the stuff in the house computers,TV etc is hard wired (you can't beat it!) with Cat 6.
I turned the wifi off on the smart hub (was Plusnet now my old BT Smart Hub) to avoid any confusion. The hub also feeds a couple of Netgear 5 way routers to feed the house
All appears to work fine and wifi in the workshop is excellent except when we have really really heavy downpour.

John