Broadband extender.

Author
Discussion

seeby

Original Poster:

1,807 posts

169 months

Friday 21st October 2016
quotequote all
Hi I hope I,m in the right section . My laptop is on the edge of my broadband range and my new Smart TV is outside of range so no connection . Is a broadband extender as simple as it says and do they work ? Which one do I need ?

OldGermanHeaps

3,801 posts

177 months

Friday 21st October 2016
quotequote all
They are as simple as they say, but are often pretty crap. For 20 or so quid worth a try though.

perdu

4,884 posts

198 months

Friday 21st October 2016
quotequote all
I bought one of Belkin's extenders (Cannot remember any numbers sorry, just took it from the ebay selection) works a treat

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Saturday 22nd October 2016
quotequote all
seeby said:
Hi I hope I,m in the right section . My laptop is on the edge of my broadband range and my new Smart TV is outside of range so no connection . Is a broadband extender as simple as it says and do they work ? Which one do I need ?
Are they all on the same electric mains circuit?

If so then tp link wireless network plugs will do your job.


sgrimshaw

7,311 posts

249 months

Saturday 22nd October 2016
quotequote all
Bought this in October 2015, and it's been working flawlessly ever since:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WA860RE-Integr...

Very simple to get working.

seeby

Original Poster:

1,807 posts

169 months

Saturday 22nd October 2016
quotequote all
sgrimshaw said:
Bought this in October 2015, and it's been working flawlessly ever since:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WA860RE-Integr...

Very simple to get working.
Thanks for your input chaps ,Ive ordered one of the above . As said for 20 quid it got to be worth a try . wink

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
sgrimshaw said:
Bought this in October 2015, and it's been working flawlessly ever since:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WA860RE-Integr...

Very simple to get working.
Surely that on its own won't work?

You need a wall plug it connect your router to the electric circuit?

Like one of these...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0084Y9N3O/ref=mp...

sgrimshaw

7,311 posts

249 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
daemon said:
Surely that on its own won't work?

You need a wall plug it connect your router to the electric circuit
Of course it works on it's own - well as long as there is a existing wireless network!

It's not a homeplug device, it's a wireless repeater.

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
sgrimshaw said:
daemon said:
Surely that on its own won't work?

You need a wall plug it connect your router to the electric circuit
Of course it works on it's own - well as long as there is a existing wireless network!

It's not a homeplug device, it's a wireless repeater.
Hmmm. Ok. The lack of the word repeater in the naming of it threw me.

Personally I'd go for a home plug setup which means you can add wireless home plugs anywhere.


The problem with repeaters is that you are doing just that - repeating. So if you've got a weak / unstable or corrupted signal then you're just passing that on.

On the plus side, if that doesn't work it's from amazon so returns are easy.

Thorburn

2,398 posts

192 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
I don't like the repeaters - the fact they use a separate SSID means often you have to manually switch networks, and unless you're very careful positioning them they can give crappy performance.

Much prefer the Powerline based stuff: http://amzn.to/2etFB5S

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
Thorburn said:
I don't like the repeaters - the fact they use a separate SSID means often you have to manually switch networks, and unless you're very careful positioning them they can give crappy performance.

Much prefer the Powerline based stuff: http://amzn.to/2etFB5S
+1

I'm not a fan either

Power line stuff is much more prdictable

sgrimshaw

7,311 posts

249 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
Thorburn said:
I don't like the repeaters - the fact they use a separate SSID means often you have to manually switch networks, and unless you're very careful positioning them they can give crappy performance.

Much prefer the Powerline based stuff: http://amzn.to/2etFB5S
Repeaters don't have a separate SSID, unless you specifically choose to have one.

Setting up the TL-WPA4220 in the kit you linked to as a separate Wi-Fi network, you would get a separate SSID anyway!

If you use the TL-WPA4220 to clone the existing wi-fi SSID then a device connecting to it will need to connect in the same way as if it was a repeater - it has to drop the connection to the router and pick up the TL-WPA4220 instead.

I'm a fan of the Powerline kit, but repeaters have their place too.




Edited by sgrimshaw on Sunday 23 October 18:16

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
quotequote all
sgrimshaw said:
Thorburn said:
I don't like the repeaters - the fact they use a separate SSID means often you have to manually switch networks, and unless you're very careful positioning them they can give crappy performance.

Much prefer the Powerline based stuff: http://amzn.to/2etFB5S
Repeaters don't have a separate SSID, unless you specifically choose to have one.

Setting up the TL-WPA4220 in the kit you linked to as a separate Wi-Fi network, you would get a separate SSID anyway!

If you use the TL-WPA4220 to clone the existing wi-fi SSID then a device connecting to it will need to connect in the same way as if it was a repeater - it has to drop the connection to the router and pick up the TL-WPA4220 instead.

I'm a fan of the Powerline kit, but repeaters have their place too.




Edited by sgrimshaw on Sunday 23 October 18:16
We're running a repeater at the min and by and large it's been ok

Out house has big thick walls and is a large L shape and is on two separate elector circuits with the bt phone point coming in at one end.

We've a bt home hub 6,then one of the new bt mini hubs,then a top end repeater to get it across to the second circuit.

I'd much prefer wall plugs though but can't now we are running fibre and have two circuits. frown

sgrimshaw

7,311 posts

249 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
daemon said:
We're running a repeater at the min and by and large it's been ok

Out house has big thick walls and is a large L shape and is on two separate elector circuits with the bt phone point coming in at one end.

We've a bt home hub 6,then one of the new bt mini hubs,then a top end repeater to get it across to the second circuit.

I'd much prefer wall plugs though but can't now we are running fibre and have two circuits. frown
Do the two power circuits get close enough to "bridge" them with an ethernet cable from homeplug on Circuit A to a homeplug on Circuit B .... in theory it should work fine.


Junior Bianno

1,400 posts

192 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Not sure if you want to spend this much, but this is the only thing I've found that works. Extenders, repeaters, powerline adaptors are flakey and/or offer reduced speeds in my experience, but this wireless access point just works in our big old house with thick walls. Was recommended on here and I'm very glad it was!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B016XYQ3WK/ref...

Jag_NE

2,949 posts

99 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
great info, thanks all.

Mojooo

12,668 posts

179 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
seeby said:
sgrimshaw said:
Bought this in October 2015, and it's been working flawlessly ever since:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WA860RE-Integr...

Very simple to get working.
Thanks for your input chaps ,Ive ordered one of the above . As said for 20 quid it got to be worth a try . wink
I just got one of these and it has taken my wifi from 8mb to 16mb - so not bad.

My router is down by the front door and I have put it at the top of the stairs. So not that far away and its actually 'clear air' between the 2.

I suspect it is just because the SKY router is rubbish (has no antenna of its own).


Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Junior Bianno said:
Not sure if you want to spend this much, but this is the only thing I've found that works. Extenders, repeaters, powerline adaptors are flakey and/or offer reduced speeds in my experience, but this wireless access point just works in our big old house with thick walls. Was recommended on here and I'm very glad it was!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B016XYQ3WK/ref...
How easy was that to set up? Does it have to be connected to a PC to work?

megaphone

10,694 posts

250 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Kermit power said:
Junior Bianno said:
Not sure if you want to spend this much, but this is the only thing I've found that works. Extenders, repeaters, powerline adaptors are flakey and/or offer reduced speeds in my experience, but this wireless access point just works in our big old house with thick walls. Was recommended on here and I'm very glad it was!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B016XYQ3WK/ref...
How easy was that to set up? Does it have to be connected to a PC to work?
Unifi kit is pretty easy to set up if you're reasonably tech savvy. You need a computer and the free software to get them going, but once set-up they'll run independently.

However, they really are designed for scalable multi-access point use, for a single standalone unit they're a bit over kill.

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
megaphone said:
Unifi kit is pretty easy to set up if you're reasonably tech savvy. You need a computer and the free software to get them going, but once set-up they'll run independently.

However, they really are designed for scalable multi-access point use, for a single standalone unit they're a bit over kill.
If it would give me decent broadband speed in our bedroom and my study (both in a loft conversion with the router on the ground floor), then it would be worth it. smile