What do I need? An access point?

[TREMAiNE]

My router is in my living room and consistently gets 110mbps which is more than enough for what I need. I'm with Virgin using their awful provided hub.

However, upstairs in my cinema room, I'm lucky to get more than 10mbps, with the TV and consoles hooked up to it often dropping Wi-Fi connection.

This means if I want to download a game to my PlayStation, I end up having to take it downstairs for the download, then take it back upstairs to play the game which is ridiculous.

My house isn't particularly big. It's probably average to below average in size, and it's very annoying that I'm going to have to buy a product that I shouldn't really have to - the Virgin Hub should cover an average-sized house easy enough.

But what is the best product for what I need?
I wasted some money on some TP-Link boosters but they made no difference.

At a guess, my best option is to buy something like a Ubiquiti UAP, put it in my loft above the cinema room, and run a cable from the router, up the size of the house, into the loft and into the UAP.

What do you all reckon?
Is there another, cheaper, easier option?

[boxst]

You can use home plugs. They are cheap and easy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Co...

(You can get WiFi ones as well)

[Robotron70]

TP Link P9, plug one into your router, plug the other into a mains socket upstairs and either ethernet or wfi from PS5 to P9.

Download the TP Link Deco app, use the P9 in access point mode, Google how to turn off wifi on your Virgin hub.

Extenders aren't great for your scenario as you'll end up with multiple wifi networks all clashing with each other.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Powerline-coverag...

[xeny]

TREMAiNE said:

At a guess, my best option is to buy something like a Ubiquiti UAP, put it in my loft above the cinema room, and run a cable from the router, up the size of the house, into the loft and into the UAP.

To be honest, put it by the superhub would do the trick. Or use the WiFi on any existing routers you've got (either disable the DHCP server on the router, or put the s/hub into modem mode).

Superhubs seem to route at least tolerably, but their wifi is terrible.

[BigTZ4M]

If you're going to go to the effort of running a cable up into the loft to wire up an AP - good idea by the way, I have done the same - then I'd strongly recommend to pay what would be the small incremental cost to also take a wire up the outside into your cinema room. Nothing beats a cable really and hard wiring something that is going to be doing mega downloads on a frequent basis you'll really benefit from wiring in the console as well as improving your WiFi and future proof for whatever comes down the road with tech in the future.

[TREMAiNE]

BigTZ4M said:

If you're going to go to the effort of running a cable up into the loft to wire up an AP - good idea, by the way, I have done the same - then I'd strongly recommend to pay what would be the small incremental cost to also take a wire up the outside into your cinema room. Nothing beats a cable really and hard wiring something that is going to be doing mega downloads on a frequent basis you'll really benefit from wiring in the console as well as improving your WiFi and future proof for whatever comes down the road with tech in the future.

I do agree, however, there are 6 consoles up there, as well as a couple of other Wi-Fi devices.
So aside from running 6 cables up there, what would my options be?

[monthou]

TREMAiNE said:

I do agree, however, there are 6 consoles up there, as well as a couple of other Wi-Fi devices.
So aside from running 6 cables up there, what would my options be?

One cable and a switch.
Realistically 2 cables, just because it's as easy and cable is cheap.

This sort of thing:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-GS108UK-Gigabit-E...
But cheaper.

[captain_cynic]

TREMAiNE said:

BigTZ4M said:

If you're going to go to the effort of running a cable up into the loft to wire up an AP - good idea, by the way, I have done the same - then I'd strongly recommend to pay what would be the small incremental cost to also take a wire up the outside into your cinema room. Nothing beats a cable really and hard wiring something that is going to be doing mega downloads on a frequent basis you'll really benefit from wiring in the console as well as improving your WiFi and future proof for whatever comes down the road with tech in the future.

I do agree, however, there are 6 consoles up there, as well as a couple of other Wi-Fi devices.
So aside from running 6 cables up there, what would my options be?

Run 1 cable and put an 8 port switch in the room.

Also consider finding out why the Wifi reception is so poor. Is it on a congested channel (your wifi is competing with your neighbours for the same MHz).

[TREMAiNE]

captain_cynic said:

TREMAiNE said:

BigTZ4M said:

If you're going to go to the effort of running a cable up into the loft to wire up an AP - good idea, by the way, I have done the same - then I'd strongly recommend to pay what would be the small incremental cost to also take a wire up the outside into your cinema room. Nothing beats a cable really and hard wiring something that is going to be doing mega downloads on a frequent basis you'll really benefit from wiring in the console as well as improving your WiFi and future proof for whatever comes down the road with tech in the future.

I do agree, however, there are 6 consoles up there, as well as a couple of other Wi-Fi devices.
So aside from running 6 cables up there, what would my options be?

Run 1 cable and put an 8 port switch in the room.

Also consider finding out why the Wifi reception is so poor. Is it on a congested channel (your wifi is competing with your neighbours for the same MHz).

Thanks, so if I run a cable into the room and a switch, and then plug my devices into the switch, is that all I need to do?
Is it just plug and play?

I just don't understand why the signal in that room is so poor. It's the furthest room from any neighbours or signals.
The walls are painted black, no idea what the paint is made of but maybe that has something to do with it?
Lots of devices and signals bouncing around in a room that isn't too big, so again maybe that could be it.

[prand]

BigTZ4M said:

If you're going to go to the effort of running a cable up into the loft to wire up an AP - good idea by the way, I have done the same - then I'd strongly recommend to pay what would be the small incremental cost to also take a wire up the outside into your cinema room. Nothing beats a cable really and hard wiring something that is going to be doing mega downloads on a frequent basis you'll really benefit from wiring in the console as well as improving your WiFi and future proof for whatever comes down the road with tech in the future.

I'd recommend this. I have a TV and streaming hi fi in my kitchen, the room suffered from poor wifi coverage, plus when the kids get going on streaming/gaming devices and wife is on videocalls, nothing in the house worked.

I now run an Ethernet cable under the floorboards from the router in the front room (which is also wired to the tv there), to a switch which feeds tv and hifi, and also to a spare socket on the kitchen counter I can plug my laptop into when required. This frees up WiFi so we have no issues now, and the wired connectivity is very stable.

EdIT: a switch is a simple, cheap and usually very stable piece of kit. For domestic use, no configuration is needed. Completely plug and play.

I use an 8 port Netgear switch. No setup required, been running non stop for 18 months now. You do need it connected to a power supply though, which is a consideration when you site it.

Edited by prand on Wednesday 5th January 12:28

[captain_cynic]

TREMAiNE said:

captain_cynic said:

TREMAiNE said:

BigTZ4M said:

If you're going to go to the effort of running a cable up into the loft to wire up an AP - good idea, by the way, I have done the same - then I'd strongly recommend to pay what would be the small incremental cost to also take a wire up the outside into your cinema room. Nothing beats a cable really and hard wiring something that is going to be doing mega downloads on a frequent basis you'll really benefit from wiring in the console as well as improving your WiFi and future proof for whatever comes down the road with tech in the future.

I do agree, however, there are 6 consoles up there, as well as a couple of other Wi-Fi devices.
So aside from running 6 cables up there, what would my options be?

Run 1 cable and put an 8 port switch in the room.

Also consider finding out why the Wifi reception is so poor. Is it on a congested channel (your wifi is competing with your neighbours for the same MHz).

Thanks, so if I run a cable into the room and a switch, and then plug my devices into the switch, is that all I need to do?
Is it just plug and play?

I just don't understand why the signal in that room is so poor. It's the furthest room from any neighbours or signals.
The walls are painted black, no idea what the paint is made of but maybe that has something to do with it?
Lots of devices and signals bouncing around in a room that isn't too big, so again maybe that could be it.

That is pretty much it. Just wire it up and it'll do it's thing. Switches are dumb devices so they won't need any configuration.

Water is one thing that kills wifi signals, so pipes can interfere. However if you've an android phone you can get a Wifi analyser that'll run on it (the one I use is called "wifi analyser") which you can use to see signal strength and channel congestion.

[somouk]

I have a UniFi UAP and it’s an excellent access point, i also have some UniFi mesh access points sitting off it which are equally as good. If i was looking to fix this issue though I would either be running a cable to something or deploying a mesh wireless network depending on how easy access there is to run a cable.

[WhiskyDisco]

My setup is that I have disonnected the WiFi on my Virgin router. I run an eithernet into a Draytek 2860, again with WiFi disabled (I'm only using this as it was my previous solution).

From the Draytek 2860 I run into a Draytek P1092 gigabit switch - which then feeds (via ethernet) 3x Ubiquity UniFi access points. One in my office, one at the top of the stairs (via the loft), and another right at the back of the house facing inwards. The cabling is through my garage, next to my office, then outside behind a drain pipe into my loft and all around the outside of house.

https://www.4gon.co.uk/ubiquiti-unifi-uap-ac-pro-i...

My 100Mbps broadband is a constant 110Mbps everywhere in the house.

There really is no substitute for cabling in my view.

Edited by WhiskyDisco on Wednesday 5th January 13:15

[RizzoTheRat]

monthou said:

One cable and a switch.
Realistically 2 cables, just because it's as easy and cable is cheap.

This sort of thing:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-GS108UK-Gigabit-E...
But cheaper.

And maybe consider a wireless access point as well for any non-wired devices.

However you could potentially do the same using Poweline adaptors to connect the switch upstairs to your router, and not have to run a cable.

The Deco P9 mentioned above uses powerline to for the units to talk to each other as well as mesh, and then has 2 ethernet ports to connect wired devices or a switch to add more wired devices. Alternatively there's plenty of other mesh systems available to give decent wifi round the house. However cable is generally going to be better than wifi.

[BigTZ4M]

TREMAiNE said:

Thanks, so if I run a cable into the room and a switch, and then plug my devices into the switch, is that all I need to do?
Is it just plug and play?

Yes, provided you buy a simple unmanaged switch (which is all you need). Router LAN port >> cable >> switch and you have X-1 ports there to plug into where X is the number of ports on the switch you'd buy. 8 port is the sweet spot in terms of pricing/ports for consumers, giving you seven free for devices in your cinema room. You can even daisy chain them if you like with no configuration. It's as if you were plugging it straight into the back of your router. Provided no run of cable is over 100m and you use solid core rather than Copper Clad Aluminium (CCA) it'll just work at full 1Gbps now and beyond potentially in the future without recabling.

TREMAiNE said:

I just don't understand why the signal in that room is so poor. It's the furthest room from any neighbours or signals.
The walls are painted black, no idea what the paint is made of but maybe that has something to do with it?
Lots of devices and signals bouncing around in a room that isn't too big, so again maybe that could be it.

Interference, neighbours, wall construction, placement of devices/router, antennae directionality. Difficult to tell without lots of trial and error, moving around using a WiFi scanner etc. How many walls and ceilings does the WiFi have to punch through to get up there. More than one and if you're using 5Ghz it's going to drop throughput like a stone over short distances.

[MYOB]

Virgin's 100mb broadband only supports up to 9 devices. I was having so many problems when I was on that package and tried everything.

I upgraded to their 350mb package which supports 10+ devices.

I have also set the router into modem mode and use TP-link P9 decos as routers.

Problem fixed.

[BigTZ4M]

MYOB said:

Virgin's 100mb broadband only supports up to 9 devices. I was having so many problems when I was on that package and tried everything.

I upgraded to their 350mb package which supports 10+ devices.

Really? I only thought they did that sort of thing with their connect app (aka mobile tethering).

That's ridiculous. A phone, laptop, tablet, printer and some smart bulbs/speakers/TV and you're done?! I'm a bit of a techie admittedly and I have 136 devices on my network at home but surely the average family has more than nine devices.

[TREMAiNE]

Thanks all for the help. As always the PH community prevails.

I'll be going down the 8 port switch route suggested by a lot of you. It seems to be the most reliable, easy and cost-effective solution that will also futureproof me going forward.

[MYOB]

BigTZ4M said:

MYOB said:

Virgin's 100mb broadband only supports up to 9 devices. I was having so many problems when I was on that package and tried everything.

I upgraded to their 350mb package which supports 10+ devices.

Really? I only thought they did that sort of thing with their connect app (aka mobile tethering).

That's ridiculous. A phone, laptop, tablet, printer and some smart bulbs/speakers/TV and you're done?! I'm a bit of a techie admittedly and I have 136 devices on my network at home but surely the average family has more than nine devices.

I was surprised too:

[xeny]

I think that is more meant to be "provides a decent experience with that many devices" than magically stops working if you have more devices.

I've got that service with about 35 devices on it and it is fine as long as I don't try and use their wifi. It was similarly fine when it was 50Mbit, and before that all the way back to 1Mbit some time around 2004 or so.

I've got a site with gigabit (not from Virgin) and some 350 devices. It is fine. There is no magic need for a certain speed for a given number of devices.

There is a need for a certain amount of speed for devices that are doing something like streaming video simultaneously, but how many households need more than 10 simultaneous HD video streams?