What WiFi extender for Virgin Super Hub 5?

[Phooey]

I’ve just swapped our Super Hub 3 for a 5 and whilst I *think* it’s a bit better, we still don’t get WiFi in the kitchen. I’ve got an old (probably like 10 yrs old!) plug-in Netgear extender which works intermittently but i think its time to invest in something a bit more reliable - fed up of Sonos losing connection. I think the Netgear extender is only 2.4ghz so maybe something with a bit more poke needed? Any recommendations for a decent plug-in extender / booster device? Thanks

[billbring]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deco-M5-Coverage-Replacem...

How much do you want to spend? I got these TP-Link mesh wifi around 4 years ago and they've been faultless. I've got 3 of them to cover an L shaped house and you can maintain connection across the whole house seemlessly.

edit to add, it looks like you can get newer and cheaper mesh models from TP-Link now, as I say, the ones I got were a good few years old (but still work perfectly).

Edited by billbring on Thursday 18th September 21:07

[Fore Left]

I've had these for about 2 years now with a Superhub. Don't understand why people spend more.
https://amzn.eu/d/ckSf5Ia

[WyrleyD]

I've got a TP-Link Archer in front of my Virgin hub (in modem mode) and two Deco Hubs this gives whole house coverage with no blind spots and reaches down to my garden shed at a push.

[Phooey]

Thanks for replies. It looks like the TP Link things would do the job but is there not a single piece item that would work or is it a case of needing to buy a multiple piece set (with the first one plugged into router)? I probably need to do some reading up!

[Spare tyre]

We have a virgin hub and a large bungalow

Whilst it mostly worked, in some rooms and outside it wasn’t great

I left existing hub in place

In the loft I ran 5 or so of the bt whole home discs

Pretty much default configuration- you can use wireless mesh to link them but the results of linking them with network cable was significantly better

They are all on the same extension lead in the loft which is powered by a smart plug - so can be simply restarted by power cycling

The smart plug is run from the virgin router - so the above restart can happen when the power is cut by the smart plug


Long story short, left the original virgin stuff in place - ran a new bt whole home network next to it

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

What speed package are you on, depending on the package, if you get less than 30mbps in the kitchen, you can get the virgin mesh system for free, or if your on a low speed package, then its £8 per month.

The hub 5 is massively better than the 3

[Phooey]

Smurfsarepeopletoo said:

What speed package are you on, depending on the package, if you get less than 30mbps in the kitchen, you can get the virgin mesh system for free, or if your on a low speed package, then its £8 per month.

The hub 5 is massively better than the 3

M250. We can't get any wifi at all in the kitchen without the Netgear extender.

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

You wont be entitled to free mesh pods, but if you ring them up and tell them, they will either just send you one out, or send an engineer out.

If you had an engineer come and swap the hub, they should really have done a wifi walk to confirm you have sufficient coverage.

[billbring]

Phooey said:

Thanks for replies. It looks like the TP Link things would do the job but is there not a single piece item that would work or is it a case of needing to buy a multiple piece set (with the first one plugged into router)? I probably need to do some reading up!

You can buy a single TP-Link mesh router here (it's on offer - looks good value) https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Deco-X10-Dual-Ban...

It will plug into your current router and take over wifi duties, just turn off wifi on the Virgin router via the admin panel.

It's difficult to say whether it will give you solid coverage but will probably be a bit better than the Virgin router. You can add aditional units at a later date to extend the range if you need to. These just need a mains power socket and they are essentially plug and play - they just need to be within range of the first one and they will extend the range with a seamless network.