After a good quality DSL router
Discussion
I have until recently been using a BT Smarthub, which did the job beautifully but has started to become temperamental, experiencing line disconnects.
I swapped it out for a Plusnet router, which stopped the disconnects, but is generally just not a great router, needing fairly regular rebooting and having fairly poor range on the WiFi.
I need something that can cope with a number of laptops, tablets, phones, smart home devices and so on, give a decent WiFi strength throughout the house (this is a small house so that shouldn't be hard), and above all else, be stable and reliable.
Suggestions?
I swapped it out for a Plusnet router, which stopped the disconnects, but is generally just not a great router, needing fairly regular rebooting and having fairly poor range on the WiFi.
I need something that can cope with a number of laptops, tablets, phones, smart home devices and so on, give a decent WiFi strength throughout the house (this is a small house so that shouldn't be hard), and above all else, be stable and reliable.
Suggestions?
What you need is a home mesh system, there are several out there, have a Google.
Personally I'm running the Ubiquiti Amplifi range and it's great, my only annoyance is it's slightly too locked down for ultra geeky stuff, but some may find that a plus point as the setup/app is virtually idiot proof.
The only thing you'll find is most don't have a built in DSL modem, if you're on fibre (fttc flavour) the best bet is to get one of the original Openreach modems off ebay as they're well regarded. Again probably a plus point as your mesh system will connect to whatever type of connection you have - fttc/fttp/virgin/etc
Personally I'm running the Ubiquiti Amplifi range and it's great, my only annoyance is it's slightly too locked down for ultra geeky stuff, but some may find that a plus point as the setup/app is virtually idiot proof.
The only thing you'll find is most don't have a built in DSL modem, if you're on fibre (fttc flavour) the best bet is to get one of the original Openreach modems off ebay as they're well regarded. Again probably a plus point as your mesh system will connect to whatever type of connection you have - fttc/fttp/virgin/etc
Mesh is basically the default answer to any networking question these days.
The key to whether you need mesh or not is will you benefit from having two or more points over 30ft apart. If they are too close together you will have problems with devices unnecessarily switching between the two access points.
What's your budget? It'd be really easy to suggest a £400 monstrosity like the TP-Link Archer AX11000. Black Friday is just around the corner though...
The key to whether you need mesh or not is will you benefit from having two or more points over 30ft apart. If they are too close together you will have problems with devices unnecessarily switching between the two access points.
What's your budget? It'd be really easy to suggest a £400 monstrosity like the TP-Link Archer AX11000. Black Friday is just around the corner though...
TBF you never said it was a small house, in fact there were no details at all really... things like size, location of the master socket, the buildings age / construction type and budget all help in giving recommendations.
Otherwise folk just say install a mesh system or spend a couple of K on a unifi solution, both might solve your networking issues
Otherwise folk just say install a mesh system or spend a couple of K on a unifi solution, both might solve your networking issues
Captain_Morgan said:
TBF you never said it was a small house
I've literally said it twice in this post!TameRacingDriver said:
I need something that can cope with a number of laptops, tablets, phones, smart home devices and so on, give a decent WiFi strength throughout the house (this is a small house so that shouldn't be hard), and above all else, be stable and reliable.
Suggestions?
Suggestions?
TameRacingDriver said:
Isn't a mesh type system a bit OTT for a small house?
Captain_Morgan said:
in fact there were no details at all really... things like size, location of the master socket, the buildings age / construction type and budget all help in giving recommendations.
Otherwise folk just say install a mesh system or spend a couple of K on a unifi solution, both might solve your networking issues
The router is right next to the master socket, in the living room, and relative to the rest of the house is quite central. It's a new build terrace, nice thin walls and shoddy build as per the norm for new builds.Otherwise folk just say install a mesh system or spend a couple of K on a unifi solution, both might solve your networking issues
Brainpox said:
Mesh is basically the default answer to any networking question these days.
The key to whether you need mesh or not is will you benefit from having two or more points over 30ft apart. If they are too close together you will have problems with devices unnecessarily switching between the two access points.
What's your budget? It'd be really easy to suggest a £400 monstrosity like the TP-Link Archer AX11000. Black Friday is just around the corner though...
I'd say if you were to draw a straight line from the router to the furthest point away in the house, I'd doubt it was more than about 20ft. I definitely don't think this house is large enough to justify such a system.The key to whether you need mesh or not is will you benefit from having two or more points over 30ft apart. If they are too close together you will have problems with devices unnecessarily switching between the two access points.
What's your budget? It'd be really easy to suggest a £400 monstrosity like the TP-Link Archer AX11000. Black Friday is just around the corner though...
I also don't think I want to spend 400 quid, but I don't mind spending a bit for a decent quality item. It would also have to be reasonably compact and wife friendly as it'll live in living room
Can only speak to my experience, swapped my old Asus for a Draytek and it's been very stable for last 7 years or so. There's a lot of love for draytek around, IMO the configuration interface is not great but it does work very well once sorted, haven't really had to touch it since first setup.
It has fairly decent WiFi antenna but I ended up getting a couple of Unifi APs to run the wireless as I had range issues through stone walls, they're about £80 each. I'm less impressed with Unifi as a company lately and their attempts to cover up their own breach, if I was rebuilding now then I'd either go for Aruba or possibly Microtik, although think the latter is a bit more techy so depends on how happy you are to fettle.
It has fairly decent WiFi antenna but I ended up getting a couple of Unifi APs to run the wireless as I had range issues through stone walls, they're about £80 each. I'm less impressed with Unifi as a company lately and their attempts to cover up their own breach, if I was rebuilding now then I'd either go for Aruba or possibly Microtik, although think the latter is a bit more techy so depends on how happy you are to fettle.
Apologies, I’d missed you’d said it was a small house in your initial post.
I’d generally advise if buying new to use someone with a easy return policy like Amazon incase you have issues in configuration or performance but as present there seems to be some supply issues so it might be a case of buy where you can
You have a few options that also include the option of mesh, if you find dead zones. Generally the more you spend the greater the performance and stability, obviously there's a cutoff point for home setups but I'd say stick clear of anything in the sub £50 range.
There are less manufactures providing vdsl2/adsl2+ modem/routers/ap’s these days and I’d stay away from the very cheep options. you could simply buy the latest version of the home hub from eBay.
If you are looking for a combined vdsl2/adsl2+ modem/routers/ap then I think its either TP-Link, DrayTek or Zyxel
At the moment it seems like only TP-Link has supply, I’ve used TP-Link myself and found them to be fairly stable but I can’t vouch for these specific products as I haven’t used them.
The Archer VR600 V3 is ~£80 on amazon and should provide the coverage you want and it also has the ability to add access points to create a mesh system if you do find a dead zone
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Wireless-Connecti...
https://www.tp-link.com/uk/onemesh/product-list/
Other options are DrayTek Vigor 2766ac or 2860ac very expensive on Amazon atm but coming back into stock here at some point and might be available elsewhere of less than Amazon
https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/43601-dray...
I’ve never used Zytel so couldn’t say if good or bad but available from eBay refurbished for £100
https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/39145-zyxe...
or another TP-Link all in one unit that might be considered better looking and also offers mesh if needed
https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/42695-tp-l...
Another option to consider is buying a BT vdsl modem from Ebay search for “bt vdsl modem” and loads of options from ~£12 and up, pair this to a router/access point and you have many more options.
I used this type of modem with a Linksys WRT1900AC in our 3 bed detached with a gf extension, rock solid for the ~5 years I used it, I don’t believe that this router is still available, its replacement is but its not the cheapest option.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MF9OQC8
If it were me I’d consider the MR9000 as its cheaper and also offers the option to expand to a mesh if there are dead spots.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Linksys-Tri-Band-Compatib...
Finally it might be posable to just put your current Plusnet unit in to modem mode negating the need to buy a BT modem but you’d have to investigate that as not all units allow that functionality
I’d generally advise if buying new to use someone with a easy return policy like Amazon incase you have issues in configuration or performance but as present there seems to be some supply issues so it might be a case of buy where you can
You have a few options that also include the option of mesh, if you find dead zones. Generally the more you spend the greater the performance and stability, obviously there's a cutoff point for home setups but I'd say stick clear of anything in the sub £50 range.
There are less manufactures providing vdsl2/adsl2+ modem/routers/ap’s these days and I’d stay away from the very cheep options. you could simply buy the latest version of the home hub from eBay.
If you are looking for a combined vdsl2/adsl2+ modem/routers/ap then I think its either TP-Link, DrayTek or Zyxel
At the moment it seems like only TP-Link has supply, I’ve used TP-Link myself and found them to be fairly stable but I can’t vouch for these specific products as I haven’t used them.
The Archer VR600 V3 is ~£80 on amazon and should provide the coverage you want and it also has the ability to add access points to create a mesh system if you do find a dead zone
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Wireless-Connecti...
https://www.tp-link.com/uk/onemesh/product-list/
Other options are DrayTek Vigor 2766ac or 2860ac very expensive on Amazon atm but coming back into stock here at some point and might be available elsewhere of less than Amazon
https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/43601-dray...
I’ve never used Zytel so couldn’t say if good or bad but available from eBay refurbished for £100
https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/39145-zyxe...
or another TP-Link all in one unit that might be considered better looking and also offers mesh if needed
https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/42695-tp-l...
Another option to consider is buying a BT vdsl modem from Ebay search for “bt vdsl modem” and loads of options from ~£12 and up, pair this to a router/access point and you have many more options.
I used this type of modem with a Linksys WRT1900AC in our 3 bed detached with a gf extension, rock solid for the ~5 years I used it, I don’t believe that this router is still available, its replacement is but its not the cheapest option.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MF9OQC8
If it were me I’d consider the MR9000 as its cheaper and also offers the option to expand to a mesh if there are dead spots.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Linksys-Tri-Band-Compatib...
Finally it might be posable to just put your current Plusnet unit in to modem mode negating the need to buy a BT modem but you’d have to investigate that as not all units allow that functionality
Edited by Captain_Morgan on Friday 12th November 11:36
Edited by Captain_Morgan on Friday 12th November 11:45
TameRacingDriver said:
Isn't a mesh type system a bit OTT for a small house? The BT router I had before didn't have any issue with range anywhere in the house. If it is genuinely better or more reliable in this scenario then I will consider it, but don't want to buy kit for the sake of it.
It really depends, ours is an extended ex-council (not very PH!) 3 bed, but because the BT master socket is in a corner of the house, a mesh point positioned centrally makes a big difference.This is the system I've got, I was all ready to say why wouldn't you as I only paid about £120, it seems to have gone up a bit! https://www.4gon.co.uk/ubiquiti-amplifi-instant-ho... The plus point is it's a pre-configured 2 point system, which should be enough for most houses.
As someone else said, research the mesh systems and buy the core router component now knowing you can add on mesh points later.
The key thing is don't buy consumer grade stuff, it all seems to deteriorate within a couple of years, which makes zero sense for this kind of product. Ubiquiti stuff is brilliant, Draytek used to be good but seem to have lost their way, TP-Link are normally good.
Captain_Morgan said:
The Archer VR600 V3 is ~£80 on amazon and should provide the coverage you want and it also has the ability to add access points to create a mesh system if you do find a dead zone
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Wireless-Connecti...
I've got an Archer VR600 and a Deco-9 mesh system and it's pretty much plug and forget. Solved a few niggling connectivity problems throughout the house. The VR600 has a pretty terrible user interface though and it's difficult to set up some functions like assigning IP addresses to MAC addresses. I also think the Mesh system interferes with our Hive network to some extent, but it's not a major issue.https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Wireless-Connecti...
TameRacingDriver said:
Thanks for the advice everyone, I'm still looking into this. There is a lot of choice and it's hard to be sure what to buy as the reviews are variable to say the least. Going to see what turns up on Black Friday, if anything, otherwise I'll try one of the suggestions on here.
You won't go far wrong with a Draytek. There are quite a few on ebay, just make sure it's BT MCT/SIN498 compliant as some people sell off older ones that aren't. The Draytek website has information on all the old models but you might have to dig around a bit to find it.https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_t...
https://draytek.co.uk/products/comparison/router-c...
Looks like draytek now have their own mesh system so you can buy a router that becomes the hub and then just add APs later to extend range, some of the APs look like they can connect wired devices too.The APs aren’t cheap, not sure it’s worth changing if you already have a working setup, but if building new then prob worth a look.
I've ordered the first piece of the jigsaw: https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/tenda-nova-mw3-wh...
Looks like a reasonably decent domestic MESH system for little money.
Seems like this product is limited to 100 Mbps which is fine for me as my connection is 70. This can be upgraded by buying a higher end model to use with these, which will then give you 800+, but as I don't see my connection being upgraded anytime soon, this is fine.
So I'll look into using my router as a modem, or more likely, just get a BT Openreach VDSL modem off ebay for £13.
Home Mesh system for less than 50 notes, and I'm sure it'll be a decent upgrade from a crappy PlusNet router
Looks like a reasonably decent domestic MESH system for little money.
Seems like this product is limited to 100 Mbps which is fine for me as my connection is 70. This can be upgraded by buying a higher end model to use with these, which will then give you 800+, but as I don't see my connection being upgraded anytime soon, this is fine.
So I'll look into using my router as a modem, or more likely, just get a BT Openreach VDSL modem off ebay for £13.
Home Mesh system for less than 50 notes, and I'm sure it'll be a decent upgrade from a crappy PlusNet router
Bikerjon said:
The thread title doesn't quite match the outcome! If your house is small then why bother with a mesh? If anything it might slow things down. A newer model BT hub from ebay would probably be a better option and I rarely recommend BT hubs either!
It's just cheap and seems more flexible. I might only use a couple of the APs, one upstairs and one down, but at this price, I think its cheaper than buying 2! Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff