Wifi range extenders inside home - latest thinking

[DeLorean75]

Evening folks

Would someone be kind enough to point me in the direction of the latest thinking on wifi range extenders in the home? I see there are a few older threads.

I appreciate often the router is at fault but in this case not a problem with speeds close to, just degradation of signal up 3 flights victorian house.

Many thanks

DeLorean

[595Heaven]

If you are happy with your router, then perhaps the easiest fix is the BT Whole Home Wifi system. £199 for three discs which shoudl be plenty.

Very simple to set up - just connect one to your router and download the app and you can then pretty much forget about them - they just work.

[DeLorean75]

Christmas (but thanks!)

Anything a mite cheaper?!

[dogbucket]

Netgear do some plugin mesh extenders that work with your existing router. The main thing is to position the extender such that it is getting a good signal from the main router so it can boost on a decent bandwidth.

[skeeterm5]

595Heaven said:

If you are happy with your router, then perhaps the easiest fix is the BT Whole Home Wifi system. £199 for three discs which shoudl be plenty.

Very simple to set up - just connect one to your router and download the app and you can then pretty much forget about them - they just work.

I have these, 3 of them spread around and they do extend the Wi-fi.

But, I seem to have a problem with my internet connection dropping for a few seconds every few hours. I never had this problem before the dishes.

So far we are no closer to finding out what is happening.

It isn’t a massive issue as they reconnect automatically, but it can happen if streaming a film this can be a pain.

[wombleh]

I’d tend to go with turning off the wifi on the router and using “proper” mesh wifi APs, assuming that running cables isn’t an option. There’s a thread running “weapons grade wifi” that’ll have lots of suggestions. I’m sure some folk find extenders work ok but personally I’ve not had much luck with them and they’re fairly basic so troubleshooting is tricky.

[deckster]

If you genuinely want to sort the problem, run some cables up the stairwell and put a decent mesh access point (with hardwired backhaul) on each floor. Anything else is just dancing around the problem, which is that wifi and big old houses simply don't mix.

[DeLorean75]

deckster said:

If you genuinely want to sort the problem, run some cables up the stairwell and put a decent mesh access point (with hardwired backhaul) on each floor. Anything else is just dancing around the problem, which is that wifi and big old houses simply don't mix.

Thanks - elderly parents house with me trying to work from occasionally doing the dutiful son gig - extra cables not an option but doubtless correct

[DeLorean75]

Thanks for other responses much obliged

[HappyMidget]

The standard plugin extenders do work very well as long as you get the position of it right. Sod the expensive mesh setups and wired backhauls, really not needed.

[Captain_Morgan]

Always, always buy from someone like Amazon so if it doesn’t work it can be returned and replaced with a alternative.

I’d look at this that uses the mains to connect the existing router to a additional access point.

You can also hard wire your laptop and use wifi for other devices if needed.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-PA8033PKIT-Gig...

[DeLorean75]

Trying the TP Link AC1750

Below may be useful to others:

https://uk.pcmag.com/wireless-networking/89243/the...

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/wi-fi-routers-and-...

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/wif...

[DeLorean75]

Captain_Morgan said:

Always, always buy from someone like Amazon so if it doesn’t work it can be returned and replaced with a alternative.

I’d look at this that uses the mains to connect the existing router to a additional access point.

You can also hard wire your laptop and use wifi for other devices if needed.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-PA8033PKIT-Gig...

Cap'n do you happen to know if this one works fine with a BT SmartHub (2) ?

Thanks - revisiting this

[paulrockliffe]

If you're talking about working from the house rather than covering every square inch with a superfast connection then power over ethernet may be good enough for you. One plugged into the router, one plugged in wherever you're plugging your computer in.

You can either plug your computer straight in over ethernet, or you can get them with WiFi too and use that, whatever suits.

It doesn't sound like you actually need to extend the WiFi range as such.

[DeLorean75]

Yes exactly

Just unsure if particular ones work / work better with some providers

[Captain_Morgan]

DeLorean75 said:

Captain_Morgan said:

Always, always buy from someone like Amazon so if it doesn’t work it can be returned and replaced with a alternative.

I’d look at this that uses the mains to connect the existing router to a additional access point.

You can also hard wire your laptop and use wifi for other devices if needed.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-PA8033PKIT-Gig...

Cap'n do you happen to know if this one works fine with a BT SmartHub (2) ?

Thanks - revisiting this

Sorry not sure what you are asking?

It will connect to the hubs Ethernet, if the hub does not provide wifi to the third floor and the powerline connection between the two units works you should be fine, the second floor between the new powerline ap and existing hub might exhibit some ‘hunting’ between ap’s but I’d always suggest turning the power down on the new ap to try and minimise/mitigate the hunting between ap’s

[DeLorean75]

Thanks

Only asking if these work better with particular ISPs or doesn't matter - thanks

[Captain_Morgan]

Doesn’t matter

[sgrimshaw]

DeLorean75 said:

Captain_Morgan said:

Always, always buy from someone like Amazon so if it doesn’t work it can be returned and replaced with a alternative.

I’d look at this that uses the mains to connect the existing router to a additional access point.

You can also hard wire your laptop and use wifi for other devices if needed.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-PA8033PKIT-Gig...

Cap'n do you happen to know if this one works fine with a BT SmartHub (2) ?

Thanks - revisiting this

If it helps, that kit absolutely works with a BT SH2

[DeLorean75]

Thanks.

I've wired in cat cable which gets me where to where I need to be and in a few weeks when bt upgrades the fibre I've resigned myself to a mesh system then, as the first response suggested! Either the BT one or the eero I suspect. Neighbour has google nest wifi working flawlessly but there's only so many microphones I want listening to me!