Gigaclear broadband

[Mattt]

The wireless is apparently appalling on the supplied hardware, so ensure you use your own WAPs.

Try cabled LAN first to rule out the cause.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

Done some more fiddling today and it is indeed the wireless - the wireless on the box they supply is really bad.
I turned off the wireless on their box and configured my Draytek 2830 as an AP and it works fine so far - certainly a vast improvement.
I'll do some more testing.

[Mattt]

I'd recommend getting a Unifi UAP instead, really pleased with mine.

[Sonic]

I stuck a Draytek 910C AP upstairs and it's pretty much the best thing since sliced bread. The dual 2.4/5ghz ac in the 2860 was decent, but the range and speed from the dedicated AP in an elevated position is next level.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

Mattt said:

I'd recommend getting a Unifi UAP instead, really pleased with mine.

Yeah I was thinking about going with Unifi - I like the fact that you can add additional AP's and they manage client roaming without a controller.
Which model have you got?

[Mattt]

I've got the UAP-AC-LR and that's sufficient for my large 4 bed (centrally placed).

In an ideal world I'd use a second but currently no need, and I can't be arsed with the cabling.

[astroarcadia]

We have Gigaclear with the Genesis DRG739V2 router. Like many we seem to be having trouble with the wi-fi but my Mac always shows full signal in the airport icon (top left of screen)? Websites can take forever to load when not in the same room as the router.

Can somebody recommend a solution? Do these Ubiquiti acess points work with the DRG router - can you disable the wi-fi function? Is it simple to install and configure as I'm pretty useless with this sort of thing.

Range up to 50m would be ideal - using iPhones, iPad, MacBook, Sonos at home.

Thanks in advance.

[dmsims]

The poster just above says you can turn off the wifi

I would not suggest Unifi for you (nothing wrong with hardware)

Do you have another spare router ?

[astroarcadia]

There is only one button on the router (WPS) and I don't have a spare. Will any fibre router work with Gigaclear?

[anonymous-user]

I wonder why a firm like gigaclear lets itself down by supplying crap hardware?

It must know that it's service will appeal to "techies" who will, as seen on this thread, make their view - and the simple solution that gigaclear could switch to - known

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

astroarcadia said:

There is only one button on the router (WPS) and I don't have a spare. Will any fibre router work with Gigaclear?

You have to use the router Gigaclear supply to initiate the connection, but you can disable the Wifi.
Definitely get a Unifi if you have Gigaclear - don't let anyone advise otherwise. They are the best out there (for the money).
I'd love to know Gigaclear's reason for sticking with that dreadful router - they really aren't doing themselves any favors as the Wifi option is simply not fit for purpose.

Anyway...
So the fibre comes in to the house. You connect the fibre to Gigaclears router. You connect the Ubiquiti Unifi Access Point via the supplied power injector to the router.
Fit the Unifi to a suitably central location in your house (mine is on the landing).
You then configure the Unifi via the web interface and management application - it's a bit tricky if you're not IT literate, but there are plenty of guides available. You need to disable DHCP on the Unifi and let the Gigaclear router handle this.
Once this is done, disable the Gigaclear wifi and enjoy full speed internet access.
I recommend running a Cat6 cable up to the Unifi if possible, but Cat5e will work fine for most people.

I have an LR (long range) model on the landing...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AC-...
And a cheaper Lite version in the conservatory to cover the garden...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AC-...
Both work perfectly well - I'm still a bit undecided if the LR is worth the +£20 ...I really should stick both side by side and do some tests!

Edited by Dr Doofenshmirtz on Wednesday 5th April 12:00

[Sonic]

It appeals to techies, but only works commercially because they achieve near 100% saturation once the service is in-place, of which 99% aren't technical at all and are only used to a BT homehub or similar.

If you're a real techy you'll also have some decent wireless AP infrastructure in place and so completely bypass the AP on the supplied device and just use it as a gateway router, as i plan to when it's installed next week!

[Sonic]

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

I recommend running a Cat6 cable up to the Unifi if possible, but Cat5e will work fine for most people.

I have an LR (long range) model on the landing...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AC-...
And a cheaper Lite version in the conservatory to cover the garden...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AC-...

Just to clarify, both of those APs have 1GbE ports so cat5e is more than sufficient unless you plan to install some expensive 10GbE switches and even then its pointless given the limitation on the AP! The ends of your fingers will also appreciate installing Cat5e over 6, as it's much more flexible and easy to install

[dmsims]

astroarcadia said:

Is it simple to install and configure as I'm pretty useless with this sort of thing.

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

Definitely get a Unifi if you have Gigaclear - don't let anyone advise otherwise. They are the best out there (for the money).

Did you read what he wrote?

There are plenty of simpler alternatives

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

dmsims said:

astroarcadia said:

Is it simple to install and configure as I'm pretty useless with this sort of thing.

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

Definitely get a Unifi if you have Gigaclear - don't let anyone advise otherwise. They are the best out there (for the money).

Did you read what he wrote?

There are plenty of simpler alternatives

Yes, but if you have a high quality fibre internet connection like Gigaclear you may as well buy a quality AP to take full advantage of it.
Unifi AP's aren't that expensive, and they support device roaming extremely well should you need better coverage by adding more AP's.

I'm not sure anything else really comes close to them for the money?

[dmsims]

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

Yes, but if you have a high quality fibre internet connection like Gigaclear you may as well buy a quality AP to take full advantage of it.
Unifi AP's aren't that expensive, and they support device roaming extremely well should you need better coverage by adding more AP's.

I'm not sure anything else really comes close to them for the money?

I agree entirely with what you are saying but by his own admission "pretty useless" I think he will struggle

[Quickmoose]

Sonic said:

It appeals to techies, but only works commercially because they achieve near 100% saturation once the service is in-place, of which 99% aren't technical at all and are only used to a BT homehub or similar.

If you're a real techy you'll also have some decent wireless AP infrastructure in place and so completely bypass the AP on the supplied device and just use it as a gateway router, as i plan to when it's installed next week!

That is the situation.

But feedback from users does have an impact on the team that decide on what we use. It's a sad side effect of the speed and size of our growth that what once was reacted to in weeks now mirrors that of Vodafone or Talk Talk in terms of the size and cost of operation required to make changes of that sort.

[Mattt]

It wouldn't be so bad if you could put the modem in bridge mode without paying a monthly fee!

[Sonic]

Got mine installed now after my neighbour very kindly allowed his driveway and lawn to be dug up for my benefit, and its ridiculously fast!

I've had to ditch the Draytek 2860ac router which is unfortunate as i was planning to use it for WAN failover with ADSL should anything happen, and also had some other handy rules configured, but it was limiting throughput to a paltry 650mbps down and 250mbps up, and there didn't seem like much of a way to solve it despite disabling all qos, firewall rules, filters etc etc.

Having reconfigured the network to use the supplied HRG1000 i'm now seeing 850mbps down and 950mbps up from a desktop wired in with 1GbE, and 450mbps up/down through the Draytek 910c AP mounted upstairs on 5ghz ac.

Using the 5ghz wifi on the HRG1000 i'm only seeing 140mbps down and 92mbps up despite it being much closer to where i'm running the tests on my laptop.

So, i'd absolutely recommend using the supplied router for optimum speed unless you want to get into the realms of expensive routers with high firewall throughput, but i'd definitely get another AP to improve the wifi speed which is how most people will use it anyway.

[S6PNJ]

As I understand it, Gigaclear has been awarded the contract for my area to install fibre broadband (Gloucestershire/Herefordshire around the Newent area). Sadly, their install timeline is out to end 2018 if I recall correctly. Our village has a Parish meeting tonight and we are having a presentation from Voneus and their wifi / wireless solution. I believe they will install a mast somewhere central to the village (village hall perhaps?) and then we will each have a transceiver on our house to pick up the wifi / wireless signal. It is a Gigabit link (not Gigaclear) that then goes back to the nearest exchange (Newent) which is already laid for fibre (just not our 'box' that our village is connected to) and another mast is erected somewhere in order to connect into the exchange and onwards into the vast internet.........

Does anyone have any experience of either Voneus or a wifi / wireless broadband provider?