# Anyone know anything about wifi routers?



## Darius_Jedburgh (29 Jun 2020)

I've got the puny little Sagemcom router supplied by my ISP. 
It's OK in the house. 
I use a turbo in the garage and that works via an app on my phone. Eats bandwidth so I use wifi. 
But signal is not strong or reliable in garage. Three brick walls in the way. Running cables from router to garage is impractical.

Do I get a new powerful router, and if so what is best? Are they easy to set up?
Or do I go for a powerline thing, plug into router and use wiring to carry signal. 

Don't view films, stream or game on it. Have no idea on tech specs or language. 

Anyone been this way before?


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## fossyant (29 Jun 2020)

You could get a powerline wifi booster, runs data down the power sockets to the garage, and wifi or ethernet in there. Thats about the cheapest option assuming you have power in the garage. Just name the network home-ext or some such where your home wifi is named home. Needs to be a slightly different name so you know you are on the nearer wifi.

More expensive is to go with a mesh system.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (29 Jun 2020)

Thanks. Never heard of mesh!
Google time methinks.


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## fossyant (29 Jun 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> Thanks. Never heard of mesh!
> Google time methinks.



My Mesh is with BT. Its the main router, then two extender discs. Router in one corner of lounge, disc in opposite corner and another in my garage. That gives me seamless wifi through the house, gardens, garage and summer house. For Zwift, I connect a computer via ethernet to a seperate powerline wifi adapter. I just turned off the wifi when I got mesh, but kept the pc on the powerline as it doesnt have wifi


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## fossyant (29 Jun 2020)

Mesh means your device switches to the most powerful wifi disc automatically


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## roubaixtuesday (29 Jun 2020)

Just bought one of these from argos so my son can get wifi for his ps4 in a remote corner. 

Works very well. 

Damn confusing to work out what would be the best option. 

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/5585575


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## midlife (29 Jun 2020)

Loads of companies do them, unifi are meant to be very good but not easy to set up. Google have bought a company and got some under their name which are meant to be OK.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (29 Jun 2020)

So, excuse my ignorance...
Mesh is a new main router. My desk top PC is wired into it and the rest of the house runs on the WIFI provided. 
In the garage I have a disc, presumably plugged into the mains only. Somehow that talks to the router. 
I run my turbo from my phone app. Might get a tablet for bigger screen. Don't have laptop, but Tacx do a good app with routes to follow. Suits my needs. 

Can't see my isp providing anything, and if they do it will be bottom of the range. 

Can you suggest a simple system that a numpty like me can install? I don't understand the lingo but can follow clear instructions.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (29 Jun 2020)

roubaixtuesday said:


> Just bought one of these from argos so my son can get wifi for his ps4 in a remote corner.
> 
> Works very well.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I had seen those. Now this mesh system has my tiny brain spinning.


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## MontyVeda (29 Jun 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> I've got the puny little Sagemcom router supplied by my ISP.
> It's OK in the house.
> I use a turbo in the garage and that works via an app on my phone. Eats bandwidth so I use wifi.
> But signal is not strong or reliable in garage. Three brick walls in the way. *Running cables from router to garage is impractical.*
> ...


put the turbo in the sitting room... if anyone complains, send them to the garage


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## Darius_Jedburgh (29 Jun 2020)

MontyVeda said:


> put the turbo in the sitting room... if anyone complains, send them to the garage


I let you tell SWMBO that. 
Her email is grumpyoldwoman@hotmail.com


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## MontyVeda (30 Jun 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> I let you tell SWMBO that.
> Her email is grumpyoldwoman@hotmail.com


Sent 




bye-bye garage, hello wife-cave


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## Andrew_Culture (30 Jun 2020)

Mesh systems are great. I paid £60 for mine from Currys and it replaced around £500 worth of Apple wireless kit.


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## Milkfloat (30 Jun 2020)

This mesh system would be ideal - simple to setup and use. You plug one box into your router and then the other 2 around the house / garage. It sets up a new wifi network for you to replace the one put out by your router. The beauty of this is once you have added your devices to this new network, each time you change ISP you don't need to reconfigure anything.


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## Andrew_Culture (30 Jun 2020)

I don't want to overegg the pudding too much, but I used to be a full time network engineer and have set up and managed many, many wireless networks.

I have never, ever, known a WiFi system that 'just works' or is as stable as this Mesh setup https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...ome-wifi-system-triple-pack-10184407-pdt.html


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## lane (30 Jun 2020)

fossyant said:


> You could get a powerline wifi booster, runs data down the power sockets to the garage, and wifi or ethernet in there. Thats about the cheapest option assuming you have power in the garage. Just name the network home-ext or some such where your home wifi is named home. Needs to be a slightly different name so you know you are on the nearer wifi.
> 
> More expensive is to go with a mesh system.



Done this in my house now that I am having to work at home to get a better signal upstairs. Easy and reasonably effective.


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## Milkfloat (30 Jun 2020)

Andrew_Culture said:


> I don't want to overegg the pudding too much, but I used to be a full time network engineer and have set up and managed many, many wireless networks.
> 
> I have never, ever, known a WiFi system that 'just works' or is as stable as this Mesh setup https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...ome-wifi-system-triple-pack-10184407-pdt.html



Especially when you get the firmware up to date and set them to reboot nightly.


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## figbat (30 Jun 2020)

When we had our house renovated a few years ago I had Cat6 cables run into every room in the house; two in most rooms, 4 in more heavily used ones. I will use ethernet wherever it is possible. Doesn't help here, but smug figbat is smug () and if you have the opportunity I would do it.

For wifi I am still using the ISP-provided (Plusnet) router and did find that repositioning it made a big difference to its reach - it is now right in the middle of the house (under-stairs cupboard) and, crucially, mounted high-up, around 2m above the floor. Putting it here made a noticeable improvement to its reach, especially upstairs. Our house is block-walled throughout.

I do like the look of that Nova mesh though and may look into it for decoupling my wifi from the ISP and extending outside/garage coverage. Having Cat6 around the place means I can put wifi extenders wherever I want. ().


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## Darius_Jedburgh (30 Jun 2020)

Milkfloat said:


> This mesh system would be ideal - simple to setup and use. You plug one box into your router and then the other 2 around the house / garage. It sets up a new wifi network for you to replace the one put out by your router. The beauty of this is once you have added your devices to this new network, each time you change ISP you don't need to reconfigure anything.





Andrew_Culture said:


> I don't want to overegg the pudding too much, but I used to be a full time network engineer and have set up and managed many, many wireless networks.
> 
> I have never, ever, known a WiFi system that 'just works' or is as stable as this Mesh setup https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...ome-wifi-system-triple-pack-10184407-pdt.html


Thanks guys. You've both mentioned the same system.
On the basis that even an idiot on techy things - like what I is - can set this up I'll get one ordered.
I may be pestering you with PMs though


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## Milkfloat (30 Jun 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> Thanks guys. You've both mentioned the same system.
> On the basis that even an idiot on techy things - like what I is - can set this up I'll get one ordered.
> I may be pestering you with PMs though


They are pretty easy to setup - I would suggest scheduling the automatic nightly reboot though as this seems to clear up any problems you might have. Feel free to PM when you get stuck.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (30 Jun 2020)

Milkfloat said:


> They are pretty easy to setup - I would suggest scheduling the automatic nightly reboot though as this seems to clear up any problems you might have. Feel free to PM when you get stuck.


Cheers.
I like the "when you get stuck" bit!


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## cyberknight (30 Jun 2020)

when mini ck 2 couldnt get wifi in her room i went for the tp ink wifi extender that clones the signal but you connect at the other end to the wifi from the extender , the base unit is connected to the router with a cable so your effectivly connecting directly to the router and it was a good signal, you do lose a bit of mbit as with all the the tp link powerline products but at least she can get full wifi signal , tried the standard plug in boosters but as we have an old house with solid walls they didnt help .


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## Darius_Jedburgh (30 Jun 2020)

Yes. I've done the standard plug ins but brick walls didn't help at all.


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## MrGrumpy (2 Jul 2020)

as has been mentioned countless times MESH !!! Wish I'd known about it a while back. Stable as a rock in fact could do with buying another unit into the kitchen. Just to cover all the garden with full coverage. I bought Deco units btw .


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## Darius_Jedburgh (2 Jul 2020)

I've ordered the mesh units mentioned above. From Amazon. 24 hour delivery. Ordered Tuesday, due here a week tomorrow. Methinks company is in China and is hiding behind an English registered company. Well, not many want to buy from China at present!

For some reason Curry's, as mentioned above, won't deliver and want me to travel 25 miles to their nearest open click and collect store. Plus I have to be there at a set time, and if I'm late then tough luck. 

We shall see, but the guys above^^^ reckon this set is the dogs dangles. Time will tell.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (3 Jul 2020)

@Milkfloat @Andrew_Culture 
Thanks guys for your help.
The Tenda has arrived and is set up and working - I think.
Seems OK so far. Updates programmed in and coverage in the previuosly weak areas seems vastly improved.


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## Milkfloat (3 Jul 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> @Milkfloat @Andrew_Culture
> Thanks guys for your help.
> The Tenda has arrived and is set up and working - I think.
> Seems OK so far. Updates programmed in and coverage in the previuosly weak areas seems vastly improved.


Make sure you go to 'settings' and 'Maintenance Schedule' - I would suggest a system reboot every night when you are asleep. A reboot fixes most things, so having one scheduled can make life a lot easier.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (3 Jul 2020)

Milkfloat said:


> Make sure you go to 'settings' and 'Maintenance Schedule' - I would suggest a system reboot every night when you are asleep. A reboot fixes most things, so having one scheduled can make life a lot easier.


Yes, thank you. That is set.


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## MrGrumpy (3 Jul 2020)

Just for info my TP Link Deco Mesh system has an uptime of 328 days so far


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## Hacienda71 (3 Jul 2020)

Bit late in this instance, but you can use an old router as a WiFi extender/repeater. Loads of videos on YouTube showing how to do it.


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