Wifi extension (domestic)

ghostlymoron

ghostlymoron

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Sorry for asking this on a boat forum but I know I'll get some useful answers here. Our smart telly struggles to get a strong enough wifi signal to operate catch up tv. The new router is in the study adjacent to the ancient desktop PC, the telly is in the sitting room about 40' away with three walls in between. We recently upgraded to BT infinity but this hasn't cured the frequent buffering on tv. If i move the tv near to the router, it works fine so its obviously a weak wifi problem.
I've looked at various options; hardwiring the tv (difficult to route the cable), using a plug in wifi extender (expensive and some say not effective). I recently read that its possible to hardwire a second router to the main one to extend coverage and wonder if i could use my old router as the extension. Waddya think?
 
ghostlymoron said:
Sorry for asking this on a boat forum but I know I'll get some useful answers here. Our smart telly struggles to get a strong enough wifi signal to operate catch up tv. The new router is in the study adjacent to the ancient desktop PC, the telly is in the sitting room about 40' away with three walls in between. We recently upgraded to BT infinity but this hasn't cured the frequent buffering on tv. If i move the tv near to the router, it works fine so its obviously a weak wifi problem.
I've looked at various options; hardwiring the tv (difficult to route the cable), using a plug in wifi extender (expensive and some say not effective). I recently read that its possible to hardwire a second router to the main one to extend coverage and wonder if i could use my old router as the extension. Waddya think?
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I use the ones that plug into the electric socket - one next to the hub, and then another in the socket next to the TV.. wifi cable to each...

While I was lookign for a picture of what I have though I saw this - any good??

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-WN3...&qid=1410954923&sr=8-1&keywords=wifi+repeater
 
Another vote for Homeplug type functionality - I've been using this for years and find it much faster and more reliable than wireless.
 
bedouin said:
Another vote for Homeplug type functionality - I've been using this for years and find it much faster and more reliable than wireless.
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+1 for Homeplug ~£30 from Currys and the like.

For the avoidance of doubt - this system need have nothing to do with WiFi. You take an ethernet cable from your router to a unit that plugs into the mains. Near the TV another plugin unit is attached to the TV (or any other device with an ethernet port) by a short ethernet cable. The cables are normally supplied with the plugins. You have effectively wired your TV to the router.

Devolo is a typical manufacturer
Bob
 
nigelmercier said:
Indeed, but I suggest getting the AV500 type: http://amzn.to/1r9MgBs
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Yes - I use the TP-Link ones and find them great.

AV500 is probably more that you need for TV streaming.

There is another wonderful gotcha on those ones. They may be 500Mbps over the house wiring, but the RJ45 port is probably only 100Mps! So if you have a single pair then you cannot use the full bandwidth. There are a couple of models that have Gigabit ethernet.
 
another vote for tp link - dead easy to set up and a great signal. i also have a wifi extender for the tablets in the garden, but if you have an adjacent socket the homeplugs may even be cheaper tham am extender. with the plugs you do have to plug them directly in to the wall - i think there's a problem if you use an adapter with the home plug in and another pug, or a four way socket. not sure if its true - never tried it but if you only have the one socket next to the tv you can get a homeplug with a 'through' funvtion which means you can plug a device into the home plug and get 240v through it as well as the ethernet signal.

if you've got a double socket, run the tv, dvd and sky box through one socket and the homeplug on its own in the other
 
Update.
I got a tp-link av500 nano powerline adapter starter kit from Argos today. At first it didn't work but then i checked and found i'd got it plugged into the powersurge protected socket which is not recommended. Reconfigured the plugs and it works fine. I need to check now if my computer is still protected against surges.
I still plan to use my old bt router as a second wifi point to boost wifi in remote rooms but its not so urgent now as everything now works. (but possibly not as fast as it could be)
 
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Burnham Bob said:
another vote for tp link .... with the plugs you do have to plug them directly in to the wall - i think there's a problem if you use an adapter with the home plug in and another pug, or a four way socket. not sure if its true - never tried.
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Shouldn't be a problem if it is a bog standard adaptor or extension lead - I have mine plugged into a 4-way adaptor at the router end. As the OP has discovered, however, fancy ones with interference-filtering or surge protection can allow the signal to go astray.
 
There's lots of info about using old routers as wifi access points. Its slightly more complicated with BT equipment and involves reconfiguring IP numbers and the like but still doable. I don't like throwing stuff away and this would mean i could get some use out of the old router. Plus there's no downside - if it doesn't work, I'm back where i am now.
 
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