Best option for internet around the house?

[ivrytwr3]

No fibre in my area yet.
WiFi is poor around the house and not sufficient for gaming.
Would like wired connection in 2 bedrooms.

Current set up for wired in the bedrooms is homeplugs. These work great, buuuuuut are getting old now (Solwise homeplugs). So i'm expecting them to fail at some point. Also, when the kids go away with their PC's and then come home for holidays etc, it's a ball ache having to set the plugs up again (they lose settings for some reason after disconnecting).

Any ideas you tech geek people?

 

[throwaway4372]

I don't see a question here. If you want ethernet around the house just get it installed, may as well do every room. Get a pro in to do it all, problem solved.

 

[ivrytwr3]

We've been here 15 years, there's the chance we may be relocating.

Something cost effective would be preferred, would get it installed, but no idea on cost of something like that.

 

[Meddling-Monk]

Rented or owned?

Rented, make sure it's something you can do if drilling is required (usually for running ethernet hard lines). Owned? Just drag out the drill and install ethernet hard lines.

If unsure on remaining time there (rented or owned), then just tough it out until you know you are (not) moving then do something. As no point wasting money, time and effort to get something in (hardlines with minor average work, or air mesh units that are super expensive and improvement can be questionable, or upgraded powerline units and hope for the best that they even work as well as current units, etc) only to repeat all over again once you've moved.

 

[ivrytwr3]

Owned property.

@throwaway4372 there is a question here as there are lots of options to get connectivity. However, i took your advice and called an installer. I asked for a quote on 4 ethernet panel installs - 3 bedrooms and 1 living room for my AV set up. This is what i got back:

Hi, are you looking to future proof for when you do have fibre and possibly for cctv too?

I’m mainly asking because a lot of systems like Blink you can just get a Wifi blocker which makes them not void as well as just putting hard connections into rooms is only a temporary solution because even if you get full fibre, it won’t solve your Wi-Fi issue as you’ll still have poor connectivity for everything else that doesn’t use a hard wire, I don’t know if you’ve seen any of my information on social media but specialise in Networks where it does both hardwire and wireless so that would be the ability to put a network in which can do both or give connectivity that would be the same as a hard wire, they even do access points that can be mounted in the rooms that have hardwire ability but give out Wifi the system can also do CCTV with hardwired camera cameras so it would stop any vulnerabilities to do with Wi-Fi cameras and you wouldn’t have to change batteries constantly. Hard wiring is definitely a solution for specific devices but then when you start looking at connectivity as a whole you’ll then only solving 40% of the issue.

It’s just questions that I ask just in case as I wouldn’t want you to spend money on something now and then not know there’s other things out there or things that you would want to think about in the future.

The problem is the early routers that deal with normal broadband speeds are built for high amplification of the signal because they’ve not got enough Speed to share around, the minute you get higher speed The Wi-Fi speed will drop to nothing because it’s trying to give a higher speed, which is a shorter range.
As well as if you ever do in the future want to have a proper CCTV system and then having a specific point where everything goes to that can work on the same Network would be a lot more useful to you than having to have two separate networks installed.

It’s just I’ve been to so many jobs where I’ve gone back to upgrade in the future when I’ve advised and then had to take out a lot of things to replace with other things or different layout because of a change in the Network or an upgrade of services so I always try in future proof or think of what you may want or need in the future.

The best thing for quoting for either method would be to physically visit and have a look where you were looking to have things and the layout.

Care to translate for a layman like me?

 

[throwaway4372]

Care to translate for a layman like me?

It's basically about whether in addition to ethernet you also need good wifi installing, and if you did have good wifi would you even need the ethernet. Sounds like the installer has a preference for wifi based on past experience of installing ethernet for people then ending up going back to also install wifi. I suspect there's a business aspect to it, i.e. the wifi work is probably more profitable for them. I think the ethernet route is the way to go, because once installed it'll work for the foreseeable and not need upgrades or have issues, and should just cost a few cables and someone's time rather than any premium kit, and it improves the house a bit which is good when you're thinking of selling.

 

[Quartz]

Would like wired connection in 2 bedrooms.

So just drill through the wall and run the cable around the outside of the house. Use outdoor quality (UV-resistant) cable and be sure to caulk the holes to prevent ingress of water and insects.

Or run the cable inside the house along the skirting boards (if you have carpet) and chisel out gaps beneath doors.

Do take the opportunity to add wifi access points to give you good coverage.

 

[ivrytwr3]

It's basically about whether in addition to ethernet you also need good wifi installing, and if you did have good wifi would you even need the ethernet. Sounds like the installer has a preference for wifi based on past experience of installing ethernet for people then ending up going back to also install wifi. I suspect there's a business aspect to it, i.e. the wifi work is probably more profitable for them. I think the ethernet route is the way to go, because once installed it'll work for the foreseeable and not need upgrades or have issues, and should just cost a few cables and someone's time rather than any premium kit, and it improves the house a bit which is good when you're thinking of selling.

I was thinking the same - they were pushing for a wifi set up, when i think we need ethernet ports for a hardwire connection.

Ta.

 

[ivrytwr3]

So just drill through the wall and run the cable around the outside of the house. Use outdoor quality (UV-resistant) cable and be sure to caulk the holes to prevent ingress of water and insects.

Or run the cable inside the house along the skirting boards (if you have carpet) and chisel out gaps beneath doors.

Do take the opportunity to add wifi access points to give you good coverage.

Wouldn't have a clue or dare to take that on. I'd end up getting someone in to restore the mess i would inevitably make of this.

 

[Disco_P]

What is your end goal?

If it's just good enough (30mbps does 4K streaming) internet around the house for normal folk then homeplugs will manage fine.

My parents have 60-80mbit internet and the cheapest TP link homeplugs with old BT homehubs for wifi APs on their weird dual circuit L-shaped stone house and it works great for everyone. Speedtests pull 50mbit which is fine.

 

[ivrytwr3]

The goal is to get rid of the homeplugs. The ones i have are great, but old and temperamental.

Are there any recommendations for newer, better ones?

Maybe replacing the plugs will be a better and cheaper option than running cables and drilling walls.

 

[Disco_P]

The goal is to get rid of the homeplugs. The ones i have are great, but old and temperamental.

Are there any recommendations for newer, better ones?

Maybe replacing the plugs will be a better and cheaper option than running cables and drilling walls.

I have 2 mixed sets of TP links and they have always worked perfectly. I think we got the gigabit ones and av600. They were a lot cheaper 5 years ago...

I would consider them strongly (maybe get a set from somewhere with easy returns or get a big bundle of them second hand) as it's a cheaper quicker and easier solution than drilling holes and running cables.

 

[ivrytwr3]

I have 2 mixed sets of TP links and they have always worked perfectly. I think we got the gigabit ones and av600. They were a lot cheaper 5 years ago...

I would consider them strongly (maybe get a set from somewhere with easy returns or get a big bundle of them second hand) as it's a cheaper quicker and easier solution than drilling holes and running cables.

Can i be a pain please?! What do i need for the following set up, considering we'll hopefully be getting fibre next year:

1 plug for each bedroom (x3).
1 plug for living room - will be running internet for PS5, AV system, TV, Sky and media device (i have a switch which all devices plug into).
1 plug for dining room with wifi extender (would love to get WiFi in the conservatory off the dining room!)

If you can help, great. If not, don't worry, i'll sort

 

[Major774]

Honestly, a mesh WiFi system is the way to go. The wired speeds you can get from the node is actually really good. My Main PC is connected to such a node and I can still get my 1GB download speed.

 

[ivrytwr3]

WiFi sucks in this house, lots of dark spots throughout. I mean a mesh might boost the coverage, but plugs is simpler and most likely cheaper?

 

[Major774]

The mesh WiFi system will flood the house full of WiFi, so the dark spots will be covered by these nodes. If you have a super large home, then just add more nodes to increase the WiFi coverage.

These plugs doesn't sound like it's reliable enough for gaming and a faff to set up each time your kids are at home.

 

[Az_GTi]

Bit of a long shot - do you have coax sockets (TV aerial) in some rooms?

I had sluggish Wifi here (even with 3 node mesh) but happened to have TV sockets in almost every room so used MOCA adapters to hook up the nodes essentially making them hardwired. Now wireless speed in every room is pretty much max 500b up/down. I hadn't hear of MOCA until recently but its worked great for me.

 

[ivrytwr3]

Bit of a long shot - do you have coax sockets (TV aerial) in some rooms?

I had sluggish Wifi here (even with 3 node mesh) but happened to have TV sockets in almost every room so used MOCA adapters to hook up the nodes essentially making them hardwired. Now wireless speed in every room is pretty much max 500b up/down. I hadn't hear of MOCA until recently but its worked great for me.

Nope! House was built in 99, pretty rubbish set up throughout

 

[bledd]

Run ethernet around the house, put art least two ports in each location that you want them. 4 in living room and 'office'. Also put them where you may want CCTV and where you want WiFi.