Access Point

TerrierHTFC · 28 Feb 2020 at 10:36

We have 2 offices at work, separated by the reception area. In one room we have the fibre connection hooked up to a draytek router. An ethernet cable then goes from the router over the loft space to the second office, wired into an ethernet socket on the wall. However, the wifi doesn't reach from one room to other.

In order to add wifi to room 2 I think we need to add an access point in room 2, plugged into the ethernet port (which then goes to router in room 1), is this correct?

And if so, do you have any recommendations?

TerrierHTFC · 28 Feb 2020 at 14:05

bremen1874 said:
Sounds about right.

You could look at DrayTek for the AP. Depending on the router you have you may be able to manage the AP and the router's wireless via the same interface.

The other obvious option is one of the UniFi APs. Depending on various factors you may be better off disabling the wireless on the DrayTek and using one or two UniFi APs.

Could you install a single AP in the reception area (on the ceiling preferably) and cover both offices?

No, we are in communal offices so the reception area is not our domain. The router is a draytek vigour 2860n. The less involvement in the router settings the better, as its managed by our IT company, I'd preferably like to sort this if possible without their involvement. They love a call out charge!

TerrierHTFC · 28 Feb 2020 at 15:30

bremen1874 said:
Vigor routers are fine but the wireless has tended to have a reputation for being pretty poor. I've always bought the wires only models and handled the wireless separately. As I've usually had the router in a comms rack the wireless would have struggle anyway.

Are you after an access point to install on a wall/ceiling or something to sit on a desk/shelf?

How much are you willing to spend?

Sit on a desk ideally, although we could have it wall mounted if required. Ceiling less so. Pretty much everything in room 1 where the router is cabled, apart from a smart tv which works fine on the wifi.

Neither room is very big, probably 5x5m square and very open.

£100 or so, but would spend more if something was significantly better.

TerrierHTFC · 5 Mar 2020 at 10:28

Explained our situation and asked our IT company for advice on which AP to buy. Came back with a quote for £679.43!

*2 Aruba Instant On AP11D (RW) Indoor AP x2 = £219.44
*Half a day onsite install = £335.75
*Delivery = £11

Half a day onsite, £335.75 to install an AP :rolleyes:

. Exactly why I didn't bother asking them originally.

TerrierHTFC · 5 Mar 2020 at 16:33

mrbell1984 said:
Daylight robbery. Run a single Ethernet cable from the router and plug an access point in at the other end. Will be fine! You shouldn’t need any config doing apart from changing the SSID password (maybe) on the AP. It would take no more than 5 mins to do the whole task if you got blank ceilings.

But the issue is - do you know how to configure the access point if required to do so?

Networking probably my area of least knowledge but i've been building PC's and ******* around with tech for 20 years. Pretty sure I can get it working.

Any reason to go with the more expensive Draytek 903 over a cheaper Unifi?

Its not remotely mission critical, the room is a meeting room, its just for clients to use wifi on their phones and a bit of laptop usage.

TerrierHTFC · 5 Mar 2020 at 16:37

Cheers

TerrierHTFC · 5 Mar 2020 at 16:41

mrbell1984 said:
Are you 100% sure you can run cable from that router up into the roof space/void to the other room?

How far apart are these rooms?

The cable is already in place. The rooms are probably 20 yards apart, in cable terms up and down its probably double that.

TerrierHTFC · 6 Mar 2020 at 15:04

No cables need pulling, everything is in place.

The quote and some of the replies are really overstating the importance of this job, and also seem to be presuming that your I am your average tech numpty. At the risk of sounding like a ******, I'm not, hence the interest in forums like this, and this is a 3 man family business not an SME with a definitive IT budget, but I appreciate I didn't make that clear.

There's a big difference between tuppence ha'penny and £800+ once the VAT is added - VAT which we cant claim back due to the industry in which we operate.

Thank you to everyone for your replies and time, it is appreciated.