Extending wifi

peterhc · 21 Sep 2021 at 18:08

Hi, need some advice atm I'm running plusnet hub and all my equipment is connected via ethernet cables. But my wifi is so **** around the house(especially downstairs) that I had my old bt hub configured as wifi access point (wired via switch) problem is quite often wifi network will just disappear and phones and tablets will stop working. I have ordered netgear Wi-Fi 5 Booster AC2200, and my question is, will I be able to set it up as wifi access point connected via ethernet cable via switch to the plusnet hub upstairs? Or will it have to use unreliable plusnet wifi?

bremen1874 · 22 Sep 2021 at 00:03

Does it claim to offer an AP mode? They usually do, but without knowing exactly what device you've ordered it's difficult to be sure. Download the manual and read it.

BigT · 22 Sep 2021 at 17:23

Is it the EX7700? From your description that looks the closest I could find. A quick skim of the manual reveals it can be connected via ethernet and operate as an access point as @bremen1874 suggests, which is what you want. If I were putting in two APs as you are I would turn off the Wifi on the plusnet router completely.

peterhc · 23 Sep 2021 at 11:14

BigT said:
Is it the EX7700? From your description that looks the closest, I could find. A quick skim of the manual reveals it can be connected via ethernet and operate as an access point as @bremen1874 suggests, which is what you want. If I were putting in two APs as you are I would turn off the Wifi on the plusnet router completely.

That never crossed my mind to turn wifi on the Plusnet off! brilliant as soon as Netgear arrives ill give it a try

. Thanks all for help

peterhc · 23 Sep 2021 at 16:59

All works like a charm, cheers all

BigT · 23 Sep 2021 at 17:19

Glad it worked. More and more separating duties of WiFi/routing/modem seems to be more prevalent. We expect WiFi everywhere in the home these days and it can't just be done with a single AIO box in many situations. Once the preserve of the enthusiast, it's now sort of the principle behind many mesh systems for example. People don't have or want structured cabling installed to provide the optimum solution you now have and mesh makes it consumer friendly and is a reasonable second choice to solving the problem. But if you can run the cabling then a good router, an ISP provided device for instantiating the connection and a separate set of access points is hard to beat. Much of it is transferable between connection types and properties and it's scalable. The only downsides I can see are complexity for the novice and more electricity sockets taken up.