networking advice

utajoker

utajoker

utajoker

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Joined
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Wigan
Hi

We are moving into a new house at the end of the year which has Virgin Media ports in almost every room.

It is a 3 story house with 3 bedrooms on top floor, living room/kitchen/dining rooms on middle floor and a study/utility room on the ground floor.

I plan to get the Virgin hub installed in the ground floor study in modem mode and use with my own router (Asus RT-N66U)

I am not sure on this giving a good wifi signal to the top of the house.

So first question is will my router be able to give a good wifi signal to the top of the house without having to do anything?

will i have to get some additional equipment to get a good wifi signal every where? and if so, what?

Could i get 2 Virgin hubs and run double routers and broadcast the same network?

I have no real clue on networking, my knowledge goes as far as setting virgin hub into modem mode and then setting up my own router( maybe following the wizard :p )

I plan to run a home server in the study and stream music to something like a Sonus and stream HD video to TV/tablets and i also want to get amazon dot/echo and wifi bulbs etc set up in the future, basically Smart home stuff.


Thanks for any help.
 
The best solution for Wi-fi is to use a dedicated AP like the Ubiquti AC-pro. You can use one and plug it in to you’re router and see what the signal is like and if needed add another.
 
Virgin Media don't put "ports" in every room. You've probably got ethernet connections. Find out where the VM connection comes in and put the Superhub there and see what the signal is like. If it's no good, then connect the N66U (which you might want for extra features) and put the Superhub into modem-mode. If the signal is no good, then you can use the ethernet network in the house to move your N66U elsewhere but still leave it connected via eithernet to the Superhub. So you could have the Superhub on the ground floor and put the N66U in the middle of the house to get wi-fi coverage. If you need more, you can add other access points using the ethernet network in the house.

You can't have two Superhubs at the same address. You could run both the wi-fi on the SH3 and the N66U, but then you would be double-natted, and you would have to disable some of the features on the N66U and allow the SH3 to deal with things like DHCP. The N66U can be configured to become and access point for the SH3, but the N66U is a better router with more features, especially if you install one of the third party firmwares like Merlin.
 
utajoker said:
ports in almost every room
Click to expand...

Those ports will need to be switched. You need to find the central point in the house where all these cables emerge from the walls (check all cupboards and under-stair hidey places etc)


utajoker said:
So first question is will my router be able to give a good wifi signal to the top of the house without having to do anything?
Click to expand...

If you actually do have a fully wired home, then your options are endless. I have a 3 storey old house with mega thick walls, and while a single wifi router does blanket the house, it's not a particularly strong signal in some parts. I'll be running in ethernet when we redecorate for multiple wifi access points.


utajoker said:
will i have to get some additional equipment to get a good wifi signal every where? and if so, what?
Click to expand...

You might need a switch if the previous owner has taken theirs with them. The size of the switch will depend on how many cables are in the home, and the type of switch will depend on you and your level of knowledge. If your not confident with networking, then a dumb unmanaged switch is the way forward. They're cheap and you won't have to call in a professional to help when things go wrong and the wife can't get on Facebook.

utajoker said:
Could i get 2 Virgin hubs and run double routers and broadcast the same network?
Click to expand...

Most third party routers have the option to turn off all the clever stuff and just broadcast wifi. A quick google brings up this guide (just skimmed through it)


For cheapness, I'd keep the hub as it is and turn the Asus into the wifi access point. Functionally, not the best option (super hubs are crap) but it's the cheapest. Whatever you decide, just make sure DHCP is only active on 1 router.

utajoker said:
I have no real clue on networking
Click to expand...

I'd recommend spending a few hours reading about basic IP addressing. It'll come in handy with multiple access points.
 
What do you mean by virgin media ports? coax? thats a bit unusual - are you sure they're not sat tv connections? Or do you mean they are rj45 network ports?

If you don't mind about the speed so much you could use powerline adaptors to extend to the top floor.

You could use 2 routers with the 2nd only being used to provide wifi. Only one would be connected to virgin media, the other would be connected by a long network cable to the 1st and have DHCP disabled.
 
This is what is in the build spec for CAT6/virgin media ports, i forgot i took a picture of it.


spec.jpg



We where shown the plans but i only noticed the Virgin points and not CAT 6 points. I assume the Virgin ports are what ever is required for the TV box.

What ever i buy i would like to keep to around £200
 
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