What router do I get for this?

danlightbulb

danlightbulb

danlightbulb

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Hi so after my recent threads exploring my networking options I am definitely going to put in a wired ethernet cable run from the downstairs ISP router to the upstairs office. This will be run around the outside of the house to wall sockets at each end, nice and neat.

In the living room I have the TV connected wirelessly so need a strong wifi connection there. Apparently the TV only has 100mbps LAN not gigabit lan so I'm better off running it wireless than wired is this correct?

In the office upstairs I will have the PC connected via ethernet but if Im going to use the Quest 3 wirelessly I also need a router/access point there.

I am currently with Virgin Media and have a superhub 3 modem/router. Don't have any real issues with it. But within the next 3 months I might switch to City Fibre so whichever ISP I go with will supply a new modem/router.

Am I understanding correctly that if I have an access point upstairs in the office, that this will be wired to my new ethernet port, and then the PC will be wired to the access point?

Then the Quest 3 will connect wirelessly to the access point as well? For this device its wifi 6e capable so I might be better off getting a 6e access point?

Then downstairs I will have another router (either the ISP supplied one or a separate one), configured as a router. Should I wait to see what ISP router I get before buying one for downstairs?


If I buy the upstairs router now, but not the downstairs router, is this a false economy as I might need a new downstairs router as well? In which case I should buy a matching pair mesh system?

Also Ive seen some of the good routers have many antenna - which seems overkill for the upstairs home office area (I wouldn't have a 6 antenna router both upstairs and downstairs would I?)


Would appreciate advice on the timing of all this and the spec of equipment I need in each location.
 
WJA96 said:
Is it just a TV or do you have a games console, Sky box, Sonos system or other music streamer?

In any case, run another cable to the TV. And consider combination socket/access points. That’s where the connection on the wall has an access point built into it.

You want WiFi6E, consider the UniFi U6-Enterprise in-wall. You get 4 network ports and a Wifi6E access point. And where the TV is, either a standard socket or something like a UniFi U6-IW. 4 network sockets and WiFi6 access point. To drive all that you’ll need a small 2.5GbE PoE switch and a router. So UniFi Express or UniFi Dream Machine SE for the router and UniFi Enterprise 8 PoE switch.

You can do it MUCH cheaper, but that would be very neat and work exceptionally well.
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At the moment in the downstairs living room there is the Virgin Media superhub 3, the Virgin TV box, the TV and my NAS.

If I move to City Fibre I will ditch the TV box, but the broadband connection will still have to come into the house at that location so the main modem/router will still need to be located there.

That Unifi kit looks server grade stuff, way too expensive for me and I don't really have anywhere to mount that type of modular stuff.
 
Sorry if Im being thick but do I need to power my device over ethernet, can't I just plug it in with a power adapter like a normal router? Seems a lot extra just to avoid one power cable.

I can see that device would look neat on the wall but also its too big to mount it in the spot I wanted, so I would still need an ethernet socket and patch cable in any case.
 
WJA96 said:
I can definitely do it substantially cheaper if you just want WiFi6. You can get a triple pack of Huawei AX3’s for about £75 and they’re excellent for what they are. A proper bargain. I was just trying to spec you something ‘nice’.
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Appreciated, thanks, but I don't want to spend hundreds. I don't know much about network stuff, so really trying to figure out what I need, then I can actually come to picking a specific device(s).
 
Orcvader said:
Although rereading everything I just realised, are you using the Quest 3 upstairs or downstairs?
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Hopefully it will be both.

Seated sim gaming in my upstairs office/gaming room.

But for roomscale games (eg Half Life Alyx) I don't have space upstairs so this will be in my living room where the main router is.

So that's why I need my PC hardwired because then I believe the Quest 3 will work wirelessly located near either router.
 
Orcvader said:
In that case you'll want two AX3s. Just make sure they're in the same rooms that you plan to use the Quest 3 in for best results.
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And is it ok to plug my PC into one of the access points as well (so I only need one ethernet cable run), or do I need to run two ethernet cables one specifically for the PC and one specifically for the access point, back to main router?
 
Cool so upstairs I need one ethernet socket, a wireless access point with at least 2 ethernet ports. I run a patch cable from AP to wall socket, and I run a patch cable from PC to AP.

Downstairs I wait until Ive settled on an ISP and see how good the supplied router is? Then if I do decide to upgrade it I would need a patch cable from new router to modem (unless the router replaces the modem as well?), and then at least 3 ethernet ports (NAS, upstairs ethernet socket, and possibly a spare for TV in future).

Wifi 6 is probably fine, but if Im buying stuff I think it might be better to get 6e as the Quest 3 supports that.

If there is a big price difference I'll get wifi 6 though.

Also space upstairs is limited, ideally I'd like one of those taller column style AP's on the window-ledge. I can't fit a huge multi antenna thing on there.
 
Been watching some networking videos (dangerous!)

Instead of getting an all in one router/WiFi device should I get separate devices eg an Edgerouter ER-X with separate WiFi 6 access points?

I realise now @WJA96 that earlier in the thread it was a more modular setup you were talking about. I didn't realise until I watched some beginner networking videos.
 
Why are access points so expensive? The router does all the clever stuff and an almost pro grade router like the ER-X is under £50, but a wireless access point is crazy money on top and I would need two.
 
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Been browsing the Unifi stuff, man its nice but expensive. A dream router with integrated switch would be perfect for my main location near the internet entry point, with the TV and NAS plugged in via ethernet. And then upstairs a Unifi Express would be perfect as an access point with one port plugged into the LAN and one port used for the PC ethernet connection.

But to buy those two items is £450. Crazy.
 
WJA96 said:
Why would you buy a Dream Router over a UniFi Express? Two UniFi Express’ will do what you want for £260.
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I need more ethernet ports than the Express provides in the downstairs location. Need one for NAS, one for TV, and then one for the LAN.

Yes I could buy a separate switch but then its an extra box on the shelf.
 
Orcvader said:
To keep costs even further down, you can just buy one UniFi Express for upstairs and stick with the ISP supplied router for downstairs. Granted the VM hub 3 is only WiFi 5 so may not be ideal for VR, but I would imagine when City Fibre is available all ISPs based on it will be WiFi 6.
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Wouldn't that make my upstairs wifi to be wifi 5 as well, unless i run it as a separate wifi 6 network purely for the VR?
Can you mesh wifi with different manufacturers equipment?
 
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Its possible that one access point upstairs would be sufficient for the whole house and I could turn off the ISP router's wifi completely. I was keeping it for the TV but Ive ethernet'd that now.

If it wasnt for the Quest VR the landing ceiling would probably be the best place for an access point, but the Quest requires close proximity and the PC to be hardwired to the router for best performance.
 
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