Multiple routers?

AshleyC

AshleyC

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If I buy a second sky wireless router, can I plug it into the phone socket in my bedroom and get my broadband in there too. It's just that the wireless in my flat is pretty hopeless once you leave the room with the router. I've tried those sockets you plug into the electrical socket to extend the wireless but they don't seem that good.
 
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The router only works in the main plug that the broadband and phone comes into. I use a netgear wireless extender to extend my wireless into other areas of my house it creates 2 more wireless networks (I have dual band fibre from plusnet) you pair it in the same room as your router with wps. Once paired you move it to another part of the house and it replicates the signal
 
And 2 routers would mean 2 totally different networks. Not the usual route anyone would go. The other option is replace the sky router with a much more powerful dual band job but you would need help with the settings if not a techy. I did both new netgear router and range extender plus those ones you plug into the wall and I plug my laptop into one directly in my office which if set right gives full speed broadband through the cable but you need the right ones. Mine are all gigabit jobs for max speed
 
Sky q does extend your network if on Sky. I have sky q but broadband from plusnet and it doesn't extend the network. Only sky silver with the additional mini box would make any difference and the placing of said mini box would be critical. Near the original router say next room the effect would be minimal. Further away or would spread the network
 
We use Powerline plugs throughout the house. Uses the mains cable as a carrier so wherever you have a mains plug you can have wired ethernet (rather than using the mains to extend an already poor wifi). Much better at getting high speed connection wherever you go in the house. No use if you're talking iDevices or things that have to use wifi, but if you're using devices with an ethernet connection I've found this to be a superior solution.
 
Harlequin565 said:
We use Powerline plugs throughout the house. Uses the mains cable as a carrier so wherever you have a mains plug you can have wired ethernet (rather than using the mains to extend an already poor wifi). Much better at getting high speed connection wherever you go in the house. No use if you're talking iDevices or things that have to use wifi, but if you're using devices with an ethernet connection I've found this to be a superior solution.
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I use both. My modern new house has such good insulating properties there's barely a signal at one end where my office is. My phone needs a wifi to work due to poor ee coverage and I have a signal box. The powerline plugs straight into my laptop and the extender gives good speed wifi for phones and tablets
 
I use a home plug connected to a second router to extend my wifi. The netgear wifi extender also works well as that is what a friend used before Virgin gave him a new dual band router.
 
Powerline ethernet adapters are possibly not going to work that well in a flat if other tennants are using them. They also pose a privacy problem. I have seen reports of people using powerline adapters in adjoining properties being able to sniff each others network traffic. If you do use them, you might want to use a brand/model of plug that encrypts netork communication to ensure security/privacy.

Wi-Fi range extenders could help, but using Wi-Fi for the backhaul between your main access point nd the extender reduces available bandwidth for devices attached to the extender. This too will be compounded by Wi-Fi congestion if you can't find an uncontended Wi-Fi channel. Using Wi-Fi analyser on your phone should give a clear picture of all the Wi-Fi networks across all the available channels in your vacinity.

In fact, if you can run Wi-Fi analyser, you might be able to identify a clearer channel on which to run your Wi-Fi network and that may offer up some improvement.

If it's possible I would suggest swaping the external antennas on your Wi-Fi access point for higher gain alterntives, if your flat is all on one level. I have just done the same to give uninterrupted connectivity in the further reaches of our house and so far th experiment seems successful. Higher gain antennas increase horizontal range at the expense of vertical range, so signal strength has dropped slightly on the first floor of the house above the access point, but its about 5db better in the back bedrooms and bathroom further away from the access point.

The second alternative is add a second access point, set up with the same SSID and passphrase. Connect it to your hub/router with an ethernet (cat5e/cat6) cable. Running a cable between the two might not be ideal, if they are in separate rooms. However, if you can justify the cost/effort of chasing the cable and a network socket at each end into the walls, one close to your router and the other close to where you want the new access point to go, then its the best way of resolving this problem.
 
I had home plugs and then wanted more speed and tried a top of the range net gear wifi extender. I had to send it back. I would only use those if home plugs don't seem work. My devolo 1200 series with build in wifi access point provide much much better throughput.
 
AshleyC said:
If I buy a second sky wireless router, can I plug it into the phone socket in my bedroom and get my broadband in there too.
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You have a solution already, but to clarify, the answer to this is no. Only one ADSL or VDSL (FTTC) connection can be established on a phone line, just like in the old days of dialup you couldn't dial in with one modem on the master socket and then dial again on an extension socket.

If they were separate lines, some ISPs allow you to have a second connection with the same login details then bond the connections (either load balancing or failover), but this is a fairly niche product and not offered by the ISPs that advertise on the telly.
 
afasoas said:
Powerline ethernet adapters are possibly not going to work that well in a flat if other tennants are using them. They also pose a privacy problem. I have seen reports of people using powerline adapters in adjoining properties being able to sniff each others network traffic. If you do use them, you might want to use a brand/model of plug that encrypts netork communication to ensure security/privacy.
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depends on the flat. a converted house to flats then you may have issues. a specific block of flats you should not.

but yes generally always use the encryption option. in theory otherwise someone could plug one into our back garden socket and access my LAN :D
 
neil_g said:
depends on the flat. a converted house to flats then you may have issues. a specific block of flats you should not.
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You can only be sure of that if all the neighbouring flats are on different phases, which they won't be.
 
AshleyC said:
If I buy a second sky wireless router, can I plug it into the phone socket in my bedroom and get my broadband in there too. It's just that the wireless in my flat is pretty hopeless once you leave the room with the router. I've tried those sockets you plug into the electrical socket to extend the wireless but they don't seem that good.
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I will echo what others have said, it doesn't work like that unfortunately.
Only one router can sync ADSL with the provider, if you plugged a second one in, it would likely just sit there trying to sync...assuming it didn't knock out the first one anyway.

I user powerline, worked well for the most part and you can get ones which have a plug at one end (to go into the router) and a Wifi unit at the other end, you can even login to them and change the Wifi name (SSID) to the same as your main router so you don't have to reconnect each time you move locations.
Eventually I just ran a CAT6 cable upstairs into the office and stuck a switch onto the end of it as the powerline didn't work too well with a VOIP phone.
 
Ok i have one of the routers setup in the hallway now and running the netgear test app against it shows the channel its sat on (11 by default) is pretty ropey and its suggesting using another one. However when i log into the web page for the router settings (http://www.mywifiext.net/) the channel selector is greyed out and i cant change it. Any ideas?

*edit* oh i got it, you have to change the channel in the skyrouter
 
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