Wireless signal not travelling well in house

bobcf · 02-09-2012, 10:17

My Dad's on Virgin broadband and has the Super Hub, and thus wireless. When I visit I connect to wireless via my iPad, and at the location of the hub the signal is excellent (3 bars), but down in the living room it drops to 1 bar or off wireless completely. It is an older house and probably has thicker walls etc but has anyone got any advice on how to get better wireless connectivity throughout the house? Thanks.

02-09-2012, 11:05

You will find literally hundreds of posts on this forum regarding poor wifi range with the Superhub. The only effective solution is to put the hub in modem mode and buy a proper wireless router. If you don't need anything too high tech then a DIR 615 for about Â£10 from eBay will do the trick.

Mick Fisher · 02-09-2012, 14:10

The auto channel mode is bugged and changes to the most congested channel instead of the least congested.

Download and install InSSider on a wifi enabled PC. Run it to see which channels are most in use locally.

Decide which looks to be the most uncongested and then manually change the superhub to that channel. Only swap between 1 - 6 - 11.

If that doesn't help then, as already suggested in post#2, acquire a proper router and install it with the superhub in modem mode.

Hom3r · 02-09-2012, 15:05

I bought an Asus RT-N66U Router (Not cheap) but worth it, as it boosts the signal to devices that are using it.

If you have a smartphone try Wifi Analyzer, it will tell you whose using what near by aswell as noise levels.

qasdfdsaq · 03-09-2012, 18:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hom3r

If you have a smartphone try Wifi Analyzer, it will tell you whose using what near by aswell as noise levels.

No it won't.

bobcf · 09-12-2012, 10:46

Just picking up on this again, as issue not sorted.

I did download Inssider and tried changing the modem channel, but this did not help.

We had already bought a Netgear router, prior to getting a Superhub, but had initial problems with password. Depending on exactly what model it is (will have to check), maybe people think it's a better bet than the Superhub.

As my Dad now has a laptop (but which will act as a Desktop at times) I want to try and get things sorted. I will wish to set things up so as the new laptop can have wired access. Presumably if I just connect the wires as per the old desktop I would just need to go to a modem set-up page and put the password back in?

I saw on Currys website they were offering various wi-fi extender/booster products for sale e.g. Netgear WN1000RP, TP-Link TLWA730. How good are these products, as I guess the advantage is there is less fiddle involved compared to installing a new router?

I'd appreciate any further thoughts.

Sephiroth · 09-12-2012, 12:13

Bob

The SH is worse than most in terms of wireless rabge; but other routers also suffer signla attenuation thrugh walls and due to distance. I've got a two top notch routers (1 on Infinity, one on VM) - different brands and obnce you're in another room with walls in between, speed drops significantly.

So the solution I've used is to put a wirelss access point in any room that needs it. I punt ethernet round the house with powerlines/homeplugs and then plug the access point into the ethernet outlet of the Homeplug.

Thing is with wireless, unless you put heavy duty high gain antennae onto your router (if you can), and unless you radiate from the right position, wireless starts out as a difficult proposition in terms of expectation versus reality. So money needs to be thrown at a requirement. A sound general rule actually.

It's a pity that VM's advertising of that wretched SH's wirelss capabilities doesn't come anywhere near to reality.

bobcf · 09-12-2012, 19:04

Thanks for response. I've checked and the other router is a Netgear N150 (WNR1000). Is that regarded as decent, although given the new laptop will need to be set up for wired anyway it'll make sense to give it a go.

So you suggest one/some of those power line adapters you plug into the electrical circuit near where your broadband is, and then in places where you want to work. Except are you saying you then get those to give out wireless signal rather than using an Ethernet cable?

Sephiroth · 09-12-2012, 19:31

The WNR 1000 is very low end; it's WAN-LAN throughput is sub 100meg (so no good with the VM 100 meg service); isn't dual band wi-fi and doesn't have Gigabit ethernet ports. I recommend one of the ASUS routers; I have an Asus RT56-NU. But they cost rather more than the WNR1000.

The powerline adaptors are worth looking up in the reviews. I use Devolo 200 AVs. You can buy them (and other brands - don't use Netgear is my advice) with wireless repeater built in. Maplin's do them.