This topic

Connectivity questions

AGxM — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 12:23:31 GMT

So I've bought a new house and the main incoming line is helpfully in the hallway and I cannot run a cable into the living room. (Why do housebuilders do this and not wire a port into the living room?!)

In the kit sent from BT I have the Hub2 and a single disc so for set up I assume the hub will go in the cupboard and then I can site the disc in the living room....the issue is the disc has only one port and that will run the TV box using a cable, but I also have a NAS, Switch and PS4 in the living room, plus will need coverage upstairs to the office.

Is my assumption above correct in terms of set up?

Is it worth getting a second hand Hub2 and use as a repeater for downstairs and put this in the living to connect the equipment by cables or will the wifi be good enough to run these bits of equipment, and so just get another disc for upstairs? Or get both?

This has probably been covered before so apologies....

I'm on Full Fibre 100

Re: Connectivity questions

Bandsaw — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:26:49 GMT

I would say from my experience that if you cannot reach all the places that you need to with wifi then ask BT to send you another disc or two. That's what I did and now I have wifi all over and even in the summer house (garden office).

Re: Connectivity questions

Bandsaw — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:36:34 GMT

Sorry, to carry on from my previous message. I got a cable and ran it to the hub in the living room and all the discs connect to it from there. I used the app to set up the discs in the best places. I have a TV, an Xbox, a couple of Macs, an iPad and three iPhones running on the network and all seems OK. Unfortunately my iPhone app has stopped working but the experts are looking into that for me.

Re: Connectivity questions

licquorice — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:39:23 GMT

@Bandsaw The problem is multiple Ethernet devices in one location rather than lack of coverage.

@AGxM I don't have the black discs, but see no reason why you shouldn't just connect a cheap Ethernet switch to the disc to give extra Ethernet ports.

An alternative would be to connect the ONT to the hub with Powerline adaptors (if you can't run an Ethernet cable) and site the hub where you need it.

Edit: Posts crossed

Re: Connectivity questions

AGxM — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:44:56 GMT

@licquorice

So either:

ONT--> hub in cupboard --> disc in living room with ethernet switch OR

ONT --> Powerline adapter in cupboard --> hub in living room plugged into another Powerline adapter and wifi disc sited wherever is best to go

I see option 2 being the most flexible in terms of providing coverage and the ports - any recommended adapters?

Thanks

Re: Connectivity questions

licquorice — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:50:41 GMT

Have a look at the TP Link range https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/powerline/ and decide which is the best option for you, just Ethernet or Ethernet and wifi hotspot combined. I have the TL-WPA 4220 TKIT providing wifi hotspots and Ethernet. Work just fine.

Re: Connectivity questions

AGxM — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 16:00:14 GMT

Thanks so much.

I think these hit the spot

TL-PA9020P KIT | AV2000 2-Port Gigabit Passthrough Powerline Starter Kit | TP-Link United Kingdom (tp-link.com)

Re: Connectivity questions

licquorice — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 16:14:43 GMT

Just thinking about it, not sure you will be able to use the wifi capability as they will be in your WAN rather than LAN as the Ethernet ports will be connecting the ONT to the Hub. Might be better with just pure Ethernet devices rather than combined units.

Mine are in my LAN.

Edit: Possibly these as you will only be able to use one Ethernet port at each end anyway.

Re: Connectivity questions

AGxM — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 16:14:02 GMT

I can turn the wifi off for these as they will be plugged into the ONT and the Hub - the wifi disc will 'talk' to the hub to extend the wifi

Re: Connectivity questions

licquorice — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 16:17:44 GMT

The single Ethernet ones are £48 compared to £104 for the wifi ones.