Complete wifi

[Snowman1950]

I live in an old house comprising several thick, cob walls.    My kids are constantly complaining that their broadband connection is poor, often dropping connection completely.    I've inquired as to when I can get 'superfast' broadband but BT appear to have no interest in providing it where I live.   I therefore have the standard Fibre Halo 3.

I've been using using repeaters, however one is Edimax and apparently is usually OK but sometimes not so good, while the other is TP-Link and is frequently poor (but further away from the router), so have been considering BTs Complete Wifi.   I'm currently out of contract and getting offered a good deal on Complete Wifi, however that does mean I'll be forced into another 24 month contract so if I chose to go elsewhere and Complete Wifi is a complete failure, I'd have the problem of being 'in contract'.   

So does anyone know if Complete Wifi is likely to show a significant improvement over using the repeaters?

Thanks in advance.

[VeteranISPUser]

Hi @Snowman1950 

Assuming that you have a SH2 you can buy Complete WiFi discs from eBay to try and test. With no increase in subscription costs in the long run, plus you can sell them on if it doesn’t improve your coverage.

[licquorice]

WiFi repeaters will always be inherently slower than any mesh system due to how they work. But WiFi is a dark art rather than a science so only trial and error will reveal a good solution.

[naylor2006]

As @licquorice says a MESH solution will be better than repeaters but will also suffer the same diminishing factor, the further the hops are made from the source of the internet the worse they eventual throughput will be, you could expect a reduction in 'drops' whilst users are closer to a WIFI source but that WIFI source could be 50%, 25%, 10%, 5% etc of the actual speed entering your property.

I had a version of Complete WIFI, I used Wholehome, they are very similar products, just Complete WIFI integrates into your existing Hubs WIFI without much config and Wholehome creates a new WIFI network from its Master disc, your master disc connects to your router via ethernet and then you turn off your Hub's WIFI. Once the master disc is connected you then connect up more discs and then place them around the house in the best possible location, IE close enough to another disc but far enough away to grant better coverage of the area you want the WIFI to stretch to.

Complete WIFI I think is just plug and play and you dont have to create a new WIFI network but then you cannot use Complete WIFI with a different ISP and you'll have to find someone selling them as ordinarily they would be returned to BT once a contract ends.

The thing that will inhibit the performance of MESH will be these walls, MESH will still use WIFI to pass through the property and connect to other discs, the walls will effect this in the same way that they effect WIFI generally. So to get the best out of it you would need to place the discs in optimum positions, line of sight, through doorways which will likely be wood where WIFI doesnt struggle as much. Youll find WIFI passes through floors better than walls also due to the materials used, so one MESH disc on the ground floor will nicely pair with one the floor above, then that one the floor above can serve others upstairs.

But its tricky properties with these thick walls require patience and trial and error, I have a 30's type house with crazy thick internal walls along with chimney breasts which add another couple feet! I ended up with 9 discs around my house due to the amount of WIFI deadspots, my property isnt even that big but coverage was challenging.

Eventually with these type of properties running a backhaul of ethernet discreetly around the property and attaching those lines to WIFI access points is the real answer, its just not easy to do with certain wall types. Eventually I used a couple or ethernet runs going from inside to outside then up into the attic, then ceiling mounted access points....ensuring the ethernet cable used matched the colour of my render. 

[edbostan]

I have BT Mini Connectors which use the mains wiring to connect to the router and these can be used over the house.

[starship]

I have a very similar situation as the author snowman1950. I have two BT wifi discs, but the furthest from the hub usually drops out, i am wondering if i hop from the first disc to the furthest disc with an Ethernet cable.

Can this be done ? 

[naylor2006]

@starship said:

I have a very similar situation as the author snowman1950. I have two BT wifi discs, but the furthest from the hub usually drops out, i am wondering if i hop from the first disc to the furthest disc with an Ethernet cable.

Can this be done ? 

You would need to connect them both back to the hub, not to each other. Daisy chaining via ethernet is a weird thing the Wholehome Premium discs do but the Complete discs I believe you connect them back to the hub not to each other.