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Poor wifi - is ethernet cable only solution?

13 replies

hanette · 02/09/2014 20:32

Hi
Moved to a new house - wifi is not very strong - tried putting splitters in all phone sockets but still slow, but just about usable. Sky is our broadband provider.

My son's bedroom is a converted garage where the signal is really poor, pretty much unusable. Bought a Sky Booster box to increase the range into the garage area. Didn't make any difference.

Is the only solution to run an ethernet cable from the router in the living room into my son's bedroom into the garage? In fact would this work? He'd have to be wired of course, but it would be better than nothing.

Thanks in advance

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RCheshire · 02/09/2014 21:28

Lots of options really. But first, is the performance over wifi OK when you are close to the router? i.e. is it actually an issue with degrading wifi performance due to distance/intervening objects?

If so then you have a few options:

  • homeplugs as wifi extenders
  • standard wireless extenders
  • additional wireless access points (WAPs)
  • wired to fixed RJ45 ports

    If you want to avoid wired and don't mind losing a few mains sockets then take a look at one of the homeplug options. Not my first choice but pretty effective and minimal disruption.
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RustyDalek · 02/09/2014 21:30

I have homeplugs with a pass through socket so you don't have to lose a mains socket.

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CountingToThree · 02/09/2014 21:52

We moved recently and had similar issue.

Two things to try
Test your master Bt socket (take front plate off and try connecting to test socket - if this solves it, then the socket needs replacing - best done by telephone engineer)
Go back to Sky and request new router

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poocatcherchampion · 02/09/2014 23:04

we had this. service is better with BT fibre optic instead of sky.

dh has since got a new mobile and it is much better. he reckons in our case it is also poor hardware.

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Mini05 · 02/09/2014 23:40

Test your internet speed, just put internet speed test in browser

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hanette · 02/09/2014 23:43

Thank you everyone - have been checking out the power plugs. The weird thing is, wifi is bad even if we are sitting right next to the router

Do the powerline Adaptors really do what they say - ie provide Ethernet connectivity without wires?

Thanks for the pass through tip - i'll get one with pass through so it doesn't take sockets out if service

Are they difficult to install?

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hanette · 02/09/2014 23:44

Ps also had new router from sky as I thought this might be the issue but it didn't help - think it may be the slightly odd layout of my house and tall buildings surrounding it

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Middleagedmotheroftwo · 02/09/2014 23:51

Your in house WiFi has nothing to do with tall buildings outside the house.

You need to establish whether the problem is actually with the WiFi between router and device, or to do with the broadband connection from the house to the outside world.

If the connection to the router is fine via cable, then your problem is internal. Dies your house have thick walls? Or are some rooms (where connection is poor) much further away from the router?

You could try moving the router to solve either if those issues.

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Middleagedmotheroftwo · 02/09/2014 23:52

How many devices do you have connected to the router? It might be at maximum capacity.

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catsofa · 02/09/2014 23:54

Good article on things that can mess up a home wifi signal www.pcpro.co.uk/features/367672/whats-killing-your-wi-fi

Also your internet provider may come and look at it for you, have you told them that the new router isn't working well even when sitting next to it?

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FishWithABicycle · 03/09/2014 00:03

did you install your router yourself or did a broadband engineer do it? when we tried to DIY to save on callout fee the signal was terrible, but done right it was fine.
A plug-in booster should do the trick otherwise.

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UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 03/09/2014 08:09

We have a very solidly built house with internal thick brick walls. Our router has to be in our front downstis rom because of the fibre optic cable (apparently).

We couldn't get wifi in most of our other roms, so have installed home plugs as it would have been a non starter to try to put ethernet cable around the house. The home plugs are brilliant. Can't remember the brand we've got, but we went to Maplins and they recommended them.

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hanette · 03/09/2014 09:06

Thanks everyone - seems that as it's fine via a cable, it must be to do with thickness of walls. My colleague has now offered to lend me done power plugs to try which I'll give a go.
Thank you!

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