Wifi signal boosters for the home

[GMJ]

Our Hive system to control our central heating has dropped out numerous times in the 4-5 months we have had it. One issue may be that perhaps the wifi signal may be too weak as the hub is too far from the receiver. At least I think I will need to rule this out before I can delve further.

As such I need to buy some wifi extenders/signal boosters.

Do any of you have these in your home? Do they work? If so could you please let me have a name/model number and/or link?

They need to be easy to install and use (I am no techie) and usable with the Hive system.

Thanks

 

[HurricaneSmith]

Scrub this reply as your thread title is about heating and not computers.

 

[El radge]

Our Hive system to control our central heating has dropped out numerous times in the 4-5 months we have had it. One issue may be that perhaps the wifi signal may be too weak as the hub is too far from the receiver. At least I think I will need to rule this out before I can delve further.

As such I need to buy some wifi extenders/signal boosters.

Do any of you have these in your home? Do they work? If so could you please let me have a name/model number and/or link?

They need to be easy to install and use (I am no techie) and usable with the Hive system.

Thanks

Only booster I have was provided by Vodafone my broadband company.
Works fine

 

[GMJ]

Scrub this reply as your thread title is about heating and not computers.

Well...about wifi more than heating really.

 

[Nick-Mandy]

We had a similar issue and found out extenders are pretty much useless.
We invested £170 in these bad boys

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8912901

and they work so well. It took a while to find permanent places for the three units, so that we got maximum signal from each, but once set up, the system is far better than extenders.

 

[HurricaneSmith]

Well...about wifi more than heating really.

Here goes again Graham.

We have an unusual shape of house, and when we moved here all those years ago I bought an extender.

TP-LINK AC750 Model: RE200. Simple to use, read the leaflet, plug into a 240v socket, give the simplistic handshake, and away it went. We suffer from power cuts, and it automatically reboots without a kick from me. (Argos still sells that model at £20.99).

We went fibreoptic a few weeks ago, and they strongly recommended a ZYXEL WiFi extender, but being me, I switched on my TP-LINK gave the new router the handshake, and it worked just fine.

 

[GMJ]

Here goes again Graham.

We have an unusual shape of house, and when we moved here all those years ago I bought an extender.

TP-LINK AC750 Model: RE200. Simple to use, read the leaflet, plug into a 240v socket, give the simplistic handshake, and away it went. We suffer from power cuts, and it automatically reboots without a kick from me. (Argos still sells that model at £20.99).

We went fibreoptic a few weeks ago, and they strongly recommended a ZYXEL WiFi extender, but being me, I switched on my TP-LINK gave the new router the handshake, and it worked just fine.

That sounds just the job. Thanks. ....and a decent price too. I want something that doesn't involve running cables and is easy to use. Looking at the FAQ's on the Argos site it appears that I can run 2 of them to extend the range further if one isn't enough.

 

[GMJ]

Here goes again Graham.

We have an unusual shape of house, and when we moved here all those years ago I bought an extender.

TP-LINK AC750 Model: RE200. Simple to use, read the leaflet, plug into a 240v socket, give the simplistic handshake, and away it went. We suffer from power cuts, and it automatically reboots without a kick from me. (Argos still sells that model at £20.99).

We went fibreoptic a few weeks ago, and they strongly recommended a ZYXEL WiFi extender, but being me, I switched on my TP-LINK gave the new router the handshake, and it worked just fine.

I just ordered 2 from Amazon and they will be delivered this evening!!

If they dont work I can always send them back and re-look at other suggestions.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Geek]

Please report back how well they work.
The only mesh system I tried (not that make) was useless. Luckily I'd bought from Amazon, so returning it for a refund was easy.

 

[bentonaj]

Our Hive system to control our central heating has dropped out numerous times in the 4-5 months we have had it. One issue may be that perhaps the wifi signal may be too weak as the hub is too far from the receiver. At least I think I will need to rule this out before I can delve further.

As such I need to buy some wifi extenders/signal boosters.

Do any of you have these in your home? Do they work? If so could you please let me have a name/model number and/or link?

They need to be easy to install and use (I am no techie) and usable with the Hive system.

Thanks

Years ago I had a similar issue, Hive sent me a little booster for the Hive FOC

 

[GMJ]

Please report back how well they work.
The only mesh system I tried (not that make) was useless. Luckily I'd bought from Amazon, so returning it for a refund was easy.

Will do

I wonder: did any of you folks monitor the strength of the signal, before and after you installed/used these devices?

I took readings before I installed my devices; after 1 device was installed; then after 2 devices. I did them at 2 different times yesterday and will continue to do so today. On first showing they appeared to make things worse!

I also bought from Amazon so I'll give them a couple of days and if things don't improve I'll be sending them back also.

 

[HurricaneSmith]

When we went full fibre, I watched the company test and amend the incoming router's optimal location. A single extender was all we needed.

 

[GMJ]

I just did my tests again at 8.30. I use two internet tests and one was up and one was down on the initial reading yesterday so

I'll do another test later, at the same time as I took the initial reading yesterday so I can compare like for like.

 

[Geek]

Will do

I wonder: did any of you folks monitor the strength of the signal, before and after you installed/used these devices?

When I tried them, the signal strength was superb. The actual performance was abysmal.
It wasnt poor placement: many people put the units where the signal is poor and wonder why they cant help, but the units were in good signal.
I even tried putting the units in the same room as one another, and they still were very very slow.
The Internet connection there is 300/300 but perhaps then it was only 150/50. I forget.

 

[Boris7]

I use hardwired repeaters around the house, workshop, greenhouse and garden. Each with WiFi, Currently BT discs but changing to Linksys soon when we move to gigaclear.

Obviously hardwiring takes a lot move effort but it also means the desktop computers, 2 x TVs, CCTV cameras and Alarm system are all hardwired and much more reliable than WiFi alone.

 

[Geek]

Yes, where ever possible, we use an ethernet cable. Ideally with just one network switch, but truth to tell we seem to have a few strung together. Not idea, but it works.

 

[Boris7]

When fixing the house up I removed all the ceilings and ran cables, dropped a 4” drain pipe into the ground below where the patio was planned, another to the site of the workshop and onto the site of the greenhouse.

All hardwired with no visible cables, but it’s not so easy when you’re adding such to a house that’s not a shell. All the ducting and cable running either net plug wiring and testing took a week.

 

[Geek]

Living in a listed building, and also with a preference to be minimally invasive means I just run network cables behind furniture, under carpets and anywhere surreptitious.

 

[maingate]

I had a significant delay of up to 5 seconds on my wireless outdoor CCTV so I fitted a TP Link repeater (which joins with my home broadband) to a socket just behind my garage door. This has speeded up the cameras response to movement considerably.

 

[GMJ]

At the moment my TP Link repeaters are not making any difference.

Coincidentally I took out a new contract with BT yesterday going from 75mbps to 150mbps for only £1 extra a month and no increases until March 2027. It is due to be up and running by close of bis on Monday so I'll see if that has any discernible affect. If not then they will be going back (Amazon) and I may try a BT mini hub next.