| Wifi repeater or extender? 17:39 - Feb 17 with 2596 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
Hey! We sometimes have an issue with the internet through our TV as it's the furthest thing from our router. I'm thinking about an extender or repeater but know very little about either. I got an extender from Amazon but the two units you get with it don't seem to want to pair with each other, so we're sending it back.
Any advice/devices you'd recommend? |  |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:40 - Feb 17 with 2175 views | RamRob |
Run an ethernet cable, if not possible all the way, get power line adapters |  |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:42 - Feb 17 with 2165 views | factual_blue |
Two of those plug thingys that use your ring main as a network cable. |  |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:52 - Feb 17 with 2151 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:42 - Feb 17 by factual_blue |
Two of those plug thingys that use your ring main as a network cable. |
To yourself and ramrod, that's exactly what I tried but they didn't pair with each other (or rather did initially and then always stopped after a bit). So I'm looking for a brand that works, basically. | |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:53 - Feb 17 with 2141 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
Wow, a bit pricey! The powerline adaptor thing I tried was £26.99. | |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:58 - Feb 17 with 2131 views | StokieBlue |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:53 - Feb 17 by The_Flashing_Smile |
Wow, a bit pricey! The powerline adaptor thing I tried was £26.99. |
It's only two trips for bangers and mash.
SB |  | | |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 18:00 - Feb 17 with 2116 views | factual_blue |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:52 - Feb 17 by The_Flashing_Smile |
To yourself and ramrod, that's exactly what I tried but they didn't pair with each other (or rather did initially and then always stopped after a bit). So I'm looking for a brand that works, basically. |
You've probably got a weird wiring set-up then. | |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 18:08 - Feb 17 with 2096 views | RamRob |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:52 - Feb 17 by The_Flashing_Smile |
To yourself and ramrod, that's exactly what I tried but they didn't pair with each other (or rather did initially and then always stopped after a bit). So I'm looking for a brand that works, basically. |
I used comtrend which eventually got worse over time, now use Cisco ones that I haven't had any issues with.
Nothing beats a cable all the way, unless there's an issue with the cable itself. | |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 19:04 - Feb 17 with 2045 views | Zx1988 |
We're running an extender with our Virgin Media setup, which seems to work well - just the one pod which sits equidistant between the hub and the TV. I'm not sure what the OEM equivalent would be, but I'd suggest you don't need to go and spend tons on anything too high-end. |  |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 19:09 - Feb 17 with 2029 views | factual_blue |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:58 - Feb 17 by StokieBlue |
It's only two trips for bangers and mash.
SB |
Probably only one trip these days, what with brexit. | |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 21:25 - Feb 17 with 1953 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 17:42 - Feb 17 by factual_blue |
Two of those plug thingys that use your ring main as a network cable. |
Use your ring as a what?!  |  |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 22:50 - Feb 17 with 1889 views | You_Bloo_Right |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 18:00 - Feb 17 by factual_blue |
You've probably got a weird wiring set-up then. |
Or possibly were "done" by some dodgy seller on Amazon. |  |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 23:21 - Feb 17 with 1866 views | Blue_Order |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 01:42 - Feb 18 with 1791 views | TheMoralMajority |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 23:16 - Feb 17 by WicklowBlue |
We really need more info on your current setup. What router do you have? Size of house, walls etc etc No. Of devices connecting.
If you are using an ISP/Sky etc supplied router then honestly it's crap. Easy to setup and use for the majority of people but cheap all the same.
For example, I had a Vodafone router which couldn't handle more than 8 devices connected via WiFi.
If you want to do this properly then start with the router. For around 100 pounds or depending on your wallet spend more and rip put what the provider supplies you'll be in a better space.
For example, re. the Vodafone example above I set it into bridge mode and bought a TPLink router which made a world of difference.
Spin on to last year, moved over to Sky broadband and didn't even open the box with their home hub or whatever its called. I bought my own router and some powerlink adaptors and works a treat.
There are also loads of apps to see where the WiFi coverage is poor in your house. WiFi Analyser is my go to...could you relocate the router?
Equally I get that as I work in IT, I'm sure some/all of the above is gobbledegook. 
In short, I'd recommend replacing your router first step. Google is your friend here.
Edit: A couple of weeks ago I had a meeting with one of our top accounts(recognisable large IT multinational). In the chit chat beforehand there was a discussion around their BT broadband and lack of coverage around the house. So they upgraded their contract to whatever the better BT router was at iirc £30 extra per month. I told them they were mad, could have bridged/replaced the router with their own for easily £100 without going to town on it. Told me they'd wished they talked to me weeks ago...still gave me a hard time over our services tho.  [Post edited 17 Feb 2023 23:34]
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All of this and then some. Your own router pays for itself (well it doesn't, but what you get sent is cheap tat).
Don't buy extenders/repeaters. They effectively halve your wifi speed (simplified, but they are not good).
If you can run an ethernet cable from your main router to another location, to cover your spotty area, then either re-use an old router (guides online) or buy a Wireless Access Point to use in the new location.
If that is not possible then use powerline adapters (assuming that your wiring isn't super old, or on a different circuit to where your router is plugged in).
Both of these options are better than repeaters/extenders. [Post edited 18 Feb 2023 1:42]
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| ...but do signatures really work? |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 07:58 - Feb 18 with 1701 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
That looks very similar to what I tried. Does the second unit have to plug into your device, can't it work wirelessly? | |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 12:09 - Feb 23 with 1437 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 23:16 - Feb 17 by WicklowBlue |
We really need more info on your current setup. What router do you have? Size of house, walls etc etc No. Of devices connecting.
If you are using an ISP/Sky etc supplied router then honestly it's crap. Easy to setup and use for the majority of people but cheap all the same.
For example, I had a Vodafone router which couldn't handle more than 8 devices connected via WiFi.
If you want to do this properly then start with the router. For around 100 pounds or depending on your wallet spend more and rip put what the provider supplies you'll be in a better space.
For example, re. the Vodafone example above I set it into bridge mode and bought a TPLink router which made a world of difference.
Spin on to last year, moved over to Sky broadband and didn't even open the box with their home hub or whatever its called. I bought my own router and some powerlink adaptors and works a treat.
There are also loads of apps to see where the WiFi coverage is poor in your house. WiFi Analyser is my go to...could you relocate the router?
Equally I get that as I work in IT, I'm sure some/all of the above is gobbledegook.
In short, I'd recommend replacing your router first step. Google is your friend here.
Edit: A couple of weeks ago I had a meeting with one of our top accounts(recognisable large IT multinational). In the chit chat beforehand there was a discussion around their BT broadband and lack of coverage around the house. So they upgraded their contract to whatever the better BT router was at iirc £30 extra per month. I told them they were mad, could have bridged/replaced the router with their own for easily £100 without going to town on it. Told me they'd wished they talked to me weeks ago...still gave me a hard time over our services tho. [Post edited 17 Feb 2023 23:34]
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Update: I've got the TP Link working now, by plugging the second device into the TV. However it only works (well only has the solid 3 green lights) when the TV's turned on. So I don't really see how it's extending my wifi generally (when the TV isn't turned on).
I wonder if you and TMM (or anyone else on the thread) can give some more advice? I don't really want to be spending hundreds if possible.
We're on TalkTalk Fibre 65, with a standard router. The flat is on a split level and kind of L shaped, with the phone socket at one end (by the door) and the TV at the furthest point from it, which is why I needed some kind of wifi extension. Internet is generally good, just the TV occasionally goes into wheel of death mode.
I have bought a long internet cable in order to move the router further from the phone socket and into the middle of the flat, which Lady Dollers isn't keen on but will accept if we can't do anything else cheaply enough. Might be the best bet? I even have some casing to hide the cable! | |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 12:30 - Feb 23 with 1400 views | itfcjoe |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 12:09 - Feb 23 by The_Flashing_Smile |
Update: I've got the TP Link working now, by plugging the second device into the TV. However it only works (well only has the solid 3 green lights) when the TV's turned on. So I don't really see how it's extending my wifi generally (when the TV isn't turned on).
I wonder if you and TMM (or anyone else on the thread) can give some more advice? I don't really want to be spending hundreds if possible.
We're on TalkTalk Fibre 65, with a standard router. The flat is on a split level and kind of L shaped, with the phone socket at one end (by the door) and the TV at the furthest point from it, which is why I needed some kind of wifi extension. Internet is generally good, just the TV occasionally goes into wheel of death mode.
I have bought a long internet cable in order to move the router further from the phone socket and into the middle of the flat, which Lady Dollers isn't keen on but will accept if we can't do anything else cheaply enough. Might be the best bet? I even have some casing to hide the cable! |
You'd be best speaking to provider, saying don't get full coverage and they will send you a booster or similar through.
Once you have this can then plug the TP link cable into it rather than TV and that will work as a wi-fi booster. |  |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 12:42 - Feb 23 with 1364 views | blueasfook |
You could try knocking down all the walls in your house so you get a nice uninterupted signal? |  |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 12:48 - Feb 23 with 1347 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 12:30 - Feb 23 by itfcjoe |
You'd be best speaking to provider, saying don't get full coverage and they will send you a booster or similar through.
Once you have this can then plug the TP link cable into it rather than TV and that will work as a wi-fi booster. |
Cheers Joe, I'll give it a try. | |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 16:54 - Feb 23 with 1234 views | WicklowBlue |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 12:09 - Feb 23 by The_Flashing_Smile |
Update: I've got the TP Link working now, by plugging the second device into the TV. However it only works (well only has the solid 3 green lights) when the TV's turned on. So I don't really see how it's extending my wifi generally (when the TV isn't turned on).
I wonder if you and TMM (or anyone else on the thread) can give some more advice? I don't really want to be spending hundreds if possible.
We're on TalkTalk Fibre 65, with a standard router. The flat is on a split level and kind of L shaped, with the phone socket at one end (by the door) and the TV at the furthest point from it, which is why I needed some kind of wifi extension. Internet is generally good, just the TV occasionally goes into wheel of death mode.
I have bought a long internet cable in order to move the router further from the phone socket and into the middle of the flat, which Lady Dollers isn't keen on but will accept if we can't do anything else cheaply enough. Might be the best bet? I even have some casing to hide the cable! |
I did a bit of reading about the Talk Talk wifi hub, it's a rebadged Huawei DG8041W. Let's say its not the best router on the planet similar to what my Vodafone was.
Definitely relocate the router to a more central position within the flat. As cable.co.uk state:
"Featuring the same aesthetic as the Wi-Fi Hub Black, the Wi-Fi Hub is designed to be out on display. This is a nice touch because wifi performance is improved by positioning your router in a prominent raised position in your home. If your router is ugly and you hide it away, this can interfere with your wifi reception."
Aka code for this isn't the most powerful router available.
It depends on the TPLink powerline adaptors as to whether they have wifi extenders. If you didn't buy a model with wifi built in then they are just extend the network via ethernet cable which would match what you say above. So just the TV connects to them via the network cable. |  | | |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 18:08 - Feb 23 with 1210 views | ghostofescobar |
Velop mesh extender. Not cheap, but very good. I bought three new, and they were expensive, but then bought another used one off ebay for £25 and it was fine, so ebay may be a good place to look. |  |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 02:19 - Feb 24 with 1135 views | TheMoralMajority |
| Wifi repeater or extender? on 12:09 - Feb 23 by The_Flashing_Smile |
Update: I've got the TP Link working now, by plugging the second device into the TV. However it only works (well only has the solid 3 green lights) when the TV's turned on. So I don't really see how it's extending my wifi generally (when the TV isn't turned on).
I wonder if you and TMM (or anyone else on the thread) can give some more advice? I don't really want to be spending hundreds if possible.
We're on TalkTalk Fibre 65, with a standard router. The flat is on a split level and kind of L shaped, with the phone socket at one end (by the door) and the TV at the furthest point from it, which is why I needed some kind of wifi extension. Internet is generally good, just the TV occasionally goes into wheel of death mode.
I have bought a long internet cable in order to move the router further from the phone socket and into the middle of the flat, which Lady Dollers isn't keen on but will accept if we can't do anything else cheaply enough. Might be the best bet? I even have some casing to hide the cable! |
So, to be clear... You are talking about one of these:
So you have a cable connected from your router into the Ethernet socket at the bottom of the first one.
Your second one is plugged in behind the TV. I assume that the power to the TV is plugged into the back of the power line extender (ie power passthrough). If that is the case (or even if it isn't) it should make no difference if your TV is on or off. As long as the socket is turned on, then the adapters should sync up (all three lights). If you turn the socket off at the mains though then, no, these won't work. They need mains power to run.
If it is plugged into the wall near the TV and your TV has an ethernet socket, I would then just run an ethernet cable from the powerline adapter to the TV. It will be better than running off WiFi.
Also as Wicklow says, not all powerline adapters are wifi extenders. They are just a means for extending "hard wired" internet. In that case, it may make sense that all 3 lights are not lit, as when your TV is off, there is nothing at the TV's end receiving internet.
You can buy single unit powerline adapters which are compatible with your existing TP-Link ones that also deliver wifi:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TL-WPA4220KIT-Powerline-Broadband-Configuration-UK/dp/B
*NB: Check that the versions are compatible with your existing. They *should* be, but I don't know what you have, so can't confirm either way.
I also can't vouch for the quality of these. Whilst I've used powerline adapters in the past, with no issue,I have not used the WiFi ones. I go the ethernet cable + repurposed old router as a wireless access point method. [Post edited 24 Feb 2023 2:32]
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| ...but do signatures really work? |
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| Wifi repeater or extender? on 09:58 - Feb 24 with 1064 views | Cotty |
We've got the extra dishes that BT provides on certain deals, it is amazing. They keep sending you more dishes until your whole house is covered. |  | | |
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