Bt Home Hub 3, signal booster?

[MHeadling]

Hi Guys, I have moved to a larger house and I cant get wireless signal in all the rooms in my house.

I have a BT Home Hub 3 in my office and this cant be moved so looking to boost the signal.

I have had a google but there is so much info! and Im a bit lost with it all! lol

Have any of you guys used any good products to help the signal, sorry Im not that up on computer stuff!

Any recommendations/links would be much appreciated!

[MatJohnson]

Why can't it be moved????

[Cardnim]

EDIT --- mark, thinking about this, have you tried something as simple as changing the channel on your router. Sorry if Im teaching my granny to suck eggs, but it may be that you are getting interference on the channel you are on. Something as simple as a wireless doorbell in the neighbours house, or a baby monitor could be enough to limit the range of your system.
If that doesnt work,...

Two suggestions Mark.

First, you can buy a new more powerful router. Im using a Netgear "Rangemax" which (supposedly) boosts the signal strength and distance by up to two times(!)
Im also with BT so can confirm that this will work with your current internet setup.

Secondly, a powerline adapter could be what you are wanting.?
This transforms your standard household power circuits (i.e. your plugs) into your Internet signal.

I was skeptical at first, but when I saw it work, its damn effective.
You can even put another router say upstairs so that you maintain the wireless signal (i.e. working like a booster)

Starter packs are avilable at PC World for about £100 or units could be got for 60 - 80 a pair I think. Quite an outlay I know, but would probably do the job.

Sorry, I have had no experience using any sort of "booster" hardware/software.

[MHeadling]

Toadeh, I cant move it as I have a second line and its wired into that, and its for work so need the best signal for my lap top, Just trying to get our i phones etc working at the other end of the house.

Thanks for all the advice Cardnim, yes I think I need one of those Power Line Adaptors, our bloke that put our TV on the wall mentioned these.

Any links to good ones I can go for??

I will try the channel thing but I think its the thickness of the walls thats causing the problems

Cheers for all the help so far!

[kennyrc]

I had exactly the same problem, bought a couple of Homeplug ethernet over mains adaptors & a cheap 5 port ethernet switch both from ebay; job done.

[MHeadling]

Cheers Kenny,I'll have a look on the bay now

[MHeadling]

Is this what I need??

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Xenta-...item1c207f8e36

Sorry I am a bit crap with computer stuff!

[i4n]

You can also get wireless range extenders, like this http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/174081...r/Product.html

Never used one but they did something on the gadget show a while ago using one and it worked well.

[MHeadling]

So if I buy these plug in things I can plug one into the home hub and one at the other end of the house and have wireless signal for i phones etc??

Or do I need anything else??

[i4n]

They'll give you a wired connection at the other end of the house.

[mark christopher]

i have just done this after my bekin range extender failed, belkin sent me to mains adapters and a wirless router so i now have 2 x access points in the house, the device just picks the strongest signal, my range extender would not let me what iplayer through my wii, now my set up lets me

you can buy them so you dont need the router

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...QM6YP4BCECYHMW

something like this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Devolo-Wirel.../dp/B000RY8TKC

[dodgydiy]

home network plug adapters work well, although problems can occur if they are on seperate circuits. if they are plugged into the same socket circuit they are fine but through seperate circuits they can be a bit unreliable, especially if the circuits are not on the same rcd in the consumer unit. range extenders work well but you cant beat buying a decent router. have not had good experience with netgear rangemax, bought one recently when my D-link high output one failed and it is pathetic in range and performance in comparison to the d-link.

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by dodgydiy

home network plug adapters work well, although problems can occur if they are on seperate circuits. if they are plugged into the same socket circuit they are fine but through seperate circuits they can be a bit unreliable, especially if the circuits are not on the same rcd in the consumer unit. range extenders work well but you cant beat buying a decent router. have not had good experience with netgear rangemax, bought one recently when my D-link high output one failed and it is pathetic in range and performance in comparison to the d-link.

belkin mains adapters will work well if on different ring mains (which is what you mean)
my house is in 2 halfs, with a rcd for each and there fine, even works in my garage which it 50 foot plus away from house.
they also claim their ok in thier blurb

[Cardnim]

Mark, sorry wasnt able to get on here last night so only getting your reply now.
But, reading through the other guy's responses, youve been getting good advice.

I would say though, that the Netgear Rangemax for me is working very well, and definately increased my signal strength to the upper floor in my house. Not sure why DodgyDIY didnt get the same results.

My leaning would be to try a rangemax router (any make, if you dont want to risk the Netgear) first, before going to the power adapters.
Its the simpliest solution to set up and try, and if it does work then you save yourself quite a bit of outlay; if it doesnt work, then go for the power adapters.

But dont buy a rangemax router - Can you borrow one from someone else, just to try? I can post you a rangemax router if you want and see if it works; then you can post it back to me when you're finished testing?

[eyeayen]

I've just had similar problems with my BT router, purchased a 10metre ethernet lead from amazon, moved computer away from anything electrical, now sits up on high bookcase in my office, wires neatly secured around wall, much better ? Cable was abou four quid... Might be worth trying that before you invest in a new router. It hasn't slowed my internet down at all.

[Cardnim]

Glad you got sorted Eyeayen, but Im not sure that would help in Mark's case.

An Ethernet cable doesnt help with the router's wireless strength / reliability.

And as a side note, Im surprised it even helped in your case, as if your computer is hardwired to the router (which I recommend to everyone if you can do it as it gets the best possible speeds) then moving your computer away from electrical things should have had no impact whatsoever.
Computers themselves generate a massive electrostatic field around them (you can hear this if you put unshielded speakers near your computer)... but everything within a computer - AND THE ETHERNET CABLE should be fully shielded?

Maybe Im missing something though (very likely!)

[MHeadling]

Thanks again for all the advice guys

Cheers for the offer of lending me a router Cardnim very kind mate.

I'll do some more research on the Netgear router and let you know

[eyeayen]

Originally Posted by Cardnim

Glad you got sorted Eyeayen, but Im not sure that would help in Mark's case.

An Ethernet cable doesnt help with the router's wireless strength / reliability.

And as a side note, Im surprised it even helped in your case, as if your computer is hardwired to the router (which I recommend to everyone if you can do it as it gets the best possible speeds) then moving your computer away from electrical things should have had no impact whatsoever.
Computers themselves generate a massive electrostatic field around them (you can hear this if you put unshielded speakers near your computer)... but everything within a computer - AND THE ETHERNET CABLE should be fully shielded?

Maybe Im missing something though (very likely!)

Really, oh, I don't know about the techy side of things I just know how to use photoshop and the internet a bit. Changed the room around, Girlfriends computer now moved to different corner as I have bigger desk, she tried wireless and had problems so we got the ethernet cable to as you said hard wire it in, all good, no problems, I was expecting a drop in speed but it's okay, which is nice. Had to move it because of the monitors + printer + scanner on my desk, was having problems, not sure what so looked on BT trouble shooting, said don't have hub near anything electrical. So that's why we moved it, seems to have done the trick too.

So just to clarify a point you made, we moved the hub away from electrical things so it's on it's own in a corner not the computer away from electrical things, hence needing the mega long cables.

What do you mean by the ethernet cable should be shielded ?