Variable wifi during the crisis

krappyrubsnif

Is anyone else experiencing wild swings in Internet service/bandwidth during the crisis? One to four bars and frequently nothing? I'm with 02.

joust

Do you mean mobile phone service rather than WiFi?

Your WiFi bars are determined by your computer/phone and your router. The service by your ISP isn't relevant

krappyrubsnif

@joust, I take the point, and looking into it further I think the problem is the sudden arrival of a 43" smart TV at the top of the house, which seems to have destabilised the system and be sucking up all the bandwidth. I'm sitting next to the BT modem downstairs and have no reliable signal (only data). It keeps dropping.

Does anyone have recommendations for the best wifi extenders/boosters/repeaters or modem to extend wifi to the whole of one of these Victorian houses, with four people permanently on line? I already have the BT modem recommended by Which and a ring-main booster.

Fireddo

I have been using a Belkin N300 and it worked great, although it might depend on the range you need. Is suppose it’s not an option to plug a LAN cable into the TV?

krappyrubsnif

I think I would need a cable about 800 yards long - alright, I exaggerate, but either up several flights of stairs or up the outside of the house and over the roof.......

Ali

Your power line ( ring-main booster) adapter will most likely have a LAN cable port on it. Put the powerline adaptor into a socket near the TC and syne it with the one beside the router then connect to the TV with the LAN cable. Whatever else was connected to the powerline can be connected to wireless and all the downloading to the TXV will be from the router and around the power circuity. If you extender is just wireless and not got a LAN socket buy a book ! Or you could go for this https://www.bt.com/broadband/complete-wifi

krappyrubsnif

@Ali, got a (psychodynamic) workaround: the Smart TV is switched off, disconnected from router and unplugged when not in use......the wifi in my study (aka cell) is back! I'll look at your techno solution now. Plenty of books. Hows it going your end?

Ali

Looking out of the window at the top of the house watching the birds building nests in a large bay tree. Blackbirds and the two flashy Jays. In between that working from home

krappyrubsnif

The blackbirds are in superpower mode.

krappyrubsnif

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krappyrubsnif

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krappyrubsnif

I am considering investing in a Google Wi-fi set up to improve broadband connectivity in our house. Does anyone else use this? Any other recommendations?

Ali

https://www.bt.com/broadband/complete-wifi?s_cid=con_ppc_maxus_vidZ60_T1&vendorid=Z60&ds_rl=1000752&ds_rl=1276299&ds_rl=1276299&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmpb0BRCBARIsAG7y4zaCeJc-nvsL5tym5Vn4HuZ6SJlSdgPRTA9dbHLOJ-JXcV__Ka7PkckaAkfdEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

for the wi fi side If you go for Halo 2 you also get home technical suport with two hour time slots to sort you out

joust

A good quick fix for poor WiFi coverage in your house is to turn off 5ghz WiFi and only use 2.4ghz.
2.4 is older and has a lower bandwidth, but it goes a longer distance and penetrates walls better.

It's usually really straightforward to change if you log in to your router.

grenners

For a small flat we use a Netgear WiFi range extender which works wonders as the rear portion of the flat due to thick walls otherwise doesn't get any signal from the router. It sits in a plug socket. Probably would work the same in a house.

krappyrubsnif

@grenners I have all this stuff but the plug in ring main extender just doesn't seem to be up to the job...... going to upgrade the incoming wifi signal with BT next. A lot seems to have changed with more options since I last f----d around with the broadband five years ago.....

krappyrubsnif

Update: It's not just me. BT admit we have issues but can't diagnose the problem either, so they are sending round a BT engineer (in body armour and a space suit) on Saturday morning to sort it out. So with that I say thank you all for advice and concern, and am retreating under my duvet again.

conformable_kate

@Ali sounds like you're close by! I went out this afternoon intending to take the choppers to my very outsize bay tree and saw a couple of jays going in and out. Damn. Quite apart from needing a tree surgeon rather than choppers, it looks like I'll need to wait till after nesting season to get it reduced.