How to improve WiFi coverage over UFB

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eth

74 posts

Master Geek

#165847 22-Feb-2015 19:22

Hi Everyone.

Wasn't really sure what the best solution to my problem is so thought it would be best to post it here.

To cut a long story short, when our fibre was installed a week ago the ONT was installed in the corner of the house closest to the road. Our old modem/router was located in the lounge at the centre of the house from which we could receive signal around the house at speeds of around 6Mbps download in the furtherest rooms of the house. With the new router at the closest corner of the house, while within several metres we can get up to 100Mbps (our plan speed), the speed at the furtherest end of the house is around 0.04Mbps which is effectively unusable for web browsing. Obviously the router has to be plugged in directly to the ONT so it isn't as simple as just plugging in the router in another room. I looked into WiFi repeaters/extenders but they don't seem like an ideal solution. Really, we need to have the router located in the lounge at the centre of our house (where our old router was) to receive good signal and speed around the whole house. I heard that one option is running Cat cable from the ONT, under the floor or ceiling/wall to the other room where the router can be plugged in. Also the telephone which plugs directly into the ONT should really be in the other room too. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for the best solution to fix this problem? If we wanted to run Cat and telephone cables from where the ONT is located to where we want the telephone and router plugged in, who should I contact to install this?

Cheers, Ethan

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#1244328 22-Feb-2015 19:22

Hello... Our robot found some keywords in your post, so here is an automated reply with some important things to note regarding broadband speeds.

If you are posting regarding DSL speeds please check that

- you have reset your modem and router

- your PC (or other PCs in your LAN) is not downloading large files when you are testing

- you are not being throttled by your ISP due to going over the monthly cap

- your tests are always done on an ethernet connection to the router - do not use wireless for testing

- you read this topic and follow the instructions there.

Make sure you provide information for other users to help you. If you have not already done it, please EDIT your post and add this now:

- Your ISP and plan

- Type of connection (ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL)

- Your modem DSL stats (do not worry about posting Speedtest, we need sync rate, attenuation and noise margin)

- Your general location (or street)

- If you are rural or urban

- If you know your connection is to an exchange, cabinet or conklin

- If your connection is to a ULL or wholesale service

- If you have done an isolation test as per the link above

Most of the problems with speed are likely to be related to internal wiring issues. Read this discussion to find out more about this. Your ISP is not intentionally slowing you down today (unless you are on a managed plan). Also if this is the school holidays it's likely you will notice slower than usual speed due to more users online.

A master splitter is required for VDSL2 and in most cases will improve speeds on DSL connections. Regular disconnections can be a monitored alarm or a set top box trying to connect. If there's an alarm connected to your line even if you don't have an alarm contract it may still try to connect so it's worth checking.

I recommend you read these two blog posts:

- Is your premises phone wiring impacting your broadband performance? (very technical)

- Are you receiving a substandard ULL ADSL2+ connection from your ISP?

I am the Geekzone Robot and I am here to help. I am from the Internet. I do not interact. Do not expect other replies from me.

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RunningMan

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#1244367 22-Feb-2015 19:43

The best solution is running cable between the two spots, as you've already realised.

At it's most basic, you could buy an ethernet patch cable of the right length, and run it yourself, if you can easily get it from one end to the other.

The gold standard solution would be a full star wired structured cabling system going back to a central location, but this would be quite expensive to do!

Somewhere in the middle, you could get a couple of cables run to strategic points in the house to connect existing devices.

If you say where you are located, there's probably people around that can do this for you.

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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#1244371 22-Feb-2015 19:50

It's not going to solve your problem, but why did you opt for the install there? You would have been given a choice, and pretty much by default if you don't have a preference by the TV will be used as it's the entertainment hub of the home.

Running Ethernet cable is the best option. If you don't want to do that then Ethernet over power adapters which you plug into existing power plugs are the next best option.

raytaylor

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#1244377 22-Feb-2015 20:02

Get a couple of netcomm or tplink homeplugs (powerline networking)

Set one up in the front corner of the house and connect it to the ONT
Set up another one in the lounge and connect it to the WAN/Internet port of your router.

Solved!

Ray Taylor

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PoHq

465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1244387 22-Feb-2015 20:17

As others have said run a cable.

If you have existing phone jacks where you want to connect and the current modem location you may already have CAT cabling in place.

Sideface

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#1244390 22-Feb-2015 20:18

+1 Cable.

Sideface

eth

74 posts

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#1244777 23-Feb-2015 13:39

sbiddle: It's not going to solve your problem, but why did you opt for the install there? You would have been given a choice, and pretty much by default if you don't have a preference by the TV will be used as it's the entertainment hub of the home.

Running Ethernet cable is the best option. If you don't want to do that then Ethernet over power adapters which you plug into existing power plugs are the next best option.

I didn't want my original post to get too convoluted but basically, at the scoping visit we agreed to have the ONT where the old modem was in the middle of the house, from which we could plug the router straight in and get good WiFi signal and speed around the whole house. On the day of the install, the Enable installer, without our consent, installed the ONT at the closest point to the road, got the fibre all up and running and left. Now Enable have told us that if we want the ONT moved we will have to wait months for a technician to be available and will have to pay Enable to get the ONT moved. Now that the internet is all up and running with the ONT installed in that location, it seems easier to just figure another solution out. That's why I thought I would ask on here.

Based off everyone's responses, the cable option definitely sounds the best. Who would know how to install this sort of cable? Would just a normal electrician be able to do it? Oh and it is an older house so has no networking cables currently installed in the house aside from the existing electricity and telephone wires.

Sharesies

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tdgeek

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#1244792 23-Feb-2015 13:49

eth:
sbiddle: It's not going to solve your problem, but why did you opt for the install there? You would have been given a choice, and pretty much by default if you don't have a preference by the TV will be used as it's the entertainment hub of the home.

Running Ethernet cable is the best option. If you don't want to do that then Ethernet over power adapters which you plug into existing power plugs are the next best option.

I didn't want my original post to get too convoluted but basically, at the scoping visit we agreed to have the ONT where the old modem was in the middle of the house, from which we could plug the router straight in and get good WiFi signal and speed around the whole house. On the day of the install, the Enable installer, without our consent, installed the ONT at the closest point to the road, got the fibre all up and running and left. Now Enable have told us that if we want the ONT moved we will have to wait months for a technician to be available and will have to pay Enable to get the ONT moved. Now that the internet is all up and running with the ONT installed in that location, it seems easier to just figure another solution out. That's why I thought I would ask on here.

Based off everyone's responses, the cable option definitely sounds the best. Who would know how to install this sort of cable? Would just a normal electrician be able to do it? Oh and it is an older house so has no networking cables currently installed in the house aside from the existing electricity and telephone wires.

Hmm, Enable is scoping my home on Wednesday. I had another thread here for a CHC network literate electrician, but I got no info, apart from a network literate electrician won't be network literate... From your post I will be there on the install, (was going to be anyway) and will take care to note that the civils will be located as expected.

I am also hoping that they install by my TV, where it isnt right now, and can at the same time pull my other cable through which I can run to a sleepout.

Glassboy

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#1244820 23-Feb-2015 14:07

eth:

Based off everyone's responses, the cable option definitely sounds the best. Who would know how to install this sort of cable? Would just a normal electrician be able to do it? Oh and it is an older house so has no networking cables currently installed in the house aside from the existing electricity and telephone wires.

Some sparkies are happy doing data cabling, others aren't. Let your fingers do the walking :-)

tdgeek

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#1244828 23-Feb-2015 14:12

Glassboy:
eth:

Based off everyone's responses, the cable option definitely sounds the best. Who would know how to install this sort of cable? Would just a normal electrician be able to do it? Oh and it is an older house so has no networking cables currently installed in the house aside from the existing electricity and telephone wires.

Some sparkies are happy doing data cabling, others aren't. Let your fingers do the walking :-)

I got some negative responses on my thread on basically that question. I'd have though that if a sparky advertises data cabling, and they have the nouse to connect and wire a jumper box to a home, and run cabling everwhere, with all the tech stuff that goes with that, that running CAT cable to a patch plate would be rather easy.

But your right, ring some, see what they say and how they say it.

qyiet

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#1244872 23-Feb-2015 14:40

eth:
...On the day of the install, the Enable installer, without our consent, installed the ONT at the closest point to the road, got the fibre all up and running and left. Now Enable have told us that if we want the ONT moved we will have to wait months for a technician to be available and will have to pay Enable to get the ONT moved....

Hrm. I'm currently waiting for the Techs to come install the last stages of the fibre link at my house. The guy doing the design left the ONT in my possession. After hearing this story I'm thinking I should just go ahead and wall mount it exactly where I want it so that it'll be more work for them to put it somewhere else.

Warning: reality may differ from above post

tdgeek

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#1244882 23-Feb-2015 14:56

qyiet:
eth:
...On the day of the install, the Enable installer, without our consent, installed the ONT at the closest point to the road, got the fibre all up and running and left. Now Enable have told us that if we want the ONT moved we will have to wait months for a technician to be available and will have to pay Enable to get the ONT moved....

Hrm. I'm currently waiting for the Techs to come install the last stages of the fibre link at my house. The guy doing the design left the ONT in my possession. After hearing this story I'm thinking I should just go ahead and wall mount it exactly where I want it so that it'll be more work for them to put it somewhere else.

I dont suggest that. It may aggravate them when they want it a few inches this way or that, or feet, but essentially where you want it. If the scope says it goes on this wall, roughly here, then you be at home when its installed and make sure thats where they put it. If they appear to be putting it elsewhere, another wall, anotjher room, show them the scope. The scope was agreed by the provider and you, thats sorted, its set in concrete. I tend to be super friendly on arrival, not painfullty so, but a nice guy. I am sure that gets a bit of positiveness going on. If the customer acted like a turd, you'd expect the technician to be much less motivated.

qyiet

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#1244932 23-Feb-2015 15:30

tdgeek: The scope was agreed by the provider and you, thats sorted, its set in concrete.

Except I never saw a scope to agree to. I told the designer what I would like, he took some photos and left. The guy barely said 2 words (so I don't trust him not to screw it up)

Warning: reality may differ from above post

eth

74 posts

Master Geek

#1244949 23-Feb-2015 15:51

qyiet:
tdgeek: The scope was agreed by the provider and you, thats sorted, its set in concrete.

Except I never saw a scope to agree to. I told the designer what I would like, he took some photos and left. The guy barely said 2 words (so I don't trust him not to screw it up)

That was exactly what happened to me. At the scoping visit the scoper showed me the plan on his iPad for how they would connect the fibre and install the ONT, which we agreed to. On the final install date before I knew it the guy had already cut the hole in the wall, run the cable through the wall and installed the ONT in the wrong place. Even if they came back and moved it there would still be big holes cut and drilled in the wall in that corner of the room not to mention the long wait for a technician and the fact that they would charge us for getting them to come back to move it. My advice for everyone is to make sure you are there keeping an eye on where they are installing the ONT and tell the installer if you aren't happy in any way with how they are installing it.

timmmay

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#1245011 23-Feb-2015 17:15

To the OP - I would put in a complaint, have them move the ONT, and pay for repairs when they didn't do the work as agreed. Or if you want to be practical run a cable to your router.

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