Router and WiFi solution for a UFB Voyager-connected home?

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jonathan18

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#303015 10-Jan-2023 14:06

My sister and her husband built a home recently and they've remained with their previous ISP for internet, which includes still paying a monthly sub for the ISP-supplied router (a very old and yellowed Huawei HG659). They've installed this in the roof space above the garage, which is also where all Ethernet cables from around the house terminate (no switch IIRC). For WiFi they primarily rely on the Huawei (which is at one end of the house) but have an old router set up as an additional AP (not working properly).

Can I please have some recommendations for suitable products to both replace the router and provide decent WiFi coverage throughout the house?

Ease of set up and operation is an important factor as they're not really IT savvy - I had thought something like the TP-Link Deco unit and one or two mesh extender/s connected via Ethernet (such as that supplied by Vodafone) would be ideal as that can also manage router duties and they're simple to set up and use. But it looks like the Decos don't support VLAN tagging (which I understand is needed for their ISP, Voyager) - are there other similar products that will work with Voyager?

Also, I just wanted to check whether there's any possible way to relocate their router to, say, behind the TV in the lounge: I'm thinking that to do this they'll need to have two Ethernet ports in that room, one to connect the ONT (in the roof space) to the router (lounge), then a second to connect the router back to a passive switch in the roof space to allow connection to the Ethernet ports elsewhere in the house - is that on the right track? I'm not 100% sure but I'm doubtful they'll have more than one port per room, as it looked pretty scant re # of cables in the roof - if so, are they stuck with leaving the router (and switch, if needed) in the roof space?

Thanks for any advice.

Gordy7

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#3019598 10-Jan-2023 14:59

I went from a HG659 to a Spark Smart Modem 1 a few years ago.

I have been with various ISPs using the SM1: Voyager, Skinny, Orcon and Slingshot.

WiFi is very good all around my 3 bedroom house.

You could most likely pick up a SM1 off Trademe for less than $50.

Could be worth a try first before you look at the more complex options you are considering.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

froob

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#3019658 10-Jan-2023 15:48

I don’t have any specific suggestions for the router - but buying the current one that Voyager offers might be a good option, to assist with any future requests for support. Buying it outright would avoid the rental charge. It could be paired with a stand-alone access point, if it doesn’t provide enough coverage on its own.

You are right that you could move the router to anywhere there are two ethernet ports (see an example of this in the image below). It can also be done with a single ethernet port, with a pair of dongles that split the single port into two at each end. This limits speeds to 100Mbps however, since only four wires are available for each port (rather than the usual 8).

Guide: Installing Network Cabling in New Zealand Homes

jonathan18

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#3019675 10-Jan-2023 16:22

Gordy7:

I went from a HG659 to a Spark Smart Modem 1 a few years ago.

I have been with various ISPs using the SM1: Voyager, Skinny, Orcon and Slingshot.

WiFi is very good all around my 3 bedroom house.

You could most likely pick up a SM1 off Trademe for less than $50.

Could be worth a try first before you look at the more complex options you are considering.

Yep, that would certainly be a cheap option for them to try out - my main concern is that, given the position of the router at one end of the house, it's potentially asking a lot for it to be the single source of WiFi. If it does indeed provide inadequate WiFi coverage (especially given the problem area is their bedroom, which is the opposite end of the house) they'll be back to square one as the SM1 doesn't work with Spark's Smart Mesh.

Given their IT skillset, I'm thinking there's safety (and minimal re-work) in starting off with a product that can be easily added to with a mesh unit (though I'm assuming it'll be tricky to find the SM3 and Smart Mesh s/h at the moment?).

Can anyone recommend a wifi-equipped router that'll work with Voyager and to which they can easily add a second WiFi device (via Ethernet, not with wireless backhaul)?

Gordy7

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#3019694 10-Jan-2023 17:13

jonathan18:

Yep, that would certainly be a cheap option for them to try out - my main concern is that, given the position of the router at one end of the house, it's potentially asking a lot for it to be the single source of WiFi. If it does indeed provide inadequate WiFi coverage (especially given the problem area is their bedroom, which is the opposite end of the house) they'll be back to square one as the SM1 doesn't work with Spark's Smart Mesh.

Given their IT skillset, I'm thinking there's safety (and minimal re-work) in starting off with a product that can be easily added to with a mesh unit (though I'm assuming it'll be tricky to find the SM3 and Smart Mesh s/h at the moment?).

Can anyone recommend a wifi-equipped router that'll work with Voyager and to which they can easily add a second WiFi device (via Ethernet, not with wireless backhaul)?

I have my SM1 router at one end of my timber framed-gib house.

In my bedroom at 15m from my router and through 2 walls I get over 280Mbps on my phone - 5GHz WiFi.

As someone else has said, it may be better to get an up to date router from Voyager along with their support.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

jonathan18

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#3020170 11-Jan-2023 16:09

Bump for a new day...

I'd really appreciate some suggestions re suitable routers/wifi 'extender' kits (any thoughts, @michaelmurfy?); I've looked over the list of routers that Voyager states will work with their fibre (on this page) but they all appear to be stand-alone routers.

Noting I'm looking for a simple-to-use product (like the Deco system used by Vodafone for their SuperWiFi), are there any similar routers that either come with wifi expansion devices or have easy-to-add devices that can be purchased separately?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Edit - is a more feasible option for them to buy a basic router for router duties s/h off TM (eg the Spark Smart Modem), disable WiFi on the router, and purchase something like the TP-Link Deco X20 Whole-Home Mesh WiFi System (3-pack) for house-wide WiFi coverage?

RunningMan

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#3020193 11-Jan-2023 17:25

1) Are they using Voyager voices services? If so, then you have to use the Voyager CPE, if not, pretty much any router will do the job. There's a sticky on choosing routers because the same question comes up several times a week. Just select based on the specifc requirements that are important to them as there is nothing special about Voyager's requirements (unless using their voice service).

2) Having the router (or anything similar) in the roof space is generally a very bad idea. The temperature flucations are normally well outside what the equipment is designed to cope with, and the high heat in particular will dramatically shorten the lifespan.

jonathan18

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#3020199 11-Jan-2023 17:40

RunningMan:

1) Are they using Voyager voices services? If so, then you have to use the Voyager CPE, if not, pretty much any router will do the job. There's a sticky on choosing routers because the same question comes up several times a week. Just select based on the specifc requirements that are important to them as there is nothing special about Voyager's requirements (unless using their voice service).

2) Having the router (or anything similar) in the roof space is generally a very bad idea. The temperature flucations are normally well outside what the equipment is designed to cope with, and the high heat in particular will dramatically shorten the lifespan.

1. Nope, they're not, hence why there's not an issue with looking wider for a router. Thanks for the link - I'll read through all 32 pages when I get the chance! I had some concerns re specifics of Voyager (eg VLAN tagging) but it's great to know most routers will be fine. I'm thinking of avoiding going as old as say an HG659B, but I imagine the Smart Modem is fairly similar in ease of use (vs a Netcomm); I'll also check to see if Fritboxes will work, as I've generally found them pretty stable.

2. Yep, totally aware of this, and I mentioned it to them when I was there - this reinforces my point about a lack of IT savvy in that they agreed to the placement. It's also why I asked for confirmation above of the need for two Ethernet ports in a single space if they want to at least shift the router to a cooler space, given all Ethernet cables terminate there too; if I'm right and it's a single point per room they'll have to think about the trade-off of speed (noting earlier comment re ability to split a single port) vs heat.