Wifi with Router from provider (Contact energy)

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boingoboingo

20 posts

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#285685 10-May-2021 11:38

Hey y'all,

I am sure this question has been asked already in this forum, but I can't find the easy answer.

Situation:

- We have Fibre Broadband through Contact Energy
- 3-story house
- Netcom Wireless Router / Modem came with the deal
- Our wifi sucks. My guess is too many devices (6 Google speakers, iPad, phones, Nintendo Switch, Laptops, etc. all competing for wifi in a four-person household).
- Some time ago I tried to add to the Wifi by plugging an old Vodafone router/modem into the new one and following some online tutorial to create an additional access point. Has improved coverage, but seems to confuse devices? Access points share name with original access points.

I'm done with messing around, just want to get a solution that delivers reliable speed and connectivity. I assume I'll always be stuck with the Netgear Modem that came with the Fibre Plan, as this has our login-info to the network? So any new thing I get needs to plug into that thing? A modem in a modem? Is that smart?

What's the best way to just get this sorted? I don't need a super-highspeed gaming setup, just reliable wifi in our house...

Is Google Wifi still a thing? They don't sell it on the google shop? Or was that never the thing?

wellygary

8203 posts

Uber Geek

#2705427 10-May-2021 12:12

"3 Story House"......look at some cabling....

Not to everywhere, but running a couple of cables either in a roof or under a floor will hugely help you get Wifi access points to a few places to give you much better reception....

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Dynamic

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#2705434 10-May-2021 12:20

It sounds like a mesh WiFi would work well for your house. Step into my office.... have I got a deal for you!

I have up to 5 used Google WiFi devices available @ $80 per unit shipped anywhere in the country. I bought them for a personal project that didn't go ahead in the end. I'll put 3 months warranty on them. If you happen to grab a couple, I'll sit on the rest for a fortnight before selling the rest, just in case you decide you'd like another one or two.

I think the Google WiFi devices were retired in favour of the Home Hub devices with Alexa built in. Google saw was a major flaw with the design of the Google WiFi devices in that they could not listen in on your private conversations and 'provide relevant content to enhance your browsing experience'.

Cheers
Mike

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Spyware

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#2705442 10-May-2021 12:35

boingoboingo:

I assume I'll always be stuck with the Netgear Modem that came with the Fibre Plan, as this has our login-info to the network? So any new thing I get needs to plug into that thing? A modem in a modem? Is that smart?

No it doesn't. You can use any suitable router you wish.

Spark Max Fibre using Mikrotik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+, CRS125-24G-1S, Unifi UAP, U6-Pro, UAP-AC-M-Pro, Apple TV 4K (2022), Apple TV 4K (2017), iPad Air 1st gen, iPad Air 4th gen, iPhone 13, SkyNZ3151 (the white box). If it doesn't move then it's data cabled.

FMaximus

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2744730 15-Jul-2021 19:55

I have a similar situation.

fibre into vodafone ultrahub.

i’d like to add linksys velop as a router to get wifi 6 and apple homekit.

i figured i could just use the ultrahub as my modem then run an ethernet cable from it to the linksys. I tried to get confirmation from vodafone but that was a disaster….

any advice?

Many thanks

Linux

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#2744734 15-Jul-2021 20:04

Vodafone do not support 3rd party hardware to start with and they should not need to!

But yes that should work fine

FMaximus

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2744737 15-Jul-2021 20:23

Hi, wasn’t looking for support from them as such. Just wanted them to confirm i could do this without any major issues

Spyware

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#2744738 15-Jul-2021 20:31

The person you spoke to would have no more understanding of computer networking than you do.

Linux

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#2744741 15-Jul-2021 20:41

FMaximus:
Hi, wasn’t looking for support from them as such. Just wanted them to confirm i could do this without any major issues

Still 3rd party support for hardware the carrier did not provide

sbiddle

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#2744952 16-Jul-2021 07:30

For a large 3 story house the best option is cabled access points on every floor.

One of the single biggest mistakes of any WiFi solution or deployment is the fact people don't understand omnidirectional antennas which are what 99% of routers contain, along with virtually every mesh solution on the market.

Most people think an omnidirectional antenna is an isotropic radiator (ie sends signal out 360 degrees evenly) which it is not (isotropic radiators are theoretical only). This means a standard omnidirectional antenna sends signals out in a donut shaped RF radiation pattern. They cover the floor you're on but do not send signal up or down.

If you opt for a typical ceiling mount access point signal will be sent outwards and downwards. If you want something to go up or down you're going to need external omnidirectional antennas that are moveable so you can change where the signal is focused.

Here's a 3D representation of a typical omnidirectional antenna pattern.

FMaximus

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2744961 16-Jul-2021 07:55

thanks, appreciate the input