No upstairs wireless connection

cyclonebri1

We are using a sky Sangem router for our wireless connection. Notoriously bad from all I've read.

Anyway all is fine downstairs but we get an unreliable if any signal at all upstairs.

What do I need to boost the signal for the laptop upstairs? No phone connection upstairs by the way.

Specifics please and avoiding replacing the sky router as I'd get buried with that, , and of course the mse option.:money:

paulrn_2

I had a similar problem, I got an ethernet over powerline system, you plug into a socket near the router and Rj45 to one of the ports. this transmits over your domestic wiring. at the other end the receiver can either be a wirless transmitter or you can plug your PC/Laptop etc into its ethernet connection. I got mine from novatech

jam-master-J

Well a new modem/router is out of the question as IIRC sky won't give you the broadband password to set up a new one - you have to buy one from them.

Cheapest (free) way is to try to move your router (depending on the length of your cables) to be as high up in your room and away from thick walls/chimneys/etc. as possible.

If that fails, you will need either a long Ethernet cable and a wireless access point and this placed somewhere upstairs with the cable routed to this, or a pair of power line Ethernet adaptors in place of the Ethernet cable to turn your electricity sockets into a network, or two power line adaptors one of which has a wireless access point.

I've missed out the wireless range extender as this is unlikely to work well (if at all).

m5rcc

jam-master-J wrote: »

Well a new modem/router is out of the question as IIRC sky won't give you the broadband password to set up a new one - you have to buy one from them.

Not true. It is just difficult to get the true user/password for a new router.

InsideInsurance

Never heard of the password being hard to find but if it is then relegate your current router to modem duties, turn off its WiFi. Get a better router, connect it to the old router via ethernet and use its wifi connection.

The power plugs are probably your best bet but the above would work. If your phonelines/ power are not in a good place for getting the router somewhere sensible (ideally high) then look at getting an extender and placing it somewhere closer to the upstairs room you want to use it in but still somewhere with a medium or above reception

m5rcc

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Never heard of the password being hard to find but if it is then relegate your current router to modem duties, turn off its WiFi. Get a better router, connect it to the old router via ethernet and use its wifi connection.

The power plugs are probably your best bet but the above would work. If your phonelines/ power are not in a good place for getting the router somewhere sensible (ideally high) then look at getting an extender and placing it somewhere closer to the upstairs room you want to use it in but still somewhere with a medium or above reception

They just make it difficult, that's all. Not impossible, as shown here.

GunJack

however, the move to MER authentication will even preclude the user/pword

OP, first thing to d is download inssider to a laptop, and check for wifi interference from other nearby routers and change your channel if needs be

http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider/

usignuolo

We can't get our wifi to work in bedroom at top of house even with latest in routers and laptops - my son's. It is a Victorian house and we have not redecorated that bedroom door for many years, as is rarely used. My son said it sort of works when door is open and not when it is closed, he thinks door may have residual lead paint on it which is interfering with the signal......

m5rcc

usignuolo wrote: »

We can't get our wifi to work in bedroom at top of house even with latest in routers and laptops - my son's. It is a Victorian house and we have not redecorated that bedroom door for many years, as is rarely used. My son said it sort of works when door is open and not when it is closed, he thinks door may have residual lead paint on it which is interfering with the signal......

Have you tried a Netgear DGND3700 N600?

dizziblonde

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Never heard of the password being hard to find but if it is then relegate your current router to modem duties, turn off its WiFi. Get a better router, connect it to the old router via ethernet and use its wifi connection.

This is the workaround we did - using our old non-Sky but we knew it was a nice reliable router as a piggyback onto it - boosted the wifi range meaning the signal upstairs is much improved.

The other thing we had to do was to change the wi-fi channel - someone down the street has a router that seems to be set to broadcast to obliterate the world levels and it was conflicting with ours - took a while of flipping channels to find one that worked decently... but that was more wrecking our wireless speed than actual signal range.

robmar0se

Hello, Just to summarise, the agreement signed with Sky does actually prohibit the use of a router other than that supplied by Sky (unless they have recently changed their agreements) - I know people do use other routers, and I've not heard of anyone being "struck-off" by Sky - so I suppose it depends how risk adverse you are. There are programs available to crack the Sky user passwords.

Secondly there is no guarantee that another router would solve the problem, though hopefully it would.

There two options, (i) range extender similar to this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006BBYXPA/ref=asc_df_B006BBYXPA6896370?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&!!!!!googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B006BBYXPA - located at a point where it can boost the signal sufficiently.

Or (ii) homeplugs which use the electrical wiring system to transmit the signal around - you plug one in near the router, and a second (or more if necessary) where you need it; the latter can also be wireless enabled so that a number of machines could use it upstairs. http://www.solwise.co.uk/net-powerline.htm