Need to boost wifi signal to reach attic. How?

littlerock

No it is a Virgin media superhub, no aerials.

littlerock

Don't really want long cable runs if it can be avoided, especially not beside the stairs as I have young curious grandchildren who will be staying in the spare room in the attic.

bsms1147

Another vote for homeplugs

benjus

I had an old router from a previous Virgin Media contract lying around - so I bought some homeplugs and used that.

RumRat

littlerock wrote: »

No it is a Virgin media superhub, no aerials.

If it's the original SuperHub, the wireless isn't that great. You could ask Virgin to send you the SH2.....That said, I would second the Powerline adapter route.....They take minutes to set up with no tech knowledge and are fast and reliable....

littlerock

Like I said I am not technical. Some of the replies start from the assumption I know what is required and just need advice on the brand - not so! I know nothing about how to go about getting an enhanced wifi signal. I gather from various adaptors referred to, that you have two specialist plugs and you plug one into the router (or the router into it) in some way and other ino a socket in the room where you need the wifi, and they transmit some sort of enhanced wifi signal over the electrical circuit?

I have had a look at amazon and there seem to be all manner of different models available. What for example is a P-Link TL-WPA4226KIT AV500 Powerline 300M Wi-Fi Extender/Wi-Fi Booster/Hotspot with AC Pass Through, Two Ethernet Ports, Starter Kit/Twin Pack (Easy Configuration, Wi-Fi Clone for Smartphone/Tablets/Laptop)by TP-Link which is normally sold with a

TP-Link TL-PB10400 10400 mAh Portable Power Bank External Battery Charger (2 USB ports for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android Smartphones and Tablets) and a

a TP-Link TL-PA4020PKIT AV500 Two-Port Powerline Adapter with AC Pass Through Starter Kit/Twin Pack (Easy Configuration, Ideal for Online Gaming/HD Video Streaming)

kwikbreaks

Standard WiFi boosters receive the router WiFi signal and retransmit it. That's why I suggested you'd need to test this if you use one because your own router signal isn't being picked up just one floor above. I suspect it wouldn't work well which is why I mentioned Argos and their easy no quibble return policy.

For the Homeplug/Powerline solution you connect one to your router with ethernet cable. Up in the loft you have a powerline adapter that also incorporates a WiFi access point. The mains wiring is used to transmit the signal between the two. IMO this solution is more likely to work.

littlerock

Thanks for that. If the roof space and the floor below are on different wiring circuits, will that make any difference to the effectiveness of the powerline type adaptors?

bod1467

TP-Link TL-WPA4226KIT AV500 Powerline 300M Wi-Fi Extender/Wi-Fi Booster/Hotspot with AC Pass Through, Two Ethernet Ports, Starter Kit/Twin Pack

Is exactly what you need, and what I described in my previous reply. The unit with the 3-pin socket on it (AC Pass Through) is located near your superhub. (Although you don't necessarily need the added expense of the Pass Through version if you have enough spare mains sockets). You connect an ethernet cable between it and the superhub.

You plug in the other unit upstairs in the attic room. It creates a wifi network upstairs. When the grandkids connect to that wifi, they request web pages (for example) and the signal goes from their device to the plugged in unit, through power wiring to the other unit, through the ethernet cable to the superhub, then out into the world via the superhub. (Data coming back does the same thing in reverse).

If the homeplugs are on different wiring circuits then it could make a difference, but is unlikely to.

DevCoder

IIRC, its only if your circuits are on different phases to each other then it can cause an issue.

Don't know many homes that have a 3PH supply