Router suggestions to work with Access Points

Hatrick24

Hi everyone,

Our Router (Netgear N900) has just died and after some research we purchased an Apple Airport Extreme. After spending two hours on the phone with Apple support, who were unable to get it working, they decided the Airport Extreme is not actually a router and wouldn't work in our set up.

So.. what do we get? This is our set up:

Fibre broadband via telephone line comes into an Openreach modem, which then goes to a router. The router then links to a Netgear Switch and from the switch we have Ethernet cables going to 3 x Netgear WN604 Access points and one Sonos boost.

My husband and I are not very IT savvy so we do struggle. I don't really want to go Netgear again as I found their telephone support very poor when I needed them to help set up the access points. However, once we set up a new router, should the access points automatically work, or will they need to be re-connected to the new router?

We are tempted to buy a router from Zen Internet (our ISP) purely because their telephone support is so good, but the routers they offer all have terrible reviews on Amazon.

We need the router to be able to connect to multiple devices at the same time and to offer decent parental controls. Any suggestions would be very welcome. Thank you so much!!

nath81

I suspect your old router was acting as a dhcp server for your network. you would need to make sure this is configured on whatever your replacement is.

My first choice for home routers is always Mikrotik, but as you are not IT savvy, it's probably not the best idea.

I would recommend getting a Draytek combined router/modem like this:

http://www.misco.co.uk/productinfo/productinfo?productCode=219451&affiliate=GOOGLEPLA&cm_mmc=google-_-Product_PlusBox-__-219451&catargetid=530001250000664975&cadevice=c&gclid=Cj0KEQjwlNy8BRC676-W0JezxbwBEiQA4Ydg0UFbIRTR5fYSosn6RXOaqZDStqiNGeh1ZMYTVKFPB84aAkmg8P8HAQ

your APs should continue to work.

Do you have any tech savvy family/friends that get help with the installation?

takman

How long have you been with Zen Internet for and are you still in contract with them?. If your minimum term has finished you could always ring them up to renegotiate a better price and for them to send you a new router, if not tell them you will move to another broadband provider.

Also how come you have 3 wireless access points on your network?. Do you have the network covering a large area or do you have a very large house or have very thick walls?. I've never seen anyone who has a home wifi network with 3!.

bod1467

I have 3 WiFi networks at home:

1. 2.4GHz network from HH4 for most devices
2. 5GHz network from HH4 for capable devices
3. 2.4GHz network (different channel and SSID from 1) from TP-Link device to provide internet connection for the Youview box located across the room and where SWMBO won't allow trailing cables.



WiFi 3 is implemented this way because:

a) Homeplugs don't work well with the Netflix app on the YV box
b) The HH4 doesn't support multicast over WiFi, so I have a separate WiFi device connected to the HH4 via Ethernet.

jshm2

I would be talking to your ISP about simplifying it and what they are offering as a replacement. First as you admit to not being tech savvy, so buying their router may be a tad expensive. Also they will provide support to the hilt with the setup.

Regarding what you buy. You'll still need someone to set it up for you and you could end up paying your local IT around £30+ for the privilege.

If you still want to buy then TP-LINK Archer C9 or ASUS EA-AC87 or D-LINK DSL-3590L should be more than you need.

takman

bod1467 wrote: »

I have 3 WiFi networks at home:

1. 2.4GHz network from HH4 for most devices
2. 5GHz network from HH4 for capable devices
3. 2.4GHz network (different channel and SSID from 1) from TP-Link device to provide internet connection for the Youview box located across the room and where SWMBO won't allow trailing cables.



WiFi 3 is implemented this way because:

a) Homeplugs don't work well with the Netflix app on the YV box
b) The HH4 doesn't support multicast over WiFi, so I have a separate WiFi device connected to the HH4 via Ethernet.

That's a perfectly understandable setup and I also have separate 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz SSID's, plus I also have 6 devices connected to an Ethernet Network.

But the OP has 3 access separate WIFI access points on their network plus the router so that is 4!. Which seem excessive unless they live in an extremely big house or have a very big garden that is covered by the network.

Hatrick24

Thanks so much for the advice!

To explain why we have three access points: the house is large and is roughly T shaped, so we have the router towards one end of the house, one access point at the other, (which also stretches to a garden summer house), a 2nd access point on the other branch of the T and then the third in a detached games room. The main router is located where the BT line comes into the house and no matter what router we put in, they just never send the signal to the either of the other ends of the house, hence we had CAT 6 cable fitted to the other points where the Netgear access points are located. This has worked well in so far as we now have wifi throughout the house.

Really grateful for the suggestions, thank you. Will speak to Zen tomorrow to see what they can offer and then look to probably pay someone to come out and set it all up. Very happy to pay someone as it is something that is hard to live without!

Thanks again..