Dead spots and parental control

Thomas_Holding

 I have virgin broadband the speed is really good. The hub is currently showing using samknows 218 Mbps but in the house (an old terrace) there are half dead bits - sometimes amzing sometimes not.
I also have a problem with my daughter spending too much time on the internet.

Could this or similar help with a) getting rid of the dead zones and b) controlling how much time she spends on line.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Tri-Band-4804Mbps-Archer-AX90/dp/B00VP6FKLM

gt568

I manage my kids internet time really easily.  I just take their devices away.

Neil_Jones

Thomas_Holding said:

 I have virgin broadband the speed is really good. The hub is currently showing using samknows 218 Mbps but in the house (an old terrace) there are half dead bits - sometimes amzing sometimes not.
I also have a problem with my daughter spending too much time on the internet.

Could this or similar help with a) getting rid of the dead zones and b) controlling how much time she spends on line.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Tri-Band-4804Mbps-Archer-AX90/dp/B00VP6FKLM

Any technological solution you put in place to limit a teenager's activity will be bypassed (by them) in two seconds.

re: dead zones, a lot depends on why they're dead zones.  A new router won't penetrate through a thick wall.  You'd do better to plonk wireless access points in key places to extend the coverage.

debitcardmayhem

Neil_Jones said:

Any technological solution you put in place to limit a teenager's activity will be bypassed (by them) in two seconds.

re: dead zones, a lot depends on why they're dead zones.  A new router won't penetrate through a thick wall.  You'd do better to plonk wireless access points in key places to extend the coverage.

Neil is correct to a point.Or perhaps move the router to a central position. In my case it was prudent to put in a mesh system more for internal speeds than for internet facing systems.

Grey_Critic

Much easier to control in the days of desktops - I knew which circuit it was plugged into so simply flipped the breaker - nobody ever complained.

Back in the days of the Acorn Electron (and I still have it) and we used the TV - only had the one my wife had a habit of unplugging it when she wanted to iron something - usually when we were about to get a new high score.

As for the Acorn Electron it started my youngest son off into a career in the film and advertising industry

victor2

The Virgin "superhub" is particularly poor for WiFi range IME. I put mine into modem only mode and bought my own router, which covered all of my house, including previous dead spots. But as @Neil_Jones says, it depends on what is causing your dead spots. 
As he also says, your average teenager will bypass any technical obstacles you put in their way in no time. 

Thomas_Holding

gt568 said:

I manage my kids internet time really easily.  I just take their devices away.

Unfortunately she needs her PC and the internet to do homework!

Thomas_Holding

victor2 said:

The Virgin "superhub" is particularly poor for WiFi range IME. I put mine into modem only mode and bought my own router, which covered all of my house, including previous dead spots. But as @Neil_Jones says, it depends on what is causing your dead spots. 
As he also says, your average teenager will bypass any technical obstacles you put in their way in no time. 

How did you do that?
I have no idea what is causing the dead spots we are in a small victorian semi so it seems a bit strange.

victor2

Thomas_Holding said:

victor2 said:

The Virgin "superhub" is particularly poor for WiFi range IME. I put mine into modem only mode and bought my own router, which covered all of my house, including previous dead spots. But as @Neil_Jones says, it depends on what is causing your dead spots. 
As he also says, your average teenager will bypass any technical obstacles you put in their way in no time. 

How did you do that?
I have no idea what is causing the dead spots we are in a small victorian semi so it seems a bit strange.

If you have a smartphone, you can get apps that show the strength of WiFi signals. That can help you identify weak spots. You can then try repositioning your hub as much as the wiring will allow and just rotating it to see what that does.
Then look at what obstacles are between the hub and dead spots, such as brick walls or other electrical devices.
I decided to try my own WiFi router - an Asus one a lot cheaper than the one you linked to - and bought it from Amazon, knowing I could return it if it didn't work out. It is easy to switch the VM hub into modem only, just search online. You then just plug the new router into it and off you go. There are other ways to extend the WiFi range, but that worked for me.

RumRat

Use the VM connect app to prove your dead spots, contact Virgin and request they supply some WiFi Pods to extend your WiFi....They may try to charge you, but, stick to your guns they have a WiFi guarantee.
WiFi Max WiFi Speed Guarantee | Virgin Media

victor2

RumRat said:

Use the VM connect app to prove your dead spots, contact Virgin and request they supply some WiFi Pods to extend your WiFi....They may try to charge you, but, stick to your guns they have a WiFi guarantee.
WiFi Max WiFi Speed Guarantee | Virgin Media

They do charge a monthly fee for that though, unless you're already on one of their top (ie. expensive) packages.

My new router gives a usable 5GHz signal over much of the house. I did also buy a good WiFi adapter for my PC with an external antenna and have gone from a ropey connection from the opposite corner of the house (and a floor up) to a strong 5GHz WiFi connection which frequently gives me 200Mbps, which is what I get at the hub on a cable.

I did change the router to deny a 2.4GHz connection to the PC as I use the same SSID for each frequency and the 2.4GHz signal is slightly stronger but nothing like as fast.