Adding a second wireless router.

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My phone line comes into downstairs hall, then to a permanent cable from that socket to socket in upstairs room.
A short extension runs from here to the TalkTalk wireless router, with my main PC is connected by cable.
The wireless signal downstairs is not very good, as it goes through 3 walls.
I was thinking, of installing a second wireless router downstairs, at the first socket, to cover the ground floor area.
Would this be possible please? I reckon it is, although perhaps both would not work that well at the same time.
Alternatively, are there routers with a better range that could replace the existing? The D-link router in use was supplied by TalkTalk, so would a second router have to be supplied by them, or would any make work?
Advice would be much appreciated, thank you.
 
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Please google it.

You will get instructions to disable DHCP in one of them, having 2 routers can interfere with each other so it must be done right - you cannot just plug them in and expect them to work.
 
Before we get too far about using a second router, i think you need to be a bit clearer about where everything is connected, and using which cables..

- What cable do you use inside your house from the downstairs hall socket (if this is the socket that the phone line comes into from outside, it is most likely the master socket, and this is what i will call it from now on) to the socket in the upstairs room? Is it a CAT5/ethernet cable, or is it just a phone cable?
- Do you have DSL splitters in use in the downstairs hall and upstairs room?

Internal networking uses different cables to phones, so if you have a phone cable extension between the downstairs hall and the upstairs room you cannot simply plug in a second router downstairs (routers need an ethernet connection between them. CAT5 cable is the most common, but i will refer to it as "ethernet" from now, as i dont know which standard cable you are/would prefer to use).
Also, having the router so much further from the master socket could mean you are not getting the best Internet speed from your phone line.

The best set up would be to:
- Put the router you already have from your ISP downstairs by the master socket (this normally connects using phone cable from master socket to router, sometimes through a DSL splitter. sometimes the master socket has a seperate connection fro phone and Internet on it)
- Run an ethernet cable from the downstairs hall to the upstairs room
- Plug a second router in at the upstairs room at the other end of the ethernet cable, and then connect the PC in the upstairs room to the second router using the same ethernet cable you already use.
- Both routers should have wifi

This will give you a basic network, where you have the potential to add more PC's/smart devices via ethernet cable to the network either upstairs or downstairs, and also have wifi both upstairs and downstairs too.
(example, I have a router by the master socket, and then run the ethernet cable to a media center where i can plug my PS3, skybox and CCTV into a second router. In the future i will then run another cable from here to my study so i have a wired connection there too. This means I have as many devices connected via cable which is usually more stable than wifi, and leave the wifi for things which need to be able to move around - phones/tablets/laptops etc)

The next question would then be how you connect to wifi, would you want to connect to different wifi networks when you are upstairs or downstairs, or do you want it to look like the same wifi network, no matter where you are in the house?


I didn't see in your original post if you owned a second router, or if you were planning to buy another one?
If you are going to purchase one, you do not need to ask Talk Talk for one, or even purchase the same branded one either (D-Link?). Sometimes it is easier though to buy the same brand, as it means the set up menus are similar and easier to get things configured, instead of "re-learning" things because different manufacturers decided to use different ways to set things up.


Regardless of whether you buy a new router or use an existing one for the second router, you will need to perform a number of steps before you can use it to extend your wifi (best to follow mattylad's advice and google it). Those steps can include:
-disabling the second router from trying to connect to the Internet/put it into "bridge" mode (the first router by the master socket will connect to the internet, the second router just needs to connect to the first router to get the internet connection)
- disabling DHCP in one of the two routers (best to disable it in the extending one. this means only one router is allocating IP addresses to devices attached. otherwise you can get a clash and it will seem like you cannot get internet access)
- Set the SSID/Broadcast name for the wireless to the same on both routers (this allows the seamless connection to wifi between two routers/access points)
- Set the same wifi password/authentication method on both routers (same as above)
- Manually setting the IP address for the second router/making sure it is on the same subnet as the first router (less likely if the two routers are the same manufacturer).


Sorry if this post seems long and more work than you originally hoped!

Alternatively (as you did ask for alternatives!), another option is to connect an access point to the router you currently have upstairs that has a longer range.
I own the following access point, and used this in my parents house to extend the wifi signal over a greater distance to the ISP supplied router.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002YETVXC

only thing with something like this, is that it only takes one ethernet connection. so you cannot use something like this to connect up other devices via ethernet cable, and extend wifi at the same time.


Hope you find this useful!
 
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I gather from your posting you're not very familiar with networking - instead of trying to run ethernet cables, playing with network settings, DHCP etc, get one of these (or the UK equivalent): http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-RE200...=UTF8&qid=1425513479&sr=8-16&keywords=tp-link

Plug it in a wall outlet, follow the instruction in the manual, and you'll have your upstairs wireless network repeated downstairs in 5 minutes. It works quite well - I used a previous model of the same device at my parents house in Egypt, where every wall and floor is thick concreted and the signal repeated fine.

Riz
 
On the other hand DO NOT get one of those foul devices.

They may work for your network but you send out alp sorts of crap onto the mains that causes noise & interference to be heard by any other radio systems in the neighborhood.

If you can do it without one then it would be better.
 
On the other hand DO NOT get one of those foul devices.

They may work for your network but you send out alp sorts of crap onto the mains that causes noise & interference to be heard by any other radio systems in the neighborhood.

If you can do it without one then it would be better.

Any particular reason why you say that?.. any link to support?.. these adaptors just use the wall outlet to power themselves, all networking is on wifi - no different to connecting a power adaptor to run a iphone charger or similar. Do you understand how these work?
 
On the other hand DO NOT get one of those foul devices.

They may work for your network but you send out alp sorts of crap onto the mains that causes noise & interference to be heard by any other radio systems in the neighborhood.

If you can do it without one then it would be better.

Any particular reason why you say that?.. any link to support?.. these adaptors just use the wall outlet to power themselves, all networking is on wifi - no different to connecting a power adaptor to run a iphone charger or similar. Do you understand how these work?
He will not respond - Just another negative anchor - Britain is full of 'em.

-0-
 
On the other hand - yes I damn well will reply!
I have been away so not able to reply on the same day.

http://www.ban-plt.org.uk/what.php
http://www.ukqrm.org.uk/finding.php
http://wp.g7cnf.me.uk/petition-against-plt-plc-to-the-eu/

The above are just a few googled links, OFCOM are currently getting legislation changed so that end users that buy these things and cause widespread interference to our radio spectrum can be prosecuted.

The HF radio spectrum is full of crap in any built up area making it nigh on unusable because of things like PLT devices, Plasma TV's and Broadband.

If that device is ONLY a wifi device and does not use the mains for signalling at all then I am getting the wrong end of the stick - but pip is still an arse :)

WIFI is rubbish in comparison to a wired connection - put wires in.
 
On the other hand - yes I damn well will reply!
I have been away so not able to reply on the same day.

http://www.ban-plt.org.uk/what.php
http://www.ukqrm.org.uk/finding.php
http://wp.g7cnf.me.uk/petition-against-plt-plc-to-the-eu/

The above are just a few googled links, OFCOM are currently getting legislation changed so that end users that buy these things and cause widespread interference to our radio spectrum can be prosecuted.

The HF radio spectrum is full of crap in any built up area making it nigh on unusable because of things like PLT devices, Plasma TV's and Broadband.

If that device is ONLY a wifi device and does not use the mains for signalling at all then I am getting the wrong end of the stick - but pip is still an a**e :)

WIFI is rubbish in comparison to a wired connection - put wires in.


Since you took the time to reply, I'll revert: ,your concerns, whether they're valid or not, don't really apply to this adaptor as its not a powerline adaptor.

Running cables is not always an option as not everyone wants to spend time or money crawling through attic and eve spaces. Wifi throughput is getting better and better, with an AC router, I can have 2 separate videos being streamed over wifi to media players through a NAS connected to the main router - no problem. Any more than that, is probably a problem that most users would ever face. I'm sure HD and 4k video aficionados wouldn't mind paying the money or the above mentioned crawling through attics etc, for most home users, Wifi is perfectly fine.

I have used powerline adaptors to get internet in difficult to access places in the past and have never had a problem with interference. We're not HAM radio enthusiasts, don't really listen to radio, so, maybe we didn't notice the problem. But, even with powerline, the Wifi signal in the house didn't deteriorate, my cordless phones never had a problem, the baby monitor didn't stop working.
 
There have been cases where people have had issues using Powerline adaptors (not the ones specifically discussed here), especially in cases where the Ring circuit for the upstairs and downstairs are on different consumer units or even meters. Quick google searches will find discussions on that topic - it all comes down to the way a house is wired up, which is not in discussion here.

WiFi is definitely improving, however I am also a person who believes the more you can wire in, the better. WiFi can only cover so much before the speed and quality of the connection degrades (both number of devices and range can affect this).
WiFi is also still not up to the same speeds as a wired connection can provide, though that is mostly noticeable when there are a number of devices connected at the same time streaming.


Back to the specifics of this thread, the OP did state they have telephone extensions running through the house, so the suggestion of changing to ethernet cable is valid until they actually respond to state whether it is or not.
If not, I stand by the access point I provided in my post, over any Powerline adapters.
Not sure about the device from rizsher, though that is the essentially the same thing but in a "plug" style.
 
I have used powerline adaptors to get internet in difficult to access places in the past and have never had a problem with interference. We're not HAM radio enthusiasts, don't really listen to radio, so, maybe we didn't notice the problem. But, even with powerline, the Wifi signal in the house didn't deteriorate, my cordless phones never had a problem, the baby monitor didn't stop working.

The interference caused by these devices is nowhere near the typical 2.4GHz of the devices you describe.

Whether it affects you or not is immaterial, as the radiation is not confined to your property.
 
I have used powerline adaptors to get internet in difficult to access places in the past and have never had a problem with interference. We're not HAM radio enthusiasts, don't really listen to radio, so, maybe we didn't notice the problem. But, even with powerline, the Wifi signal in the house didn't deteriorate, my cordless phones never had a problem, the baby monitor didn't stop working.

The interference caused by these devices is nowhere near the typical 2.4GHz of the devices you describe.

Whether it affects you or not is immaterial, as the radiation is not confined to your property.

Most cordless telephones, and some baby monitors do actually operate at the 2.4 ghz frequency. Irrespective, I was simply stating my personal experience, and the fact that a majority of the population is not really into HAM radio, and most folks probably listen to the radio only in their cars, hopefully far away from the offending router which will have transmitter power measured in MILLIwatts.

Which brings me to your last point - most home routers struggle to reach the far reached of even a medium sized British home (the reason the OP asked the question in the first place) - SO, these causing havoc to the world outside of ones home is pretty far fetched. Not saying it doesn't happen... for instance in densely packed apartment buildings where there could be 15-20 routers in a fairly small square footage - but the OP asked specifically about a house, and I think we have probably all managed to confuse him/her further instead of helping.
 
hopefully far away from the offending router which will have transmitter power measured in MILLIwatts.

I'm sorry, where did you find the EIRP of a PLT device with an undefined 'antenna' consisting of the entire jumbled mess of power wiring attached to it?

We are not talking about regulated, engineered radiators, we are talking about the unregulated, illegal radiation of poorly thought out garbage. These devices are known to cause interference for hundreds of meters, and the more of them used, the greater the area they affect.
 
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