How to configure my new fibre please?

[dwigg]

Hi,

My first post here as I want to get IDNET fibre, but I dont know where to put all the bits in my house.

My phone master socket comes into my living room, and I have an extension socket in my study.
My PC is in my study and is ethernet wired to the modem (7800N) which plugs into the wall extension socket.
My Sky box is in the living room and is ethernet wired to an old router (7402) I had knocking about. This old router connects wirelessly to my 7800N in the study.

That's what I have today, it's pretty simple, although using WDS to connect the two units, my wifi is not encrypted.

When I get fibre I will have the new BT modem connected to the master socket in the living room.
I then need to link my sky box to that, and set up wifi to a unit in my study, to plug my PC ethernet cable into.

I'd like this wifi to use encryption if possible.

Seems like a simple ask, but I don't know what stuff to buy or what bit goes where.

Sorry for being a noob at this, but can anyone help please?

Thank you.

[psp83]

Have you ordered FTTC yet? if not, you can request that BT extend your master socket into your study, this way you can have the BTo modem connected to the master socket, then connect the modem to the EWAN port on the 7800N.

All other wireless setup stay the same then.

Or you can run an ethernet cable to your 7800N or use home plugs to connect your sky to the 7800N.

If FTTC has been ordered already and no extension has been requested, I would move the 7800N into the living room, connect the BTo modem to the EWAN port, connection sky to the 7800N.

Then run an ethernet cable to your study or use home plugs. either way you can connect this to another switch in your study if you need more ethernet connections.

Using ethernet is the most secure way if you want to lock down your network.

[dwigg]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I've seen some extension work done when the BT engineer comes. Let's just say that it is hardly 'transparent'!
Certainly wouldn't look good against my wooden skirtings.

I also have a smartphone which connects wirelessly, so I need some form of secure wifi around the house.
So let me think about what you're saying:

Master socket in living room connected to BT modem, connected to 7800N.
Sky will then plug into 7800N as well, so that's good.
Would this keep my IPv6?

If I can then do secure WiFi to my study, I could buy a new wifi router/switch which supports encryption to plug my PC into.

It's a pity the 7800N wifi isn't very powerful - hardly covers half of what my old 7402 does.

[Steve]

    I too have a 7800N, I connect my Sky box via a Buffalo WLI-TX4-AG300N Nfiniti Dual-Band Wireless-N Ethernet Bridge (300Mbps) this has 3 ports so does the TV/ DVD and PS3 as well if required. The WiFi is encrypted WPA2 I believe and throughput is very good. 

My FTTC modem sits in a cupboard under the stairs with the router and the rest of the LAN is provided by home plugs, plus a bridged elderly AEBS to Time Capsule.(Apple's extend a wifi option - encrypted 5Ghz 300mbps)

The BT data extension which can be supplied with FTTC sounds a sensible option although I agree like you I'd no wish for a cable to be trailed around doors and skirting boards.

[Simon]

That's all I can help with, I'm afraid.   

[dwigg]

Hi Steve, thanks for the welcome!
(and also Simon, don't worry about not being able to help!)

The missus has ruled out visible cabling, so I have to get a wifi solution.

So using your kit, in my living room I'd have:
Master socket connected to BT modem connected to Buffalo (Would that accept a connection from the BT modem?), and I'd plug my Sky into the Buffalo.

Then in my study I'd have wireless 7800N connected to PC via ethernet and conected to Buffalo using wifi.

Do you know if there are compatibilty problems between different makes of router, eg for successful WPA2?

Instead of the Buffalo I had seen a TP-Link TL-WA901ND Wireless N Access Point, but I don't know if they are any good, or would do what's needed.
I had envisioned putting the 7800N in the living room, connected to the BT modem, but then I'd be stuck with the 7800N's poor wifi range.

Wish this networking stuff was easy !!

[Steve]

Sorry the BT FTTC modem is connected to the ewan port of 7800N , the Buffalo WiFi ethernet bridge is in another room so performs a similar function to your 7402 but it doesn't use WDS and is WPA2 encrypted. I don't find the 7800N Wifi range that bad, I have fiddled with the aerials using a "sniffer' program to get the strongest signal.

[dwigg]

Hi,

So if you don't use WDS (and I have heard that WDS isn't actually all that great, technically speaking), how do you configure the two to talk together?

I mean, I know you use the home-plugs, but what is the alternative to WDS, as in the end both items need to communicate on one network.

Sorry my vocabulary doesn't even extend to using the correct terms - I hope you still understand!

[psp83]

Hi Steve, thanks for the welcome!
(and also Simon, don't worry about not being able to help!)

The missus has ruled out visible cabling, so I have to get a wifi solution.

So using your kit, in my living room I'd have:
Master socket connected to BT modem connected to Buffalo (Would that accept a connection from the BT modem?), and I'd plug my Sky into the Buffalo.

Then in my study I'd have wireless 7800N connected to PC via ethernet and conected to Buffalo using wifi.

Do you know if there are compatibilty problems between different makes of router, eg for successful WPA2?

Instead of the Buffalo I had seen a TP-Link TL-WA901ND Wireless N Access Point, but I don't know if they are any good, or would do what's needed.
I had envisioned putting the 7800N in the living room, connected to the BT modem, but then I'd be stuck with the 7800N's poor wifi range.

Wish this networking stuff was easy !!

I would do this :-

Living room : Master Socket -> BTo Modem -> 7800N

Then connect Sky etc to the 7800N.

Study : Wireless Bridge <- Computer etc

---------

My personal setup is the following :

Downstairs hall : Master socket -> BTo Modem -> 7800N

Ethernet cables in the wall to bedrooms & other rooms, these cables are connected to ethernet wall plates.

Office has a switch with all the ethernet stuff connected to it.

[EDIT] I've also got a netgear wireless router connected to my switch in the office, this is connected via ethernet though as I don't like WDS.

7800N wireless covers most of the house and garden as well.

[dwigg]

Many thanks psp83,

Clearly written for a novice like myself - most appreciated.

When you say "study 'wireless bridge' ", do you have any recommendations?

I feel I'm getting somewhere!!

[pctech]

If you'd like a cheaper option than the Buffalo and only have a PC connected you could try an Edimax range extender, such as the Edimax EW-7416APnV2 (I have the 150 Mbps version which connects to a Netgear DGND3300 terminating my ADSL using WPA2 encryption)

These have a station infrastructure mode which means they communicate with the router and are transparent to the devices connected to the ethernet ports and any devices scanning for a wireless access point so operate as a wired switch would do.

I have an Xbox 360 and Freesat box connected to this.

Only snag with these is that if you have to reboot the router for any reason you have to reboot the Edimax device (remove the power plug from the back and plug it back in) to get it to re-establish.

[Ray]

 

[dwigg]

Hi PCTech,

I looked at that Edimax, but when I said I have a PC in my study, I actually have two, so I don't think that unit would be enough.
Maybe I'll take a look at their routers - thanks for the tip!

The station infrastructure mode you mentioned, is that specific to Edimax? I've not come across that term before?

[pctech]

Think thats just what they call it, you need a device that can act as an Access Point Client.

They also sell what they call media converters which do the same job for about twice the price, don't be fooled into buying them as you don't need to.

If there's a device you have your eye on post the make and model and I will happily look into it for you, I'm working odd hours at the moment so apologies in advance if my response is delayed.

I've stuck s notify option on this thread so I'll get a mail if there are any replies.

[dwigg]

OK, an update.

I was trying to decide which wireless bridge to use in my study when the wifi on my 7800N packed up on me.
This is the second time it's happened and it was replaced the first time, so I stuck the latest firmware on, restarted etc but nothing.
Contacted Billion and sent a syslog, and they have now asked for the unit back.

This is all well and good, but I have BTo coming on Thursday to install my fibre. Perfect timing.

Anyway, knowing I'm going to need a backup router for the next time the 7800N packs up, I've just ordered an Asus RT-N66U with first class delivery.

Hopefully it will be here by Thu or I'm stuffed.

At least I can use this as a wireless bridge if I need to as well - an expensive one, so I might make the Asus my new router and the replaced 7800N my wireless bridge.

I'll let you know how things turn out!

[pctech]

I bought a billion 7800 which I returned as to be honest I thought it was cr*p.

I've stuck with Netgear since but I'm thinking of splitting modem and router duties and getting a Draytek modem and Cisco Linksys E4200 router.

[dwigg]

Another update:

My Asus RT-N66U router arrived just in time for BTo.
Everything was installed by the engineer, I hooked it up to the Asus, and wifi is better than ever before.

I have stronger coverage, 5Ghz and a screaming 80Mbps download connection which is giving me 75Mbps download speeds.

Trouble is, I still haven't been able to connect my study PC up to the Asus in the living room.
I've trailed a cat5e cable across the house but the wife's patience are wearing thin :-)

I can't get the 7800N to operate as a wireless bridge to the Asus, so I bought a TPLink wifi card to install in the PC but the PC wouldn't even see it.
The TPLink has gone back to Amazon and I'm waiting for a replacement.

Things really shouldn't be this difficult.
Oh well, let's see if I can get the next wifi card to work.

[Steve]

There 's always 'homeplug' mains ethernet adaptors if WiFi proves impossible.

[dwigg]

Amazon's usual excellent service had a replacement TPLink WDN4800 drop through my letterbox this morning.

Dropped it into my spare PCIe slot and bingo - it was recognised this time.

Little bit of fiddling and I'm connecting to my Asus two rooms and two walls away, over 5Ghz, at a trong signal level.

To be fair, I replaced the three little 2db antenna's with 5db cabled antennas so they are not shielded behind my PC tower but are sat on top of it, and now the signal is exactly what I need.

I guess this means I've solved my fibre instal problems and now have better wifi than before.

Very impressed with the Asus router though, puts the Billion to shame in both functionality and performance.

Thanks to all who have helped with suggestions and ideas, most appreciated!!

[dwigg]

A few months on and an update on how things have been going.

The Asus RT-N66U router is going great - my speeds are fast, stable and so is my uptime.
The second TP-Link PC card wifi adapter also gave up a few days after installing it, so that also went back to Amazon.
I had a small netgear wifi adapter knocking around, so I plugged my desktop PC into that, and it worked really well.
My laptop which has built in wifi was a bit temperamental - the wifi would drop probably once or twice a week, but it was always during the mst inconvenient moment, like when I'm IM'ing someone at work.

So I replaced the Netgear single ethernet wifi adapter with a Netgear WNCE4004, and I have both my laptop and desktop PC's plugged into that.
This has been running flawlessly now for about 2 months - I am very happy with it.
Basically I've ended up with the setup described by psp83 way back in August, just using the Asus router instead of the Billion.

Once again, thanks for the advice you all gave, really appreciated!!

[Steve]

That router does seem to do the job, I think Bill uses the same.