Networking help with BT BB

Sjdickso

Just after a bit of advice really about BT broad Band.

This is the situation.

I am going to help a mate setup BB and full wireless coverage in his new house.

Now i have done a site survey and locations of AP's etc, He has had cat 5e run in with phone lines in each roon back to a central location.

My only issue is i have had very little to do with BT BB and the home hub. I am hoping to get rid of that and put in a normal ADSL router & switch in and then install multiple APs around the house.

I presume that BT provide all setup / config details for the router or do i have to use the home hub?

Any info would be great. cheers..

alb9694

How many devices are you running off it?

the only reason I ask is you could get a belkin adsl router which has four rj45 ports on the back and run it like that. Then there'd be no need for a seperate switch.

There'll be no problem junking BT's home hub and fitting a new one, they'll give you the settings over the phone or should be easy to get on google.

Sjdickso

I was going to get a belkin or netgear router with 5 port switch like you say. I am hoping i can get full coverage with 4 ap's as well as the router. I was looking at installing the data over power sockets with wireless nodes but i have tested a couple and found them really flackey so going with standard AP's to extend the range.

I just wanted to know i could junk to the home hub and start a fresh.

Matt

How much are the access points Si, as I need to extend the range for my WLAN?

alb9694

If you get a decent enough wireless router (like one of the N-series or the new N1 nimo) you wont really need seperate access points as it should provide decent enough coverage all round even the largest of houses.

Sjdickso

I was looking at around £40ish for either netgear or linksys. This place is going to be really big and the walls are very very thick , even with a N-series using Multiple In, Multiple Out i think i will really struggle to get full coverage.

Just so you get the idea of size. It is going to be three levels with around 12 rooms and a small office just from the house but that is having cat5 run too it. I dont know the thickness of the walls but i know they are very thick, built with some odd stone.

But maybe with a N1 router i may get away with 3 APs?

Daz

Have you tried those homeplugs things si.....lan over AC power...

alb9694

Ah ok I see, not really the kind of house (2 bedroom like mine hehe) I was thinking of!

I would have all fixed devices wired wherever possible but yeah as you say access points will be needed for full coverage, or you could even use multiple wireless routers (as often the wireless access points can be just as expensive as the routers).

Ethernet over power can be a right pain and also hardly ever achieves the speed that it is rated at.

Sjdickso

Thanks for all your advice guys!

Daz, i have tried the lan over power and not had that much luck with them, plus he is having cat 5 run into each room, i dont know why he doesnt just have a long patch lead and have the laptops hard wired.

Unlike me i have one standard wireless router and get full coverge in my house and the back garden LOL!.

I have just double checked and like you say routers seem cheaper then AP's and have 4port switches so that may be a viable option.

cheers guys

cheers.. cheers..