Double modems
 

I have just changed from BT to Talk talk because it was less than half of what I had been paying. It works alright and is slightly faster than previously. The changeover was seamless and I am still on my BT modem. That seems to work OK but my house has 2 foot granite walls inside it and the signal has trouble getting around. The modem is in the study and it can be picked up in the lounge but not the kitchen.
When the house was converted it was before wireless broadband or telephones so there are telephone points in every room. Can I plug the Talk Talk modem into another telephone point that would spread the signal around a bit more or would this blow the exchange?
I don't know whether BT will want their modem back so it may be a pointless question.

You can only have one ADSL modem attached to the phone line.

You might need to consider one of the following:

1. Moving the router to a better location in the house.
2. Wifi network extender.
3. Powerline network to an additional wifi router.

I thought that your first line would be right. How about No3? How does that work and what with?

Probably preaching to the converted, but for those who haven't yet considered the powerline adapter solution to certain networking problems, as proposed above by MacBoero and Shiny side down, they really are tops. Work straight out of the box, though a bit fiddly (in our case anyway) if you want to add password security. While of course not for you if you take the lappy out into the garden to check emails, they're a gem if you can work with a trailing cat 5 cable plugged into one.

Just a thought.

And do not comply with the EU EMC regulations, there is a good deal of effort being put in to have them banned.

BT and powerline adapters.
 

I realise that GG has been entirely consistent on here about dislike of powerline adapters. However, lots of big Co.s out there are not listenning. BT are, apparently, cheerfully installing them for users of BT TV, and if you take the Sport option, you even get them free with a free Engineer's visit to install them. If it is radio hams versus BT, I wounder who will win, and when?

Ofcom have acknowledged they do not comply but refuses to enforce the legislation, so it's the RSGB against Ofcom. The last I heard was that the RSGB has asked for a judicial review of the decision.

If you're doing trailing CAT5 cables, then why not do the right thing in the first place and install CAT5 throughout.

Power cables were never meant to transmit data. Performance and reliability will always be better on CAT or Fibre.

Powerline adapters are nothing but a cheap gimmick to keep the lazy happy ! :cool:

Powerline adapters are great for people like me who live in rented accommodation. Why in the heck would I go to the expense of installing Cat-5 throughout someone else's house?

For Fareastdriver, in option 3 I was suggesting that you use a pair of powerline adapters to connect the BT and Talk Talk routers together. One of which would be connected to ADSL, the other configured to act as a Wifi-Ethernet bridge. It's not as elegant as a wifi extender, as you end up with two wifi networks, and in some situations might have to be careful to remember to switch from one to the other. But cost wise might be cheaper than getting a wifi extender. It also presupposes that one of the routers you have, can be configured to act as a bridge.

Cost wise the first option would be the cheapest if you can find a better location.

Fareastdriver.

Can't say for certain, but you MIGHT be able to use one of the modem/routers as a wireless repeater/extender. I've done that in the past with a USRobotics wireless router (with a Belkin ADSL2 wireless router being the one connected to the phone line and interweb), there should normally be some sort of an option in the router configuration pages to allow you to "bridge" the two.

I could look for you if you want, just post the makes/models and I'll see what I can come up with.

Or a realistc solution shoulds fixed cabling not be an option.

Powerline adapters come in various flavours. One option is to buy use a pair where one of the devices itself broadcasts a wireless signal wherever it is plugged in to the mains.

Even building a WiFi network using nodes in repeater mode is a better option than powerlines.

But each to their own I guess.

I use powerlines to get the signal to the uper floor, then a wireless access point plugged into that to enable wifi on that floor.

I got a netgear wireless router to extend wireless coverage. Using it in bridge mode not as a repeater. Works a treat.

I've had good results with using a redundant wireless modem/router as a WAP. I've actually placed it quite some distance from the primary router/modem using cat 5 cable to get the 'WAP' in the best location for devices which will work with it.

I'm also a radio ham, so the introduction of any devices which radiate even more crud into the spectrum is resisted with considerable vigour. There are already far too many such 'appliances' and gadgets which do significant damage to the receiving side of the hobby.

I commend you to have a look at one of these:


One end plugs into your existing router, one end into the adapter, over your electrical cabling and then out via a Wireless connection, i.e. WLAN extension.

Et viola.

WDTBD