Replacing main vodafone router and Setting up a second router as an access point

[richard_moore]

Hello guys

I had enough issues with Vodafon's router, which is not providing me wifi signal upstairs and outside of my house.

So i decided to get new routers, meaning i would like to replace the main one, and also to add a second one (why not a third one) to get better wifi signal all over the house.

I need help regarding this, as i don't know what routers are better, as i am using 2.4ghz also 5ghz for my wifi outdoor cameras, i don't want to spend a lot, so if cheaper ones available, i will be interested.

Also i will need to know the correct settings and the correct way to do them, one time for easy setup.

I've seen a lot of routers online with good specs that comes with 8pin ports all over. So the one that i need as the (main router) needs to have 4pin port and lets say 2-4 lan ports (8 pin ports), as what i understood the 4pin ports are ADSL, DSL or ADSL2 port. Can anyone clarify this?

Meaning i will get one of this routers with 4pin port as main, can i get the second router, the one with 8 pin port?

I don't know why, but the routers with 8pin ports are cheaper then the other ones.

Please let me know what's the suggestions and recommendations.

Curently i am with Vodafone on SuperFiber 2 and i have the following routers available:

Vodafone Smart Hub THG3000

Vodafone HHG2500

BT Smart Hub 6 - Type A

What routers i found:

1. TP-Link AC1200 (4 pin port for internet as main router)  £60

2. TP-Link AC1750 (8 pin port mainly used as access point)  £56

3. TP-Link AC2100 (4 pin port for internet as main router)  £85

Any better then this one for same price or less? And which combination to choose:

Nr 1 as main + BT or Vodafone as access point

Nr 2 as main + Nr 1 or BT or Vodafone as access point

Nr 3 as main + Nr 2 or  Nr 1 or BT or Vodafone as access point

Nr 2 as main + BT or Vodafone as access point

BT or Vodafone as main + any of them 1, 2 or 3 as access point?

What's the best combination?

Best Regards

[Jayach]

Firstly you need to get your terminology right. Routers come in two types, those with adsl/vdsl modems built in and those without. Strictly those with modems should be called Combos or or DSL routers, but very few people ever do.

Those with modems will have an RJ11 port(6 pins) for the DSL cable and RJ45's(8pins) for the LAN.

Those without a modem will have RJ45's for the WAN(Wide area network i.e. the internet) and LAN's(Local area network)

Personally I find the WiFi on the THG3000 good enough for my requirements, although there are many on here who don't.

I don't mean to sound condescending but getting the terminology right will help in getting answers.

Hope someone can give you some good suggestions to improve your network.

[richard_moore]

Correct and thank you for the experience with Vodafone's router.

While to keep this in mind, you want to say that i can leave vodafone as main, and add aditional TP-link one?

I understand what you mean, i am not into changing Main router aswell if i don't need to, i am just asking if that make sense to replace it with any of them TP-link ones, as my point of this post is to get a better Wifi coverage all arround the house adding 1 or 2 additional routers as access point.

With provided router from vodafone i don't which makes me getting a good connection just close to the router.

Any tip to choose between AC1750 and AC2100 as for the combination with VF or BT router as the main?

[Jayach]

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@richard_moore wrote:

Any tip to choose between AC1750 and AC2100 as for the combination with VF or BT router as the main?

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You wouldn't be a able to use the BT as the main as it wouldn't work on a Vodafone line.

The AC1759 and AC2100 are combined wifi speeds offered by the routers, not their designation.

They are the Archer A7 and Archer VR600 V3 respectively if I understand you correctly.

Assuming the AC1750 is this device https://www.amazon.co.uk/Archer-A7-Wireless-Combined-Supports/dp/B00416PTDW/ then I think it would work well as an AP on the Vodafone router.

However the https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Archer-VR2100-Advanced-mu-mimo/dp/B06XW26XZ3 could replace your THG3000 and might be powerful enough to cover the whole house. (You would need to get your username and password from Vodafone if you go this route)

I can't actually recommend any of your choices as I haven't personally tried them so I've no idea how well they actually perform

[gipjon]

don't know why you don't just use the vox3000 as the main router and run a LAN cable to somewhere else in the house and plug one of the routers you already have into the LAN cable and then set up the second router as a pickup point so then you will have 2x 2g and 2x 5g wifi 

follow the link for the setting 

https://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Other-broadband-queries/Setting-up-a-second-vodafone-router-as-an-ac...

[Jayach]

You could try what @gipjon suggests as you already have the routers.

@richard_moore wrote:

Curently i am with Vodafone on SuperFiber 2 and i have the following routers available:

Vodafone Smart Hub THG3000

Vodafone HHG2500

BT Smart Hub 6 - Type A

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I would put the HHG2500 in the bin, connect a cable from a LAN port on the THG3000 to a LAN port on the BT Smart Hub. Turn off DHCP on the BT and see what happens. It may be necessary to set the BT base address so it doesn't clash with the Vodafone.

[richard_moore]

Thank you, i will try that now.

I will also need your help with detailed steps of how to adjust the settings in the routers, as i don't wanna mess anything. 

I have attached one picture with my house, IPS socket and Router location, also coloured circles with current wifi signal strengh arround the house on ground floor.

Would you tell me aswell what's the best location to have the router?

Mine is curently sitting on a 30cm tall cabinet exactly as showed in the picture.

Also if i will need to move it further, what's the RJ11 cable lengh to be used in order to not loose performance and quality of internet? Can a longer cable be used, as an RJ11 high speed, twisted one?

In the attached picture:

Green:  Half to full wifi signal

Yellow:  Half to full wifi signal (but sometimes take more time to load)

Red:  Half to 1 line or no signal on wifi (Sometimes half signal, but cant load anything)

Picture:

THG3000 Wifi Signal Strengh 

[gipjon]

put the second router as near as possible to where you have no or little wifi 

you can get ethernet/lan cable in any length 

10 meter about £3 off ebay 

20 meter about £8

50 meter about £11 

[richard_moore]

Great to hear this. I will try to do Vodafone as main + BT as access point and see how that works.

I have the option to test both AC1750 and AC2100 as will receive them today (i can return them, if all will work good with Vodafeon+BT).

Does the LAN cable needs to be CAT5e, CAT6, CAT7 ? High Speed, Quality?

Also for the RG11 cable, if i will want to move the router, can a longer cable like 10-15m one High Speed will be good? As my current one is a cheap flat 2m cable

[gipjon]

or plan b just buy a wifi extender from Argos or curry amazon etc, for about £20  

Alan cable speed is 

Cat 5	100 Mbps	100 MHz
Cat 5e	1,000 Mbps	100 MHz
Cat 6	1,000 Mbps	250 MHz
Cat 6a	10,000 Mbps	500 MHz
Cat 7	10,000 Mbps	600 MHz
Cat 7a	10,000 Mbps	1,000 MHz