Can I use my old Sky router as a booster?

[Way2Go]

Title says it all really.

I have a 30MB Virgin superhub upstairs in the office but I'd like to boost the wifi signal downstairs to more than a 25% signal <> 2 bars so I can take the laptop out on the patio and stream movies/BBC iPlayer etc, etc to my shiny new wifi equipped Sony BDP-S570B 3D Blu-ray Player.

Is there any way I can utilise my old Sky router to boost the signal (situated somewhere convenient) or would I be better off getting a wifi booster?

If the latter is the best way to boost the signal, is there a model you could recommend?

Many thanks for your time ;)

W2G

[craigj2k12]

the sky router could act as an access point, but only provide access for one device, you could get yourself some homeplugs?

[_wtf_]

+1 on the homeplugs.

[Way2Go]

Thanks - I'll check them out but don't they have to be on the same circuit to work? If you run another circuit to an extension for instance, would it still work?

[_wtf_]

How many electrictiy circuits have you got in your house? Most people have one, but ...

[craigj2k12]

as long as they have an electrical supply it doesnt matter, its like phone networks, you can still ring someone on o2 if you are on orange

[ZrByte]

as long as they have an electrical supply it doesnt matter, its like phone networks, you can still ring someone on o2 if you are on orange

Not always. For example in my parents house we get excelent throughput on the same floor but they wont even communicate if they are placed on different floors. Same thing in a house share my friend lives in yet in my house i get good throughput throughout the house.

[Way2Go]

How many electrictiy circuits have you got in your house? Most people have one, but ...

I have a standard ring main like everyone else but someone told me that the Homeplug ideal wouldn't work on a spur out to an extension . . . . . I'm not that electrical savvy so had to take his work for it.

However, I've ordered a set of Homeplugs from Amazon and will experiment when they arrive. I've also found a couple of articles on the net which discuss reusing an old router so may have a play with that too.

Thanks very much for the feedback chaps. Much appreciated.

W2G

[craigj2k12]

Not always. For example in my parents house we get excelent throughput on the same floor but they wont even communicate if they are placed on different floors. Same thing in a house share my friend lives in yet in my house i get good throughput throughout the house.

thats nothing to do with power supplies, they dont use the power lines to communicate, you must have cheap ones with crap range

[ZrByte]

thats nothing to do with power supplies, they dont use the power lines to communicate, you must have cheap ones with crap range

Do they communicate with telepathy then? last time I checked they use the power cabling in the house in the same way as a normal ethernet adapter uses CAT5. The method of cabling the house uses can have a massive impact.
And FYI I have tried it with the following. An old pair of solwise 85mb, Ebuyers own 85mb and BT supplied 200mb AV models. I have also tried at a considerably further distance in my own house with only the expected drop in throughput rather than loss of signal.
Swing and a miss craig.

[craigj2k12]

Do they communicate with telepathy then? last time I checked they use the power cabling in the house in the same way as a normal ethernet adapter uses CAT5. The method of cabling the house uses can have a massive impact.
And FYI I have tried it with the following. An old pair of solwise 85mb, Ebuyers own 85mb and BT supplied 200mb AV models. I have also tried at a considerably further distance in my own house with only the expected drop in throughput rather than loss of signal.
Swing and a miss craig.

whoops sorry the powerline ones do, I had a different type about 6 months ago which didnt communicate using the electrics, but using a different wavelength

[ZrByte]

whoops sorry the powerline ones do, I had a different type about 6 months ago which didnt communicate using the electrics, but using a different wavelength

Interesting, do you have a link? They might solve the problem Im having at my parents.

[Graham M]

whoops sorry the powerline ones do, I had a different type about 6 months ago which didnt communicate using the electrics, but using a different wavelength


All powerline equipment operates by sending high frequency signals way above the frequency at which electricity is delivered, most houses will have 1 ring main per floor, some more, some less, but iirc a ring main isn't meant to server more than 100m square.

Depending on the quality of the wiring a powerline signal may or may not survive the transition to another ring main, I guess this also depends on the equipment in between, I have heard of the signals passing from 1 house into another.

[craigj2k12]

All powerline equipment operates by sending high frequency signals way above the frequency at which electricity is delivered, most houses will have 1 ring main per floor, some more, some less, but iirc a ring main isn't meant to server more than 100m square.

Depending on the quality of the wiring a powerline signal may or may not survive the transition to another ring main, I guess this also depends on the equipment in between, I have heard of the signals passing from 1 house into another.

the ones I had could pass from one house to another, these are the type that dont use power lines, not entirely sure how the communicated though, ill try and find a link

[ccarmock]

As far as I know powerline devices will work acros multiple ring mains or between spurs etc in a house provided they are on the same phase. Unless the house is very large it will be a single phase supply. The signal stops at the electricty meter. So if you have a single meter they should work across multiple circuits fed from that meter.

[Way2Go]

As far as I know powerline devices will work acros multiple ring mains or between spurs etc in a house provided they are on the same phase. Unless the house is very large it will be a single phase supply. The signal stops at the electricty meter. So if you have a single meter they should work across multiple circuits fed from that meter.

Many thanks for that - excited now that it's gonna work out :-)