Superhub : [LONG STORY] Speed Freak, what's my best option?

[Jennings]

Long story short, I need a way to extend my signal strength without losing speed, but if you like a good read then:

A lot of people on Virgin may relate to this:
(EDIT: I do often feel Virgin really cap my internet at peak times )

I am currently on the Virgin 152MB package which is scheduled to be upgraded next year (even though I know it's available now in my area because new customers are receiving it in my area) with the SuperHub 2AC.

The only problem is that my hub is located at the complete opposite side of the house to my computer, which is the main use of the internet.

So, of course I generally get very poor signal with my ASUS USB-AC56 Wireless Adapter. Not exactly really bad but definitely to the point where it will affect my speed.
Very bad diagram of the situation I'm in:


On Speedtests however it really depends on the day, I can get either 20MB download on one day (especially peak times because of high utilisation in my area which hasn't been fixed for over a year!) and 100MB+ on another day.

I just experience a lot of dropouts mainly even though my signal is -58 dbm, I just want some advice on what to use to get reliable connection at long distance (20M+).
I have tried a lot of things such as:
Powerline Adapters - Good for reliability but certainly not if you want the best speed possible out of your router.
EDIT: Possibly the TP-LINK AV1200 could be my solution? £50 on Black Friday certainly isn't bad either

Is it worth buying a new router which matches my Asus 802.11AC adapter to increase my speed and reliability?

The wireless adapter on Windows 10 will just sometimes disconnect randomly and Windows will automatically have to reinstall its drivers for some reason, also my speed has gone from 520MBit/s connection on the ASUS software to 310MBit/s for some reason which I can not explain why.

So, a little bit long winded and I could've easily rephrased it all to one paragraph but I wanted you to understand the full story

What is my best option?

Speedtest as of now (Computer using AC adapter, Roughly 20M from Superhub):

Upload is poor for some reason? Usually 12MB.

Speedtest on my iPhone today as well (directly next to the hub):


There is double speed on my phone compared to my PC yet my PC has the better wireless adapter, must be because of the range.

[trikz]

I'm in a similar situation as my superhub is on the other side of my house to my main PC.

I solved this by first putting the superhub in modem mode (which anyone should do anyway) and running an ethernet cable through my loft and bringing it down in to my bedroom to my router which then connects to my PC and other devices like Xbox One and PS4 which I feel require a direct ethernet connection for low latency.

Powerline adapters are a waste of time if really you want to get the most out of your connection.

Your diagram is not that clear, but if you're on the top floor and you have a loft above you, my solution is a possibility for you...

Also... If you're experiencing high utilisation you should be contacting Virgin to get discounted service until it's fixed.

[vm_tech]

Do you have a loft? Ethernet cable up from the modem Into loft space, then drop it down into required bedroom. Problem solved

[qasdfdsaq]

I just want some advice on what to use to get reliable connection at long distance (20M+).

Wired Ethernet.

Pretty much the same answer for any connection at any distance.

[Jennings]

Originally Posted by trikz

I'm in a similar situation as my superhub is on the other side of my house to my main PC.

I solved this by first putting the superhub in modem mode (which anyone should do anyway) and running an ethernet cable through my loft and bringing it down in to my bedroom to my router which then connects to my PC and other devices like Xbox One and PS4 which I feel require a direct ethernet connection for low latency.

Powerline adapters are a waste of time if really you want to get the most out of your connection.

Your diagram is not that clear, but if you're on the top floor and you have a loft above you, my solution is a possibility for you...

Also... If you're experiencing high utilisation you should be contacting Virgin to get discounted service until it's fixed.

I don't have a loft in the house, or at least it hasn't been converted and there would be no way to have the ethernet cable running into the bedroom without it being seen since it's on the landing.

The red cable on the diagram shows what it would be like for me to use an ethernet cable with there being no other way.
The blue cable on the diagram just tries to give an accurate distance on the WiFi and how far away the internet is really.

I can't put the router in modem mode since that only activates one ethernet port when I would need 2, one for the computer and one for the TiVo box so I can't have that.

I do get £15 a month off my Virgin bill which I guess is good but the fact it's not been fixed in over a year isn't.

I also have seen TP-LINK AV1200 Powerline adapters that run at gigabit speeds which could possibly be my only solution unless I have a long ethernet running all the way downstairs looking untidy, they've got some good reviews.

---------- Post added at 17:15 ---------- Previous post was at 17:14 ----------

Originally Posted by vm_tech

Do you have a loft? Ethernet cable up from the modem Into loft space, then drop it down into required bedroom. Problem solved

I don't have a loft, or at least the only type of loft I have is just a small amount of space which wouldn't really work because the loft is on the upstairs landing.

---------- Post added at 17:16 ---------- Previous post was at 17:15 ----------

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Wired Ethernet.

Pretty much the same answer for any connection at any distance.

Yeah I guess that is the best option for me but the only way I can use wired connection is if I have a really long ethernet running all the way upstairs with it being easily visible

[Matth]

Might be worth trying a wifi repeater in between - not sure if you can get them in AC standard yet - ah, you can.

Of course, a repeater halves the maximum throughput, but if it can get AC specification through, then there should still be plenty!

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Wired Ethernet.

Pretty much the same answer for any connection at any distance.

Should be marked as best answer!

[Kushan]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Wired Ethernet.

Pretty much the same answer for any connection at any distance.

[pedant]How about 2 offices a couple of miles apart? [/pedant]

Originally Posted by trikz

Powerline adapters are a waste of time if really you want to get the most out of your connection.

This is not strictly true. The simplest option is to use Ethernet point to point, but that isn't always a viable option. The next simplest option is to try powerline adapters. They have their own caveats, much like wireless, but with a big big difference: They're not as affected by local wireless congestion.

Now in all likelihood, OP's issue is with Virgin and even ethernet isn't going to help in the evenings if the Virgin network is congested. However, given he's going quite a distance over wifi, there's a good chance his neighbours are interfering, which means he may well see drastically reduced speeds than what he would get if he was wired - even with congestion at the Virgin end.

Powerline adapters are a reasonable choice. Get a decent set and while you won't get AC-style speeds at the PC end, you'll at least get somewhat consistent speeds during the evening. They're worth a try, I'd recommend buying a decent set off somewhere like Amazon, trying them out and if they don't work well enough, just return them. If they do work well, then they should happily continue working well.

The next "simplest" thing to do is a half-way approach, use powerlines to have a wireless router somewhere closer to the PC, even if it's not in the same room as the PC.

Again though, qas is absolutely right - the best solution is pure ethernet, if that's possible then get that done.

[jb66]

Originally Posted by Kushan

[pedant]How about 2 offices a couple of miles apart? [/pedant]



This is not strictly true. The simplest option is to use Ethernet point to point, but that isn't always a viable option. The next simplest option is to try powerline adapters. They have their own caveats, much like wireless, but with a big big difference: They're not as affected by local wireless congestion.

Now in all likelihood, OP's issue is with Virgin and even ethernet isn't going to help in the evenings if the Virgin network is congested. However, given he's going quite a distance over wifi, there's a good chance his neighbours are interfering, which means he may well see drastically reduced speeds than what he would get if he was wired - even with congestion at the Virgin end.

Powerline adapters are a reasonable choice. Get a decent set and while you won't get AC-style speeds at the PC end, you'll at least get somewhat consistent speeds during the evening. They're worth a try, I'd recommend buying a decent set off somewhere like Amazon, trying them out and if they don't work well enough, just return them. If they do work well, then they should happily continue working well.

The next "simplest" thing to do is a half-way approach, use powerlines to have a wireless router somewhere closer to the PC, even if it's not in the same room as the PC.

Again though, qas is absolutely right - the best solution is pure ethernet, if that's possible then get that done.

Ive never seen over 100Meg real speed with powerlines

[Kushan]

Originally Posted by jb66

Ive never seen over 100Meg real speed with powerlines

True enough, like I said it really depends on a lot of factors.

[desi112]

I can relate to this as my super hub is also on the opposite side of my house as others have said a hard wired ethernet option is the best but sometimes is not possible!

I'm currently using the ZyXEL PLA5405 1200 Mbps which give me around 170Mbps in real terms so far so good for my 100mb Virgin broadband connection!

The only thing I do not like about PowerLine adaptors is...it feels a bit strange running your entire network from 1 Lan Port on your router...Perhaps? I guess the port will not get congested as it can handle up to 1Gb but still...all those empty ports.....

[Kushan]

Originally Posted by desi112

The only thing I do not like about PowerLine adaptors is...it feels a bit strange running your entire network from 1 Lan Port on your router...Perhaps? I guess the port will not get congested as it can handle up to 1Gb but still...all those empty ports.....

There's nothing stopping you from using additional ports of your router. If you have a separate router, you can just put your hub into modem mode, plug the modem mode port into the powerline, then the other powerline into the WAN port of your router. From the router, use as many ports as you want.

Your network will only be as slow as the slowest link between two devices, so if those two devices are going through your router, the powerline doesn't even come into it.

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by Jennings

Yeah I guess that is the best option for me but the only way I can use wired connection is if I have a really long ethernet running all the way upstairs with it being easily visible

So it'll cost a couple quid extra. And still no other options that cost five times more will even come close.

---------- Post added at 19:14 ---------- Previous post was at 19:13 ----------

Originally Posted by Kushan

[pedant]How about 2 offices a couple of miles apart? [/pedant]

Same answer whether you're talking 2 miles or 2000 miles.

[Kushan]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

So it'll cost a couple quid extra. And still no other options that cost five times more will even come close.

---------- Post added at 19:14 ---------- Previous post was at 19:13 ----------



Same answer whether you're talking 2 miles or 2000 miles.

What ethernet cable runs for 2000 miles?

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by Kushan

What ethernet cable runs for 2000 miles?

Have you not heard of fibre Ethernet?