Virgin Broadband Please Help

[graemewh]

We have a normal VIrgin media box downstairs in the back room the rest of the house has sky, we have the router etc next to the virgin box, however I have a new laptop and use it upstairs and the connection is poor due to the distance from the router is there anyway to improve this? does the router have to stay there? Thankyou in advance

---------- Post added at 19:44 ---------- Previous post was at 19:13 ----------

can anyone help if possible

[pabscars]

welcome to the forum,

I would say your easiest option would be to buy some home plugs, these little devices use your homes electrical circuit to transmit your broadband through, and from what Ive heard work just like a wired connections.

So you would end up with one device plugged in downstairs near your router with an ethernet cable going from your router to the home plug,

Then you would plug the other one upstairs near your laptop, then connect an ethernet from it to your lappy.

This works well as long as its all on the same electrical circuit apparently, but google home plugs and do a little research if your interested.

If however you move around from room to room your might want to consider a better specked router with improved wireless range, something like a dual band wireless N router if your new laptop support wireless N that is.

But before you do this you could try changing the broadcast channel your wireless router is using as it maybe clashing with eg your neighbours wireless router and degrading your signal.

hope this helps

[graemewh]

Thankyou,
I dont think its the broadcast channel as if I take the laptop downstairs ie nearer the router I get a full strength signal.
Just having a look now they seem easy enough to use there are different speed ones looking at them I have 20meg broadband so when reading up on them it seems I need the faster ones?

[pabscars]

Originally Posted by graemewh

Thankyou,
I dont think its the broadcast channel as if I take the laptop downstairs ie nearer the router I get a full strength signal.
Just having a look now they seem easy enough to use there are different speed ones looking at them I have 20meg broadband so when reading up on them it seems I need the faster ones?

It all depends on your budget I suppose, but get the best you can afford is the best advice I can suggest.

I don't use them personally so cant recommend a particular brand

[graemewh]

okay thanks and obviously 2 cables
are the Flanet05 cables the ones i need

http://www.homeplugs.co.uk/acatalog/networks.html

[Eambo]

Might I mention the homeplugs are very temperamental. I'm in an older house (Georgian) and our electrics are a little...dodgy.

Well I've had Virgin Media out ample times, finally got a senior engineer yesterday. He done a few tests, and our router was getting the full 50mb in, he tested ethernet to router - no problems. He then tested through the homeplug, down to 3mb. So I lost most of my speed. His solution to me was to get the modem moved upstairs to where my computer is, but warned it would cost me £100. I already had a virgin box upstairs, so all I done was attach a splitter to it, and voila, my modem is now upstairs, 50mb to my computer, and works a lot better wireless too.

He told me the homeplug was the problem, and anyone he knew using one 'advised using a hardware firewall', which I didn't want to buy.

So be wary, the homeplugs are dependant on your wiring, circuitry, and in some cases just dumb luck as to whether they work or not >.<

[graemewh]

thanks yep not paying £100 to move it upstairs I think our circuits are okay

[Eambo]

Originally Posted by graemewh

thanks yep not paying £100 to move it upstairs I think our circuits are okay

You're mistaken about what homeplugs are - they aren't cables:

http://www.homeplugs.co.uk/acatalog/...HomePlugs.html

You're talking about £30 for some low-end ones, and you need two - ones at the router end, one at your computer.

Personally I paid £60 for two belkin ones, and I bought four of them (£120) (One for PC, One for Xbox, One for PS3 and One for Router) - They worked...not brilliantly but they worked. Reviews of them show that the throughput is A LOT less than they advertise - I bought the 200mbps and barely got 50mbps throughput.

[graemewh]

no I know they are plugs but then you use a cable from the plug to your laptop and one from the other plug to the router?

[Eambo]

Originally Posted by graemewh

no I know they are plugs but then you use a cable from the plug to your laptop and one from the other plug to the router?

Yes, a normal ethernet cable from the plug to laptop, and one from plug to router. Usually the plugs come with ethernet cables. Just make sure you do your research on them first, you don't want to spend £60 on two of them to realise the throughput is less than the 20mb you're getting on VM.

[graemewh]

yes but when the laptop is upstairs I am not getting a good signal so I assume anything would be better

[Eambo]

Originally Posted by graemewh

yes but when the laptop is upstairs I am not getting a good signal so I assume anything would be better

Hehe true. Alternatively there's the options of a wireless-N router and adapter for your computer (unless it's already N enabled) but if it's only for one laptop then homeplugs would probably be the way to go.

[graemewh]

what is the best site to get them from?

---------- Post added at 15:08 ---------- Previous post was at 15:07 ----------

I have a new Dell INSPIRON only a few weeks ive had it

[Eambo]

Originally Posted by graemewh

what is the best site to get them from?

---------- Post added at 15:08 ---------- Previous post was at 15:07 ----------

I have a new Dell INSPIRON only a few weeks ive had it

Personally I simply bought mine from Argos, £60 for Belkins. You can get them most places, eBay included. But again, I can't stress enough, find out the make and model, google a review, and see what they say about it.

[graemewh]

couldnt find any on argos online but will look around