NOW TV Broadband WiFi doesn't reach garden room

[Jelly]

Apologies in advance that I'm a bit of a technophobe - please take this into account when replying!

We live in a Victorian house (thick walls) and our router is at the front. We have a room in the garden and need WiFi there, also in upstairs back room used as office. Have tried TP-Link booster, extender etc. (x2 different ones) plug-in and running wirelessly - none of these 'solutions' work!

We thought about running an ethernet cable from the router to the garden room, but it would be v hard to do this as they're thick cables and doors, windows etc. in the way. I went to Curry's and they recommended buying a new router. For example, TP-Link AC2100 (he said the higher number means the signal will be stronger and go further?) for £99 or the Deco DSL AX3000 Superior Mesh for £139.

Would this solve our problem, or does anyone on here have a better idea? I'm really lost on this! Thanks 🙂

[redchiz1]

It may help. But given what you have said about your property it will be trial and error. If Currys are prepared to give you your money back if it doesn't work out then a mesh system may be worth considering. 

[Jelly]

Thanks for super-quick reply! Maybe this is the way to go then - as long as they'll give me a refund if it's a no-go. Do you think the Mesh is a better idea than the AC2100? Is there anything else I may need to consider that I probably haven't? Am I right in thinking that we replace the NOW router with the Mesh? Sorry for all the questions, I'm so ignorant about all this...

[redchiz1 · Accepted solution]

I think a single router is unlikely to resolve your issues. The point of a mesh system is that it can carry the signal into further reaches of your home with added units. There are mesh devices which can connect to any router, speak to your pals at Currys for further advice.  🙂

[Jelly]

Yes, it seemed to be that way when I was in there - thank you! They were saying to replace the NOW router with a Mesh, and I guess it's a great money-spinner for them if I then have to go & buy further units! I'll go back to them - thanks v much for your patience 🙂

[redchiz1]

No worries. Let us know how you get on. 

[RoyB]

@Jelly 

Have you got mains in the garden room, and is it the same mains that is in the house?

If so, Curry’s can sell you one of these PLA solutions:-

https://www.currys.co.uk/computing/networking/powerline?q=PowerLine%20adapter&prefn1=searchFilter3&p...

I had an intermediate product for £59.99, that you may be able to find elsewhere; I think the £39 one is a bit limited on speed and bands, but £89 is a bit of a jump.

But it was excellent as a garden room solution, with the signal coming over the mains completely eliminating any distance problems I might have had.

[RoyB]

@Jelly 

That’s spooky. That link now includes the unit I have, down to £52.99. The £89 one is still a bit better, with pass-through mains sockets and three Ethernet ports rather than one, if that matters, though a 5-port Ethernet switch can be had for £13 from Currys also.

[Jelly]

The Curry's staff member told me that we need a higher ?? number too. Said that NOW is on ?1100 or 1400 but if I bought the TP-Link AC2100 should be okay. Tbh all this means nothing to me though!

[Jelly]

Thanks, we've tried these powerlines and weirdly they did work okay out there until we got another one for the upstairs back room used as an office. It seems we can't have both working 😕 It's all a bit of a mystery to me...!