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AVB
Advocate

Wifi reach

My new broadband doesn’t extend past the room it’s in.

I’ve had to purchase a wifi extender with an Ethernet cable to use my laptop in my office but I would like the wifi to be available from other rooms, particularly for my phone use as I’m currently relying totally on data.

Is there a recommended product for this? It doesn’t seem like NOW offer any resolution for this issue and having just signed a 12month contract I can’t think of a better solution.

2 REPLIES 2
gavs82008
Legend 5
Legend 5

@AVB 

NOW will only provide the router and that is it, they don’t provide any extenders. Anything else you have to source yourself.

That being said if your truly unhappy you’re well within your rights to leave without charges.

Have you split the Wi-Fi bands which should improve the speed?

https://help.nowtv.com/article/improve-broadband-speed

FYI that I do not work for NOW, just a NOW customer trying to help
RoyB
Legend

@gavs82008 @AVB 

Not much good having it faster if it won’t go any further. 😢

Many users have replaced their Now Hub, which is notorious for its poor WiFi range, with a third-party router. This needs to be VDSL (if your Now Broadband package has Fibre in the name) or ADSL if not, or something dual, and it needs to be a modem/router, not just a router. And, importantly, it needs to support the MER 61 connection protocol used by Now and their parent company Sky.

I’m not sure what your extender is, but for the ones that just act as repeaters for the WiFi, you are tied to having them pretty near the router, so they can pick up a decent signal to extend.

I’ve had a lot of success (though admittedly not in this context) with one of these, which is not limited in that way; though it does require you to use the same ring main the router is on. (Though it would be fairly unusual to have more than one, it is not unknown in very old buildings).

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/tplink-tlwpa7517-av1000-wifi-powerline-adapter-kit-twin-pack-10222...

You can put the WiFi end literally anywhere in your property where there is a power plug.

Though I sometimes wonder if just putting it next to the router would suffice, by dint of giving the sort of range a decent router would in the same spot 😛, it’s best to experiment with figuring out where the best position is; there’s an Android app called WiFi Analyzer that has a signal strength meter built in, which is just the job for this.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.