WiFi Extender rather than main hub

[Fancyette]

Can anyone advise me why my devices are being connected to my WiFi booster/extender which is located upstairs rather than the main hub which is downstairs & plugged directly into the wall?

[Chrisee]

@Fancyette devices will connect to the node with the strongest wifi signal rather than the node which has the fastest conection it is how wifi works. True mesh wifi systems are smarter but with a standard extender the back haul connection to the hub is as important as the wifi signal strength.  Therefore extenders need to be placed halfway between the router and where you need the signal otherwise they can cause as many issues as thry solve.

[Fancyette]

@Chrisee thank you for your reply however the master hub is downstairs in the lounge and the booster is upstairs in the spare room/office. In theory what you're saying is if I'm standing in the kitchen (next to the lounge) the strongest signal is coming from the booster/extender upstairs rather than the main hub downstairs, which seems daft, as the signal is coming through several walls in a wider area. Could the main hub be located in in the wrong place downstairs? It's next to the box on the wall where the Sky engineer fitted it. I appreciate your/anyone response.

[Chrisee · Accepted solution]

@Fancyette as I posted normally  devices will connect to the strongest signal so if the signal path from the hub to the device is blocked say by a radiator you can get issues. Also in some houses the rooms on the lower floors have solid internal walls while upstairs its simply plaster board partitions. Without seeing your home its impossible to know. However if you have an Android phone and download the free Wifinanalyzer app it will show you exactly what the signal strengths of all wifi networks are in the various areas as you move round your home.

It should be possible to relocate your Sky hub you just need a longer cable to link it to either the phone socket or the ONT box if you have full fibre. Each type are easy to buy in various lengths just buy a cable with the same type of connectors which are rj11 type for the copper phoneline type or rj45 for the full fibre. When finding where to put the hub get it as high as you can so it is above radiators and the like.