Connecting Mini Box via ethernet question.

[KScott]

Totally agree. I am now using 3 x TP-link PoE access points placed around the house which are actually positioned better than where my mini boxes are to give best coverage throughout property including garden. 

Bonus of running cat5 not only stable sky tv but also hardwired smart TVs and now PS5 connected directly to 100GB fibre. 👍😃👍

[Chodley]

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@KScott wrote:

Totally agree. I am now using 3 x TP-link PoE access points placed around the house which are actually positioned better than where my mini boxes are to give best coverage throughout property including garden. 

Bonus of running cat5 not only stable sky tv but also hardwired smart TVs and now PS5 connected directly to 100GB fibre. 👍😃👍

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100Gb fibre?!

[KScott]

Sorry. Should of said 1000mbs not 100gbs. 

[KScott]

TBH even though I pay for 900+MBs I only get near that connected directly to my router. Most the time it's nearer 500mbs such as through tablet or phone. But 20 x faster than what I was getting through sky 

[MJNew]

@KScott @Chodley 

Thanks both for extremely helpful & detailed explanations. 

Our house is also single story converted barn, with good loft crawlspace. As a barn it has some thick walls, but thin(ish) ceilings; just plasterboard insulation & loft boards. 

Based on your advice & experience above, the plan would be to run phone line into loft "cabinet" alongside  Sky router and 2 x hubs.

Then for TV  ...  

A - connect main Sky Q box to router by WiFi ( should be possible given proximity in property)

B - connect main Sky Q back to unmanaged switch #1 in loft cabinet by cat6

C - connect remaining Sky Minis (WiFi off) to unmanaged switch #1 by cat6 

Note: no cat 6 connections direct to Sky router for TV stuff. 

Q1 - for Tv setup above. Any recommendations for the unmanaged switch/hub? 

Then for extending WiFi  around house & garage .... 

D - connect Sky Router to 1 x unmanaged PoE  (?) switch with cat6

E - connect from PoE switch multiple cat6 cables to various points around house / garage for WiFi mesh access points. 

Q2 - what type of switch/hub & access points recommended to create mesh network? 

Q3 - to save on cat6 cable runs, is it possible to simply connect everything via a single unmanaged switch & connect Sky Minis to mesh network access points by Ethernet (presuming the APs have a spare Ethernet port)?? 

anything else I've overlooked? 

Much appreciated 👍

[KScott]

You seem to of grasped the same concept that I have done. 

for unmanaged switch I have 1 x net gear GS308PP8 and 1 x TP-link TL-SG108

sky is all plugged into the TP link one

link cable between the 2 switches 

acces points plugged into Netgear using PoE port's.

You can buy a larger switch with more ports but they tend to have fans and can be noisey in a loft space and give off a bit of heat (mother-in-law complained). 

access points (APs) are 

TP-link AX1800. Very easy to set up. 
connect router via cat 5 or 6 cable to switch (not a PoE port). Connect your access points via cat 5or6 to the PoE ports on the switch. 

Not sure if minis will work over your new non sky access point mesh network even if your access points have an available port. 
(note: the APs I used only have 1 port) 

cat 5 is fairly cheap just run the 2 cables one for AP one for sky mini box. If your AP has a spare port you might consider using it to connect your smart tv direct to the network. 

it's just a shame that sky minis don't have additional ports. 

to be honest you can get tv all working over cables and try to turn on WiFi as a hotspot and see if it works. I only went with my own APs as I may not always be with sky so wanted a stand-alone system. 

[Chodley]

I would absolutely not assume the Q will behave itself over wifi. I'd use ethernet there too.