Most simplest way to upgrade Sky Router

[WhitbyLad]

Hi All,

I would like to look at upgrading my Sky Router to something which has more "powerful" wifi.

Currently it is sat under my stairs which is in the middle of the house, and I struggle to get any single in the joined on garage, or to various Ring devices.

I've purchased a TP-Link wifi extender, which doesn't seem to help, and I have also purchased a Unifi access point, but I cannot set it up to work well at all.

So to simplify things, I would like to just replace the Sky Router for something which does the same job, but broadcasts the wifi a lot more powerfully?

I currently have 500Mb fibre and can get up to 1Gb. The router plugs into the ONT, which is a large white box on the wall, which I believe the fibre goes directly into.

Please can someone recommend a modem router to replace the Sky one, with a not-too-difficult setup......and has the most powerful wifi signal?

Thanks a lot

[Highlinder]

@WhitbyLad  Are you not able to bring it out from under the stairs with a longer ethernet cable. as the signal is being blocked under the stairs.

[WhitbyLad]

Thanks for the reply 🙂

There is no power around that area to move it really, and would be difficult to get a power source somewhere else for me 😞

[TimmyBGood]

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@WhitbyLad wrote:

I would like to just replace the Sky Router for something which does the same job, but broadcasts the wifi a lot more powerfully?

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Power output from wireless devices is strictly regulated: none can be 'more powerful' than any other while remaining legal for loan or sale in the UK.

More expensive hardware may have better aerial arrays or cleverer ways of dealing with WiFi clients, but that's not the same thing.

[WhitbyLad]

Hi,

Thank you for that, I didnt realise it was regulated, but makes sense.

Is there better hardware out there other than the Sky router, which has the  better aerial arrays, to give the "better" signal? Or a proven mesh system for example?

Thanks a lot

[WhitbyLad]

Sorry, I can't seem to edit my original post.

But this idea was brought to light, as Sky offer the WiFi Max router now......with "the strongest WiFi signal" and "most advanced WiFi", so I thought this might be the answer to my woes, but with one from Amazon for example, so I don't need to pay the extra £5/month forever.

Thank you

[WhitbyLad]

Hi everyone,

I'm just bumping this back up, to see if anyone can offer any suggestions for a "better" wifi modem router to purchase over the standard black Sky one?

Thanks a lot

[Chrisee]

@WhitbyLad your main issue is the lication of your hub  under the stairs.

No matter the clever aerials or fancy software the laws of physics men that a lot of the signal is lost before it can reach devices in your rooms. Think of your hub as a light while wifi signals can pass through solid objects they lose strength and are blocked by any metal. Use of extension cables may not look great but whatever router you buy you will have similar issues unless the main WiFi source is out in the open.

[TimmyBGood]

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@WhitbyLad wrote:

Please can someone recommend a modem router to replace the Sky one, with a not-too-difficult setup......and has the most powerful wifi signal?

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Couple of general points: you don't need a 'modem' because that job is done by the ONT, and no legal UK router has 'the most powerful wifi signal' because maximum power output is strictly regulated.  What they can have is better aerial arrays and cleverer processing to optimise signal issues, but investing the same amount in a mesh system is likely to create better coverage than any single unit no matter how expensive or aggressively styled it is.

Also note that only the Sky Hub can support Sky Talk Internet Calls: even if the non-Sky hardware has an integral ATA and BT jack socket the software configuration for Sky isn't available.

[WhitbyLad]

Great, thank you for your explanation. Makes more sense 🙂

[WhitbyLad]

@TimmyBGood  Ok, thank you. I think I understand more now. So I don't need a modem, just the router? Would I just plug the "new" router into the existing Sky router, and disable the wifi on the Sky router?

So I should possibly look at a mesh system to solve my issues? Something like a TP-Link AX5400 with additional booster things?

Thank you

[TimmyBGood]

@WhitbyLad 

'modem' (modulator-demodulator) is a concept associated with internet over copper: in FTTP it's the ONT which does the change between optical and electronic signalling.  The ethernet port on the ONT connects to a WAN ethernet port on a compatible router, so any modem built-in to the router isn't relevant.

If you want to keep Sky Talk availability then the Sky Hub does have to be in use as the primary router, but it can have its WiFi switched off if there's a 'better' router, access point or mesh system in use.

[Chrisee]

@WhitbyLad I use a third party mesh sysyem to improve WiFi in home. My devices connect to a 3 unit TP-Link Deco set up but I have made sure the 3 Deco units are all out in the open which helps both the units to communicate with each my devices  and back to the one linked to my Sky hub which is connected using  a 10m ethernet lead - like you my Sky hub isn't ideally placed. Typically you would turn off the Sky hub's wifi but I haven't done that but I am careful to make sure the two wifi set ups dont interfere.

[WhitbyLad]

@TimmyBGood  thank you for that. I didn't know, so great explanation 🙂

I don't use Sky talk, so that wouldn't be an issue if I was to change the router. So would a TP-Link AX5400 be a good replacement perhaps?

Thank you

[WhitbyLad]

@Chrisee  Thanks for that. So you're using the standard Sky router, but with three Deco's.

Do you find these work really well? So just one hard wired, and two wifi....which boosts the wifi signal?

Thank you