TP-Link Access Point witg Sky Max Hub?

[LondonWifiV]

Hello!

We have a Sky Max Hub with a fibre connection and are looking to set up some additional SSIDs using a TP-Link router as an access point. Are there any issues we need to be aware of? I've seen posts talking about TP-Link devices not being able to replace the hub because of authentication issues, but as just an additional access point is there anything that could go wrong?

[Chrisee]

@LondonWifiV the main issue is the potential for the TP-Link's wifi interferring with the Sky hub's wifi if they are in the same area. It may be possible to keep the two signals on different channels. It is easier to replace the  Sky wifi entirely with a system that forms a wifi mesh or to pay for Sky's mesh system that can come with the https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-wifi-max

[LondonWifiV]

Hi @Chrisee, thank you for your super prompt response!

A couple of questions:

1) What if the second access point was using a different SSID? (actually up to 4 separate SSIDs even) That doesn't help with interference? It is a pretty small space overall so we'd need to be careful with interference.

2) Are you suggesting something like turning off the 2.4GHz band from the Sky hub and then the second router can just use that band? Presumably we could turn off wifi from the first one entirely and use both bands on the new AP?

[TimmyBGood]

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@LondonWifiV wrote:

1) What if the second access point was using a different SSID? (actually up to 4 separate SSIDs even) That doesn't help with interference?

No, because SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the broadcast network name, not the wireless frequency band which the signal is using.  Having multiple SSIDs within range just means your devices are likely to be jumping from one to another continuously.

It's potentially possible to hard-set your own wireless points to different frequency bands which don't overlap, but you can't do anything about the neighbours.

2) Are you suggesting something like turning off the 2.4GHz band from the Sky hub and then the second router can just use that band? Presumably we could turn off wifi from the first one entirely and use both bands on the new AP?

A second router is typically inappropriate anyway: what you'd want is a dedicated wireless access point, a router running in access point mode, or a mesh system.

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[LondonWifiV]

Thanks @TimmyBGood!

 > No, because SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the broadcast network name, not the wireless frequency band which the signal is using.  Having multiple SSIDs within range just means your devices are likely to be jumping from one to another continuously

I see. If the home devices only know the password for one of the SSIDs, would that help? I guess the problem here is exactly the same as having a neighbour's WiFi network interfere with mine, just that mine will be even closer?

> A second router is typically inappropriate anyway: what you'd want is a dedicated wireless access point, a router running in access point mode, or a mesh system.

Sorry, I did indeed mean that the second router would run in access point mode. My question was whether turning off both bands on the Sky Hub Max and then using the second router in AP mode on both bands would be a better solution (if I just wanted to use some features of the second router that the Hub doesn't provide)?

And also wanted to confirm that while TP-Link devices have issues replacing the Hub entirely (due to the auth system that Sky uses), using a TP-Link device as an access point connected via ethernet to the Hub would be fine?

Thanks again!

[Chrisee]

@LondonWifiV your idea can be made to work but it is not the best solution especially if you want your phone for example to jump to the strongest signal as you move round the property. A properly configured wifi mesh allows devices to be handed from wifi point to wifi point seamleassly so you don't for example have to manually connect to the downstairs wifi after working upstairs. Mesh units dont interfere one with another. However two unmatched units on a wifi channel will cause interference one with another if they are using the same or adajacent wifi channel.

Boosters are also limited in the speed they can offer as they need to use bandwidth to pass data back to the router whereas the pod units Sky supply with wifi max use a third signal for thst purpose. 

.

[LondonWifiV]

@Chrisee @TimmyBGood, thanks for all your help! My primary goal here is just to get a separate network/VLAN for my IoT devices, which I think the Sky Max Hub doesn't allow for? I've got no issues with the range of wifi or signal strength. As a result, I'm also looking to do this cost effectively -- a mesh network seems more expensive than adding a secondary router as an AP.

Currently considering a TP-Link TL-WA1201 Access Point which will run just the 2.4GHz band for IoT devices, and keep the 5Ghz band on the Sky Max Hub. Any recommendations with those goals in mind?

[LondonWifiV]

Hello! Just checking in to see if anyone has any last bits of advice before I go ahead and try to configure the above setup? Thank you!

[Chrisee]

@LondonWifiV yes that could work but therecis no way ofcontrolling which channels the Sky Max hub uses it is entirley automatic so you may need to keep an eye on which unit is using which channel.