Virgin router or Google WiFi?

[Saintade]

I have been using my latest Virgin Hub in modem mode for some years now with 4 Google WiFi hubs around the house, as we have really thick walls. Plus I have a summerhouse about 4 metres from the back door which I also need WiFi for TV. It's ok -ish, but I get frequent dropouts and poor coverage regularly. I have 1GB Virgin broadband. Would I be better off ditching the Google hubs and putting the Virgin router back in normal mode and getting some Virgin WiFi pods, or is likely to be the same? Also, is there a way to run a wired connection into the summerhouse direct from the router and still have pods around the house? Any help and other suggestions welcome please! 

[legacy1]

why don't you run and cable to the summerhouse from the main Google WiFi hubs by its port and if you need more get a switch

Ethernet Cable 50m, Cat 6 Internet Cable 50m Network Cable FTP Shielded Patch Cable High Speed Gigab...

[Tudor]

If your plant allows for pods for free get one and try it. If you have to pay, don’t bother. I have no experience of the equipment you are using, but usually other router offer a better quality service than the VM hubs.

[jbrennand]

Best option is to run external grade Cat6a ethernet cable out to the summerhouse and plug it into the Hub/router.

In the summerhouse just add a wireless access point or router - put in bridge (access point) mode - to extend both wifi and add ethernet connections.  We use one of these and it works well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Dual-Band-Advanced-security-configure/dp/B0937B8TMB/

[Saintade]

Thanks John. So just to be clear, run the 6a cable from the Google hub port or one of the other VM router ports (it's in modem mode connected to the Google hub currently) ?

[Tudor]

If you are in modem mode it cannot be the VM hub that you use, only one port is active in modem mode and that feeds your router.

[Saintade]

Got it. So, as the Google hub router only has one output port, I guess I'll need that to go into a switch, as I need a fixed connection to my Hive and another to go outside to the summerhouse router which needs to be in bridge mode. That right? 

[paul0363 · Accepted solution]

Yes, but your summerhouse router needs to be in Wireless Access Point mode (so make sure whatever you buy supports AP mode!)

Bridge mode is essentially what modem mode is on your VM hub:

https://www.howtogeek.com/867942/what-is-router-bridge-mode/

https://community.fs.com/article/understanding-the-differences-ap-mode-vs-router-mode.html

Something like this may do what you're after.

[Saintade]

Thanks for all the help. Bought the router and switch, ran the external Cat6a cable and drilled the holes in the house with the help of a mate's professional drill. All set up relatively easily with minimal swearing, but a bit of a trial with the config of the router as the TPLink st up screen was completely different from the manual (as is always the case!) Anyway, once I'd reset the SSID for 2.4Ghz and 5GHz to my network (something they don't tell you but I learned on this forum), with a couple of reboots everything worked! Is there a way to see what speeds I'm getting in the summerhouse? 

[paul0363]

---

@Saintade wrote:

Is there a way to see what speeds I'm getting in the summerhouse? 

---

Either connect a laptop to one of the ethernet ports on the back of the TPLink with an ethernet cable and download the Ookla app from the Microsoft store (or go to speedtest.net to run in a browser) and run a speed test.  You can do this wirelessly from your laptop too.

Or you could download the Ookla app to your phone and run a speed test from there.

Remember that the wired speed will be more accurate (assuming that your PC/laptop has a Gigabit ethernet port).