New to Virgin Gigabit – Router Placement & Ethernet Setup Advice Needed
I just had Virgin Gigabit internet installed today. The router ended up at the furthest point from where I actually need it - not the installer’s fault, but the “ground” team who laid the exterior cable put the box on the wrong side of the property while we weren’t home. They ran the 4 meters of exterior cable above ground and wrapped it through a hedge (which a hedge trimmer will definitely get!). I have Cat5e Ethernet wiring installed around the house (about 3.5 years ago) with 6 data points running from my home office on the opposite side of the house. These points currently serve 2 TVs, my PC, and my kids’ Xbox. Since I work from home, I want the most reliable connection possible, so Ethernet is a must. I’m weighing three options: Relocating the router by running extra cable under the house to the office (routing outside on the white render will equally as bad . This would let me use the 4 Ethernet ports on the Hub5 router and my existing wiring. However, this is a messy and time-consuming job involving lifting carpet, floorboards, and drilling through crawl space tunnels with no direct access - a bit of a nightmare. Using TP-Link AV2000 TL-PA9020P powerline adapters. This is much easier to set up but means I won’t use the Ethernet ports already installed in the office. Our electrical wiring is new, and the EV charger is on a separate circuit, but I’m worried about interference and noise affecting performance. Booster Pods - If I have to go down the wifi-only route, asking Virgin for some booster pods to boost the signal at the opposite side of the house. Also, the installer mentioned there’s a thicker cable running to the house and the Virgin cabinet is close by (at the end of the drive), so I might be experiencing interference from that (I thought this would be a positive rather than a negative). Does anyone have advice on what’s best here? Is my wiring almost certainly Cat5e given it was installed 3.5 years ago - invoice was part of a rewire and just says data points installed? Any other options I should consider? Thanks in advance!
