A challenging Wifi Problem

I have three Wi-Fi networks (one based on a Virgin SuperHub 4; one on a Zen FTTP Fritzbox; and a Technicolor Router serving an FTTC Andrew and Arnold connection).
The problem is wifi is too weak to enable a stable connection to be established on the ground floor, where I’m attempting to run a Ring Light and Camera network.
Is it possible to run a Mesh system that would operate with all three connections, or would I need a separate solution for each?

Yes it is possible, complex but possible,

you would require a managed switch and a cable from each router to the switch, you would then connect an AP with VLAN and mesh capability. You would be better running cables to each of the areas requiring Wi-Fi.

You would configure an access port for each VLAN, on the AP create a SSID for each network and tag with the revenant VLAN and connect to a trunk port on the switch.

Thanks for that copex. And yes does sound complex. Given my ineptitude and limited experience when it comes to networking (particularly at this level of complexity!), I may need help with the installation and configuration.

In reply to a post by kam67:

Thanks for that copex. And yes does sound complex.

Do you need all three ISPs available via WiFi in every room (with different WiFi names / SSIDs)...? Out of interest what is the reason for the separation?

No don’t really need all three available via Wi-Fi in every room. This somewhat self- indulgent and idiosyncratic habit has developed over decades of being on the receiving end of flakey and unreliable providers and/or telecoms infrastructure. It’s an extreme case of “not putting all one’s eggs in one basket.”
The sad truth is time and time again, my pessimism has been justified.

In reply to a post by kam67:

I have three Wi-Fi networks (one based on a Virgin SuperHub 4; one on a Zen FTTP Fritzbox; and a Technicolor Router serving an FTTC Andrew and Arnold connection).
The problem is wifi is too weak to enable a stable connection to be established on the ground floor, where I’m attempting to run a Ring Light and Camera network.
Is it possible to run a Mesh system that would operate with all three connections, or would I need a separate solution for each?

VLANs via a managed switch is one method of doing this.

Another method is to run the individual ISP connections to a separate router that you manage

You can then be a bit more creative / selective with how you choose which "gateway" (ISP connection) is used.

Thanks for the suggestion, Pheasant. How would that work? I’m intrigued by the idea but not quite sure I understand how one would route different ISP connections via one router?

Also, if I were to abandon the idea of routing all three ISP connections via one channel - instead choosing one connection (eg either the Zen FTTP, the A&A FTTC or the Virgin Media 1GB Cable connection), what would be the most effective way to amplify/extend the Wi-Fi capabilities of the chosen connection?

Edited by kam67 (Sat 18-Feb-23 18:21:57)

In reply to a post by kam67:

choosing one connection (eg either the Zen FTTP, the A&A FTTC or the Virgin Media 1GB Cable connection), what would be the most effective way to amplify/extend the Wi-Fi capabilities of the chosen connection?

A mesh WiFi is usually the simplest answer, perhaps one that plugs into an existing router's Ethernet port. I would choose the highest performance service you have. Then if that service goes down, you can plug the mesh into a different ethernet port, and the home WiFi moves to the other ISP.

Such as the BT WholeHome range (also available at Amazon and other shops):
https://shop.bt.com/brands/bt/whole-home-wi-fi

Edited by jchamier (Sat 18-Feb-23 19:47:52)

So taking the BT discs as an example - would you plug that in to one of my routers’ Ethernet ports? Would they need further configuring?

Edit: After a bit of browsing, it would seem not all mesh systems can be added to existing routers. Any recommendations if one’s that are as plug and play as possible?

Edit2: I ended opting for this router which was highly recommended to me.

ASUS RT-AX86U 5700 Dual Band + WiFi 6 Gaming Router, PS5 Compatible, upto 2250 sq ft & 35+ devices, NVIDIA GeForce Now, Lifetime Free Internet Security, Mesh WiFi support, 2.5G port gaming port.

I notice it is advertised as having Mesh Wi-Fi support. Does that mean that it is compatible with any Mesh nodes minus the router?

Edited by kam67 (Sat 18-Feb-23 20:53:33)

I have the BT discs in three locations. One on a virgin media router. One on a Plusnet router and one plugged into a switch from a leased line.

The discs only do wifi they don’t attempt to do NAT or routing which is why I tend to prefer the simplicity.

That’s really helpful, jchamier - would you mind running through how you’d set them up? Do you have to make changes to the router’s configuration at all e.g. setting up the Virgin router in modem mode?

Nope! That’s the benefit. If you did put virgin box in modem mode you would need to add a router as well as the BT mesh.

The only thing to do is turn off wifi in the ISP router. The Plusnet router shows an orange light which is irritating.

Thanks again for clearing it up for me.

I don't want to sound offensive but your setup is madness! You need to realise that Wifi works like walkie talkies, only 1 device can communicate 1 way on a specific channel/frequency. Once you people understand this point they start to see why having multiple Wifi routers that don't work together in a mesh is a really really really bad idea. Now add to this all the "smartness" of the new wifi routers that try to jump to "free" wifi channels to outsmart other routers and you have a perfect storm. And if we then add all the other wifi routers that reach your house from your neighbours you start to wonder how is it even possible that this technology works at all.
So the advice given is correct. You should get rid of all your 3 wifi networks and install a single wifi mesh. By far the best mesh is Ubiquiti Unifi but it is more expensive than others. Each wifi mesh system has different requirements in terms of how it works. Some systems like Amazon eero or Google Wifi would want to take over the router function as well not just wifi. I prefer the ones that don't work as a router like Ubiquiti Unifi, TP-Link or Lynksys. On those mesh systems you simply turn off the wifi function in your ISP router and connect all the mesh wifi access points (2, 3, 4 or how many you want/need) to your network switch, give them an IP and that's it. They will simply take over your wifi duties. I say network switch as it's clear that as soon as you are talking about wifi mesh systems you will run out of ports in your ISP router and will need an additional network switch. One of the key differences on mesh wifi systems is how the wifi access points connect to your ISP router. This is usually called "internet backhaul" as it denotes how will the internet traffic be routed. On the best mesh systems internet backhaul is via wired ethernet meaning that all your mesh wifi access points will need to be wired to your internal network. This will of course require you to do some Cat 6 wiring and is a common mistake people make when chosing a wifi mesh system. If you really want rock solid wifi then that's the way to go. Any wifi mesh system that has the "internet backhaul" over wifi is basically working in "best endeavours" mode as it has to share the wifi bandwidth available not only to communicate with all your wifi devices but also to "backhaul" the internet traffic to the "master" wifi mesh access point. This not only reduces the wifi bandwidth available for your devices, increases chances of wifi traffic collision with other wifi networks (ie neighbours) but also concentrates all traffic in a single "master" wifi mesh access point whereas with wired ethernet internet backhaul all your wifi mesh access points can talk directly with your ISP router which means less congestion.

No offence taken at all - really appreciate your thorough and enlightening response.

Just a couple of points that I’m no clear about:

a) What network switch would you recommend and how to connect that to the isp routers?
b) How do I connect the Mesh Access Points to the above switch?
c) And also could you please provide me with brief instructions with regards to assigning the Mesh Access Points IP addresses?

Edit: would this entail choosing only one ISP connection to be the foundation of my Wi-Fi network (and restricting all the others to wired/ethernet usage)?

Edited by kam67 (Sun 19-Feb-23 10:21:26)

In reply to a post by GreenLantern22:

Any wifi mesh system that has the "internet backhaul" over wifi is basically working in "best endeavours" mode as it has to share the wifi bandwidth available not only to communicate with all your wifi devices but also to "backhaul" the internet traffic to the "master" wifi mesh access point.

Most of the vendors you quote are unsuitable for this use case as they want to replace the router and would be a nightmare to reconfigure to swap one to the other. I suggested the BT wholehome products as they are not routers, or even pretending to be routers. They are just mesh access points. The more expensive models attempt to solve the "backhaul" issue you raise by using a second 5 GHz channel for backhaul, keeping the 2.4 and first 5Ghz for end user devices.

Anyone with 3 internet services in the home is already unusual

Agree with the wifi madness.
Maybe a tad expensive, but there are non wifi routers that could bond the 3 ISP's into one router?
Then just add a switch and run the wifi AP's from this switch. Single SSID with no clashes etc.

As all this is way above my head may need to hire someone to set up an effective mesh system which may or may not end up ‘blending’ all isp connections. What you guys have provided me with is an excellent starting point!

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Anyone with 3 internet services in the home is already unusual

Very tactfully and diplomatically put 😊!

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by GreenLantern22:

Most of the vendors you quote are unsuitable for this use case as they want to replace the router and would be a nightmare to reconfigure to swap one to the other. I suggested the BT wholehome products as they are not routers, or even pretending to be routers. They are just mesh access points. The more expensive models attempt to solve the "backhaul" issue you raise by using a second 5 GHz channel for backhaul, keeping the 2.4 and first 5Ghz for end user devices.

Anyone with 3 internet services in the home is already unusual

Are the Ubiquiti ones simple access points or are they also routers?

If someone can dispel my confusion regarding whether the Ubiquit and Bt APs can work as simple Wi-Fi extenders and don’t have a router function, it would be much appreciated!

Edited by kam67 (Sun 19-Feb-23 13:43:38)

The ax86u can work with two wan connections so this might help and have only two wireless systems ..... which might be easier to manage.

is it possible to wire into the walls or not ?

In reply to a post by GreenLantern22:

ncy.Some systems like Amazon eero or Google Wifi would want to take over the router function as well not just wifi. I prefer the ones that don't work as a router like Ubiquiti Unifi, TP-Link or Lynksys.

This is really what I need to clarify: which BT and Ubiquiti systems (“discs”) do I need if I want them to operate as simple Wi-Fi boosters and not routers? In other words, which can be just used by disabling the routers’ Wi-Fi function and plugging these into the router via Ethernet?

In reply to a post by kam67:

This is really what I need to clarify: which BT and Ubiquiti systems (“discs”) do I need if I want them to operate as simple Wi-Fi boosters and not routers? In other words, which can be just used by disabling the routers’ Wi-Fi function and plugging these into the router via Ethernet?

The BT Whole Home systems do not act as routers, they are all designed to plug into an existing ISP supplied box with an ethernet cable. (The BT ones look like discs, other makes look like square boxes or smart speakers)

The Eero, Google Home, and other brands are originally from the USA where you gained a simple modem from your internet provider, so plugging into the modem was easy, and the Eero, Google Home etc, did the routing and WiFi with controls from a mobile app.

The likes of Ubiquiti are differnet as they sell all sorts of products that can be linked together. Its really a small to mid sized business set of products, and takes longer to learn and deploy, but the payback for investing time in learning can be significant.

a) What network switch would you recommend and how to connect that to the isp routers?

Any network switch will be fine. Which one will depend on your requirements. Do you want gigabit or 10 gigabit? Do you want plain RJ45 ports or do you plan to use fibre SFP/SPF+? I would go for either Netgear or Ubiquiti switches if you want better quality. I would stick with "unmanaged" switches which means they are basically plug and play and there is no configuration needed to be done. If you want to do more complex networking stuff like VLANs and QoS traffic you may want to go for managed switches. Connect each switch (if you need more than one around the house) to a single port on the ISP router using a CAT6 cable patch cord. Your switch becomes an automatic extension of your ISP router switch allowing to connect more wired devices to your local network.

b) How do I connect the Mesh Access Points to the above switch?

Assuming the mesh access points (AP) use internet backhaul each AP will need to be connected to your switch or to your router using a CAT6 cable patch cord. The non-wired mesh systems will typically have a "master" access point wired to your network and the remaining APs will only need power as they will communicate with the "master" access point using wifi.

c) And also could you please provide me with brief instructions with regards to assigning the Mesh Access Points IP addresses?

This is a very common task done on consumer routers. Instructions will vary depending on each router so check your ISP's router documentation. But in a nutshell when you connect a new device to your network, be it wired or wireless, the device will get an automatic dynamic IP from your DHCP server (usually your ISP's router). You can then use this IP to configure the device and move it to a static IP so you know for sure the IP of the device will never change. You will need to check your ISP's router configuration to determine the range of IPs that are used for dymanic allocation and the ones you can assign statically (which should be out the dynamic DHCP range). Then allocate the IP manually on the router or the device itself or in both to be sure.

Edit: would this entail choosing only one ISP connection to be the foundation of my Wi-Fi network (and restricting all the others to wired/ethernet usage)?

You are confusing two things here. Your wifi network is an extension of your wired network and as such it has nothing to do with your internet connection. As a matter of fact most basic consumer internet installations include a device (ISP's wifi router) that does 4 roles in one device:
1) Connects to the internet (aka old school modem). Sometimes this is a separate device, aka ONT on FTTP
2) Acts as a router
3) Acts as a wifi access point
4) Acts as a small (typically) 4 port switch
If you disable the wifi access point capability from your ISP's router to run your own custom wifi mesh you are only replacing 1 of these roles, not the others. Therefore this doesn't really restrict which ISP you can use per se. You could have all 3 ISP routers connected to the same wired network if you set them up with different subnet networks. However there are certain functions you can only have a single router perform like DHCP server.

But rather than drilling into weird configuration options the issue here is that is not clear at all what are you trying to achieve by having 3 different ISPs. Once we can understand your requirements better we may be able to suggest a better approach.

But in general you will want a single router to route traffic for a single wifi mesh. Any additional wifi devices will only increase wifi collisions and degrade the overall wifi speed of all wifi networks.

Edited by GreenLantern22 (Sun 19-Feb-23 22:11:39)

I think that's much more complex; depending on the needs and experience of the OP, there may be no need to have wired backhaul for the WiFi, with the cabling complexities... only one of the connections is ultra fast?? I went for the path of easy (RJ45 plug) moving between ISP routers if one link failed.

If the OP wants top speeds (e.g FTTP 900 Mbps) then its going to be a) Expensive needing WiFi 6 hardware, and b) more complicated.

So by the sounds of it - the BT discs are the most appropriate for my needs. Would any of the three supplied discs do? Would I need to do anything else apart from disabling my isp router’s Wi-Fi function?

In reply to a post by kam67:

So by the sounds of it - the BT discs are the most appropriate for my needs. Would any of the three supplied discs do? Would I need to do anything else apart from disabling my isp router’s Wi-Fi function?

There may be others that can do the same, I'm not an expert, perhaps search through the likes of PCPro magazine reviews on mesh. But the BT discs worked in three scenarios I have used.

If you need is for Gigabit FTTP over WiFi then you will need the most expensive WiFi 6 versions, but as only one of your ISPs is this speed, I suspect you may not need this speed everywhere. Most laptops, phones, tablets that you'd use with WiFi would need to be very new to support this.

The "Whole Home WiFi" at £129 for 3 discs has only two radios (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz); as the other poster suggests if you want the fastest speeds linking each of the discs to an Ethernet connection back to a central router will give better performance.

The "Premium Whole Home WiFi" at £179.98 for 3 discs has three radios, so the discs can communicate with each other without using the capacity for your devices.

The "Premium WiFi 6" units are £500 and only needed if you need the utter fastest speed everywhere (and only if your 900 Mbps FTTP is your main internet).

Depending on the size of your home you can buy additional discs, some 2 bed flats only need two discs for full coverage.

The advantage of this system is you can unplug the Ethernet cable from one ISP router and plug it into the other without having to change any settings on the discs. The WiFi name (SSID) and WPA2 password stays the same.

All the other ideas from other posters are how to get higher speeds, and possibly how to connect all the ISPs to one switch and share the connections together. It may not be what you want from your original post.

You have had some interesting answers

You could use 3 devices in each room to repeat the 3 Wi-Fi signals, but you may have issues with Wi-Fi interference plus the price of 3 sets of hardware.

Hence, the reason I suggested setting up a managed network, maybe worth talking to a local IT professional or locating your local computer club/hacker/maker space. Alternatively, you teach yourself networking there are loads of videos on YouTube.

You could look at TPlink Omada, Netgear with Unifi APs or Aruba instant on.

Hope it helps...

Thanks copex - I think I will definitely seek further assistance. I would however very much like to know which Mesh systems (apart from the Bt discs already mentioned) work as simple Wi-Fi devices and do not replicate the function of a router (and can thus be simply added on to an isp router). So if anyone can advise, I would be most grateful 😊.

The Unifi ‘disc’ APs are just that only. They are around £100 each and fairly simple to setup even if that involves following a YT video. You do need to run the Unifi management software for configuration purposes and it is not required other than that. It does run on pretty much anything though.

You can run multiple SSIDs on Unifi e.g. one SSID per VLAN/internet connection quite easily.

These are PoE devices so a suitable managed switch is a good option and adds another £60ish to the cost if one is needed e.g. TP-Link.
They can also work in a mesh mode.

Edited by smouty (Sun 19-Feb-23 22:18:17)

Thanks, smouty - although all that went way above my head sadly ☹️. I guess I need to find someone to set it up for me and/or talk me through it (for a fee of course!)

Exactly what do you have coming in - what service, what speed?

Do you have any wired infrastructure?

I have a 1GB Virgin Media Virgin connection; a 900mb Zen FTTP connection and an Andrews and Arnold 60mb FTTC connection. Not sure what you mean by wired infrastructure.

FIrst question has to be WHY? Why do you need three separate connection.

Why not get rid of two and keep either VM or Zen FTTP? Then run into a decent device such as a UDM Pro - interfaces direct to the ONT.

Get a 4G sim and base, connect that as a failover.

Then choose a set of Ubiquiti APs.

Sounds good - now to get someone to help me ‘unpack’ that and help me set it up 😊!

You forst task has to be consider rationalisation of your suppliers. You could save £50-60 month or maybe more. In a year you will have saved £600 or more and that will pay for a decent gateway and the WAPs.

Wired Infrastructure: Do you have cables running from where your courrent modem/hus is/are to where you may want WAPs?

Without wanting to sound arrogant - I can afford the separate isp services. That’s not the issue. I have had good reason to believe it’s worth it (many years experience where I have had one or the other fail - and sometimes for extended periods of time). My problem is how to extend/strengthen the puny Wi-Fi range of these routers (or at least one of them!)

As for wired infrastructure as in cables running to where I want the various APs - no I don’t currently have this.

Edited by kam67 (Sun 19-Feb-23 23:28:38)

In reply to a post by kam67:

Without wanting to sound arrogant - I can afford the separate isp services. That’s not the issue. I have had good reason to believe it’s worth it (many years experience where I have had one or the other fail - and sometimes for extended periods of time).

Without wishing to denigrate your previous experience, do you have an adequate mobile signal where you have your current set-up? If so, you could minimize your risk and do away with the complicated domestic networking problems you are trying to resolve by using only one of your existing terrestrial connections and having a mobile network fall back. If you have viable mobile signals from more than one operator that would give you as much if not more resilience than you have now. All you would need then is a router that has the option to add a sim card and use that as a fall-back. If both your terrestrial connection and your first choice mobile network is down you can still use other sim cards to try and maintain connection. If your router receives any sort of connection then any simple mesh or WiFi repeater solution would suffice.

Still unclear as to what having more than one broadband connection has to do with wanting help in setting up a mesh network to fix my poor Wi-Fi reception.

In reply to a post by kam67:

Still unclear as to what having more than one broadband connection has to do with wanting help in setting up a mesh network to fix my poor Wi-Fi reception.

By reducing the number of routers in circuit to one it enables you to set up a mesh system connecting to one point of entry, vastly reducing the complications. If you then use something like the BT mesh, in the minimal case you have one of the units wired into the router and other units plugged into power sockets round the house but no data wiring. The mesh units communicate with each other through WiFi. This will not maximise the speed available to your devices but will enable day-to-day use round the house in the least complicated or intrusive way.

That means your resilience is governed by the router that is the point of entry to your system but that router can have the resilience of an automatic switch to a mobile data connection if the terrestrial circuit dies and you can change the mobile connection by swapping out the sim. If you then want resilience at the hardware level, it will be cheaper to buy another router and put it in the cupboard just in case rather than paying monthly broadband fees to multiple providers each with their own hardware.

In reply to a post by kam67:

Still unclear as to what having more than one broadband connection has to do with wanting help in setting up a mesh network to fix my poor Wi-Fi reception.

If you have three meshes it will work but they will cause interference with each other (as they are radio) and poor performance for all.

Depending what you want, you could have one mesh you move between active ISP, or you have a more complicated network where one WiFi mesh is connected to all three ISPs and switches automatically if an ISP fails. (This will cost more and be more complicated).

The UniFi/Ubquity access points generally need Ethernet connection back to a switch, not something most home users want to run, I tend to see them in hotels, or smaller offices, unless you have Ethernet around the home already.

Thanks jchamier - I think I will definitely be sticking with one Mesh.

Appreciate the in-depth and very clear explanation, GonePostal.

"Not sure what you mean by wired infrastructure."

If you didn't understand that question then maybe you are over complicating your internet needs.

I’m always ready to learn - and first to admit my limitations. Although, I have to say your response comes across as a tad condescending. I come here to seek knowledge and help, not to be told I’m too ignorant to benefit from help!

Edited by kam67 (Mon 20-Feb-23 17:50:31)

In reply to a post by broadband66:

If you didn't understand that question then maybe you are over complicating your internet needs.

Not everyone works in IT or even knows what the term ‘infrastructure’ means in terms of networking.

To the OP, “wired infrastructure” is Ethernet cabling, appropriate sockets and connectors and network switches to link everything together.

For example, in my friends home, when he had a large extension built, he had space left to run network cable (he used Category 6) from the loft down to each room, in the living room he ran 6 cables, and in almost every other room 2 cables. At the room end, he fitted a wall box (think power socket) with a face plate that makes an RJ45 socket. At the loft end he fitted a 24 port ethernet network switch, that each of the cables plugs into.

His internet is over Openreach wires (FTTC); so with an adaptor, he plugged the output of the splitter in the master box into one of the runs to the loft, then plugged the other end into the ISP provided router. Then one of the ethernet ports from the ISP router into the 24 port network switch.

He now has ‘physical infrastructure’ that he can plug TVs, game systems and other fixed devices into without worrying about WiFi.

To make WiFi work he bought ‘access points’ which he placed in strategic places around the home, and they connect to the ethernet wiring, so he didn’t need a mesh. He bought access points from Edimax which link to each other, so they manage the devices moving around the home.

Generally a lot of hassle (domestic, and physical) unless you are doing an extension at the same time! Most people don’t want to chisel walls etc!

That’s a pretty impressive set up!
Can’t say I’m not a little envious 😏.

But you seem to think you require 3 different connections to the internet and are therefore dependant on it for some reason.

You have been advised by a few people to use one good one and spend the money saved on good wifi.

In reply to a post by broadband66:

But you seem to think you require 3 different connections to the internet and are therefore dependant on it for some reason.

You have been advised by a few people to use one good one and spend the money saved on good wifi.

Clearly, my desire to have several internet connections using different technologies (cable, FTTC and FTTP), is triggering you. Perhaps it’s best to put this thread to bed, as my life is stressful enough without being the target of people’s bees in the bonnet.

In reply to a post by broadband66:

But you seem to think you require 3 different connections to the internet and are therefore dependant on it for some reason. You have been advised by a few people to use one good one and spend the money saved on good wifi.

There is no need to question the OP's reason for multiple connections, that isn't the question.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

There is no need to question the OP's reason for multiple connections, that isn't the question.

True, but it is bizarre and broadband66 is not the only person that is thinking it.

Since when was conformity de rigueur and eccentricity such a big no no? There are worse things than having several internet connections 🙄!

NB Would any passing moderators lock this thread please before it gets too toxic and bullying?

Edited by kam67 (Tue 21-Feb-23 18:16:17)

Mods don't that often pass by but you can post in Talk To The Staff to ask them to lock or you can email [email protected] to request a lock.

In reply to a post by kam67:

There are worse things than having several internet connections

Indeed you're absolutely right, no one is bullying here, this is a forum for discussion.

I was purely saying that some people may find it bizarre, in the same way if you needed a car to get to work each day would you buy 2 spare cars specifically in case your main car broke down? I personally wouldn't but maybe someone else would and that would also be bizarre to some people but they would be within their right to do it just like you.

In reply to a post by dect:

In reply to a post by kam67:

There are worse things than having several internet connections

Indeed you're absolutely right, no one is bullying here, this is a forum for discussion.

I was purely saying that some people may find it bizarre, in the same way if you needed a car to get to work each day would you buy 2 spare cars specifically in case your main car broke down? I personally wouldn't but maybe someone else would and that would also be bizarre to some people but they would be within their right to do it just like you.

I don't see it been bizarre, I have two internet connections, one from a cable provider and one from openreach i need reliability for work, as I am unable to work without an internet connect as most DLS connections don't have an SLA been offline for days is not an option. Two connections from two separate provided is cheaper than a DIA (lease line)

As for the cars, there are people out there that have cars for occasions, why because they can. The op said he can afford to have 3 connection, and he does not need to justify that on here, all the op was asking is can I repeat 3 wifi signals with a mesh device and i believe this question has been answered.

We should not judge people by our own standards.

If one has two or more cars then that is their right but if the driver wanted to drive all at the same time then that is a bit of an issue.

It is not a bee in my bonnet but you are trying to get a resolution to an issue that is being made far more complicated by having 3 different connections and trying to have them available everywhere at the same time.

In reply to a post by copex:

I don't see it been bizarre, I have two internet connections, one from a cable provider and one from openreach i need reliability for work, as I am unable to work without an internet connect as most DLS connections don't have an SLA been offline for days is not an option. Two connections from two separate provided is cheaper than a DIA (lease line)

As I said before some people will find it bizarre for one person to have 3 internet connections into one property, the reason the OP has them is their choice but it doesn't mean others can't find it bizarre, just like the OP may find it bizarre that everyone doesn't have 3 internet connections.

In reply to a post by copex:

As for the cars, there are people out there that have cars for occasions

Not the same thing as you well know, I gave a specific example that matched with the reason to have 3 internet connections. I have multiple vehicles (digger, tractor, van, car, push bike, quad bike) but they are not just there in case one breaks down at the exact same time as another one does.

Edited by deleted (Wed 22-Feb-23 14:19:34)

Thank you copex - yes it’s not unheard of for people to have more than one car or more than one phone line, so why should this be any different?

What is it about human nature - that it seeks conflict for the sake of it?

In reply to a post by kam67:

What is it about human nature - that it seeks conflict for the sake of it?

What is it about political correctness (PC) these days that means people can no long handle other peoples opinions when they post on a public forum.

Am I missing something here?

get a managed switch and then a number of vlan capable APs.

Connect each of routers to a different port on the switch, tag each router connection a different vlan ID, and then allowed that tagged traffic to the APs, and assign a different SSID per vlag tag?

Or just buy an expensive route which supports 3 WAN conenctions, and set up fail over and then use a single SSID.

https://www.draytek.co.uk/products/business/vigor-39...

Edited by mbames (Wed 22-Feb-23 16:58:00)

Thank goodness! Someone finally suggested a triple WAN router (well actually Quad WAN but who's counting 😁)!

The Wifi bit is well-covered in this thread, but if the OP wants failover to ensure a reliable Internet connection then a triple WAN router - a built in VDSL modem for his FTTC connection and two ethernet WAN ports for the FTTP and Virgin Connections, with the virgin modem in bridge mode would do nicely. Or three Ethernet Wan ports and a separate VDSL modem, as suggested above.

Just for full disclosure, at home I use a Draytek dual WAN router (Vigor 2862) with FTTP and a backup FTTC connection for similar purposes. I use a TP link Omada mesh system (3x EAP245(EU) v3.0) for WiFi with a CAT5e wired backbone. It is not the cheapest arrangement but is extremely reliable. And sounds like it might meet the OP's needs.
NB, My Draytek device will be a bit underpowered for the OPs FTTP speeds. It can just about handle 400MBps but only with traffic analysis switched off.

And goodness me, those Omadas don't half pump some Wi-Fi signal out. I think their antenna arrangements must be very good indeed.

Edited by albany11 (Wed 22-Feb-23 17:20:29)

In reply to a post by albany11:

Thank goodness! Someone finally suggested a triple WAN router (well actually Quad WAN but who's counting 😁)!

Great if the OP wants to wire the house with cabling. Not sure that was in the plan, or that they needed automatic failover, moving an RJ45 plug is quite easy

I managed to get hold of a very capable network engineer who will be putting together a setup which will be utilising a UDM Pro as its foundation (and allow me to switch between my FTTP and Virgin connections as needed).

Edited by kam67 (Wed 22-Feb-23 23:49:41)

If a manual fail over is acceptable then by far the easiest solution would indeed be a single Mesh wireless network that connects to the current Internet router via an ethernet cable. If you need to switch to a different provider connection due to problems then just unplug the ethernet cable from the router and plug it in to the one you want to move to. If all of the routers have the same IP address DHCP range then it should just pick straight up without anything needing to reconfigure.

In reply to a post by kam67:

I managed to get hold of a very capable network engineer who will be putting together a setup which will be utilising a UDM Pro as its foundation (and allow me to switch between my FTTP and Virgin connections as needed).

Sounds like you got it sorted, UDM Pro supports dual WAN ask your IT guy if he can set up the dual was, and you can have two ISP connected at the same time.

Is this the "very capable network engineer" that is asking on the Ubiquiti forum about how to do what you want?

Thanks Copex - Yes I’ve already requested dual WAS and he has agreed.

In reply to a post by MHC:

Is this the "very capable network engineer" that is asking on the Ubiquiti forum about how to do what you want?

Hi MHC - can you provide me with a link for that post? Now you’ve got me a bit worried and very slightly paranoid 😂

In reply to a post by kam67:

In reply to a post by MHC:

Is this the "very capable network engineer" that is asking on the Ubiquiti forum about how to do what you want?

Hi MHC - can you provide me with a link for that post? Now you’ve got me a bit worried and very slightly paranoid 😂

Just a little odd ... asking for basically what you are after, so soon after your post:

https://community.ui.com/questions/2-ISPs-DSL-and-Mo...

In reply to a post by MHC:

In reply to a post by kam67:

In reply to a post by MHC:

Is this the "very capable network engineer" that is asking on the Ubiquiti forum about how to do what you want?

Hi MHC - can you provide me with a link for that post? Now you’ve got me a bit worried and very slightly paranoid 😂

As
Just a little odd ... asking for basically what you are after, so soon after your post:

https://community.ui.com/questions/2-ISPs-DSL-and-Mo...
[

/quote]




Unlikely as don’t have a Mobile (4G or 5G) router nor a DSL one. It will be the Virgin Media Cable connection and the FTTP one that will be used.

Furthermore, given he has such a glowing set of references - several of which I’ve checked and are people personally to me - it’s highly doubtful he’d need to ask a forum such basic questions about the UDM’s capabilities.

Edited by kam67 (Thu 23-Feb-23 14:44:12)

You do actually have a DSL connection even if it may not be one of your chosen two.

As I said, just odd coming at the same time, and he could have just tweaked the service types to disguise himself - often done.

In reply to a post by MHC:

You do actually have a DSL connection even if it may not be one of your chosen two.

As I said, just odd coming at the same time, and he could have just tweaked the service types to disguise himself - often done.

Sigh …. I guess time will tell. The proof the pudding (and all that).