[SOLVED] best way to set up home LAN/wifi

[tommo2]

Hi, I've just joined.
We have been having a lot of issues lately with unable to connect to wifi, slow wifi etc. Our internet provider is installing a faster service in the next couple of weeks, but would like to upgrade my whole network to provide the best possible service.
My setup: Internet connected to netgear wireless router (router is 14 years old), have many phones, tablets, playstations, tv's connected to wifi. We recently hardwired the playstations to the router using RJ45 cables, the difference is very noticable.
Been reading up a lot online and they say that where possible we should hard wire as many devices to the router as possible. My house has cat 5e cables ran to every room, so I am planning to hard wire the TVs/playstations to the router to free up bandwidth on the wifi signal.
The router I have only has 4 lan connections, and I realise it is old so a newer one should provide a better service. I would need 6 hard wired lan connections, I have found a router that has 8 lan connections which would do, although it is expensive. So I am thinking I have 3 options:

1. Get a new router with 8 lan connections
2. Use a lan network switch either before or after my current wifi router to provide the hard wired connections.
3. Get a modern router with 3 or 4 lan connections and use a lan network switch either before or after it router to provide the hard wired connections.

I hope this makes sense. I dont mind spending money to get this right once and for all.
Thanks everyone.

 

[USAFRet]

The switch must come after the router.

ISP->modem/router->switch->devices

4 LAN ports on current routers is the norm. Add switches behind that, for more wired ports.

 

[tommo2]

Thanks for the reply USAfret!

So would any regular switch do, one like this:

https://www.vikingdirect.ie/en/tp-link-switch-tl-sg108-8-x-10-100-1000mbps-rj-45-p-4074998

And is there any benefit to changing my wifi router to a more modern one, or will hard wiring the tvs and playstations free up enough bandwidth to eliminate the issues I have been having lately.

Cheers

 

[USAFRet]

That switch will work just fine. I have 1 or 2 of the 5 port versions.

Given a 14 year old router (2005), it may make sense to upgrade for better WiFi.
Which particular device do you have?

But moving things OFF the WiFi and on to ethernet will also help.

 

[robert600]

So would any regular switch do, one like this:

https://www.vikingdirect.ie/en/tp-link-switch-tl-sg108-8-x-10-100-1000mbps-rj-45-p-4074998

Cheers

It's a small thing but ... personally I like Gb switches that give an indication (via the color of the led) of the connection speed of everything attached to the ports. It's very easy to have a cable that should be tranferring at 1000 actually only doing 100. Typically tp-link switches don't do that whereas dlink and netgear do.

 

[tommo2]

That switch will work just fine. I have 1 or 2 of the 5 port versions.

Given a 14 year old router (2005), it may make sense to upgrade for better WiFi.
Which particular device do you have?

But moving things OFF the WiFi and on to ethernet will also help.

its a netgear WPN824 v2

Always worked great until recently when we have added loads more devices.
So I guess i'll upgrade the router aswell. Any suggestions on which one, note that gaming etc will all be done on wired connections.

Appreciate all the help guys.

 

[USAFRet]

its a netgear WPN824 v2

Always worked great until recently when we have added loads more devices.
So I guess i'll upgrade the router aswell. Any suggestions on which one, note that gaming etc will all be done on wired connections.

Appreciate all the help guys.

Right.
802.11g.

2.5 generations behind.
Since, we've had 802.11n and ac. And the not quite yet here WiFi 6e.

 

[tommo2]

ok, so i guess i'll change the router aswell. I reckon a relatively cheap one will be ok, approx 100 euro?. ..Shouldn't need a "gamer"type with tri-band etc... or will I?
I don't mind spending money on a decent one if its needed, or at least future-proof things.

 

[bill001g]

"future proof" is almost a silly idea. People used to say that all the time when wifi6 first came out. Now only about 2 years later and just starting to be very common in cell phones it is outdated by wifi6e.

Pretty much if you can't use the feature fairly soon after you buy them you are likely to have wasted your money especially when you consider how fast the price drops.

If you see the word "gamer" on anything you need to run away fast. It in most cases means nothing. People have just learned that "new and improved" means little. They change the color of the bag of chips and put less in them and call that a "improvement". The gamer tag means about as much on network equipment.

The huge scam with most wifi gear is people forget that a router is only 1/2 the wifi connection. The end devices seldom support all the fancy features a router does. So the router may have the potential to do something but in actuallity it run no better than some average device. One example is router support things like 4x4 mimo but it is rare for a end device to have more than 2 antenna so you can't use more than 2x2

 

[tommo2]

good advice bill001g
So if I just get any half decent wireless router I should be fine?

 

[bill001g]

Look at the end devices you have and see what they support. In general most devices support what matches a router with a 1200 number. BUT there is almost no cost difference between a 1200 and a 1750 or even a 1900 number router in many cases.

 

[tommo2]

So I got it all sorted, thanks for all your help guys.
We got upgraded internet, changed the router to a nova mesh system. Got an 8-way ethernet switcher to connect all the playstations/tv's/satellite box etc.
The difference is amazing!
Much appreciated