One Modem with many routers around the house?

[DomDom97]

I'd like to apologize and thank everyone who replies in advance. I'm not the best at networking so excuse me if i say something that's just wrong or if i ask stupid questions.

My Situation:
About to move into a newly built home. That means that there is cat cables all through the walls with jacks everywhere. In the basement there is a 'techroom' where there is a switch for all these cat cables around the house. I'd like to make use of this amazing setup.

My idea:
Have 1 modem sitting with the switch which then sends the internet to routers which are spread around the house via the cat cables in the walls, which have the same SSID and Password so it looks like one big signal to the device and you have next to no dropouts.

My Problem:
Is there a product or a way to combo multiple products to achieve this? I can't really think of any i know that do this. Since the walls are kinda thick, id like to stay away from repeaters. I know that most devices are sticky when it comes to multiple access points and would rather stay on the same one with a bad signal rather than moving to the open better one. Is there a way to also solve that?

Thanks to anyone able to help with this 😀

 

[Alabalcho]

You're forgetting a base rule of home Internet: One modem, one router behind it. Behind the router, you can have multiple APs (Access Points), even with same SSID, you can have even many sub-routers (and you are asking for troubles here).

On your question about "transparent" SSIDs: Not with home-grade equipment.

 

[USAFRet]

Your "idea" is flawed.

The modem talks to one and only one device. A router.

You can have multiple things called 'routers', behind the primary router.
These things would be dumbed down to be just Access Points. Or, you just get Access Point devices.

 

[DomDom97]

Well good thing i said that i dont know much about networking...otherwise id look even more stupid now 😛

Anyway. So is there a way to then have multiple access points without disasters? The house is kinda big and have solid brick walls and it will be impossible to have a single device cover all of it. Im not too keen on using repeaters since the signal degradation is beyond all kinds of good i think.

 

[USAFRet]

Well good thing i said that i dont know much about networking...otherwise id look even more stupid now 😛

Anyway. So is there a way to then have multiple access points without disasters? The house is kinda big and have solid brick walls and it will be impossible to have a single device cover all of it. Im not too keen on using repeaters since the signal degradation is beyond all kinds of good i think.

ISP->modem->router->switch->multiple locations. Which can include hardwired devices or access points.

The ISP talks to one and only one device, the modem. The modem talks to one and only one device, the router.
Usually, your modem and router are in the same physical box.
But after that...a switch and all the cables to the rest of your house.

You CAN use a router, but you have to turn most of its functionality off, and let it be just an access point.
Or, just get access points.

The issue you will see though is handoff between devices as you move around. A PC or tablet does not like to give up on a current connection, even if there is a better one closer.
That's just the way it is with consumer grade hardware.


The other problem you have is the location for the "techroom". All too often this is in the basement, as your seems to be.
That is the absolute worst place to propagate the primary WiFi source.

But, since you have ethernet running all over, a couple of strategically placed WiFi sources (Access Points), and a couple of switches for hardwired things elsewhere should do the trick.

 

[DomDom97]

Well good thing i said that i dont know much about networking...otherwise id look even more stupid now 😛

Anyway. So is there a way to then have multiple access points without disasters? The house is kinda big and have solid brick walls and it will be impossible to have a single device cover all of it. Im not too keen on using repeaters since the signal degradation is beyond all kinds of good i think.

ISP->modem->router->switch->multiple locations. Which can include hardwired devices or access points.

The ISP talks to one and only one device, the modem. The modem talks to one and only one device, the router.
Usually, your modem and router are in the same physical box.
But after that...a switch and all the cables to the rest of your house.

You CAN use a router, but you have to turn most of its functionality off, and let it be just an access point.
Or, just get access points.

The issue you will see though is handoff between devices as you move around. A PC or tablet does not like to give up on a current connection, even if there is a better one closer.
That's just the way it is with consumer grade hardware.


The other problem you have is the location for the "techroom". All too often this is in the basement, as your seems to be.
That is the absolute worst place to propagate the primary WiFi source.

But, since you have ethernet running all over, a couple of strategically placed WiFi sources (Access Points), and a couple of switches for hardwired things elsewhere should do the trick.

Ok. So how would you say should i place them? So they overlap just a little or in key spots or what? What about many weak ones? Should give a more dense signal right?

Also as someone who clearly knows more about this stuff than i do, is there a brand or product range you could recommend for this task?

Thanks for all the help by the way. Much appreciated.

 

[USAFRet]

Ok. So how would you say should i place them? So they overlap just a little or in key spots or what? What about many weak ones? Should give a more dense signal right?

Also as someone who clearly knows more about this stuff than i do, is there a brand or product range you could recommend for this task?

Thanks for all the help by the way. Much appreciated.

Impossible to predict 'where' to place them. You're the only one with eyes on the house.
Start with a single Access Point, or router dumbed down to be an access point, in the center of the house.
On a smartphone or tablet, install a WiFi analyzer.
Walk around and see how the performance is, and where the weak spots are.

More is not always better.

But at my house, I can get a mostly usable signal at this distance:

Router on the first floor at the red dot, out to the end of the cul-de-sac.
Obviously no walls or anything, but TEST and determine before placing anything.



A brand? If I were needing some, I'd probably look in the Ubiquiti line.

 

[DomDom97]

Ok. So how would you say should i place them? So they overlap just a little or in key spots or what? What about many weak ones? Should give a more dense signal right?

Also as someone who clearly knows more about this stuff than i do, is there a brand or product range you could recommend for this task?

Thanks for all the help by the way. Much appreciated.

Impossible to predict 'where' to place them. You're the only one with eyes on the house.
Start with a single Access Point, or router dumbed down to be an access point, in the center of the house.
On a smartphone or tablet, install a WiFi analyzer.
Walk around and see how the performance is, and where the weak spots are.

More is not always better.

But at my house, I can get a mostly usable signal at this distance:

Router on the first floor at the red dot, out to the end of the cul-de-sac.
Obviously no walls or anything, but TEST and determine before placing anything.



A brand? If I were needing some, I'd probably look in the Ubiquiti line.

Ok.So i looked through Ubiquiti's product stack and do i understand this right. If i grab something like the UniFi AP AC Lite, all id really have to do is connect them to the wall sockets with a Modem&router down in the tech room. Set them up to get maximum coverage, set SSID and Pass and done?

Is that then the solution that you would recommend or is there some way better to network the house that i dont know about?

 

[USAFRet]

Ok.So i looked through Ubiquiti's product stack and do i understand this right. If i grab something like the UniFi AP AC Lite, all id really have to do is connect them to the wall sockets with a Modem&router down in the tech room. Set them up to get maximum coverage, set SSID and Pass and done?

Is that then the solution that you would recommend or is there some way better to network the house that i dont know about?

Yeah, pretty much. It accepts the signal via your house ethernet, and broadcasts WiFi at that location.

You already have wire all over.
You just need additional WiFi devices for coverage, and probably a couple of low cost switches for wired devices in remote locations. And the WiFi Access Points (the Ubiquiti) run off one of those switches.

 

[DomDom97]

Ok.So i looked through Ubiquiti's product stack and do i understand this right. If i grab something like the UniFi AP AC Lite, all id really have to do is connect them to the wall sockets with a Modem&router down in the tech room. Set them up to get maximum coverage, set SSID and Pass and done?

Is that then the solution that you would recommend or is there some way better to network the house that i dont know about?

Yeah, pretty much. It accepts the signal via your house ethernet, and broadcasts WiFi at that location.

You already have wire all over.
You just need additional WiFi devices for coverage, and probably a couple of low cost switches for wired devices in remote locations. And the WiFi Access Points (the Ubiquiti) run off one of those switches.

Alright. Awesome 😀 Thanks for all the help on this. I should be able to patch this together somehow. Worse case you`ll find another thread about this in about a month haha. Thanks

 

[Vmav]

You could look into mesh routing, it seems to be the closest to the solution you're looking for. EERO, Netgear, google, and quite a few more companies have started to introduce this technology for none corporate customers.