Networks
How to ensure fast internet access in every room of your home.
B4RN's standard full fibre service delivers very high speed broadband, nominally 1 Gigabit/second (or 1000Mb/s) to the router, unlike many services the same speed is available as upload as well as download. However, it is up to you to get the best out of it and decide how to connect your personal devices to it, connections can either be wired or wireless e.g. Ethernet or WiFi
The Router has four Gigabit/second (1000 Megabit/second(Mb/s)) ethernet ports for plugging in wired connections and provides WiFi for wireless connections.
The page Wired Networks decribes the process of using ethernet cabling to distribute the service around your house and the benefits and issues it introduces, the page Wifi summarises what Wifi is and why it sometimes isn't as amazing as it should be.
Below is a table providing a brief summary of the pros and cons of the different network connection technologies.
Approach
Pros
Cons
Ethernet
* Guaranteed to get full speed service and scope for future 10Gb/s.
*Consistent high speed to a fixed point.
* Low material costs, cable 30p/metre, £3 for wall sockets, Simple network switch £25
* Can act as backhaul for Mesh WiFi.
* Network structures and management options are easier to apply than WiFi.
* Cabling existing property is time consuming.
* DIY skills or contract labour costs unavoidable.
* Cable positions are fixed.
* Changes/additions are time consuming.
* Risk of physical damage to embedded cables.
Powerline adaptors
* No new cabling around house needed.
* Simple to use and install.
*Moderate costs, start ~£30 for two.
*The remote adaptor can also have WiFi AP built in, start ~£50 for two
*"Through power" socket versions available
* Actual internet speed is typically in 10-100Mb/s range.
*Performance depends on household wiring standard so highly variable.
*After power cuts they don’t always reconnect to router/internet correctly.
Secondary Access Points- Wired
* A wired AP has access to the full Gb/s ethernet feed, improving potential performance of the WiFi it subsequently transmits.
* The wired AP can be a reconfigured second-hand router- a cheap/ reuse option.
* The wired AP can provide WiFi and also be an ethernet switch.
*Ethernet cable can also be used to provide power to the AP, particularly useful for externally mounted AP’s.
* If the wired AP is chosen correctly, it can achieve better WiFi speeds than the router WiFi, prices range start from £25 for a basic to £100+ for high specification units.
* Having a second WiFi SSID independent of the router can cause confusion for some householders.
* All the cons of installing ethernet cables.
* Configuration and Network management of the AP isn’t always turn-key and can require some user input to set up.
Mesh System
* A Mesh can maximise coverage and importantly generates a consistent single WiFi signal around the property.
* Additional Mesh points can be added to extend the area covered.
* Other than the first unit connecting to the router no additional cabling is essential in setting up a Mesh,
* Some Meshes allow ethernet to link the Backhaul connection to improve the overall performance.
* Typically using an App’s now means setting up a Mesh requires much less technical knowledge than an Access Point.
*Prices start from ~£50 and go to £2000+, but even the lower price systems can bring big improvements over just relying on Router WiFi.
* The WiFi speeds achieved by a dual and Tri band Mesh will still be limited by how well the Mesh units wirelessly link to one another. The same problem of thick walls etc exists. In this instance ethernet backhaul will improve the speeds.
* Each mesh unit requires a mains power point and a good location to link to others.
*The wireless link between units can fluctuate causing speed dropouts.