Advice needed: Simple, effective network coverage throughout home for elderly parents

[functionalCircus]

Hi,

I need some advice.

I have an FTTH service (Rocketnet.) at my parents' house. My router / wifi / extender setup is generally incredibly janky and the coverage throughout the house iis substandard. The extenders and / or router often need to be restarted for things to work properly again.

My parents are elderly and I am leaving SA on a more or less permanent basis soon, which means I need to come up with a simple and effective solution that won't require them having to learn much about new devices and that will eliminate the bad coverage / restarting of access points issue we currently have.

Currently I'm thinking to run physical cables through the house from the main router. There is so much to be done before I leave that I'm also really trying not to break the bank. I just don't know the first thing about networking. Does anybody have advice for me on the simplest way to do this for old people who can't be bothered and just want to have their Netflix working at the front of their house? My mom also carries her iPad all over the house and it needs to be connected to the internet at all times, I'm also going to get her a simple little notebook to use that will need constant connectivity also. It is a biggish house but one level only. Any advice on cable / extender placement? How do I get everything on the same SSID?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[solz]

Don't know hat your router make is so not sure why it needs to be rebooted every now and then.

I use a microtik router and don't need o restart that thing. Loadshedding seems to do it for me now lately. Now I covered our place with two unifi ac pro aps that cover a big house then added one outside but still looking to upgrade to pro also but using lite version in braai area.

So do believe seeing you not after speedo just get 2 or 3 unifi ac lr aps and should cover single story house.

So they should all be connected to a poe switch doesn't have to be ubiquity, I'm using a 24port net gear poe switch. Then that switch straight to your router.
Out tvs are not connected via cable wifi works well on them.

 

[Scrooloose]

I bought TP-Link Deco for our house 2 years ago and it has been fantastic. I've also helped someone to install the Tenda Nova mesh system about a year back, which has also been sterling.

For our home, I went the ethernet backhaul route because of all the corners and so forth. I feel like it was a good decision. It's only point-to-point after all.

Coupled with battery backup by way of Sherlo 3.2A power supplies I've had uninterrupted internet service, barring only when the Vuma line drops.

Parents also have the Deco and they've been really pleased with it.

 

[souljazk]

"The extenders and / or router often need to be restarted for things to work properly again."

Router or router PSU is prob giving in. Extenders - throw them away. Utter k@k.

A Mikrotik HAP AC2 , HAP AC3 or HAP AX2 will probably do the job well if the router is placed as central in the house as possible. Also backup the routers config 2x, then update its firmware and reboot. Same for Extenders. See if issue persists.

Install WifiMAN by Ubiquiti, on your phone, it has a Wifi heatmap. Please post the map here.

 

[crissza]

I have personally sold the Tenda Nova Mesh APs, MW3, is the entry level stuff. Works flawlessly. And is quite cost effective compared to other mesh products. Also super easy to setup.

 

[TRINITRON]

Ubiquiti UniFi APs

(and they pop up on carbs often)

 

[Sunshine]

TP Link Deco is great stuff. You can also manage it via the app from wherever you are

 

[Adagio_Leopard]

Don't know hat your router make is so not sure why it needs to be rebooted every now and then.

I use a microtik router and don't need o restart that thing. Loadshedding seems to do it for me now lately. Now I covered our place with two unifi ac pro aps that cover a big house then added one outside but still looking to upgrade to pro also but using lite version in braai area.

So do believe seeing you not after speedo just get 2 or 3 unifi ac lr aps and should cover single story house.

So they should all be connected to a poe switch doesn't have to be ubiquity, I'm using a 24port net gear poe switch. Then that switch straight to your router.
Out tvs are not connected via cable wifi works well on them.

I second the Mikrotik thing. A hAP AC Lite(MikroTik hAP ac Lite Dual Band 5 Port Ethernet WiFi Router | RB952Ui-5ac2nD TL;DR R975) running CAPsMAN And a few hAP Minis(MikroTik hAP Mini 2.4GHz 1.5dBi 3 Port Ethernet WiFi Router | RB931-2nD TL;DR: R450) in key locations
That way the same SSID is everywhere.
And you can remote in and sort out stuff if you wanted.
Also setting up a ping watchdog so it reboots itself when it can't ping each other.

I have had uptimes of more than 6 months without a single hickup.
When Mikrotik works, it works.

 

[RRR]

hi do you have intermediate IT or Cli knowledge?

i have 2 Ciscos access Points dirt cheap

 

[SpaceWalker]

hi do you have intermediate IT or Cli knowledge?

i have 2 Ciscos access Points dirt cheap