Advice needed

action_paul

Hello,

currently with Virgin, they are the only option for fast broadband, they know this and have increased prices year after year and am now paying €68.50 for 360Mb, the Wifi from the supplied router is bad so put it in bridge mode and got a Asus RT-AC68C, the house now has excellent Wifi, the problem now is that I'm moving house and don't know which provider to choose.

Apparently the new house can get Virgin, Eir, Vodafone and Sky.

I'm assuming that all the provided routers are not the best with weak Wifi all over the house and will need to be replaced and this is where I get lost

I know that the Virgin router can be put in bridge mode, but going with them after they fleeced me for years is off putting. Can the 1Gb router be put in bridge mode, has it already got good Wifi coverage with no need to replace?

Can the Vodafone Gigabox be put into bridge mode? My friend has it and has issues with Xbox and closed NAT when he and his son both try play online together on 2 consoles, will this be a issue in bridge mode?  

With Sky you can't put the router into bridge mode and are stuck with it and weak Wifi? 

Will getting the multi room TV package with the extra box create Mesh network with decent Wifi speed and coverage over the house?

Can the Eir route be put into bridge mode?

I see posts her about completely ditching the supplied router and going with your own, am i correct that you must use the Virgin and Sky supplied router but you can replace the Vodafone and Eir ones?

If I was to replace the supplied router could something like the Google Nest Wifi Pro be what I'm looking at to get, plug the connecting in, input settings and have good Wifi?  

Thanks in advance for any advice.

dub45

Have you ever asked VM for a deal?

smuggler.ie

If WiFi is so important, consider getting dedicated WiFi AP. Can recommend Aruba "Instant ON" or Ubi. You will have full control over it independently from you ISP, i hazard to state - better coverage

pizzahead77

With Vodafone.Sky etc are able to get FTTH or is it just VDSL?

If its FTTH and you are not going with phone with any of them, you can get rid of the their router and replace it with your own. But this won't work if you have phone with them.

You can actually do it with VDSL as well but you'd need to get a VDSL modem/route rather than the ASUS route you have at the moment. Same caveat with it not working with phone service.

action_paul

Have you ever asked VM for a deal?

Yes multiple times, same with other residents in area, Virgin know it either them or dial up internet, they wont budge on price.

If WiFi is so important, consider getting dedicated WiFi AP.

With Vodafone.Sky etc are able to get FTTH or is it just VDSL?

I wont be moving for a month, just checked to see what service is available at new address and am trying to get the best solution ready so can order it day 1 of the move, i don't know if its FTTH or VDSL, but guess that as 1Gb is available it is fiber?

So with Siro broadband I can ditch the provided router/modem and use my own, but not the case with Virgin or Eir?

No need for phone line so Siro with my own Router/modem probable the best solution for good Wifi all over the house, so that would be Vodafone or Sky?

I would avoid Vodafone. Their customer service is almost non-existent and their website is horrible to deal with.

I have TV with Sky and have nothing bad to say about them.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058291596/advice-needed

It is a mistake to replace one hub with a "better one" to solve WiFi problems. Most homes need more than one WiFi AP to ensure seamless WiFi throughout. A typical home will require 2-3 APs. Ideally the APs should be wired back to the router, but there are good wireless Mesh systems that work also. Some ISPs such as Eir have their own mesh systems (eg Eir Smart WiFi hub), which work with their own hub, so you need one less than if you go with a 3rd party mesh system. If you go with a 3rd party mesh, you should switch off WiFi in your ISP hub, and overlay it with a 3rd party AP. The hub can still function as the router, firewall (and modem if necessary). If you have wiring, I would recommend Ubiquiti Unifi, as these can be powered over Ethernet cabling using POE. If you don't have wiring, I would recommend TP-Link Deco series. I don't recommend Google Nest WiFi, as they don't like being dumb APs, and you can have problems if you introduce more routers into your network. You don't need to put your ISP hub in bridge mode if using additional APs. Bridge mode introduces too great a risk that someone will plug an Ethernet cable into the ISB hub and bypass the firewall. If you stick with the ISP hub, it should also receive security patches and can be accessed by customer-care if they need access to your network, and voice will work properly.

Eir router can be put in Bridge mode, but as mentioned above I don't recommend Bridge mode. You will likely save a fortune with eir - their TV is only €9.99 in-bundle, and they don't advertise it, but you can do multi-room without paying any additional monthly fee. (you just need to buy additional Apple TV boxes, instead of renting). You can also add mobile 5G unlimited SIM-only to your plan for €9.99pm each. You also get Amazon Prime TV for free. Just remember to call them before your contract is up, and renegotiate the deal, but this applies to all providers.