New Full Fibre installation - where to site the router?

[#1]

Soon we will have full fibre and need to decide where the router is sited. Our house was built with phone points in several rooms and what worked best for us was to site our hub1 in an upstairs bedroom up high on a shelf where there was line of sight with garden buildings with the router through the window. So first question is do we have to have the hub2 installed in the hall at the front of the house or can it be sited where the hub1 currently is?

Second question, we have a lot of devices that hog the 2.4ghz band and use the 5.0ghz band for phones and tablets, do we still need to run the WiFi as previous?

Now to what if, if we have to site the router in the hall and don’t have sufficient WiFi coverage in our garden buildings what is the best way to achieve the WiFi coverage that we need?

[#2]

@Nokonium 

The router connects to the Optical Network Terminator (ONT) via an Ethernet cable so it can go where ever you're happy to run cable (cat 5e or 6).

The ONT (about the size of a Master Socket) is placed on an inside wall within a metre of a power socket. A good installer will work with on on location of the ONT so long as it's feasable.

As to WiFi setup you need to wait until you've got FTTP up and running to see what coverage is like. The supplied Hub2 doesn't allow for splitting the 2.5 and 5 bands.

Brian

[#3]

Thanks Brian.

The WiFi issue is concerning, we have 8 Sonos speakers, three Echo Dots, four smart TV’s and seven smart sockets/bulbs which all use the 2.4. It was Sonos technical assistance that suggested splitting the bands because of problems that we were having. When discussing our contract options with Plusnet we were told that the WiFi would be better than with a Hub 1, will a Hub 2 have the ability to handle all the above as well as the two phones and two iPads that are currently connecting to the 5 band?

[#4]

@Nokonium 

By all accounts WiFi is better on the Hub2 (it's a re-badged BT SmartHub2 with firmware modifications).

Does you current Hub1 have a RED WAN port on the back. If so, you could continue using it.

PN have always been happy for customers to use their own equipment so you could always consider spending a few quip to get a router which serves your needs. I'm not technical enough to offer suggestions. I've been happily using a Hub1 on FTTP for several years. It does for me.

Brian

[#5]

I guess in terms of getting adequate wi-fi coverage you have 3 options:

1. Wired network install with various WAPs (Wireless Access Points) and network points wherever you need them. This is by far the best option in terms of the end result: fast, reliable and steady connection in even the most inaccessible locations however this is also the most expensive and messiest option depending on the type of house you live in. It could cost you from around £500 to £2k or more.

2. Wireless Mesh System. e.g. BT Discs. Clean, wireless free install. Should provide good wi-fi coverage throughout all areas of your house. Cost - £200 to £400 depending on how many discs you need.

3. Powerline Adapters. e.g. Devolo. These use the electrical circuit in your home to carry your broadband connection to wherever there in an electrical outlet to plug in the adapter. Cost - £200 for 3 or 4 adapters.

I've never tried the mesh system so can't comment on how effective they are. I used the Powerline adapters for a while but they were a bit hit and miss so eventually went for the network install, a bit messy and expensive but worth it in the long run.   

[#6]

Thank you for your responses. Following up on them I decided needed to talk to PN techies, they confirm that at present you cannot split the two frequencies, however I have PN’s assurance that the Hub 2 WiFi is very different to Hub 1’s. Hub 2 will easily cope with all my other smart devices and I will still be able to run my Sonos.net as I currently do (we love audio books and send output to whatever speaker combination is appropriate). I have been assured that my powerline devices will work as well with Hub 2 as they did  with Hub 1 (have a rebroadcasting device in our Train Shed, OO gauge layout, that is out of range of the WiFi because it is on the south side of the house and cannot pick up the Hub 1 signal. Time will tell.