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Best Way to Extend Network (Cable, Bridge, Extenders)...

Hi All, go easy on me as this is my first post...

I have a Huawei B535 4G LTE Router (4 x LAN ports), which has to be placed in the furthest point away from where I need connectivity, due to it obtaining the best mobile signal.

I want to connect my TV/Netflix and office computers to this router, which is approx 50m away. My house has thick stone walls and wi-fi tends not to travel well.

Whilst I could lay network cable directly from the router to each device, this would require some major planning (old house).

I've read of people using a bridge, attaching a cabled router and using this as an access point. The problem here, is the devices I want to connect are in two different rooms, with thick stone walls dividing them.

Living in a rural area, having put up with 5-7mbs broadband for years, utopia for me would be to cover my property in the new 20mbs 4G broadband the Huawei delivers, providing both hard-wired and wireless connections throughout.

What's the best way to approach this, please?
 
sounds like cabling would be your best bet, wireless is great and all but can be impacted by walls sometimes, cabling would likely mean less speed loss.
 
You could try powerline adapters. In most situations I've used them they can reliably push about 100mbps which should be fine for the speeds you're getting. Depends on your home's wiring though and the length of it.
 
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Does the Huawei B535 4G LTE Router have the capability of using an external antenna?

If so move the Huawei B535 4G LTE Router to where you need it and add external antenna.

Plan B
Having tried power cubes in a modern house without much success I use a mesh (BT ones). Coverage is pretty good, and one mesh is physically connected to the tv, the other end to the router.

If you get a mesh, avoid the ones that try to become your router, the BT ones don't do that, think of them as Point to Point microwave links.

Two of these each side of the very thick wall may work, did it in the past between two properties with 900mm Stone walls with a AP device (mesh devices were not around then)
 
One means that is becoming increasingly popular (though a little ugly) is to run ethernet cables around the outside of the house, and then have an access point at the location where you need to connectivity.
 
Running ethernet cables around your house is the way forward, but you wouldn't run them outside your house, you would run them through the walls, it's pretty easy to do (guides on YouTube) and looks professional when done and will help your situation for any hard wired devices and access points.
 
Ethernet cables can be run outside your house if run in conduit or using exterior grade cable. Powerline adapters would be an alternative method.
 
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If you're topping out at 20Mbps and don't need faster speeds between devices, you'd be better off sticking to wifi rather than running cables everywhere as it's a lot of work and you possibly won't need the performance.

Suggest picking up a set of 3 Eero Pro access points from Amazon (https://amzn.to/3luuNUk) - plug one into your router and see where that gets you to in terms of wifi strength. Then add the second two units somewhere suitably in range of the base and that will probably solve your wifi problems.

Based on your description you may be best off trying to run an ethernet cable from your 4G router to a more useful location for the first Eero unit but after that, they may be enough to solve your issues. Could also potentially use a powerline bridge between the 4G router and Eero rather than running ethernet.

Of course with Amazon there's nothing to loose - buy the kit, give it a go and if not sufficient... well, return!
 
If you want to future proof your house, run cables. Wifi or another method might suffice now but not in the future, plan long, not short.
 
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Whilst I could lay network cable directly from the router to each device, this would require some major planning (old house).
Ethernet is absolutely the best way. Think outside the box when running cables, literally. Go out the wall and around the outside, or up into the loft. 6mm holes if you do your own terminations.

Forgive this cut/paste from elsewhere....

A cheap and simple ethernet cable is so very much more powerful than any wifi can hope to be. Not just in terms of sheer speed and low ping times, in terms of reliability.

If you go for it, don't think in terms of connecting A & B, because you'll probably want C to F quite quickly afterwards.


Plan the centre of your network somewhere most convenient for cable runs. It's important to remember that your router is not the centre of your network.
The centre is best to be somewhere where other services already connect. Consider the airing cupboard, your elec consumer unit, an alarm box, a point in the loft.
This is where you place an ethernet switch (or a ethernet hub, same sort of device but less powerful), and all your ethernet network cables converge at this point and plug into the switch.

If you think of your LAN as a carriage wheel, the switch is the centre and each device is on the end a spoke. Including the internet router, it is at the end of a spoke just like any other device.

For Wifi, the best results are achieved by adding ethernet connected Access Points (mesh is inferior). You can position access points around the house, ceiling mounted and powered over the ethernet (just one 6mm hole for both connection and power).
Check out TPLink Omada EAP range.

I despise powerline adapters and all their ilk. It's a truckload of technical complexity that only exists because people are terrified of drilling 6mm holes.

This is the principle. Something that "works" and it saved me drilling a hole to do it properly, so it's all good.....;)
funny-plumber-bathroom-fixes-dumpaday-6.jpg




Also the copper in your mains cabling is directly connected with other premises in your street. Many reports of this not being an issue are only true in the USA, where each premises has a 110v transformer. If you must use these hideous things, make sure you change the passwords to something strong.
 
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