Is it possible to connect hg633 to my talk talk hub as a wireless extender?

[Cptredeye]

Hi, I have an old hg633 router that I would like to use as a wireless extender so that I can get access to my cars android mirror with cameras.  Where my car is parked it is too far for the router to have a connection and I would like to be able to access it from the front room so that I can easily view the cameras and download any footage I require from the front room rather than have to go to the car and do it from my mobile phone.  I also have so e other WiFi security cameras that it would be helpful to be able to have a stronger WiFi signal for.

I do also have a spare WiFi hub but was first wanting to try with the hg633.  If anyone can tell me if and how I can use either as a WiFi extender without cables that would be great.

Is it a case of having to set some static routing or is it not possible with the routers I have?

Any info would be great.

Thanks for your time,

Terry

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

As advised, this is the most recent version of firmware.

Thanks

[KeithFrench]

V174 is the latest firmware anyway.

[Cptredeye]

Scrap that. I do have the WiFi mesh option.. I was just looking in the wrong place .. silly me.

[Cptredeye]

Yea I realised that after logging into the router.. I'm not sure which one is the firmware version tbh. I'm guessing the hardware version?

Hardware VersionSoftware VersionGUI Version

FAST5364 3.00

SG4K100174

5.100.1

[KeithFrench]

Only TalkTalk can update firmware, not you. What version do you have currently?

[Cptredeye]

Ok thanks for that.. I think I must need to update my firmware as when I was in the router setup page yesterday I didn't notice anything about mesh in the settings.. I will have a look and try and update it. Worth doing before any of the boosters arrive I guess so I can just get straight on with it when I'm ready to use them.

Thanks for your advice and help.

[KeithFrench]

First of all, your router must be running a minimum firmware of V158, if it is older, then it must be upgraded first. After the upgrade under the  2.4 or 5GHz advanced configuration within the router, there is a new Wi-Fi Mesh tab.

Yes, they connect via WPS, don't forget to make sure WPS is enabled first. A lot of people, disable it to mitigate the security risk. Once connected initially to the router, leave them like that for about 15 mins for their firmware to update (ends in .920). See the Extenders sub-tab of the WiFi-Mesh tab.

They use the same SSID as the router, there can be problems if the SSID is different for each band. Using both boosters together is not an issue, but their connection topology will depend on their locations & reception. They may be connected in a straight line or a star etc. 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello,

Thanks for the update. I've included a help guide below which has more information.

Setting up and positioning your Wi-Fi Booster - TalkTalk Help & Support

Thanks

[Cptredeye]

I contacted talktalk again today as a follow up and asked if a decision had been made on the WiFi booster being sent free.. I was told they could see that I declined the WiFi booster yesterday.  I explained I hadn't and that I just wasn't happy to pay £30 for it when my house should be covered by wifi anyway.

The advisor said they would speak to the supervisor and see if I could get it free and said I can have it free because of my loyalty and on time payments but a delivery charge of £10 would apply.  I asked If that could be reduced and they agreed to send it for free with no delivery charge.

I now holave a booster coming from talktalk for free and I purchased one from eBay for £7 so I'm hoping that I can connect them both with no issues.

Is it just a case of putting them near the router and connecting them with the WPS buttons and then relocating them to where I want my WiFi to be improved? 

Will the SSID be the same as my current router so that devices will connect to whatever device gives the best WiFi signal?  I have some solar WiFi cameras installed which could be on a stronger signal as well as my car not being able to get a signal at all with my WiFi so I'm hoping to put one upstairs so that my lodger and cameras will get a better connection and one at the rear of the property so that my car android mirror can connect and get a decent WiFi signal do I'm able to access the cameras on my car as well.

Any info on how I should proceed to set the boosters up when they arrive would be great.

Thanks for your help in getting the best boosters for my router. I'm pretty happy to get 2 for the price it would if cost me for 1 ethernet cable to reach the rear of the property.

Terry

[Cptredeye]

Well I contacted talk talk and spent 2 hours in chat with them. Initially they said there would be a £30 charge for the WiFi booster which I didn't really want to pay considering I found one on eBay for £8 new in the box...

I got transferred to a different department with assurance they will be able to help me get it for free... Well an hour later and he basically told me to upgrade my service to the newer router etc.. I said my current router was supposed to cover my entire home which is why I was given it and he tried to say that yes it would of covered it when I was given it but now that there is a new router and service it will not cover my entire home... Lol it made no sense to me as that's like saying now we have a new service available, your old router will no longer work as it should and you now need to buy the new one so that you can have coverage that you were supposed to have anyway...

I said I won't upgrade my service and won't pay £30 for the WiFi booster and after some time he agreed to try and ask for a booster to be sent to me for free and I will get notified of the decision.

In the meantime I have ordered the one from eBay as the seller sent me an offer of £7 so I couldn't really say no. It's cheaper and preferable to using a long ethernet cable and Im assuming if talk talk decide to send me one in the end then I can use them both in different locations to give a stronger signal in parts of the home where it is weakest.

Just have to wait now for it to arrive I guess.

So yea the standard price talk talk are charging is £30 for the WiFi booster.

[Cptredeye]

Thanks. I will try and contact them and see how I get on. My mum has the newer error setup which has a couple of those nodes.. I'm assuming it works the same as that but maybe without the app to make it easy to see what's happening. 

[KeithFrench]

Hi @Cptredeye 

That is the hub that I hoped you would say that you had!

This is my suggestion then. Contact the TalkTalk Loyalty dept and see about the price of a new product, the Sagemcom FAST266 Wi-Fi Booster. This is one part that I do not know, as they are not as yet on general sale.

Let me explain what this does and you can decide if it is what you want or not.

When used with the 5364 router, it creates a mesh network, so as the 5364 & the 266 are each nodes on the same Mesh network. This becomes a tri-band mesh where the connection between the two units is via a 5GHz WiFi backhaul connection. The 266 even supports WiFi 6  (802.11ax) connections to it (devices connecting to the 5364 remain at WiFi 5 (802.11ac) or lower). So long as the two units are in range with one & other for the 5GHz backhaul connection all should be fine.

I have tested this mesh network for some time now and am very impressed with it. If you do go for it, I can offer extensive help.

[Cptredeye]

I have the WiFi hub device ver: fast 5364-3. T8.  I also have. A spare one of the same router which I was hoping to be able to connect wirelessly but seems that may not be an option unfortunately.  I was hoping it was just a case of having to set up some static routing but I have lime zero networking knowledge so I was being hopeful I guess. Lol 

[KeithFrench]

Beware of cheap WiFi extenders/repeaters. Repeaters connect back to the router via the router's Wi-Fi, whereas an extender connects back via Ethernet cable or powerline technology to a LAN port on the router. The repeater needs to be sited in a good position to receive a decent WiFi signal from the router, which may mean it still cannot reach the area you require. In addition to this, the repeater broadcasts out a fresh copy of the Wi-Fi signal in all directions, including back to the router. A repeater normally uses the same Wi-Fi channel as the router and this can cause the router's Wi-Fi signal to be cancelled out, leaving the repeater with no connection to the router. In addition to this, a repeater can cut your download & upload speeds by 50%, because the repeater has to serve both the router and the device.

A much better approach is to use a true Extender, which as you say may not be an option. However, there may be an option that will suit you much better. Which Wi-Fi hub do you have (make & model please), this will decide if my alternative solution will work for you.

[Cptredeye]

Ah thanks for the info.  That's a shame. I was hoping not to have to use a cable as could do without it running through the house..

I have a friend who works with hospital networks and he seemed to think he had the 2 routers I'm talking about running wirelessly as I wanted and was going to try and help me but I haven't had a chance to speak to him properly about it since.  Maybe my easiest option is to use a WiFi extender as tbh my house is old and I'm not sure if the powerline adapters would work if the plugs are on a different circuit . I'm assuming they would need to be on the same circuit anyway..

Either that or find a router that would allow me to do what I want. Whatever way I want to use it seems I will have to spend some money to achieve it. Might see how much I can get a cheap 30m ethernet cable just to see if it works but can get a cheap WiFi extender for around a £10 I think.

[KeithFrench]

How do you plan to connect these routers together? They will not connect to one & another via wireless, as neither are WiFi clients. The only way to connect them is via their ethernet ports. This can be via a direct cable or powerline adapters.