Mesh systems that work with talk talk

[mockingbird43]

been looking at changing my whole system due to poor speeds on my wi-fi through the house and have been looking at the eero pro 6e which i know will work with the talk talk system but also been looking at the linksys velop tri band mesh system! and the netgear orbi system

my questions are will the velop/orbi system work with talk talk 

and does the system need a router regardless of which system i employ!

also will my voip service work through using these systems or will it have to be plugged into a talk talk router 

just asking questions as i know the forum is a font of knowledge when it comes top add ons.

[Mandisa-TT]

Hi @mockingbird43 let us know if you still need assistance.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @mockingbird43 

Here are a few technical specifications, but I am a bit busy with technical quests of my own currently.

Hub 3

The Hub 3 is confusing, as there are currently two versions of it. TalkTalk are currently using up some stocks of an older version, so I am told & then it will be the new version only.

They both run the same firmware and have the same functionality, but the hardware is very slightly different. The main thing in the new version is a switch to toggle all WiFi on or off. It also has the status light underneath the router, which reflects down onto the surface it stands on. Some people have said it is not as clear to see as the older version, which has it on the front. The status light has probably been changed to match the FAST266 version 2 (version 1 was discontinued a while back & is no longer available).

The Hub 3 is a Wi-Fi 6 device (802.11ax) offering link speeds definitely up to 1200Mbps on the 5GHz band and as Wi-Fi 6 works on the 2.4GHz band as well, this offers data link speeds of up to 574Mbps (if no WiFi interference & excellent signal strength). It will support connections up to 2402Mbps on the 5GHz band if 160MHz channel bandwidth is used. For this to work, WiFi clients must support this rate as well (your WiFi card in your PC does). However, there is a catch with 160MHz channel width, nothing to do with the Hub 3 or your Wi-Fi card. Using 160 MHz requires a very clean RF spectrum — a wide contiguous block without DFS radar activity or interference. In practice, many routers, extenders or mesh systems will fall back to 80MHz if the full 160MHz range is not available due to DFS restrictions, regulatory domain limits, or interference. Currently, this means that it is very unlikely to work in the 5GHz Wi-Fi band, as all 160MHz channels cross into the DFS channel range (52 - 140), only the 6GHz band with Wi-Fi 6E or later can be used. However, with a FF500 package, the 1201Mbps data link rate, if achieved, will be fine.

It has four 1Gbps Ethernet connections.

FAST266 Wi-Fi Booster

This has the same WiFi specification as the Hub 3 - Wi-Fi 6 and has two 1Gbps Ethernet ports. The default shared backhaul connection between the 266 & Hub 3 (or the Sagemcom Hubs 1 & 2 before it), uses the 5GHz Wi-Fi band. It also supports a dedicated backhaul connection over Ethernet, but this will use up one Ethernet port on each of the FAST266 & Hub 3 to support this.

Summary

I can go on even more if you want, but I feel it will bore you, so I shall refrain from doing so for now.

You do have  Wi-Fi Hub 3 yourself. Have you actually tried it? Other customers who have tried it have been very pleased with the Wi-Fi coverage of it, even without a FAST266, such as @GerryMac.

I did say that I have produced two very comprehensive guides covering the Hub 3 and the FAST266, if you want copies.

Please do not refer to me as only having a slight knowledge of these two products. I have tested these products in great depth, including very extensive firmware bug testing, but the results of which are confidential between TalkTalk & myself. I have tried to answer every question of yours in the past that you have raised & will continue to do so with any new enquiry that you might have.

[mockingbird43]

Once again keith thank you firstly for your courtesy, secondly i would love to have a look through the comprehensive guides that you have produced to help customers make informed decisions on ways forward with hardware!

i look forward to further communications on this matter, thank you for your time.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @mockingbird43 

I would also state that I have way beyond the "slightest idea about hardware and its capabilities", because I have thoroughly tested these. I have maybe been a bit low on exact technical details, because so many times I have gone into great technical details, only to get a reply from people like "I didn't understand a word about this".

I also have very comprehensive guides to both the Hub 3 and the FAST266, both of which are totally my own work. I can share these with you if you want.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @mockingbird43 

I thought I had given you a lot of advice & help over two threads. If that is lacking at all, you only have to ask, as there is more I can give, but it will get technical.

Please note in my previous post, the booster is called a FAST 266, not a 566.

[mandisa1-TT]

Thank you so much for the support @KeithFrench and @Divsec 

Hi there @mockingbird43 I would advise please contact the full fibre team directly on the number provided above, for further assistance.

[ferguson]

I beg your pardon. And I believe as you do that Keith has answered as best he can. But beyond TalkTalk supplied equipment it is impossible to give anything other than hearsay advice. You mentioned Velop earlier so I quickly had a Google and found this, check out the AI answer, I am not sure what more you expect of us here? And certainly not staff. 

[mockingbird43]

I’m still waiting for advice on talk talk products I’ve asked questions about the sagemcom router which doesn’t even seem to be the newest version ! I’ve asked questions about the 566 add on ! And its speeds both wired and wireless ? Absolutely nothing ! Radio silence ! Not even a link to a pdf file of the sagemcom router and yes I’m happy seeking advice elsewhere due to the lack of good information from people who find it necessary to interject with remarks like go elsewhere for advice ? When you can answer questions about talk talks own products maybe I will treat communications with more credibility ! Only seems like Keith who has the slightest idea about hardware and its capabilities even staff members pass questions along to teams in the end of a phone that fib customers off ! 

[ferguson]

TalkTalk provide a mesh system with the Hub 3. If you want to explore other third-party devices then feel free to do so, but you will need to look elsewhere for advice.

[mockingbird43]

or perhaps use the sagemcom v 3 router in bridge mode and conect a mesh system to that !

I have already asked which mesh systems can be used with the talk talk system but alas nobody has given me any definative answer. 

my son is waiting for a cat 6 a cable to be delivered so he can test a wired back haul to see if that improves as at present the eeros are simply not up to the task as we have discussed at great length! 

Can you please elaborate 3rd part router compliance and what units are compliant? 

Ive looked all over the internet trying to find data and information about the fast sagemcom products but cant find any in depth litterature anywhere .

[KeithFrench]

Hi @mockingbird43 

The first node in a mesh network is the gateway, which includes the routing functions needed to allow any devices to access the internet. Only when combined with one or more extender nodes is a mesh network created.

I have never used anything other than the TalkTalk provided mesh networks, as you know, that is the eero & Sagemcom ones. By the way, the Sagemcom booster that combines with the Hub 3 or similar to form a mesh is the FAST266.

To use any other mesh with a TalkTalk package, where its gateway node connects directly to the ONT, it must be fully compliant with TalkTalk's Full Fibre network.

[nambuso-TT]

Hi there @mockingbird43. Looking into your account I can see that you are a future fibre customer and please contact them directly using the below number so that they will look into this for you.

Contact Number: 03451720074  

Opening Hours: 

VOICE - Mon-Fri: 9am-7pm; Sat: 9am-6pm; Sun: closed

WEB MESSAGING - Mon-Fri: 8am-9pm; Sat: 8am-7pm; Sun: 9am-7pm

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/FutureFibre/bd-p/FutureFibre

[Divsec]

Hi @mockingbird43 sorry you are unwell, get well soon. Keith has more experience than I will ever have so I would be led by him.

On my home setup (35 down 10 up) fibre to the cabinet, I have from the wall a sagemcom modem router, for mesh I have tp link deco P9 x 3, in  Access point mode attached by ethernet cable to one unit and the remaining 2 are meshed.

Works perfectly on my basic speeds. 

[mockingbird43]

currently still have a pair of eero 6,s which im using with the new 500 voip service i also have a new sagemcom router sent as part of the upgrade. Not had chance to test everything yet as been unwell. I have spoken at great lenth with keith french who has given me lots of great information as to the options including sagemcom and its mesh extender the fast 566! im not even sure if i actually need a router or will the mesh systems first node be set as a router. whilst im home convalescing i wanted to look into the possibilities.

[Divsec]

Hi @mockingbird43 great question, what system, router etc. do you have now and what would you consider holding on to?