New to EE, advice on extending wifi please

[Lacewing]

Hi I apologise in advance if I'm asking questions that are well covered already, I am severely ill/disabled with very limited strength/energy to read, so I'm unable to scan the threads as I'd like to. Also problems with my cognitive function that make mean i get confused. this msg has taken me hours to write. I'm so grateful for the patience of anyone who reads my ramble.

I need advice on whether I'm going to need some kind of wifi extender please, and how best to do that.

I am just joining EE coming from a part fibre connection on plusnet. I found the wifi reasonably ok with them with some intermittent slws/momentary drop outs, but liveable with.

I'm going full fibre ( i dont really want the massive (for me) hassle of an engineer's visit as I mainly bedbound, it will have to be the carer who lets them in etc), but I was told by plusnet that i need full fibre to keep my VoIP landline come January, so I signed up. I later discover that was incorrect but I honestly havent the energy to go back and sort it out, I feel overwhelmed by the whole thing! And it seems all the ISPs are going towards FullFibre nowadays so I guess I'll have to do it eventually. So am sticking with it))

So the engineer is booked to install it. I am going to be given the Full Fibre 74 core, and a Smart hub 7 Plus. I understand there are different kinds of routers on different Hz but i dont really understand all that. I was on 55 speed through FTTC (I think it's called) before, and was perfectly happy with what I had.

I just a bit worried about it getting any worse. So Iam trying to think ahead.

The router/OTC (I hope i using the correct terms), will need to go in the same place as the part fibre router is now, because it's a really tricky set up with my hall and stairs and the plug sockets, I just dont see how it could go anywhere else really.

So that will be ground floor on a table about 3m in from the outer wall, at one end of the house. 

House is rectanguar shape, brick internal walls and the furthest the signal needs to carry is up through a standard floor (just wood and plaster, and 2 or 3 (i cant quite work it out as it will be diagonal) interior walls.  Distance approx 11m

I realise there are no guarantees, but what are your thoughts on whether I will likely need some kind of wifi extender? and if so where on earth do i start choosing one... do EE sell them? All the terminology is all bit beyond me, tbh and I struggle to learn new stuff these days. So I'd be really grateful for any thoughts or pointers.

BTW in case it makes a difference, I already have an ethernet cable upstairs from a period about 10yrs ago when my wifi was really unreliable, (checked all the usual culprits - appliances/interference/changing channels etc but never did discover the cause and it resolved itself after a couple of yrs), but I really dont want to have to start plugging a cable into my laptop, or ending up using loads of mobile date to stream on my phone. I don't have any smart TVs or anything it's just my laptop and phone, and no one else in the house. But irritatingly my bedroom where i spend my entire life... is the furthest from the router!

Edited for sense

[XRaySpeX]

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@Lacewing wrote:

I was told by plusnet that i need full fibre to keep my VoIP landline come January, so I signed up. I later discover that was incorrect but I honestly havent the energy to go back and sort it out

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1st of all, you had to go for Full Fibre regardless of the landline. Even if partial Fibre was available there, ISPs won't now sell it to you when Full Fibre is present.

Full Fibre 74 Meg is only just faster than FTTC 55 Meg. So you won't really see much change there. I should just see how it goes at 1st before you can consider getting a WiFi Extender from EE (or elsewhere).

[JimM11 · Accepted solution]

@Lacewing Sorry to hear you are just not doing well so let's see the best way for you to tackle this......

You say that you have an Ethernet cable from the current hub position to the upstairs, so that may be a useful option, the problem with this is the NEW FF Full Fibre installation, do you think that the current hub position is going to be were OR will want to install the NEW ONT that is required for the Full Fibre..... If it can be installed and the Ethernet cable can reach were it's all going to be this is going to make the task a lot simpler for you, Now OR Open Reach like to have the ONT position on an outside wall, close to were the NEW Fibre enters the home close to a double Power socket so the ONT and the Hub can both be connected and operate, the landline phone will plug into the back off the Hub or if supplied what is called a DVA Digital Voice Adapter, this devices allows a landline phone to be a LITTLE distance away and connects to the Hub, will link that video so you can watch that.... Video for the phone side.... How to set up your Digital Home Phone - The EE Community

The final part is on your Ethernet Cable upstairs, Not sure how good the 7 Plus version of the Remote Extender is, and if you wish to go that route with additional cost of if EE will give you one, if so you plug the Ethernet cable into the unit and into the Hub, that will wire backhaul the two devices and give you remote wireless wifi signal on the Extender at the location as you say the cable runs to the Upstairs.... The cost i think is an additional £10 per month..... The other way is to outright purchase a Tp-Link RE Range Extender and use it in what is called AP mode of operation, these cost from £30 onwards so once you take a read post back and i will recommend a few to look at for you, there is NO need to go all singing all dancing as what you have just now working on you current Plusnet Connection as devices will possibly be older and WiFi 5 speed types.....   Below an on the day what happens video.....

What to Expect During Your Openreach Full Fibre Installation