PC Tech Thread

I've never used any of the Airport stuff but assume it would do. The EdgeRouter is a bit more awkward to set up than a consumer one (and you'll need a PC/Mac with ethernet to start) but isn't too bad.

Edit: You will still need a modem with the EdgeRouter.

Has anyone any suggestions for something to back up hard-drives and restore them easily. I want to try a few different setups on one of my machines and want to be able to swap between them reasonably easily until I decide. OS's will be Ubuntu (server and full) and Windows so preferably something that can cope with that and ideally will allow backups to be restored to different sized HDDs.

OH FUCK ME.

That was kinda the question I was too scared to ask as it would make me look even more daft - do I still need a modem. With airport gubbins I'm sorted for wifi but assumed even in modem mode my antique Talk Talk router/wifi/modem thing would be a weak link...

Just use your router in modem mode mandem.

OH I am... but its ugly and plastic and I assumed crap... and has annoying aerials... and I don't like the fact it has features I have turned off, that troubles my ODC.

FUCK.

But you don't need the aerials (can they be unscrewed?) if you're just using it in modem / bridging mode. And it doesn't need to be well placed either as it wont have the wireless on. Can't you hide it under the sofa and have Cat5 running to the EdgeRouter which will then do all the work.

You underestimate the levels of OCD...

All the proper routers need a network connection coming in from some where, normally your ISP modem.

Do ISPs ever provide nice modems even if you ask nicely/pay?

I was thinking about DKs suggestion of modem setups recently and using the ISP box in modem mode sounds bonkers. Think I'm with chris here. Can't be having it. Unless it's literally outside the front of the house in a weatherproof box with a cable coming in.

Unless you buy a modem router surely?

I have a Netgear Nighthawk which is both a modem and router combined.

Or am I missing the discussion? Is this specific to Apple air stuff?

Nah not Apple specific, just trying to find a way to create an elegant, streamlined, solid high performance network within a house/flat and having all these (Apple or non Apple) fancy wireless routers and Edgerouters being reliant on the cheap plastic crap an ISP provides doesn't strike me as a wise solution? I'm pretty confident decent Wifi can be supplied through the Airports but what I was looking for was the best (and most minimal) way to get the Internets through the internets pipes to them.

I have a netgear range extender in the kitchen but it's a pain because you have to manually switch between it and the router manually. Does the trick though.

I have one of these for playing music. It will also function as a wireless access point ...

https://gramofon.com/

Really neat piece of kit!

The modem is a real bottleneck. I went from 13ish to 78 just by moving off the modem supplied by the ISP. I also didnt want to have 2 boxes... So ridiculous.

Ive now used the old router to make an access point which is physically connected to the new router modem which will be placed upstairs covering both floors. Im using this method as i have a spare router or 2 lying around free.

As mentioned, you can actually use the wires in the house as access points as well using powerline adaptors. Which i think is quite cool! best in 2017?

I have a feeling my house wires are far too messy to use them but might give it a bash...

SO what modem are you using? I want a modem that's nothing more. I plug my phone line into it (or fibre or whatever it is) and then use ethernet to connect to my AirPort Extreme which makes the wifi...

If you're planning to use the Airport Extreme as a router then you don't need the EdgeMax router.

There are basically three components:
Modem - takes in the signal from your phone line/fibre and converts it to a web connection and outputs an ethernet port.
Router - sends the traffic around the network, manages the address of everything that's connected, etc.
WiFi access point - allows devices to connect wirelessly and passes them on to the router.

In most cases the box from the ISP does all three (not that well).
Something like an Airport Extreme does the router and wi-fi bit.
An EdgeRouterX just does the router bit
A Unifi AP (favourite of this forum) just does the wi-fi bit

If you have internet through your phone line you can probably (I wouldn't guarantee it) replace the ISP box with one of these http://www.broadbandbuyer.com/store/modems/adsl-modems/ and plug the Airport Extreme into it.
If you're on fibre I'm not sure if you have an alternative to the stock ISP box put into modem mode.

I spent a bit of time playing with powerline adaptors (interestingly discovered that I could connect to the network of the house two doors down with them and access their network drive and Sonos) and range extenders but it was all a bit painful.

Powerline adapters weren't that fast, I had multiple wireless networks that I had to manually connect to, speed was still slow, etc. Eventually I ran a network cable through the wall to the room where my main PC was and installed one of these https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-ac-lr/ for WiFi and the problem is now solved.

Do ISPs ever provide nice modems even if you ask nicely/pay?

I'm with Plusnet and our router (which is next to a BT fibre box) is a bit knackered, mostly because it's been mistreated during our building work to be honest.

I asked nicely the other day and they're sending me a 'Plusnet One Hub' which is apparently a rebranded BT Home Hub 5 (I'm hoping it will be a rebranded Home Hub 6 but I don't think Plusnet have rebranded that yet) for free, I don't even have to pay the usual £6 P&P.

I don't know how good it is but the Home Hub's seem to have a good reputation and if nothing else it will be one box instead of the two I currently have.

Nice!

My access router is the plusnet one you probably got right now and it's quite decent as an access point.

The hub 5 is ace I hear except hard to hijack for a noob like me.

The power in 'the Mains' beyond the spur to your property is 3-phase.
Dwellings are connected sequentially, hence the '2-doors-down' spacing.

I'm surprised you got past your 'fuse box'.
Without prying, is it conventional 'old fuses', mcbs or even rcbos?

Thanks for this... I started on normal broadband and then switched to fibre... without any router upgrade so I suspect I am not getting the most out of my network.
It's connected with a normal phone cable rather than an ethernet cable so should be all good...

I was fairly surprised too, couldn't work out what the random network drives were. It's fairly dated, mid 80s I think, like this:

I think "fibre" over the phone cable is VDSL or VDSL2 or something. Have a google of those and modems for some ideas.

Hmmm, this property had one like that,
from a Council refurb in '73/4.

I have no idea when such resettable fuses were fazed out for new build domestic households.

Without any router upgrade or without any modem upgrade?

I've got BT fibre and have a combined modem/router. I've switched off the router part of it and switched it to bridging mode with a Nighthawk R7000 doing the routing, wireless etc.

Previously I had Sky fibre. They provided a separate modem and router. So I just used the modem and connected that to the Nighthawk.

Both times the modem was fine to get the quoted speeds (38mb I think)

Anyway. It's unlikely that the supplied modem will be a bottleneck if you're just using it as a modem

What speeds do you get if you connect a PC/laptop via an ethernet cable.

Nicest bit was I also got a £7.50 a month discount for the next 18 months while I was at it :)

Still wish they'd let people apart from BT/Plusnet offer infinity though. And get rid of the need for a landline I don't want/need.

Why would you want to hijack a router?!