I got 99 problems but my WiFi ain't one

Or I'd just put it in modem mode and buy a proper router and access point. Mine was never that reliable as a router, it's fine as a modem.

This @Brum

It's a terrible wifi router. Even a cheap mesh setup would get you better and more consistent coverage.

I've got a single Google Wifi puck going spare if that would help. Would take £30 for it.

I also have one - same price. You've basically got a mesh setup then...

@Brum
^ take those. Then you can disable the Wifi on the Virgin router and use it as a modem only, and the Google mesh will do the rest

The WiFi speed or connection isn't an issue, it's connecting new devices. The hub refuses to show up on anything that hasn't been connected before.

Would a new 'puck' or router solve this issue and allow me to connect a new device(s)?

Yes. If you put it in modem mode all it's doing is passing the internet connection on to the new router that then deals with all the connecting to devices.

Yep. The problem you are having is with the wi-fi access point part of your router, which is crap. The problem connecting new devices is a symptom of this.

The best way I've heard it explained is a router like you have is like an all-in-one hi-fi. It does nothing particularly well in one box.

If you get a separate modem, router and wi-fi access point you'll have three boxes that do everything well, but for most people a combined modem and router with a separate wi-fi access point is good enough because the bit people have problems with is the wi-fi.

Virgin hubs are fine as modems, shit as routers. I would imagine 80% of the gripes I see on the local neighbourhood social media groups about Virgin "being down" are due to shit wifi. Mine has been great ever since I got the Deco mesh set up. Recently threw a third up in the top floor to help ms_com's connection in her office (she was one floor up and one room across from the nearest Deco previously, now golden).

Our power was switched off today, but my network has not come back up correctly.

• Modem connects to the router
  
• Router connect to 3 switches
  
• Switch 1 connects to 2 APs and 2 PiHoles
  
• The router can see switch1,2,3 in discovery
  
• Switch 1 can see the router in discovery, and the APs are showing in the MAC table
  
• There are 2 LANs and a bunch of VLANs
  
• I have internet access, and can connect via ssh tunnel / VPN
  
• I can connect to the router from my desktop (on a wired connection - router on 192.168.1.1, desktop on 192.168.2.x)
  
• I can connect to the Switches using the management ports
  
  

But

• I cannot connect to any AP / wifi
  
• I cannot connect to any switch from my desktop
  
• I cannot connect to any AP / Unifi controller from my desktop
  
  

All lights everywhere are lit / flashing correctly

What's going on?

[Edit]
I've removed all firewall rules for 192.168.1.x / eth1 and 192.168.2.x / eth2 LANs

Switch and APs booted before the router which presumably has the DHCP server and are so don't have an IP on your local subnet? If so rebooting them should help.

The switches and APs all have static IPs, although I have just rebooted to see, but no joy unfortunately.

I swear I had this problem in the past, and trying to remember what I did to resolve. I think I ended up removing and reassigning the static IPs as there was some clashing going on somewhere.

Usually, I'd agree, and go looking for conflicting IPs - This time, though, everything has been pretty rock solid (since the last time I posted asking for help, obvs...)

The current issues only started after power was lost. I have checked the configuration on the router & switches, and nothing is changed.

And now I've just lost access to the router, because I changed the IP on one of the eth ports, trying to see if I need to be on a different subnet. Instead, I've stopped myself from getting onto the router at all.

And I can't find my config scripts.

Aaaaand I'm back up and running.

I think you both may have been correct / put me on the right path - Some of my hardware (like the APs) decided to revert back to DHCP for their IPs (or I may have completely omitted to assign static IPs on the devices, and just on the router / DHCP server instead)

I ended up factory resetting the router and switches, and rewriting all of the config from scratch.

Which means that I now have a clean config file, but also the scripts that I need to create them.

I then had the usual pihole DNS problems, which took an age to figure out - turns out I needed to remove the rate limit on requests coming from the router IP, as all requests come from there.

In all, I reckon 12+ hours. I think I need to show some consideration to my partner, who asked what they would do if I wasn't around.

I'm thinking that as a failover, I just have an all-in-one modem/router/switch with zero fancypants on it.

I think I need to show some consideration to my partner, who asked what they would do if I wasn't around.

This is why I haven't built my own central heating controller with a Raspberry Pi and some relays.

Same reason my old man is getting an off the shelf system for monitoring their house in France. My HA setup works perfectly but does need a bit of knowledge to keep running at times. Actually same for my old router setup, I moved to a TP-Link mesh AP and then bought a Firewalla for all the smart stuff as the old DDWRT setup was unusable for anyone else if there was a problem.

Yup, this is why we are Nextdns, Philips Hue and Google Wifi. I lost my appetite for tinkering a long time ago.

Might be a stupid question, but I am looking at getting another Deco for the kitchen to have tucked away on top of the cupboards. It has just occurred to me that the wall is external and close to my outhouse, which struggles will internet due to the angles/paths of the walls. I could easily neatly drill through to the outside and run some metal conduit to the nearest point.

So before I get too excited, can I run an Ethernet cable out of the back and then out to the outhouse into (ideally) a powered switch, then have another deco plugged into that plus some free ports for when I eventually get some sort of computer set up in there?

Cheers.

1 Attachment

• Internet set up.odg

I run my test UniFi device out of one of the ports connected to a TPLink powered switch.

Deco -> TPLink -> UniFi. Connectivity is fine. Obviously depends how big your garden is and also why you need WiFi in your outdoor shitter

why you need WiFi in your outdoor shitter

Ha! For some reason I've adopted that as the name for the outdoor single coarse brick building come shed thing in my 1950s semi.

It does actually have a shitter in one bit and that does have exceptionally bad WiFi

can I run an Ethernet cable out of the back and then out to the outhouse into (ideally) a powered switch

Yes but you would normally run a patch cable into a socket, solid conduited/armoured cable from there to a socket in your outhouse, then plug the switch into that with another patch cable.

Why?

In case it makes a difference there's a brick arch with a gate that runs between the house and the outbuilding. So the metal conduit would be above head height and out of the way.

It's hard to terminate exterior grade cable into an RJ45 plug, much easier to punch it down onto a socket. You want external cable as it has better UV and moisture resistance properties, eg black and full of gel.