I got 99 problems but my WiFi ain't one

How do you control multiple rooms using one widget from the android app?

I don't really do multiple rooms, just all rooms.

I think Hue Essentials does what you need though.

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How do you control multiple rooms using one widget from the android app?

Create zones... put rooms in the zone.
Create a widget for the zone... control the zone.

I have a zone called Living Spaces which excludes the Hue lights in the loft.

Aha! Thats how you do it!

Sweet!

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Free (for P&P donation to forum) - Netgear FS526T - 24-Port Smart Switch with Gigabit Ports

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Problem / Question time:

My switch (ubiquiti edgeswitch 8xp) only connects to my router (ubiquiti edgerouter) at 10Mbps, not the expected 1000Mbps

The switch is at the end of approx. 30m run of external shielded cat6 cable. Both ends are terminated in keystone jacks, and the connections are testing ok with my cheap tester.

If I bring the switch to the router, and connect directly with a short store bought cable, it's back up to 1000Mbps.

Does that mean that i need to redo the entire cable run with a new cable (my random internetting suggests that the shielding is unnecessary and can be problematic, as the two ends are on different grounds), or is there something I can do that is less of a massive ballache?

Have you tried plugging a laptop or something into the end and seeing how fast that gets?

Probably not the whole cable run... it's probably the keystone jacks fitting the patch cables at each ends or something like that.

I'd be surprised if the shielding is earthed at all? Unless there is a braiding in the cable ands it's attached to earth at both ends it's not earthed and also I doubt would negatively affect with or without.

Definitely more likely to be the termination points if it wasn't damaged when it went in. As above speed test via another device and re terminate.

Likely poor quality termination, or (unlikely) EM interference from parallel mains.

Re-do the terminations with known good connectors (if your cable is CAT6, make sure they’re CAT6 not CAT5e or CAT6a), use good, high quality termination tools, and hire a good testing/validation tool.

Thanks for all the suggestions all.

After re-terminating everything a few times (cat6 keystone socket in the house and cat6 patch panel in the shed), I still had no joy and still ended up with 10Mbps .

I ran a different length of cat6 (internal, though, so will need to be replaced) and now have 1000Mbps.

New external cable it is. Any recommendations?

Before I go down a rabbit hole. Anyone researched and purchased a simcard 4G/5G router and antenna?

Yes, numerous times. What do you want to know?

Are you boosting a moderate signal to be stronger or trying to get a usable signal from a marginal signal situation?

Don't be tempted by ebay and amazon ads. You can't cheap out on a cell antenna. Consider Poynting. https://poynting.tech/antennas/

Thanks

So on my mobile I can get 40mbps outside. Sadly the mast is behind a hill and I can't see it directly. I don't need anything amazing thus, but the house walls are 80cm thick so I do need an antenna to get a better signal, inside the house I get 10mbps.

Really I don't think I need the business, just something workable and reasonably priced. We don't use internet for much demanding so 40mbps should be more than fine.

If you haven't got line of sight your signal will be refracting and/or reflecting it'd way to you and the path will probably regularly change with the weather amongst other things. Foe this reason I'd suggest going omnidirectional rather than directional.

Am i right in thinking that you're outside of the UK?

Sorry, forgot to say...the antenna is at least twice as important as the router fir a good signal...that's why I'm not focusing on the router.

This antenna is my go to for your scenario. It mounts on a window with suckers and has a decent length cable. It's very good value for money.

Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 Cross Polarised 4G Omni LTE Antenna https://amzn.eu/d/eIZMbvV

Thanks very much. I was thinking of mounting on my roof to give a 360 degree coverage. Yes we are up in Catalan Pyrenees.

That's very reasonably priced!

That antenna comes with a pole mount kit too. You'd need to check if the cables are long enough though.

Id assume you can extend? Perhaps not.

I'd need something longer than 5m I think. Quite a bit longer.

The cables are soldered at the antenna end but I'm pretty sure you could use a connector to attach an extension cable.

I prefer not to do that where possible because every connector in a circuit causes some loss but it'd probably be negligible tbh so I'm probably being over cautious. Try to keep the cables run as short as possible though...the longer the cable, the greater the signal attenuation.

Okay thanks, maybe I can move router and then mesh it to get WiFi in main areas.

Will update when I've fallen off a ladder.

When I'm.at a PC I'll see if I can find a Poynting that you can fit your own cable to. Might make things a bit easier.

Thanks no rush, won't be able to do anything till sept.
I can solder though.

Back at a computer now.

For a router, I'd suggest taking a peak to see whether your provider sells 4g routers with external antenna sockets for home use. You don't have to buy from them but it'll give you an idea if they have a preferred manufacturer that works particularly well with their network.

If you want a poynting antenna, make sure it comes with twin antenna sockets as the Poynting is dual phased feed.

I've had really good experiences with Huawei. The B625 is the most recent router I have sed with dual feed external antenna and it worked brilliantly. Tbh, any router with the correct external sockets should do the trick nicely for your use case. I have found that router choice only tends to matter when you're trying to get very high speeds I.e trying to squeeze 200mbs out of a strong signal on 4g+.

I reckon a poynting and a Huawei would get you that 40mbps (or more) no trouble.

Right, 6U cab, UDM Pro and a WiFi 6LR AP + injector ordered. If anyone seem a good deal on a Ubiquiti 24 port (non-PoE) switch please think of me, but I suspect that'll be phase 2 along with the cameras.

Does anyone have any suggestions other than a WD purple for the UDM pro drive?