Eir FTTH

guil

Finally got gigabit fibre installed today and up to now I have used homeplugs with my pc. They only have 100mb ports and I'm not sure whether I should just get a good wifi adapter or get another set of homeplugs. I know both have limitations. Any opinions?

Thanatus

So first thing is first, Do you need more than 100mbps? If the current homeplugs work then the best option is to avoid spending more money.

Now that the obligatory don't spend more money is out of the way.
I would suggest new gigabit capable homeplugs (be careful of the marketing talking about gigabit when ethernet ports are 100mb) to get the most out of the fibre service but only if you find your current homeplugs are limiting what you are downloading etc or are causing latency/connection issues. Also need to consider the age of the copper power lines in your home, older houses can have issues with homeplugs.

If you want to go the wifi route then I would suggest a decent wifi card for your pc but also might be worth replacing the standard router provided to you with a third party with better wireless capability.

Personally I would always try to go as wired as possible but it's very much subjective to circumstances. Hope this helps.

guil

Yeah wired is the ultimate goal but not feasible unfortunately unless I drill 2 holes through the wall which might not be a dreadful idea in the end. Another obstacle is that the network adapter in the pc is only 10/100 so that would need upgrading too. Not sure if I will bother.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122091347#Comment_122091347

Wired would also be first choice for me. However, if you aren't willing to drill walls, then I would recommend a mesh wireless system over homeplugs. Your ISP may provide mesh extenders (access points) which work in tandem with your router (eg eir have Smart WiFi hubs), or you could get a 3rd party mesh system such as the TP-Link Deco devices. If you go with a 3rd-party device, you will need an extra node to co-locate with your ISP router, and then you should switch off the WiFi in your ISP router. Most homes can provide good seamless coverage with 2-3 WiFi meshed access points. Homeplugs can be unreliable depending on the electrical wiring in the house, and they can be susceptible to electrical noise.

guil

I've had some from sky and vodafone before which worked well. The Eir ones look pretty decent but I think I'd realistically just be getting them for speed test results haha