New fibre install router setup

[#1]

Hi all,
Newly signed up to Fibre Unlimited having jumped ship from Be, due to be installed tomorrow. Just got a couple of questions:
1) how soon after the engineer has done his stuff can the router be setup/get online? Reason I ask, is there's conflicting info - text messages & plusnet handbook PDF say "We'll text you again when your broadband is ready, please don't set up your router until then" and "Please wait until we've confirmed that your broadband is ready to use before setting up your router". Whereas other places say you can do it once the engineer has finished, so I'm confused as to what to believe?
2) I've read the Technicolor router's wireless performance is...not great. While I'm lucky enough to have network points in most rooms, I do still need wireless for some things (I live in a townhouse, so wireless has to reach over 3 floors). The master socket is in a downstairs cupboard, along with panel of points to feed cat5e to other rooms, so thinking about using the Technicolor in the cupboard to just feed out to the network panel and switching off it's wireless. Then connecting a Wireless Access Point to the network point in the room I use wireless heaviest/most. So question is, is the Technicolor good enough for this purpose (wireless switched off)?
Thanks all in advance

[#2]

Don't know about when the router should be first connected. But when my fibre was installed about 4 week ago the engineer just plugged it in when he installed the modem.

I'm disappointed with the PN supplied TG582n, mine has reset itself a few times I suspect due to over heating. That or PN have been dropping my ppp connection.
One port of the PN router is used as a ewan port so you're only left with 3 ethernet ports. Is that sufficient for your downstairs cupboard?
I've been experimenting to fine a good router option for my fibre connection:
I've tried a BT Home Hub 3 from ebay.
ewan port and 4 ethernet ports.
wireless 300 mbps -- ok
Works ok but not very configurable and some security issues.
Best option so far:
Huawei fibre modem from ebay, unlocked and configured as a 2 port router. Connect that to my old O2 TG587n v2 with DHCP disabled.
Gives all the benefits of my old O2 router.
Note:
The chances are you'll get a ECI fibre modem which can not easily be unlocked.

[#3]

welcome to the forum by the way.
To answer your first question, i set my own router up a day or two before the engineer came to set the BT equipment up, i logged into plusnet and turned off tr069 "This just means you need the user name and password you used to setup  plusnet in the first place" which auto sets stuff up. When he finished, i just pressed CONNECT and away i went..
And to answer the second question, it depends on how fast your connection  will be for the wifi AP's you have already setup to be of any use, ie i have 1x72MB AP and 1x54MB AP  but i only have a 30mbps connection from plusnet, most items only throughput at around 42mbps anyway! iphones/pads ect..... so a throughput of a 72MB AP will  be all good.
but there again you might have a posh mimo setup

p.s have a mooch around in the plusnet control pannel on the website, loads of stuff in there.
Good luck

[#4]

Thanks npr & 30FTTC06
@npr - yep, 3 will be fine as I actually only need ethernet in 2 rooms. Based on my experiences with my current Be router, I'm not exactly thrilled with Thomson!
@30FTTC06 - line estimate is 69mbps, and although I know I'll take a hit on that with the devices I'll be using wireless for, I'm mainly concerned about wireless connection reliability/dropping out.

Cheers for the comments!

[#5]

No worries your welcome, and by the way my modem has been up for 9 days solid with no problems since i finished setting up my equipment, wifi turned OFF of course,
i just couldn't get it settled with the wifi switched on.

[#6]

Hi anonymousthegeek,
Welcome on board

Quote

1) how soon after the engineer has done his stuff can the router be setup/get online? Reason I ask, is there's conflicting info - text messages & plusnet handbook PDF say "We'll text you again when your broadband is ready, please don't set up your router until then" and "Please wait until we've confirmed that your broadband is ready to use before setting up your router". Whereas other places say you can do it once the engineer has finished, so I'm confused as to what to believe?

Sorry for any confusion, maybe we need to look at updating some of that content. Fibre accounts are automatically activated on the due date of the engineer visit so that the engineer can test the service out for you afterwards.

Quote

2) I've read the Technicolor router's wireless performance is...not great. While I'm lucky enough to have network points in most rooms, I do still need wireless for some things (I live in a townhouse, so wireless has to reach over 3 floors). The master socket is in a downstairs cupboard, along with panel of points to feed cat5e to other rooms, so thinking about using the Technicolor in the cupboard to just feed out to the network panel and switching off it's wireless. Then connecting a Wireless Access Point to the network point in the room I use wireless heaviest/most. So question is, is the Technicolor good enough for this purpose (wireless switched off)?

Yes, whereas I don't switch wireless off as I use mine for smartphones etc I have a similar setup using a TG582N and ethernet via poweline adapters and it works fine for me.