We need Access Points

[#1]

Hi there

Hope someone can help.  We have upgraded to fibre.  I did this with trepidation and it was not misplaced.  Our Vigor router and 3 AP's were configured to give complete coverage in our 5 floor guesthouse with the router being sited on the middle floor.  It worked really well, but our concern was we needed to ensure fast broadband speed for guests. Hence the upgrade.

Our Vigors are relatively old and do not support a fibre broadband feed - at least I don't think so.  We have a Vigor 2710 Vn, two AP 700 and one AP 710.  As far as I can see they do not have the right attributes and none of them are now technically supported by Vigor (so no firmware updates).  At this point I would like to say please someone tell me I am wrong.  

Anyway I've plugged in the hub 1 and got that working fine, but the coverage is dire compared to the previous set-up.  Are there AP's available from Plusnet I'm sure we cannot be the only business that finds ourselves needing wider coverage over the building?  Or perhaps something from some other source and is the configuration tricky?  

I'm not an IT person, but last time I had my IT guru (dear friend now departed) who got me started with setting up the router and then I ran with the AP connecting - amazingly succeeding.  I'd love to fluke it again, but would really appreciate a bit of advice on current hardware, what to avoid etc, just so I don't waste money we can ill-afford right now (closed because of Covid).

Thanks for taking the time to read

Paula

[#2]

@Paula1875 you are correct that the 2710 is not usable with fibre but I dont see why you cant continue to use thevap700s and 710. The 700 is obsolete but the 710 is still current. If you set them up before , then try connecting them to the hub one in the same way that you connected to the 2710.

If you need more help then perhaps a description of how each ap was setup previously ( wired or bridged ) would enable us to perhaps provide more detailed help

[#3]

Ah! MisterW!

Thank you so much for that - I will try!  I am such a greenhorn I took screenshots of every single setting page when I initially set up our access points.  Hopefully with a few other bits I have gleaned from discussions I may be able to progress this - I will have a good go at it and report back - either way! Really appreciate you taking the time to advise.

Best Wishes

Paula

[#4]

One question immediately springs to mind, was the wifi on the 2710 turned on , or was all wifi just done by the APs?

If the wifi was on the 2710 then setting the ssid and password on the hub one to that used by the 2710 might make things easier. If the wifi was off then best to disable it also on the hub one

[#5]

Moderators Note
This topic has been moved from Fibre Broadband to My Router.

[#6]

@Paula1875 

There is a community for Draytek owners

https://forum.draytek.co.uk. 

who may be able to assist you.

I am not familiar with the Vigo AP products and their compatibility with other equipment.

If a later Vigor can work with your AP's that maybe thats  the way to go, else you could look at using a non router mesh, ie the BT whole home wifi and use the hub as normal.

Also this would give you a private wifi channel on the hub, and a public one around the property with the mesh.

[#7]

Oooo, I'm screen-shooting these pages!

MisterW I was using the main router for WiFi as well as having the relays so yes - I think I get your point I will bear in mind. Thank you and the relays were not wired in so all bridging? I'm grappling still with terminology - I wish I had studied everything computers - so interesting.

[#8]

Thank you for this dws 1900
I'll work through the options! Cheapest first obviously and I'll have a gander at the draytek forum. Thank you so much for taking the time to help. I'll post how I get on either way and my solution when I get it - I'm a determined so-in-so might take me a while but I Will get there 😉

Best Wishes

Paula

[#9]

@Paula1875 

If you can configure your draytek modem/router as an Access Point then all that you would need to do is leave the rest as it is. You then go into your Hub One advanced wireless settings and turn off the Hub WiFi. Then connect one of the Hub One LAN outputs to your ‘new’ Draytek Access Point. This will leave all your wireless network in its known working state.

If you still have the Draytekmanual it is worth checking if it has an Access Point mode built in. Alternatively generally you need to go into the settings and change the IP address to say 192.168.1.10 and switch off DHCP.. You then connect to it using one of the LAN sockets.

[#10]

If you still have the Draytekmanual it is worth checking if it has an Access Point mode built in.

The manual is still available on the Draytek site https://www.draytek.co.uk/support/downloads/legacy-products/legacy-router/vigor-2710 . It doesnt have an Access Point mode as such but as @Baldrick1  says , just disable DHCP ( its in LAN general settings page 29 ), you MIGHT have to set the DHCP relay agent to the Hub one address ( 192.168.1.254 ) but I dont think so , try without it first and if wireless clients cant get an IP address then try setting it.

[#11]

@Paula1875 

Personally I would buy a Draytek 2760 router and keep the Wireless Access Points.

There is every chance that if you have "special" configuration (guest networks etc.) at the moment it could be saved from your old router and loaded into the new one.

All you would then need to do is correct the broadband settings to those for your Plusnet account.

From my experience Draytek technical support is good (for most purposes answers they have for BT Broadband work for Plusnet).

The 2760 also doesn't seem to be a current model but I suggest that one because I think there is a good chance the configuration will be usable from a 2710 to a 2760, eBay lists a few at the moment and they seem to go for between £30 and £50 something.

[#12]

I should have checked !

https://www.draytek.co.uk/support/guides/kb-transferring-configurations

You can't move a configuration from a 2710 to a 2760 unfortunately.

Having said that, they will work similarly and it should be possible to replicate what you had on the 2710 on the 2760 but sadly no shortcuts.

[#13]

MarkHawkin
Thank you for that!! Well I did take screenshots of every single set up screen when I setup the 2710 so I’m guessing I could pick through those notes and use them to recreate the setup.

Everyone has been so amazing helping me I promise once I’ve nailed it - and with all the advice I’ve had over the last 24 hours I’m sure I will - I will post the detail to hopefully help another greenhorn like me. I’m going to have a go tomorrow in earnest

Thank you for the advice!

Paula

[#14]

Hello Paula,

I've a Draytek 28xx series and an AP800 so I've set them up and I'm fairly confident that a 2760 and some APs can be sorted by "remote control".

There are a few others who own Draytek products as well so it should be possible to make it work for you.

Mark

[#15]

I’m feeling very confident with your advice and that of others and I’m only familiar with Vigor To be honest. Our very dear friend who got me started with setting up our WiFi is sadly departed and I’ve lost my guru but I seem to have landed on an amazing supportive forum - I had a quick gander on eBay too brill - May be flexing plastic later!

Let you know how I get on

Paula