Tv, broadband and wireless services advice please

[queenie71]

Once have moved, will want to set up asap as I cannot survive without internet.

Am seeking advice about different providers and levels of service. Also am guessing that tv also comes through broadband???

Am anticipating that our property may be on several levels (maybe a townhouse) and want wireless in the whole house and exterior.
Will this be an issue?

In HKG, where we live right now, we can't get the wireless to "penetrate" the walls... anyone heard of this ridiculous theory? We can't get wireless from our living room through to our office which is only 10 meters away, separated by a wall.

I just want one wireless router to serve the whole place - is that really too much to ask?

[Strong Eagle]

I just want one wireless router to serve the whole place - is that really too much to ask?

Could be. It's the laws of physics you are dealing with. You could consider:

a) A repeater, placed about halfway between your router and where you will be farthest away from the router to boost the signal.

b) A higher power signal from the router - a couple of companies make a product that replaces the antenna on your router with their own box - boosts total power output by about 2.5 times.

As for service, Starhub offers a package deal if you take TV, home internet service, and mobile phone service together... 10 percent off TV, 5 percent off home internet and 10 to 20 percent off on phones.

[queenie71]

Thanks Strong Eagle!

Apart from Starhub a- who are competitors?

As for repeaters and extra signal boosts etc, would Starhub technicians be able to help?or I guess I might need a techie to come in and help set up...

Any advice?

[Strong Eagle]

Thanks Strong Eagle!

Apart from Starhub a- who are competitors?

For home internet, Singtel

For TV, no real competition, Singtel has mioTV of which I know nothing

For mobile, Singtel and M1.

As for repeaters and extra signal boosts etc, would Starhub technicians be able to help?or I guess I might need a techie to come in and help set up...

Any advice?

Starhub techs would be worthless. But you can do it yourself. Most of them are take out of the box, and maybe make a couple of settings.

Repeaters are available at Challenger (Linksys - http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/pro ... eExpanders)

Wifi signal boosters are harder to come by - maybe an internet purchase.

http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/pro ... ProdID=187

[queenie71]

Thanks again!

As you sound very knowledgeable, can i ask something else?

I have a wireless router that I bought second hand and have never got to work. It's a linksys router and I have searched on many forums and see to see a lot of probs with it.

Are all routers meant to work with all computers??? I thought so but not this one apparently!

[ScoobyDoes]

In HKG, where we live right now, we can't get the wireless to "penetrate" the walls... anyone heard of this ridiculous theory? We can't get wireless from our living room through to our office which is only 10 meters away, separated by a wall.

I just want one wireless router to serve the whole place - is that really too much to ask?

Hong Kong is a bit of a special case given their construction methods. Your whole apartment is basically split into a series of metal boxes, with reinforced concrete walls and floors for every wall. I could hardly even get my cordless phone to work until i moved to a Spanish style villa in Sai Kung and then it would work all over the house but not upstairs, again because of the reinforcement between levels.

If you are considering a townhouse here then no problem, your wireless should work fine. Even in my apartment here my wireless works all over the place cause the intermediate walls are only brick, not reinforced concrete like HK apartments.

The Spanish villas in HK also have brick walls so again wireless was fine, and hence the phone worked.

[Strong Eagle]

Thanks again!

As you sound very knowledgeable, can i ask something else?

I have a wireless router that I bought second hand and have never got to work. It's a linksys router and I have searched on many forums and see to see a lot of probs with it.

Are all routers meant to work with all computers??? I thought so but not this one apparently!

Linksys is one of the easiest brands to set up and works with practically everything. You should ID the model number, go to the Linksys website and download the user guide. Ignore the install software, you don't need it. All you need is a hard cable connection to the router and a browser. Power on the router, fully reset it (small hole for paper clip in back) and then type in http://192.168.1.1 into your browser URL and follow the directions.

PS: Scooby is right. Wall construction in Singapore is mostly red brick, no reinforcement rods. I get low to med signal strength going from router (in upstairs office in corner) to living room downstairs (opposite end), through floor and walls.

[cbavasi]

queenie71 - if you move into a new building you won't have to worry about the connection... most likely the walls are plywood
our new apt we can't get wireless on the far end of the apt - concrete walls. we used StarHub when we first arrived - got a bundle deal - they came to the house and set everything up in one day - also included a landline with no charge. if you are moving in december they will be having some good promotions on for the holidays and such.
i'm thinking of switching to singtel when my plan is up simply b/c i want an iphone