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BBam's avatar
BBam
Follower
Mar 21, 2021

Connecting Netgear WiFi router to a virgin 3 router switched to modem mode and cat 6 wired Ethernet

Hi everyone,

 

I am hoping someone can help me as I am not a technical gifted person - sorry!

 

CURRENT SET UP

I live in the UK in a house that has wired cat6 Ethernet

The Cat6 Ethernet is connected to a netgear 8 port unmanaged switcher

I have Virgin 350 Internet with a Virgin Hub 3 router installed by Virgin

The netgear 8 port switcher is connected to the Virgin Hub 3 Router so I get Ethernet around the house

The WiFi in the house also comes from the Virgin 3 Router


ISSUE

The Ethernet is strong and consistent BUT  the the WiFi keeps dropping out completely at intermittent times.

 

SOLUTION

Turn the Virgin Hub 3 router into a modem and connect a netgear router to it to stop getting dropped WiFi. 

 

QUESTIONS

Which is the best Netgear router to for this?

The instructions on the Virgin Hub 3 router say that when it is turned into modem mode only 1 Ethernet port will work. If I use that Ethernet port to connect the Virgin router (when in modem mode) to the netgear router, how do I also connect up my cat6 Ethernet from my netgear switcher to it or the netgear router so I also have Ethernet as well as WiFi?

 

If someone can help and advise me I'd be eternally grateful as the WiFi issue is a real problem but I can't lose the Ethernet connection in the house to solve the WiFi issue.

 

Thanks in advance 😁

 

 

 

2 Replies

  • plemans's avatar
    plemans
    Guru - Experienced User
    Mar 21, 2021

    How big is the home and what is it made of? 

    sometimes its better to upgrade to a mesh solution depending on your home if you need more coverage. 

     

    You could go virgin 3 (modem mode)--->mesh router----switch/satellites. 

     

  • antinode's avatar
    antinode
    Guru
    Mar 21, 2021

    > SOLUTION
    > Turn the Virgin Hub 3 router into a modem and connect a netgear router
    > to it to stop getting dropped WiFi.

     

       That's one possible solution, but perhaps not the best.  Another
    possibility would be to add a wireless access point (WAP) at the end of
    one of those Ethernet cables.  That could be a purpose-built WAP, or a
    general-purpose router which is configured as a WAP.

     

    > Which is the best Netgear router to for this?

     

       Define "best".  Constraints?  (Budget?)  Why only Netgear?

     

    > [...] how do I also connect up my cat6 Ethernet from my netgear
    > switcher to it or the netgear router so I also have Ethernet as well as
    > WiFi?

     

       ISP <--> modem <--> NAT router <--> switch

     

    Whether that arrangement would make sense with your current cabling is
    not obvious.  Especially if you're trying to reinforce the wireless
    signal at a distance from the current router and switch.