Bluetooth extender

[colin boag]

Has anyone any experience of using a Bluetooth range extender with their B2.  I have some small Bluetooth speakers that work a treat, but I now want to use them a little bit further away than their current range.  Be gentle with me as I'm not terribly technical.

[hbu...@gmail.com]

I got more range by mounting the gizmo higher by using an extension cable. NB You need to be on B2B for best bluetooth. (Assuming you are using B2)

[Daniel Taylor]

I've read that several people have had good luck with a Bluetooth extender.  Search the forum for "Bluetooth extender" and I'm sure you'll find some recommendations.

[PMB]

Hi Boag...,

As hbu suggests, fit the Bluetooth dongle (the one marked CSR4.0) onto a short USB extension cable and position it for a better range.

Others have told me that they are using Bluetooth transmitters from the likes of Blitzwolf, Avantree and others which connect to the B2's optical output. Your Bluetooth speakers would then connect to the Bluetooth transmitter.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Tony Hetherington]

What sort of range are people hoping to achieve with extenders. I live in a bungalow so no second floor, but I get good BT reception 2 rooms away from the B2 with brick walls in between. That is with the standard dongle. Am I just lucky or are others suffering from interference or similar

[Mike T]

Having a similar WiFi problem .. on going now for months - tried most things. Virgin router in one room, B2 in next (solid walls about 30ft between them). Tried different dongle, usb extension lead,  then two different dongles with  antenae . Uprated Virgin to top speed - now marginal conection  using plug in wifi boosters/ extenders (BT brand) .. works sometimes but slow and drops/ hangs frequently.

Unable to get any half decent Internet Radio at all for more than a few minutes before it hangs. Can get Internet Radio from the I pad though when paired to the B2 then able play via the hifi.

WiFi  Speed fluctuates usually 59 -60 - 65 now was in the 70's before.

Unable to use the ethernet cable into the wi fi extenders as the router & B2 are on different 240v circuits. I have laptops, phones, TV's ,Fire sticks ,  tablets, kindle all connect ok in the house and even my camera in the garden connects to the pc & printer through 3 solid walls !  As the B2 is wired to & plays via an amp & hifi system moving it is not an option. Senior management will not allow the router in the lounge with the Hi Fi either!  Virgin now reluctant to change router as they say its fine, so looks like a very complicated hard wiring job ( no cables allowed to be visable!  which is why I bought the B2 in the first place!)  Any one got any more ideas? 

[jeff...@googlemail.com]

Mike, a bit invasive, but after months of head scratching, I could not get BT TV working in one room using home plug adapters! I found out they were on 2 seperate mains circuits, like yours. I drilled a hole in the wall, and bought a cheap extension lead. This I attached to the socket which i knew was on the same circuit as the router, plugged the adapter into the extension lead, and has been fine ever since. This is good enough for 4K tv streaming, so reckon you should be OK.

[pat.mar...@gmail.com]

I have never come across the problem of the wi-fi extenders being on different household circuits..    I have four separate 240v ring mains for the sockets in my bungalow, all fed from the consumer unit in my workshop, all with separate MCB's.   I have five range extenders around the place. The brand is TP-Link

and they are "fed" from a unit connected to the router via an ethernet cable and plugged in to a 13A socket adjacent.     I know the extenders are not all on the same ring main circuit but they all work, giving both a wireless and a wired output as needed.   I never even considered they wouldn't work when

I installed them as all the ring mains are commoned at the bus-bar in the consumer unit anyway.

[jeff...@googlemail.com]

Well, this was the only way I could get my home plug adapters, which I think is what Mike means?!?, to work. I had a laptop and very long RJ45 cable connected to the adapter, in various sockets around the house, and found one which was obvs on the same circuit as the modem, which the master adapter was connected to. Worked for me, but think Mike means adapters NOT wifi extenders.

[Brian R]

I think this issue occurs when one has a split load consumer unit with two  RCDs, each covering a number of circuits. In this case both the Live and Neutral lines are separated.

Brian

[pat.mar...@gmail.com]

Home plug adapters.. Yes, that's what some folks call them. TP-Link call them powerline adapters but the setup is the same. A master until is connected via an ethernet cable to the router and plugged in to the 13A socket. Other units plugged in to 13A sockets are then used to connect into the network.

The data stream is carried by the house wiring. These are one of a range available:  https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/powerline/tl-wpa4220-tkit/

Mine are combined units that have both a wi-fi output and a couple of sockets for ethernet wired connections. Use either or both as needed.  Despite being on different ring circuits, they all work, with varying degrees of efficiency of course.  The furthest one away based on mains cable length is the one in my workshop.  With my router sync'd at 142 Mbps I am getting around 95 to 100 Mbps on the wired connection at the workshop adapter.

On Saturday, 27 March 2021 at 12:27:50 UTC jeff...@googlemail.com wrote:

[pat.mar...@gmail.com]

Thank you Brian R..  You have no doubt  hit on the reason that some units work across ring mains and some don't.     I do have a split load consumer unit but all my ring mains are from one RCD.. Thank you for that clarification.

[jeff...@googlemail.com]

Thanks for the explanation Brian, life would have been much easier if the company that rewired our house could have responded and told me that!, Oh well.

[Brian R]

Hi Mike

This came directly to my email address.It is always better to reply via the forum where others can see the response and add their advice.

I was providing an explanation for Jeffs problem, I obviously did not know your particular set up.

What you refer to as Wifi speed is in fact the signal strength at the B2,  60/65 is generally inadequate for reliable operation.

If I were in your situation I would move the B2 temporarily closer to the router to eliminate the possibility that the extenders are the cause of your low signal. SWMBO will surely accept a short term experiment.

Brian

On 28/03/2021 23:05, mike toulson wrote:

I can assure every one they are plug in 240v Wi Fi extenders, with antennae,  with sockets for ethernet cables,   ....The B2 is on a a separate circuit (240v mains) to the router and it will not connect ...  Its going through a good old fashioned fuse box. with 5  separate  mains socket circuits plus lights, cooker etc circuits.

Anyway this is a side issue ... it  will not connect properly or reliably via Wi Fi  to my PC or other devices ... which is why I upgraded from the JB7 in the first place. 

The simple fact that I do not have issues with other devices on my system  and the number of posts on the forum with problems just points to the fact that the B2 is not capable of doing what its supposed to do......

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Mike

Most devices on your system are simply accessing the internet, The B2 is doing much more it is providing a service.

This makes the environment in which the B2 is set up critical to its ability to deliver its service. 

Normally users do not have to worry about the details of their WiFi/LAN setup. It is I think unfair to say this is a shortcoming of the B2.

From what you say "it  will not connect properly or reliably via Wi Fi  to my PC or other devices ... which is why I upgraded from the JB7 in the first place."

I think that maybe you need to fundamentally overhaul your house WiFi/LAN setup.

Fred

[PMB]

Hi Mike,

Have you considered moving the B2 closer to the router (rather than moving the router) and controlling it from a tablet or laptop. You don't need to use the B2 unit except for ripping.

Paul

Brennan Support.