Your GoFi Home Network keeps all your devices connected.
Network
STRONG AND RELIABLE
The functionality of a home today is very different from a home 20 years ago. Today, a home is not just somewhere we return to after work to be with our family, it is a place where we hang out, relax, play, entertain and even work. If you think about what you have in your home that might need access to the internet, like your mobile phones, iPads, Playstations, laptops, printers, TVs streaming Netflix, Stan, Kayo and Foxtel, Fitbit, Kindle, and all the smart lighting, blinds, doorbells, cameras and security system you have around the home, you might understand why your standard modem that came with your internet provider struggles to support your needs.
GoFi has tested a wide range of network products and has hand selected trusted brands to deliver the most reliable network for every home.
The Dynamic Network Trio
When it comes to ensuring the most reliable network, these three heroes deliver.
MODEM / ROUTER
Draytek Vigor 2135ac
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Designed for super fast broadband networks suitable for all family homes and small business
WIRELESS ACCESS POINT
Draytek Vigor AP1000C
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Sends wireless connectivity throughout your whole home
(can be used as a WAP or WiFi extender)
SWITCH
Cisco SG-350-8P
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Connects all your home's devices to the network so they have access to the internet.
How It Works
Your NBN Connection Box brings NBN internet service into your home. The Draytek router takes the information from the NBN Connection Box and distributes it via the Cisco network switch to various hard wired devices as well as broadcasting the wireless signal with its integrated 802.11ac dual-band WiFi. In larger homes, Wireless Access Points (WAPs) are required to extend the wireless signal to devices that are out of reach or have a weak WiFi signal from the main router.
Why The Standard Modem Isn't Good Enough
A router is a small device that sits between your modem and computers. The purpose of the router is to create a local area network (LAN) that all your computers and other internet accessing devices in your home connect to, and delivers the information from the modem to your computers and vice versa.
Imagine each connection from a device in your home connecting to the router has a piece of string as the connection. Now multiply that by all the devices you have in your home, and you will probably end up with a rather comprehensive web! It is the router's role to ensure every device has a direct connection to access the internet without interference with each other.
The Draytek router’s Quality of Service (QoS) allows network administrators to set priorities for certain types of traffic such as VoIP or video streaming to ensure the best level of performance is achieved, even under network congestion where most standard ISP supplied routers don’t. The Remote Access Management feature allows GoFi support team to configure, monitor, manage and troubleshoot any network issues remotely, minimising the need for call-out fees.
Business grade features include extensive firewall with content filtering, Virtual Private Network (VPN) and bandwidth management. The VPN feature can be used to establish LAN-to-LAN secure connections between the home and business. The better quality componentry maximises download and upload speeds and overall reliability.
Extending Your WiFi Reach Throughout The Home
A wireless access point (often referred to as a WAP) is a piece of equipment that enables you to connect devices which have WiFi access to your wired network. Some wireless access points are integrated into a wireless router, but standalone ones are usually connected to a router via a wired Ethernet connection to provide access to the network using radio frequency links to enable other devices to access the wired connection.
Most homes only require a wireless router, which will usually have a wireless access point built into it, to provide WiFi throughout an average-sized house. However, additional wireless access points are used in homes that have brick or concrete walls or internal interferences such as metal frames within walls, larger homes and businesses where WiFi reach is critical in all areas of the property, and where there could be a number of devices trying to access a network.
WiFi access points and range extenders can both play key roles in the delivery of wireless service to the clients on a network. However, they perform highly different roles, with access points designed to create a wireless network and range extenders designed to relay an existing network.
The Difference Between Wireless Access Points and WiFi Extenders
Wi-Fi Transmission
Understanding the difference between access points and range extenders requires some knowledge of WiFi transmission. WiFi is a computer networking technology that allows devices to communicate through radio waves rather than over cables. These waves are broadcasted and received by WiFi antenna located in networking hardware and wireless-enabled devices, in much the same way that a radio station broadcasts its signal to your home or car. Like all radio waves, WiFi signals are subject to interference, especially if they have to travel a long distance to reach their destination.
Wireless Access Point
A wireless access point can be thought of as the base station for a WiFi signal. Access points generate the radio waves needed for WiFi transmission, and manage the connection and disconnection of new clients to the network. They can be used as standalone devices, but are often combined with other networking hardware such as modems and switches.
Range Extender
Range extenders are a kind of wireless repeater. They do not broadcast a unique WiFi signal, but instead rebroadcast the signal already created by an access point. As such, they usually sit in between an access point and a network's most distant clients, helping to extend the usable range of that network. However, using range extenders can have a performance impact on a network, with increased latency (signal travel time) and reduced signal strength. This phenomenon is especially prevalent if several wireless extenders are used in a chain.
Wireless Access Point vs WiFi Extender
Using the Draytek VigorAP 802 as a Wireless Access Point needs to be hard wired (or cabled) into the Cisco Switch or Draytek Router to broadcast a WiFi signal.
Using the Draytek VigorAP 802 as a WiFi Extender can be done wirelessly however the signal strength and performance impact reduces with each extension.
Uses
Range extenders are generally used to gain a small increase in the reach of a network. They work best with clients which do not require a strong signal to function, and which are not used for time-sensitive applications such as gaming or streaming. For high-performance networks, it is usually better to extend the range of the network through the use of multiple access points rather than range extenders. This option is often more expensive, but makes for a more even and strong coverage across the network's outer regions
Network Switch Connects Your Devices To The Network
A network switch is a simple device that houses a set number of Ethernet ports. These can be used to connect many devices with RJ45 ports. Your PC, TV, printer, consoles and other smart devices will more than likely have an Ethernet port that can be used to create a more stable connection. While WiFi has come a long way over the past decade, it still doesn't beat a wired connection. Should you be happy with the wireless performance of your router, a switch probably isn't for you.
Network switches are designed for homeowners or the office to create physically connected networks. A switch will take control over traffic management and provide some advanced network features that your ISP supplied router may lack, further enhancing performance.
