Hello!

Looking to optimize our setup and want to ask for help on 2 matters:

1) Internet
We have an office on ground and our flat on 2nd floor. We would like one connection and all on the same network for filesharing, printing etc. Swisscom tells us it's not possible Any idea how we could set this up or if anyone has done it?

2) Mobile phones
2 adults and 2 tweens - we need some data (2 or 3 GB/month) and some roaming in EU. Are there any family plans?
Swisscom proposed plans with prices of 60 for adults and 35 for tweens which sound a lot!

Thank you for your help!
K

1) it will depend on the thickness of your concrete. I use a cable to a second router.

2) check out Lycamobile.ch

If I understand you right, you want a local network connected to the Internet via a single connection. That should be easy to set up. You might even be able to network all your devices using the router you get from your ISP.

The trouble is if you have separate rental contracts for the 2, because they might not mix a business plan with a private plan and it could also cause tax issued (business vs. private). So the telecom company itself may not install fixed connection in both the office and flat on the same contract. But that doesn't stop you from accessing the office connection via WLAN.

I wouldn't bother with plans marketed as family plans for your mobile phones. They generally aren't the best deal available. Just use one of the telecom comparison sites to find the cheapest.

I have a yallo box with a separate mobile abo. The concrete floors may mean you need a repeater but it should work. Yallo pricing is complicated, they have regular half price offers which are good value.
Reception is generally good except when the sunrise network gets overloaded/has technical problems.

We cannot put a cable outside - did you mean an electrician could somehow put a cable "inside" the walls to link the 2 places?

The WLAN does not work as the places are stacked and hence the WLAN does not reach. Also not with a repeater but this was a couple of yes back, may have improved repeaters now?

Your best best is a physical cable. Look around for an opportunity? You must have pipes that run up and down the building? inside and out?

Get a lightening cable installed [no, not for real just pretent] that you can run outside.

Run a cable behind the drain pipe/downpipe outside?

Look into using the power sockets, you might be able to run a network across them?

Talk to an electrician, not swisscom ask him to propose some solutions?

Try moving your Wifi router to different places to see if you can get a better signal in different places.

Send me a PM of you need mor help?

Thank you.
1) Router spot - we tried moving it but no change. And its connected to a home PC which stands in a specific place so also not ideal to move it (sorry I know - many requirements)

2) The power sockets actually worked but sort of created different subnetworks somehow and so we were not all on same network. So if I printed from upstairs would not print on the wireless printer downstairs. But perhaps that is a different issue related to me not knowing how to configure it.

Who could I ask to configure such a network? Is there any good tech help of sorts?

Thank you!

K

Some powerline adapters (the plugin ones) create their own wireless network SSID for a wifi network with a default setup. You might have to some configuration to get them to share the same one across everything.

Sometimes this involves connecting a laptop into the network port directly on the powerline adapter so best to check the instructions for them.

Get a USB wifi connector and use that rather than direct.

If you have wifi powerline adaptors with their own SSID, you can log into them via wifi.

I can't remember the details but my powerline adaptors all have the same SSID, so connection is seamless about the house (4 floors), and it was very easy to set up. FWIW, the connection between the adaptors is encrypted.

One problem with a home/office setup as described, would be if they were on separate electricity phases.

If you are in the gbit connection speed, i recommed to stay away from WLAN for your PC, otherwise will loose a lot of the speed.
Do you got fiber conection in your flat ?

For the mobile i would recommend going for dual sim mobiles , so you avoid the roaming fees.

I'd strongly advise against WiFi across two floors (three actually, if I get it right - EG and 2.). I have one router upstairs, one downstairs (literally at the base of the stairs) as the upstairs one didn't cover the lower floor in its entirety.

You could (and I personally suggest should) have an electrician run a an Ethernet cable through the regular cable conduits of the building. Clear this with the building administrator first, but not expecting them to object as long as you have a certified company doing the work. Expect a labor cost in the range of ~50-100 CHF. You can then plug in a second router / access point on the lower floor (presuming your "primary" router is upstairs) and configure it accordingly. Most regular routers can be configured as access points too and there are plenty of cheap ones on Ricardo.

For mobile, Lyca offers a family plan (or was it Lebara?), but they have a pretty complex pricing structure. Swisscom will give you some discounts if you already have cable TV/internet from them, same for UPC. Sunrise seemed the most expensive for my needs when I checked. Salt are currently running a summer sale with all plans 50% off (30 CHF for Swiss unlimited with some roaming minutes, 45 CHF for Europe unlimited with full phone and data roaming; you could also mix these, e.g. Europe plans for the parents and Swiss for the kids). Unless you travel really often back and forth, dual-sim (i.e. a different contract in a different country) might not work out cheaper than a heavily discounted plan in Switzerland.