The brief

Solving slow broadband and patchy Wi-Fi

A five-bedroom guest house in Grasmere was relying on a BT connection delivering around 20 Mbps. That was not enough for several visitors streaming, browsing and using multiple devices at the same time.

The property’s thick traditional slate walls created a second problem: even where the connection reached the router, Wi-Fi struggled to travel reliably between rooms and floors. DAV’s brief was to improve both the incoming broadband and the way Wi-Fi was distributed throughout the building.

Project at a glance

✓ Five-bedroom guest house
✓ Previous broadband around 20 Mbps
✓ Starlink connection at 300+ Mbps
✓ Three TP-Link Omada access points
✓ One wired access point per floor
✓ New data cabling
✓ Existing riser used where possible
✓ Neat trunking for surface runs
✓ Separate owner and guest networks

The solution

Treating broadband and Wi-Fi as two separate problems

01. Faster broadband

Starlink replaced the slow landline service and gave the guest house access to the bandwidth needed by visitors using several devices at once.

02. Wired Wi-Fi

Three TP-Link Omada access points—one on each floor—were hardwired back to the network, avoiding the signal loss associated with wireless repeaters.

03. Separate networks

The owner’s equipment and smart devices use a private network, while guests connect to a separate Wi-Fi network isolated from the property’s back-end systems.

Inside the property

Reliable coverage through thick slate walls

A more powerful router would not have solved the building’s coverage problem. Each Omada access point was connected by cable, so every floor receives a strong network connection without trying to push Wi-Fi through several thick walls.

New cabling was hidden through an existing riser wherever possible. Where a surface route was unavoidable, it was finished neatly in trunking to respect the traditional guest house interior.

The installation

Installed properly, from chimney to guest rooms

Survey and plan. We assessed the available broadband, the building’s construction and the routes needed to reach all three floors.

Secure the Starlink dish. A two-person rigging team mounted the dish to the large slate chimney using a substantial double-lashing arrangement.

Cable the property. New data routes connect one Omada access point on each floor, using the existing riser and tidy trunking where required.

Configure and test. Separate owner and guest networks were set up, then coverage and speeds were checked throughout the guest house.

The result

From around 20 Mbps to 300+ Mbps

The Starlink connection now delivers speeds of 300 Mbps and above, while three wired access points provide reliable Wi-Fi coverage throughout the five-bedroom guest house.

Guests have the kind of connection they now expect from Lake District accommodation, and the owner’s smart equipment remains protected on a separate private network.

Project outcome

The owner is pleased with the result and now has good Wi-Fi coverage and faster internet throughout the property.

No direct customer quotation was supplied.

Running a guest house or rural property with slow broadband?

DAV can survey the property, improve the incoming connection and build a Wi-Fi system that works properly throughout the building.