Tjyylli

Is it possible to create multiple access points from one network?

For example, if there was a house occupied by 3 people and they had a router connected to a line and their broadband speed was 150Mbps. Would they be able to set something up that allowed them to create 3 separate "networks" so each person in the house could connect to their own access point and share the bandwidth equally? Or is this something that just isn't possible without having several lines coming into the house?

I'll soon be moving into a house with several others and like to stream a lot, I don't want to have to stop because I don't have enough bandwidth due to someone else downloading something, or streaming TV etc.

Sorry if it's a stupid question, I'm not that familiar with how a network works.

Yes, this is possible. You simply need a main router plus 3 routers and/or 3 access points.

If you use access points, you can setup different SSID and password combination and hook them up to the same router. They will be able to see eachother's devices with this method, but they have separate logins which can be blocked if you need to. Each device can be managed from the router and most consumer routers will have a QoS setting.

If you use multiple routers, all traffic will be shielded from eachother until they leave their private network. This is the optimal route to go because it allows for much more customization. You have a main router that all other routers plugin to, then each router will allow access for separate groups of people with one or more devices with optional wifi.

As each router comes into your main router, you can manage access from the main router through QoS. Some consumer routers even allow managing bandwidth per connected device which will work in this case because the routers will be connected the moment you set things up, but even if you can only do bandwidth management for the overall connection, if you setup the upload cap below what the internet connection can handle, it should counteract congestion, which is the ultimate goal you want to achieve.

If the router is a wireless one, a firmware like DD-WRT (not all routers are supported) provides for virtual wireless access points to be setup and the QOS configuration to divide the bandwidth between them manually by an exact number.

Then each person's devices connected to each network will share their stack of bandwidth, in your case 50Mbps (5MBps). Just right for HD streaming using Netflix as an example.

Here a guide on it:
https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Guest_WiFi_%2B_abuse_control_for_beginners

Netflix bandwidth requirements:
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/306

DD-WRT Device Support:
https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices
* Note that this list is outdated (as with all DD-WRT documentation) and there may be other routers not on this list that ARE supported but from independent developers inside the DD-WRT community.

This won't be possible unless you have 3 lines going in, well, as you want it so. However, most every router will automatically manage the bandwidth going into a device (and often based on what is being transferred using QoS ) such that the bandwidth is equally shared anyway. However, intense streaming or gaming may take precedence over Web browsing - unless you manually set the QoS settings to prioritise a service or a device. If you are moving in, then you should consult the head of the house or all come to an agreement for QoS settings, to prevent any social problems that may arise from what can be seen as "stealing" web bandwidth.

As for creating separate networks, industrial advanced routers or switches (such as ones Cisco produce, for large prices and severely overkill for a house) can create different VLANs (Virtual LANs) and force bandwidth to be equally shared. With 150Mbps, everyone should definitely have enough for regular usage.