Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
  • WiFi issues – can you help?
  • matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Plusnet Hub One on Plusnet fibre. I’m getting 30-34mbs.
    Router is central in the house. Good signal on channel 11 only two other networks on different channels.
    Currently upto 5 phones, 4 laptops, printer and either PS4 or Xbox connected at once (!) Teenagers volume of traffic. 🙄

    The printer is wireless HP Envy 5546, which mirrors the WiFi channel 11 for wireless printing, and won’t work plugged into usb of router.

    PlayStation connection seems flaky – 1.5mbs up / 300kb down at times – I’m struggling to see if it is our WiFi, game servers, Plusnet throttling or…?

    We’ve had other issues – just the connection seeming to not be there for 30s (cable, not WiFi end).

    I’m tempted to say it’s Plusnet throttling and/or cheap router…

    Would a decent router solve this? (If so, suggest a decent but cheap one)

    Thoughts?

    Alphabet
    Full Member

    I’ve found disabling the 5ghz wifi and just running on 2.4ghz makes everything stable in our house.

    Drac
    Full Member

    Alphabet is close. Split the channels rather than closing one, that was often the issue with BT routers.

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    fossy
    Full Member

    I run 5 and 2.4 on other channels and also ensure my WIFI is not on the stock/default channel, as neighbours can be on the same – my sister has a big issue with this – I’d used my ‘wifi scanner’ app on my phone that told me all her new build neighbours were all on the same channel = not good lot’s of traffic.

    I was accused of wizardry, but BIL isn’t techy, and was getting mightly ‘hissed off’ the wifi fell over to the ‘bar shed’ on NYE of all nights… SKYQ dropped out loads.. and he pays way plus of £100 a month for this rubbish.

    I’ve offered to go and move their channels on the WIFI and extender. I also told them they had been given a really old BT hub….

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    I did turn off 5gz as it was causing mayhem.

    I think the box is a rebadged BT Home hub.

    Drac
    Full Member

    Yeah it will be.

    Place the WiFi channel see if that helps. I’d also reactivate the 5ghz on a different channel.

    FuzzyWuzzy
    Full Member

    Hard to say an exact cause from your description. Given the amount of devices you have I would def look at switching to a decent router (budget £100-150 for one) but also worth raising a call with Plusnet for them to monitor the line if you think it’s dropping our. You could also run something like a continuous ping out to the Internet from something running off an Ethernet cable into the router and look for it dropping or for packet loss. Even if you do see some ping failures it could still be the router rather than the copper/fibre connection (overloaded etc.).

    Also I didn’t think Plusnet throttled did they (and even if they did I doubt it would be the sort of traffic an XBOX or PS4 generates).

    trailwagger
    Free Member

    PlayStation connection seems flaky – 1.5mbs up / 300kb down at times – I’m struggling to see if it is our WiFi, game servers, Plusnet throttling or…?
    We’ve had other issues – just the connection seeming to not be there for 30s (cable, not WiFi end).

    First things first. You need to ensure you have a good broadband connection. Can you connect a pc via a cable to the router? Then run several speed tests.
    If broadband is good, then turn your attention to the wifi. Get a wifi analyzer app on your phone and walk around the house to check signal strength in every room. Also check channel utilization of other devices/networks around you. Remember microwaves/cordless phones etc can also interfere with wifi.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    ^ done that. WiFi is ace in all rooms, no shared channels etc. PC in via cable is ok, not done it for hours to see if there is a wobble.
    We had a new connection into the house and master socket from BT about two years ago, when it was discovered how old the connection into the house actually was…

    I think it is the router – i’ll see if I can upgrade it.

    Jakester
    Free Member

    We have a Plusnet router (and PN BB!) and our experience is it’s pretty flaky with the WiFi, though oddly only with Windows devices.

    We have iphones, ipad, Macbook etc which never miss a beat. Connect our ancient PC (via ethernet cable), the boy’s ancient Vaio PC, or my newer HP work laptop by WiFi and it’s dropout ago-go. All of the Windows devices drop out regularly, bemoaning the fact there’s an apparent lack of connectivity, whilst all the time the Apple devices carry on uncomplainingly.

    I suspect it’s something to do with how the router deals with Windows DNS/DHCP stuff, but that’s a bit beyond my ken…

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Which plusnet router? We are on the Hub One.

    Jakester
    Free Member

    I think it’s that one – looks like an older BT one (we had BT before).

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    My router from Zen is one I hadn’t heard of: Fritz!Box

    But it is actually quite good and one of the features is a built-in wifi scanner (as fossy suggested) which checks out what other networks are around and then automatically selects the least overlapped channel.

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

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