2.4GHz not working properly.....why?

[richy2201]

Hi,

 

I was wondering if someone could advise on why my 2.4GHz isn't working properly ( extremely intermittent).  Background:

 

-  Live in a 3 story townhouse.  Humax router downstairs.  We have had this (exactly same setup) for 2 years.  Had small problem near the start of installation for different reason, engineer came out, disabled the 5Ghz so everything in house (laptops, android box, phones) were all running off 2.4GHz. 

-  Even on top floor, streaming movies, etc there was never any problem whatsoever.  Speed tests from laptop for instance with usual 4/5 bar signal strength was originally around 30Mbps (noting I get / paid for 50 download and 5 upload. 

-  The problem seems to have started over a week ago.  The internet kept dropping out (2.4GHz connection light going off and intermittent regularly for a day).  I phoned help center but tech support were busy, and phoned me back the next day but everything seemed to be OK.  However, I noticed on the router that the 5GHz was enabled.

-  Engineer came out on Friday, had a look at setup of router.  He changed Channel but I had already tried various channels to that of my neighbours without any success.  Even after trying to plead the case that practically everything ran off 2.4GHz for 2 years on the two upper floors without any problems he still insisted it was down to signal strength and nothing more even after me showing readings of 25Mbps on laptop upstairs and then a few minutes when I try again it reading 2 Mbps.

-  5GHz works downstairs perfect but even when Im near the router and try speed test with 2.4Ghz it sometimes gives low / intermittent readings.

-  Also, help centre said that "engineers" had previously been in my village around a week or so ago to fix a problem.

 

In a nutshell my 2.4Ghz on router isnt working properly.  (5GHz hasnt got enough penetration to make it even to the second floor. )

Ive checked the channels that my neighbours are using and there doesnt seem to be any conflict. Now I usually get <2Mbps download on any device I use upstairs even with >60% signal (whereas before I would get around at least 20Mbps easy.  On the very rare occasion during the day I might get a 'normal' speed upstairs but then after a period it will drop again.

Has any TV member any ideas what could be the problem?  Router or any other variable that I may have missed?  The only thing that has changed physically is there is a massive comms tower built literally outside the back of my window in house (approx 50 metres).  What its for I do not know.

 

Many Thanks in advance for any help

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Trying to diagnose this kind of stuff often comes down to trial and error.

 

Who's your ISP. It kind of sounds like True from the way you describe the useless responses of their "tech".

 

You could ask them to swap out your current router for a different one or a different model, to see if that makes any difference and whether it's a hardware issue. Usually they're willing to do something like that upon request.

 

How much did the arrival of the big comms tower you mentioned coincide with the onset of your wifi problems?

 

Have you used a program like Netalyzer to evaluate how much interference/competing signals your wifi adapters are detecting and on what channels in your current location vs the channels your router is broadcasting on?

[richy2201]

Thanks for reply John.

 

Yes, Im with True, but to be fair to them they are constantly phoning me to see if things have improved and  up until now there were never any problems.

 

I agree about the router, I may give them a phone tomorrow and request a new router.  Im not 100% sure but I think after the first time I phoned them when the signal on the router kept dropping out they logged onto my router and done something as I never had 5GHz enabled but the next morning it was enabled.  Also, I think they may  possibly have updated the firmware / software of the router.

 

Im using a program from Nirsoft (wifiinfo) which displays all routers/signal strengths/channels etc etc from neighbours.  Theres in excess of 30+ routers but this is normal.  Also Im now using Channel 4 with only one other person (far away) using  that channel, though Ive tried many others but still no luck.  To give you example Im getting RSSI of -67+ Signal Quality 66 (this from my laptop on third floor which now only gives speed of around 3Mbps.

 

As for the tower outside, its hard to tell exactly when or even if its having an effect though to give you idea, I returned to Thailand mid July after having been a month away and there was a massive tower outside my window with the 'engineers' seemingly finishing off the installation work after around a week, so it is a possibility that when this went 'live' it may have an affect.  This problem with my WIFI has only began maybe 8 days ago.  This period of around 8-9 days ago also coincides when the engineers from True where apparently in my area seemingly fixing a 'problem' whatever that was......

 

Thanks again

 

 

 

 

[KittenKong]

7 hours ago, richy2201 said:

The problem seems to have started over a week ago.  The internet kept dropping out (2.4GHz connection light going off and intermittent regularly for a day).

 

Do you actually mean the wifi light or the internet connection light? They are two very different things and your router should have both.

 

Do your devices indicate a dropped wifi connection at all? Do devices connected via an ethernet cable work correctly all the time?

 

 

 

7 hours ago, richy2201 said:

Im using a program from Nirsoft (wifiinfo) which displays all routers/signal strengths/channels etc etc from neighbours.  Theres in excess of 30+ routers but this is normal.

 

30 is quite a lot. I live in a condo building and I see fewer than that.

 

If you have many devices connected to your own wifi this can have a big effect also.

 

 

 

7 hours ago, richy2201 said:

The only thing that has changed physically is there is a massive comms tower built literally outside the back of my window in house (approx 50 metres). What its for I do not know.

 

That could cause a huge amount of trouble, depending on what it actually is.

 

Another possibility is that your router is just broken as mentioned. They are cheaply made and dont last forever. Before replacing it I would try resetting it, but make sure that you know all your connection details before doing so.

You say that the 5Ghz was turned off before and that doing so improved things, but that now, following a possible ISP reset, the 5Ghz is on again. If so I would be inclined to turn the 5Ghz off again as anything that didnt work properly before is unlikely to suddenly start working properly now.

 

Another option might be to install Powerlan extenders. If your electrical wiring is in good order these should make your wifi much stronger on the upper floors and that may get around any interference caused by the nearby tower too. It does very much depend on the quality of your internal wiring though. I use DLink non-wifi Gigabit Powerlan devices very successfully in my condo. They never drop out.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01B4X4W6O/

(not a recommendation, just an example of what might suit your needs).

[richy2201]

Hi, and thanks for reply.

 

I had did an in depth reply yesterday and for some reason managed to lose it before it was posted.  So I lost the head and closed the computer.

We were literally about to head out the door this morning to cancel our internet and change with another ISP when I got an unexpected txt message saying an engineer was coming out before lunchtime.

He arrived on time and changed the router and what a difference (it appears)  to have made.  I am getting now 40Mbps speed on laptop on third floor using 2.4Ghz. 

 

Anyway, time will tell. 

 

Many Thanks

 

[coops]

The 'free' routers from True are going to be.... fairly sh@tyy no matter what - there's no reason to need to disable your 5gHz for example.

 

Unless in a one floor type of setup, you might want to buy a decent Wifi Router ( Asus as an example ), plug that in to your router/modem and disable completely the True router wifi... use the asus or whatever with appropriate passwords etc.

 

Then if you end up finally having had enough of true you can just disable the next (AIS or whoever) crappy router wifi, plug in your Asus and away you go....