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[burakkucat]

I decided to check the User Guide for a Linksys RE6500. The copy I obtained is dated 2014 and is described as "LNKPG-00125 Rev. A01".

The first thing I noticed was the description: "Linksys AC1200 Max Wi-Fi Range Extender". All the way through that guide the unit is described as a "Wi-Fi Range Extender" and not a "WiFi Access Point".

I might have downloaded an incorrect document but alarm bells have started to ring. 

[boost]

OK, now I'm confused too

Home Set-Up: Multiple devices wired to a Switch and 2 x Linksys RE6500 access points wired via CAT 6 to the router.

The ethernet ports appear to be edge ports? I'm guessing they're not actually meant to be used as uplinks because the only way to connect is via specifying an SSID as an uplink?

Can you confirm/deny this, K360?

[burakkucat]

OK, now I'm confused too

So it is not just me in a kerfuddle? 

[boost]

Disconnect the cables from the extenders to the router and watch your problems disappear, along with whatever broadcast storm you created.

Thank b*cat profusely once done.

[burakkucat]

. . . broadcast storm . . .

Ah, yes, broadcast storm. That is the exact phase I could not bring to mind, earlier.   

[Chrysalis]

If I was an isp I would never accept a low speed report that relied on wifi.  Far too many variables that can affect performance.  In my own setup 2.4ghz on "any" channel cannot consistently avoid bottlenecking my internet, 5ghz is required for that, but even then I would never rely on it as a means of diagnosing my internet connection.

Aside from the technical barriers involved in identifying your laptop as high usage and throttling it, there is also legal barriers in that an isp cannot sell an unlimited broadband service and then apply throttling.

[tubaman]

I think in this situation I would be going back to basics.
1. Turn off (at the mains) every device on the network.
2. Default either the PlusNet router or the Hub 6 and connect back to the line.
3. Run wired speed tests on one device only, ensuring that said device has any wireless capability switched off.
4. If that works ok then try the same device again in wireless mode.
5. Start connecting devices back one at a time and retest at each point.

As other have said, PlusNet neither know nor care if you are connecting wired or wireless, and will not (indeed cannot) be throttling wireless connections.
Something is causing conflicts on the network - there is just no other plausible explanation.
 

[Ronski]

This thread implies it does support access point mode with the latest firmware at that time.

The recent RE6500 firmware 1.0.07.009 or newer supports access point mode. It needs to be reset to factory default settings after firmware upgrade is complete.

[jelv]

While I was setting up a spare router as a WAP I had a similar issue. The wireless speed from the router downstairs (20ft and several walls/floors) was about 40Mbps and from the WAP router I was sat next to about 6Mbps. As the WAP router had spare Ethernet ports I tried a wired test with similar results. In my case it was because I connected it to the switch which then connected to the downstairs router using LAN4 which had previously been configured as the WAN port. Using a different LAN port and/or turning off the WAN on LAN4 fixed it.

The point is all sorts of things can cause weird results and you have to step back and test things from basics. Do as tubaman has recommended starting with only a router and confirm the wired speed on that, then the wireless speed, then add components one at a time to find out what causes the issues. When you add a range extender first test the wireless speed you are now getting from the router, then test the speed you get from the extender wired then wireless.

Edit: If adding the second access point causes the issue, turn off the first to check if it is just that one or the combination of the two.

[Ronski]

I would also make sure the firmware on the Re6500's is up to date, once updated they are reset to default and any required settings re-entered. Access point mode may also have to be selected. Access point mode is mentioned as being added in the release notes of the firmware updates.

https://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=148460

[j0hn]

I would go even more basic than that. The OP thinks Plusnet is throttling all wireless clients.

Disconnect the WAP completely.
Connect only the ISP supplied device.
Run a few wireless speed tests.
If the issue persists then it's possibly a signal problem of some kind.
If you get deceent speeds then start diagnosing the WAP.

[snadge]

@ K360 - The engineer is clearly unaware of the problems with the NTE5C (mk1 or mk2) just spend some time researching it and you will see, there are plenty of BT engineers on this forum who also agree it is of rubbish quality and can have negative effects, it may not resolve your issues but it doesn't detract from the fact and is worth trying as it may stop your dropouts...I couldn't even imagine having an NTE5C and Plusnet Hub One on my line - DLM would be going crazy!!

It truly has nothing to do with Plusnet what is going on here, it is not the ISP's responsibility for what goes on beyond the NTE5, the speed to the hub IS 65MB, why would they (if they could) slow down your connection on the other side of the hub? your reasoning for 'Heavy Usage' does not make sense because the speed to the hub is still 65Mbit, when ISPs throttle connections it is done TO the hub... this is like saying the highway is so busy they closed the exiting slip road to ease congestion ... just doesn't make sense, do you not think it would be easier, cheaper and legal to throttle the HUB and make the cmr aware of what's happening? or to pay more for complex, expensive and illegal operations that throttle the device that's the 'cause' of the congestion? I know if I were an ISP which option I would choose.

When I switched from BE* (BE* SMPF) to Sky (Sky MPF) circa 2011, the engineer made a balls up at the exchange/PCP reducing my speed by =>half (split pair), at the time I was like you, convinced it was the ISP having me off...but after months of work and education I learned it was Openreach who was the cause of my fault, after 3 months, 20-30 phone calls lasting 60+ minutes each to Sky Network Services and 7 BTo visits I eventually got assigned a competent BTo engineer (no offence to the very competent engineers on here) who could find and rectify the issue that the first engineer caused. I bring this up as evidence that not ALL BT Openreach engineers are competent and therefore their advice should not be taken as 'gospel' (again, no offence to the obviously very competent engineers on here).

Read through the previous submissions since your last post, there have been some suggestions that your AP's are actually Wireless Repeaters and not AP's at all, is this the case?

I do hope you get sorted

[guest_10]

I haven't said this yet. So I'm going to say it now. Thank you for your responses and the time you have taken to respond. It is greatly appreciated because I'm learning a tremendous amount albeit the problems haven't gone but at least I can try other ways to ensure my internal network is bullet proof. If I have come across as a bit unpleasant I apologise as that is not my intention however it can come across that way after reading back through my posts.

To answer the question raised about the access points, as someone mentioned the latest firmware on the Linksys devices turn them into an access point and they are updated to the latest firmware. They have been in place since before the switch to plusnet and weren't causing any problems.

I have ensured that all devices were powered off and rebooted one at a time, although I didn't switch off the wireless.

I have signed up to the BQM and will perform the LAN tests across my network when I get the chance to and report the results here.

As for the master socket, I'm not competent to change this over to the old one and I don't have the old one to even try unfortunately. I will be speaking to Plusnet again and ask for another engineer to come out.

[snadge]

I haven't said this yet. So I'm going to say it now. Thank you for your responses and the time you have taken to respond. It is greatly appreciated because I'm learning a tremendous amount albeit the problems haven't gone but at least I can try other ways to ensure my internal network is bullet proof. If I have come across as a bit unpleasant I apologise as that is not my intention however it can come across that way after reading back through my posts.

To answer the question raised about the access points, as someone mentioned the latest firmware on the Linksys devices turn them into an access point and they are updated to the latest firmware. They have been in place since before the switch to Plusnet and weren't causing any problems.

I have ensured that all devices were powered off and rebooted one at a time, although I didn't switch off the wireless.

I have signed up to the BQM and will perform the LAN tests across my network when I get the chance to and report the results here.

As for the master socket, I'm not competent to change this over to the old one and I don't have the old one to even try, unfortunately. I will be speaking to Plusnet again and ask for another engineer to come out.

You will be hard pushed to get an engineer to come out if Plusnet can't detect a fault, it's not impossible, but the staff member dealing with it will probably have to get an override from a manager to get an engineer sent out, if the manager is told there is no fault and the hub gets 65-Mbit then its very unlikely they will 'green-light' an appointed visit, situations similar to this are usually dependant on the resilience of the manager & customer, managers may cave in with threats to leave...but not always... if a fault is found internally by BTo they will inform the ISP who will in-turn forward the circa £130 £65 bill from BTo to yourself, whether its fixed or not.

Its really quite easy swapping NTE's, plenty of videos & guidance online and you can pick them up cheaply off ebay or other sites. The wires are coloured and the NTE's labelled, its literally 2 wires, A wire and B wire, write down which colour wire goes into A and B, then remove the NTE5C, pop in an NTE5A..A-to-A / B-to-B, the wires just push down into the IDC slot. Any extensions you may have around the home are fitted to terminals 2 and 5 on the front plate, bell wire (should be avoided if not needed) goes into terminal 3, it may or may not resolve your dropouts but it is worth a try, out of simple curiosity...it would have been interesting to know just what your 'Error Rate' (such as CRC, FEC, ES over time) was before and after an NTE5C install! I know its not going to fix your problem, but if you get the same symptoms as I did from the NTE5C then its possible that DLM could later at some point intervene and increase the SNRM and/or your error protection values (and thus lower your sync speed) to make it more stable (less errors), I'm not saying it will happen, but could.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UxkSUaMVM8[/youtube]

[vultura]

if a fault is found internally by BTo they will inform the ISP who will in-turn forward the circa £130 bill from BTo to yourself, whether its fixed or not.

Its really quite easy swapping NTE's, plenty of videos & guidance online and you can pick them up cheaply off ebay or other sites. The wires are coloured and the NTE's labelled, its literally 2 wires, A wire and B wire, write down which colour wire goes into A and B, then remove the NTE5C, pop in a NTE5A..A-to-A / B-to-B, the wires just push down into the IDC slot.

Plusnet pass on a charge of £65 should no fault be found or if the fault lies within your premises/equipment.  In order to get an engineer visit arranged you have to agree to the possibility of being charged.

Of course you are talking about the theory of altering NTE's as they are the demarkation point between the Openreach network and your internal wiring, so should not altered by an unauthorised person.