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Author Topic: Help with WiFi signal issues  (Read 3157 times)

snadge

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Help with WiFi signal issues
« on: August 31, 2019, 09:55:16 PM »

Hi

My dad is having wifi reception issues in the garden and upstairs (3up3down) and bought a Netgear WNR3000 booster but says the signal does not reach upstairs... he is on about buying a 2nd booster which too me tells me there could be a problem with his set up because 1 router and 2 boosters seems overkill for a fairly small property like his, he never had problems until he moved too Plusnet from Talk Talk... I've advised that he tries to set the TT router up for Plusnet and see if that helps, but Iam not sure if it will allow him.

I am not local to him so Iam unable to help

Ive informed him that a mesh solution be be better OR an extender which uses Powerline technology to feed a booster rather than using wifi to link them up

can anyone on here advise of a good booster?

thanks
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adrianw

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2019, 04:22:22 AM »

Avoid any Netgear equipment that has a computer in it.
I spent a long time yesterday setting up an EX2700 (?) booster, and it does not work very well.
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fat jez

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2019, 10:33:23 AM »

Avoid any Netgear equipment that has a computer in it.
I spent a long time yesterday setting up an EX2700 (?) booster, and it does not work very well.

Whereas I love my Orbi mesh setup and think it works great.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2019, 11:00:37 AM »

A consideration for me would be that this device is likely to remain powered-on 24/7, so energy efficiency ranks highly, simply because it results in higher electricity bills.

You can get a very very rough, guesstimate of actual annual cost by converting the steady state wattage into pounds per year, ie a device that consumes 10 watts, think of it as costing £10 per year.   It’s not accurate, nowhere near in fact and it might turn out to be more like £15, but gives an idea.

After a few years, for a device running 24/7, that cost often starts to outweigh the up-front purchase costs.   

Netgear have always been a bit shy of publishing actual consumption,  imho.   Best I can find is
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WN3000RPV2/WN3000RPv2_UM_2April2014.pdf
Quote
Power consumption
100-240V ~0.1 A, 50-60 Hz

You can’t deduce real AC power consumption (hence cost) from just multiplying Volts and Amps without knowing the power factor, which they are not telling us.   All the same, it looks as if Netgear are encouraging people to think that consumption is around 10-25W.   That does seem high to the point of disbelief, but it’s all I can find.   If true, it’d be costing maybe £10-£25 or a bit more per year, to run.

In contrast, as one example,   I’ve sometimes found TP-link to be more open about power consumption of the stuff they make.  Not sure if this device delivers the same functionality, but...

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/range-extender/tl-wa855re/#specifications
Quote
Power Consumption   About 3W

Much more helpful, and allows us to think in terms of £3 per year, or a bit more, to run it.



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Ronski

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2019, 01:02:30 PM »

If you don't need the AC wi-fi you can turn it off permanently, or schedule it to only be on during the hours you are likely to use it, as AC uses quite a bit of extra power.
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Ronski

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2019, 01:05:53 PM »

As for the OP question, that's rather difficult to answer, it's most likely PN's router doesn't have as good wi-fi compared to TT's router. Best option is probably replace it with a decent router with decent wi-fi. Another option would be to disable the wi-fi and get a separate access point, install this on the middle floor of the house towards the back, it should then cover all three floors and the garden hopefully. You could also leave the original routers wi-fi on is coverage is poor in that area.
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snadge

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2019, 04:04:54 PM »

yeah I think a replacement router would be best...for starters, but there aren't any newer decent VDSL routers that have exceptional Wi-Fi is there? all the ones I find are older stuff... I dont think he will entertain running multiple routers, Ive advised to get devices (router/boosters) that have large external antenna's as they generally have much better range than small internal things that are hidden behind the housing, also you can manipulate the broadcast orientation by moving the antennas, that isn't to say devices with internal ones are gunna be crap as you can get some good ones.

I think his NTE is near the front of the house and his router is in the corner room but next to the door up on a table right next to the PC which is LAN'd in, he would do better getting it into the passage, but unless he fixes it to a wall and uses extension cables it would still be at the front of the house

@sevenlayermuddle - thanks for the detailed reply, i will point this out but im sure he turns everything off when not in or in bed.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2019, 09:28:25 PM »


@sevenlayermuddle - thanks for the detailed reply, i will point this out but im sure he turns everything off when not in or in bed.

Fair enough then, my point was not so relevant. :)

In later years, I persuaded my own Dad to leave the router connected 24/7, but everything else was only switched on when needed, on grounds of safety as well as cost.

Right up until I left the parental home after Uni, which was prior to installation of central heating, I remember gas supply was turned off at the mains valve every night once we’d all gone to bed.   Pretty sure I remember electricity being switched off at the mains overnight too, earlier in childhood.    ::)
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aesmith

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2019, 11:08:12 AM »

As for the OP question, that's rather difficult to answer, it's most likely PN's router doesn't have as good wi-fi compared to TT's router.
If it's that Plusnet "Hub Zero" 2704n as issued to ADSL customers, then it's wireless is not very good at all.
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snadge

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2019, 02:14:46 PM »

its the infineon/lantiq based hub one (BT Home Hub 5B)
he reported last night he moved the booster upstairs and was able to get a good signal up there, I dont know if this is resolved though
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benji09

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2019, 09:27:47 PM »

  Has another WiFi channel been tried at the property????
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snadge

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2019, 09:36:32 PM »

  Has another WiFi channel been tried at the property????

yes
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RealAleMadrid

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #12 on: September 02, 2019, 10:55:12 PM »

@Snadge, I am sure that it is the Hub 5A that has the infineon/Lantiq chipset, the Hub 5B is Broadcomm, this may or may not be relevant in the circumstances but I was under the impression that the 5B has pretty good WiFi performance.
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snadge

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Re: Help with WiFi signal issues
« Reply #13 on: September 03, 2019, 11:13:10 AM »

@Snadge, I am sure that it is the Hub 5A that has the infineon/Lantiq chipset, the Hub 5B is Broadcomm, this may or may not be relevant in the circumstances but I was under the impression that the 5B has pretty good WiFi performance.

sorry yes its the 5A - keep mixing them up, I have two of each here so next time im at my dads (whenever that is) I will take a 5B across...at least he will have a better VDSL connection if anything
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