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Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

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Beavis
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Posts: 5
Registered: ‎14-04-2018

Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

I have just transferred to Plusnet after a frustrating and disappointing 18 months with Talk Talk. I had hoped for a fresh start and, to a certain degree, that has happened. However my initial optimism has been shattered after a mere 4 days with Plusnet. My wifi download speeds have plummeted to an unusable level. My iMac, which is connected by an ethernet cable, is still getting good speeds - the wifi which was giving me comparable speeds to two phones and a tablet has now dropped to a fraction of their previous speeds. The three wifi connected devices are from 3 different manufacturers, so that would appear to rule out a generic fault. I have tried a number of 'tips' posted on the internet and on here...the slow wifi speeds remain. Anyone have an answer or do I have to move ISPs again ?

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Baldrick1
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

Fix

Welcome to the forum.

This could be a channel congestion problem which can be cured by logging in to your router and manually changing the Wifi channel. There's some help here: https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/getting-the-best-wifi-signal/  However...

As you have posted this on the broadband forum I assume that Plusnet have supplied a Hub Zero. As thia reports, the wifi performance of these is dire: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/plusnet/1403635/plusnet-hub-zero-2704n-review.

If you have posted incorrectly and you have a Hub One then these are a bit better. The internal hardware is in fact from the old BT Home Hub 5a. One thing that causes problems with these especially on Apple devices is band synchronisation so you should try separating these see here: https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Making-5-GHz-have-separate-SSID-with-the-Hub-One/m-p/1349587...

For about £30 you can buy a BT Home Hub 6 from Ebay. You will find instructions on setting this up on your Plusnet account in this forum. It.has very good wifi performance and should  cure your problem..

 

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Beavis
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

I have no idea what router I have been supplied with - it has a model number of 2704N on the label. When I received it I was a little dismayed as it was smaller and considerably tackier looking than the Talk Talk one. The last time I got reliable and consistent wifi was from a BT supplied router, but with no plans to roll out fibre here and a big hike in pricing I am reluctant to rejoin them. I shall investigate the links you have supplied and, if all else fails, look for a BT Hub 6.

 

As I stated, the wifi was not problematic for the initial 4 days and now seems very variable. Shame that things don't work 'out of the box' but living in a flat probably compounds the problem with channel congestion.

Baldrick1
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

You have a Hub Zero. It is only single band which is bad news in congested locations. You say that you have been with BT in the past. Do you still have the BT router? If so it may be worth trying that. If you look on the Router board here https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Use-a-BT-Hub-2-3-4-or-5-on-a-Plusnet-connection/td-p/1192234 you should find how to set it up.

You can see the level of congestion if you use a WiFi ‘sniffer’ app, I use WiFi Analyser on an Android based phone. This enables you to see neighbours wifi transmissions. With this information you can manually select the clearest channel. At the end of the day if there is congestion on the 2.4 GHz band then you will probably be better using 5GHz for devices you own that support this band. The Hub Zero does not provide this capability hence try your BT devices or if they are old/not available go for a Smart Hub 6.

 

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Beavis
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

After reading the suggestion to purchase a Samrt Hub 6 it got me thinking what I had done with my old BT Hub. I thought I had recycled it but some digging funally unearthed it in a cupboard. It's a Home Hub 4, but still apparently more advanced than the Plusnet one I reeived. Instructions on here got it up and running very quickly. I will be checking the channel congestion tomorrow and tinkering to see if that improves things further.

 

Thanks for the pointers Baldrick.

Browni
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

The Home Hub 4 is a little older than Plusnet's Hub One due to that being based on a Home Hub 5 Smiley

Baldrick1
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

@Browni

The OP has mistyped, Plusnet have supplied a Hub 0 not Hub 1.

The HH 4 is dual band so it has far superior capability than the 2704 offering from Plusnet.

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SammyM
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

Hello @Beavis

Sorry to hear you are experiencing problems with your WI-FI. If you would like to try the BT hub and if there is no improvement we would recommend changing your channel as any Wireless channel is prone to interference, and can be caused by a number of factors, changing this channel will usually resolve the issue.

Please let us know how you get on.

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 Sammy M - Sheffield Team
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Baldrick1
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

Hi @SammyM,

 

I assume that you intended to address your post to @Beavis. I use a HH6 and am very happy with my wifi performance.

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Browni
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

@SammyM I'm not having problems with WiFi, My Asus DSL-AC88U performs rather well Grin
SammyM
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

Thanks @Baldrick1 I did and I really appreciate you alerting me Smiley

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Beavis
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

I didn't want to jump the gun with a 'thumbs up' but have now had the ageing BT HH4 up and running for about a couple of weeks now. Everything is back to how I remember when I was with BT...except, of course, the prices !The wifi has stabilised and even through a wifi repeater in my kitchen is now extending further and stronger. Thanks for the heads-up and the straightforward guide to using the HH4 with Plusnet.

Gandalf
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Re: Wifi speeds have dropped to an usable level...

Glad to hear your WiFi signal has improved @Beavis

Let us know if you need any further help.

Anoush

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet