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Plus net Hub One Odd Wifi behaviour

FollyJim
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎14-04-2016

Plus net Hub One Odd Wifi behaviour

Hi, Any help and advice would be appreciated to help figure out what is going on with my Hub One Wifi speed. I suspect it is a faulty router but can't be sure. Had an online chat to the service guys last night and was the first time that I have been bitterly disappointed after being with Plusnet for many years.... Anyway the issue:

 

Went from unlimited ADSL broadband to Fibre unlimited plus (75/20) back in January and experienced some general speed issues; i.e. was only getting 50/18. Open reach engineer visit confirmed that all was okay with my line and is probably the max speed I can get despite being promised full speed prior to the installation in the plus net email. So I accepted this.

 

In parallel to this the Hub One was making very strange noises when under heavy download only. I later figured out that this was when using Wifi and not ethernet. It then also started to squeak when it was just sat idling, both a bit of a concern. After some very good correspondence with the Plusnet team, and sending them a sound clip of the squeak, they sent a replacement router at end of Feb and promised to investigate the noise by testing the Hub One I sent back. So I got the new router but have not heard the outcome of any tests on the original one supplied. 

The new router has the same noise under heavy wifi download (not the squeak - yet) which I can only describe as a hard disc like writing noise or even a rattlesnake, only way I can think to describe it. The current issue is that even when sat with a wireless device such as my phone a few inches from the hub one the wifi speed drops to as low as 9mbps (upload is fine and a test using ethernet shows the expected 50 mbps). The interesting thing is, after I do a system reset on the Hub One the wifi download speed recovers and goes back up tot the full 50mpbs, even sat in a room several metres from the router! Then after hours or days the problem returns and a reset fixes it and so on. Seems to be a case of hours now.

The reason why I am annoyed at the lack of help last night from plus net support is that the chat agent gave me the whole well we can't guarantee wifi speeds and can be low due to many factors - he said this even after I explained the whole saga above. I mean really?!? he promised to investigate by having the hub one I originally sent back to them in Feb dug out and properly tested but I don't think this is going to happen as a ticket has not been raised as promised. Also, how easily can they track this down?

 

Sorry for the long saga above but any help appreciated to help figure out what is going on with my wifi.

Just for further info, I live in a house that is only 3 years old so doesn't have any thick stone walls etc. Mind you I am disappointed overall with the range of the wifi and have had to resort to power line extenders in the furthest part of the house, and it is not a very big house!

Thanks

Jim

6 REPLIES 6
etdsaunders
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Registered: ‎21-02-2016

Re: Plus net Hub One Odd Wifi behaviour

I believe the noise happens on all hub ones, well it happens on my hub one!

Are these wifi problems on 2ghz or 5ghz?
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dvorak
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Re: Plus net Hub One Odd Wifi behaviour

mine also makes some interesting noises at times.
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FollyJim
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎14-04-2016

Re: Plus net Hub One Odd Wifi behaviour


@etdsaunders wrote:
I believe the noise happens on all hub ones, well it happens on my hub one!

Are these wifi problems on 2ghz or 5ghz?

Would assume 5ghz as all of my devices seem to use that when I look at the network panel in the hub one admin window.

I guess it is reassuring to hear that noises are "normal" but find it odd since I haven't experienced this before it sits next to me in my home office.

Edited to say - might give the 5ghz a different name to see if it is happening across both frequencies. 

Edit 2 - have done a test and it looks like the odd wifi download noises only seem to occur when on the 5ghz frequency. Recently reset the hub one and download over wifi is sat at 50mbps on both 2.4 and 5ghz. Will see what I get once the speed drops again.

Thanks

Jim

etdsaunders
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Registered: ‎21-02-2016

Re: Plus net Hub One Odd Wifi behaviour

I had issues with 2ghz and 5ghz, simply renamed the 5ghz and made sure my devices connected to that.

It seems it would swap between the 2, which gave me different speeds. A little bit annoying but now I've renamed 5ghz it's been rock solid
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gavininwales
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Posts: 25
Registered: ‎31-07-2015

Re: Plus net Hub One Odd Wifi behaviour

It's a "feature" of the Hub 5 family of routers, (google HUB 5 Noises), the Hub One is a dumbed down version, ahem has PlusNet specific firmware based on of the BT Home Hub 5A platform. I've a BT Business Hub 5A which squeaks on high speed WiFi, exactly the same way as my Home Hub 5A did.  Interestingly the Home Hub 4A didn't have the same feature Smiley

 

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/5254270975

FollyJim
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎14-04-2016

Re: Plus net Hub One Odd Wifi behaviour

Well having renamed the 5ghz wifi (added -5 to the end) and run several speed tests on both frequencies they have remained rock solid at around the 50mbps download mark. Upload has been a bit variable but that is less important. Have also discovered that the odd noises (rattlesnake) only happens under heavy download using the 5ghz frequency.

 

Have no idea as to why giving the two frequencies different IDs would help but it seems to have for now. Very odd. Will continue to keep an eye on it and report back.

Thanks for all your input, much appreciated.

 

Jim