Random drop out that seems to be Router WiFi related, across different devices

[#1]

Hey, wrinting this at 1AM so forgive me the inevitable errors.

It's already quite some time that we are experiencing seemingly "random" drops of connectivity.

Talking about connectivity because judging by the router home page, the line is always "connected" but de facto every single device connected to the router WiFi (1 Nokia 8, 1 Huawei Honor 8, 2 amazon Fire, 1 Chromebook Asus and 1 Gaming Laptop ASUS) definitely goes bananas as the wifi seems to stop existing for 10-20 minutes at times.

Worst thing happens to the PC as apparently the WiFi disappearing messes them up so badly they need to be restarted to pick up the signal from a clean reboot. No. Idea. Why.

But that's beside the point.

Attached is the log of events since the latest of these occurrence. The log goes back some days but you only have to check for the events dated 30/09/2019.

Can someone explain what is going on? Do I need a new router?

Should I buy my own router, in that case any suggestion? Main uses are streaming and gaming (low latecy, stable signal)

[#2]

Hi @thecrius

Sorry to see that this is ongoing.

I can see that you raised this with my colleague Matt a few months ago - just to pick up that thread, can you confirm that this only happens solely via wifi connections (eg, a wired connection is fine) and that you've undertaken the advise that Matt offered in terms of splitting out the frequencies of your router?

Best wishes

Dave

[#3]

Hello RandallFlagg, yes, I have the two wireless frequence splitted and in the tests I ran I didn't encounter this issue with the ethernet cable plugged in.

Unfortunately I cannot say for sure if it's just a circumstantial event as I do not really have a seating close to the router that would allow me to sit there for long sessions and monitor if this happens also with the ethernet cables.

I forgot to add.

I'm most of the day out of the house but my wife, which is mostly at home, reported to me that this issue happens pretty often (on average, once per day, some day being worst). Unfortunately not being there doesn't allow me to really test it as I manage to do this night.

[#4]

Thanks for the confirmation @thecrius

Assuming that wired connections are OK (which could stand up to further testing, but let's assume for now), the only other recommendation I'd make before you go down the avenue of alternative routers etc, is to get hold of a wifi analyzer app and ensure that both frequencies are set to a channel that is optimum for your premises.

Obviously, if it transpires that the issue is also present on wired devices, we'd potentially look at raising this to our suppliers - but as things stand, I would say you've covered most of the wifi troubleshooting bases so far.

Best wishes

Dave

[#5]

I'm sorry but just to be sure I got this right:

The behaviour that is happening is the following:

- WiFi stop working (but still appears as connected if checking the devices indicators)

- After a minute, the WiFi is indicated as disconnected by the devices as well

- Further tries to reconnect fails as both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz the WiFi are not listed at all in the available networks

Resetting the router seems to work. Alternatively the networks comes back available after 10-20 minutes (the latter I'm reporting from my wife experience as she prefer not mess with the router and waiti it out even if it's quite annoying).

If it was just a problem of channel's noise / busy frequence, shouldn't the network anyway be visible? Maybe have a poor connectivity but still there? Also, isn't the router supposed to periodically check for better channels? I remember seeing the option there in the settings.

[#6]

Hi @thecrius, thanks for providing further detail for us.

On reading through, I'm convinced that this is a router issue and so have just dispatched a new one to you via First Class post.

You should expect to receive it within the next 3-5 working days - please let us know how you get on.

[#7]

Just received the router and installed it. I put the old one in the box of the new one just in case you will send another delivery to retrieve it.

I'll monitor the network over the next 15 days and report back here in case I've still facing the same issue.

Thanks for the prompt response in the matter.

Have a good day!

[#8]

Hi @thecrius,

I'm glad to hear the router has arrived and is all set up. Everything looks fine from our end of things so far so just let us know if any further issues occur and we'll be happy to pick this back up for review.

[#9]

Hello again,

after some time it seems to be having issues again. Attached is the full log since the router has been connected.

First lines are most recent, end of log is the system start.

I'd appreciate some guidance on this to understand what's going on.

My wife reported the connectivity being very volatile the whole day but it's getting really bad tonight.

[#10]

Hi @thecrius, thanks for your post.

We're sorry to hear that you're again experiencing issues.

I'm half thinking it may potentially be a routing issue based on your screenshot but as line and connection tests reveal nothing can you elaborate on the volatility you're experiencing?

[#11]

Sorry to bring up this issue again but I can't really figure out what it could be.

Since the last reply there has been period in which the connectivity was somehow stable (we're talking about wireless connectivity here, not DLS connectivity) and days in which it was a constant try to reboot the router or the computers.

Since two days ago, we cannot manage to stay connected to the WiFi more than 20 minutes or so without it literally stop from being listed in the nearby WiFi of our 3 laptops (3 different brand and models, mid level gaming laptops) while simply browsing or streaming.

I'm even considering to buy a router but to be honest the idea to have to reserve £100+ to try and solve a problem that is not caused by my equipment, just under christmas on top of that, really bothers me.

The problem is also very important for my wife that study from home and literally cannot attend the online meeting with her university because of this problem.

[#12]

I just popped into the Fibre forum and just below me there are other 3 topic about WiFi issues.

Maybe take a look at the hardware you're mounting and opt for an upgrade?

[#13]

On top of that, randomly checking my account I see that my current line speed is 19.2Mbps while the inimum Guaranteed Speed is 31.8Mbps.

I might open another topic for this but just to be clear: Where do I check for when my promotional contract expire?

[#14]

Hi @thecrius, thanks for getting back to us and I'm sorry to hear you're connection issues still persist.

First of all, if you haven't already on the newer router I'd recommend optimising the setting to best suit your property and I've included my wireless improvement steps below for reference. Looking over your thread I can see most things have been advised and suggested however we're aware of a handful of customers that are currently being effected by an issue with the latest firmware on the router which could explain the difficulties you've been having. Our back end team are aware of the issue and currently investigating it however we have been advised a work around that disabling the 5GHz frequency completely should stop the drops to all your wireless devices at once. I'd recommend splitting and disabling the 5GHz frequency then and seeing if this helps.

Disabling the 5GHz frequency:
1) To connect to your Hub One, you will need to open a browser and go to 192.168.1.254 If you have any issues doing this via Wireless, we recommend trying to do it via Ethernet cable instead.

2) You should come to a page with information about your connection, click 'Advanced Settings' at the top and it will ask you to sign in with a Password. This is located on the back of your router under 'Admin Password'

3) Select the option for 'Wireless' followed by '5 GHz Wireless'.

4a) To split up the frequencies:
What we want to do to begin with is turn 'Sync with 2.4 GHz Wireless' to 'No' and update the SSID to be different. The easiest way would be to add '-5G' to the end so it is identified as its own connection.

4b) To disable the 5Ghz frequency:
On this page you'' need to turn 'Sync with 2.4 GHz Wireless' to 'No' followed by turning 'Wireless network enable' to 'No' also. If worked after pressing 'Apply' a wifi red light should appear on the router and the 2.4GHz standard wireless channel still showing available on your devices.


Checking your connection from this side I can see there's been a fair few drops in the last few days which certainly hint something is out of place somewhere shown by the graph below:


Our testing however isn't identifying any underlying issues or cause of the drops so I'd recommend as there has only been 1 drop over the last 2 days to monitor the connection your side and if you see more drops occur to run through some troubleshooting steps below which will hopefully narrow the cause for the drops down. We're seeing 35.5Mbps download getting to the router from this side currently so I'm sorry for any confusion the current line speed reading on your account.

I'd recommend starting with basic checks here

And if that doesn't help the next thing would be to rule your internal wiring out by plugging the connection into your test socket which is under the faceplate of your master socket and seeing if the drops stop. This rules out internal wiring, face plates and extension sockets as being the cause. How to locate the test socket and set your connection into it can be found here:
https://community.plus.net/t5/Library/Testing-From-The-Master-Socket/ba-p/1322242

Let us know how it goes.

Although I can't discuss your contract specifics via this support channel I've raised a ticket on your account with the information you're after which can be seen here.

Coming from a gaming background myself I can't stress enough how gaming (unlike streaming that can buffer ahead or browsing that can load bits at a time) needs a constant connection so it can transfer small packets of data forward and back updating the game/server as to what actions your doing. This meaning wireless which can be interfered by a huge number of things isn't ideal for gaming and I'd always suggest a wired connection over Ethernet cable for a solid constant connection and if a trailing Ethernet cable isn't ideal to look into power line adapters as they use a houses electric wiring to transfer a much more solid signal.


The full wireless improvement guide I'd recommend going through if you haven't already with the new rotuer:

The guide below will show you how to log into the router and change the wireless channel as it's usually another router in the area on the same or similar channel that will be causing issues for both wireless frequencies. Before picking a channel I'd suggest downloading a free app called wifi analyzer which will scan your area for all the routers and show what channels they are on between 1-13. Although the above app isn't essential it helps you pick where your router would be best in terms of channels and saves a lot of time doing it via trial and error.

1) To connect to your Hub One, you will need to open a browser and go to 192.168.1.254 If you have any issues doing this via Wireless, we recommend trying to do it via Ethernet cable instead.

2) You should come to a page with information about your connection, click 'Advanced Settings' at the top and it will ask you to sign in with a Password. This is located on the back of your router under 'Admin Password'

3) Select the option for 'Wireless' followed by '5 GHz Wireless'. What we want to do to begin with is turn 'Sync with 2.4 GHz Wireless' to 'Off' and update the SSID to be different. The easiest way would be to add '-5G' to the end so it is identified as its own connection. Once this is changed, we will need to keep an eye on it for a day or 2 to see if the issue continues. If it does, the next step would be to change the wireless channel. Keeping in mind the original 2.4Ghz unchanged name network connection would be the best to connect your devices to for a stronger signal.
(When deciding which device goes on what frequency keep in mind that the 5GHz is designed for close range stationary devices and standard 2.4GHz the one which gets the wireless around your property further.)

4) Following the above guide to get to your 'Advanced Settings' page, you will need to change the settings within the 2.4 GHz Wireless tab and the 5 GHz Wireless tab.

5) Under the correct heading, you will need to find 'Channel Selection' on the list and change this from 'Automatic' to any one of the other channels, This can also need doing under '5 GHz Wireless' to cover both signals. Give it 3-4 hours of testing to see if the issue still persists and try to change the channel again if you see little or no improvement.
 

[#15]

Hello BD,

Sorry for the long waiting to reply but I somehow forgot my password and the "recover password" feature of the community goes straight to the spam folder for gmail.

Anyway, things got worse to the point of being unusable. I was connecting to the WiFi and immediately disconnected, barely after 10 seconds. I followed your advice and disabled the 5Ghz but before doing that I had also completely turned off the router for 10 minutes or so, to try another router of mine (which unfortunately didn't support fibre, I realized only after connecting it).

Anyway, since restarting it and limiting it to 2.4Ghz only, everything seems stable. I got a couple of disconnections from the line (not the WiFi) and an open reach engineer came today.

If I can open a small parentheses here:

The slot booked was 8am - 1pm.

I stayed at home, postponing some errands I had to run today (couldn't do that before today, even if it's the 24th).

He called me around 12.25 saying that it's coming. Arrives a couple minutes later and stays in the van another 10 minutes.

Comes in, attach the tester. Run the tests. All green.

Stand up, says "well, it's all good now, bye" clearly doing nothing at all.

I ask him then why I had cascading disconnection in the past month. The answer is "dunno, all good now."

The latest visit prior to this one, the engineer tested my router, didn't find anything. Proceeded to go to the node I connect to and found some issues there. Then climbed the pole outside, on the streets to also clean up the cabinet as, according to him, cables were wired "badly". After that technician intervention, speed was good, line was stable and everything went smooth for several months, until I suppose some colleague of his did some job on the line of "all good now, bye".

Is there a way to report these people? They do a very poor job, only check the marks for the bare minimum, don't resolve anything and only care to have done what the writings says they should do. Considering that on the other side there are people paying for a service that, at the moment, doesn't work, it's quite infuriating.