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Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

timjenner
Grafter
Posts: 35
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Registered: ‎01-04-2019

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

Reinstalled the printer on my laptop and pointed it at the printer's IP address manually, now I can at least print from that machine again.  The printer is on hard-wired Ethernet but doesn't seem to be detectable by devices on the network!  Still isn't detected by any phones or tablets using either AirPrint or Android printing (all of which used to work perfectly).

 

As an indication of just how useless the wifi is, I have a wireless extender mounted on the outside of my garage to provide wired access to a machine inside the garage (the breezeblock walls of the garage mean wifi doesn't reach from the main router in the house).  This has been stable for over a year and has clear line of sight through a window to the PlusNet Hub One, connecting over 2.4ghz at a distance of only about 7-8 metres.  Here's a screenshot from my home automation system, which pings that extender every 60 seconds - the chart shows the past 24 hours.  It used to be solid green (connected), with ping times of <10ms!

timjenner
Grafter
Posts: 35
Thanks: 6
Registered: ‎01-04-2019

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

My BT Home Hub 6 arrived today - took a little while to get working as it turns out the HH6 cannot cope with passwords which include ampersands (&)!  Changed my password through the portal and then it came straight up.  Only been in use for a couple of hours, so too soon to tell if it will help with the broadband disconnections - but it's already clear that wifi actually works.  So far it's been rock solid - every one of my devices connected straight in (I set the wifi details to match my old setup) and every one of them has been solid ever since.  None of my wifi devices, especially those on 2.4Ghz, were staying connected to my old PlusNet Hub One for more than a few minutes at a time.  So if nothing else this proves that my PlusNet Hub One's wifi is faulty.

PlusNet also got in touch this morning to say they'd detected a battery contact fault on my line.  This is new, and perhaps coincides with yesterday's sudden drop in sync speed.  Waiting for an engineer to take a look at the line.

DS
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 2,307
Thanks: 504
Fixes: 22
Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

Reinstalled the printer on my laptop and pointed it at the printer's IP address manually, now I can at least print from that machine again.  The printer is on hard-wired Ethernet but doesn't seem to be detectable by devices on the network!  Still isn't detected by any phones or tablets using either AirPrint or Android printing (all of which used to work perfectly)

I'm not sure why your other devices are not seeing it. Is it showing on the routers home network page?

(been a while here, but my son has a wifi printer set up via our secondary router and he can print from any devices. I have my own printer on my desk and thus just plug it into my laptop when I need to print)

 

As an indication of just how useless the wifi is, I have a wireless extender mounted on the outside of my garage to provide wired access to a machine inside the garage (the breezeblock walls of the garage mean wifi doesn't reach from the main router in the house).  This has been stable for over a year and has clear line of sight through a window to the PlusNet Hub One, connecting over 2.4ghz at a distance of only about 7-8 metres.  Here's a screenshot from my home automation system, which pings that extender every 60 seconds - the chart shows the past 24 hours.  It used to be solid green (connected), with ping times of <10ms!

Assuming all previous router SSID's (Sky) have been erased from it, it's got to be the current software, as I too had wifi issues with the PNH1. As an aside note, I recently downgraded our secondary BTHH5 for a HH4 and this too has been faultless with the wifi.

However, using the BTSH6 and I'm actually struggling to find anything wrong with it's wifi or the range!!

DS
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

My BT Home Hub 6 arrived today - took a little while to get working as it turns out the HH6 cannot cope with passwords which include ampersands (&)!  Changed my password through the portal and then it came straight up. 

And in honesty, I think the software used on the PNH1 is not configured correctly, as I can put spaces in the SSID too whereas you can't on a BTHH.

Only been in use for a couple of hours, so too soon to tell if it will help with the broadband disconnections - but it's already clear that wifi actually works.  So far it's been rock solid - every one of my devices connected straight in (I set the wifi details to match my old setup) and every one of them has been solid ever since. 

I'm very doubtful I'll ever go back to the PNH1 for the very same reasons.

PlusNet also got in touch this morning to say they'd detected a battery contact fault on my line.  This is new, and perhaps coincides with yesterday's sudden drop in sync speed.  Waiting for an engineer to take a look at the line.

I've also had some issues with my line. The PNH1 was struggling after a few days. My BTSH6 has been up for over 8 days and 5 hours - so my thoughts on the H1 modem are probably right tooLips_are_sealed

 

timjenner
Grafter
Posts: 35
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Registered: ‎01-04-2019

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

It was definitely something wrong with my PN1 hub.  All my devices can print now I've switched to the HH6, including the iOS and Android devices which couldn't see the printer when I was using the PN1!

DS
Seasoned Champion
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

So Plusnet, the above also confirms my thoughts.

What can be done about it is probably something I won't get a prompt reply on.....

timjenner
Grafter
Posts: 35
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Registered: ‎01-04-2019

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

A little early to be entirely conclusive, but 26 hours so far with zero wifi dropouts and no broadband disconnections using the HH6.  Even my printer and O2 Boostbox issues have been resolved.

In the previous 2 weeks when using the PNH1 it only managed to stay connected for more than 24 hours on two occasions - once for 44 hours and once a whopping 48 hours.

DS
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

The only thing I can add is the fact that my H6 has currently been connected, fault free, for 9 Days, 6 Hours 4 Minutes 

I could not do this with the H1

(we shouldn't need to swap to another router though, should we?)

timjenner
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Registered: ‎01-04-2019

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

Absolutely right, @DS, we should not!
timjenner
Grafter
Posts: 35
Thanks: 6
Registered: ‎01-04-2019

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

Over 3 days 19 hours now with the BT Home Hub 6 - no wifi issues, no wired Ethernet issues and no broadband drops.  I think that proves fairly conclusively that my PlusNet Hub One is either faulty or simply not fit for purpose.

Very happy that things now seem to be working OK, but seriously unimpressed that PlusNet have taken 2 months to achieve absolutely nothing and that I had to take matters into my own hands and buy a different router to prove that the PlusNet-supplied device doesn't work!  This is clearly not an isolated problem, as evidenced by similar experiences and help given by other customers such as @DS and @CaptKeech.

DS
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

I can't argue with any of that @timjenner Smiley

This is the first time I've ever had to use another ISP's router with any ISP.

(my own testing also proves the current software is foobard and that the H1 connects at a lower speed)

timjenner
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Registered: ‎01-04-2019

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

To be fair to PlusNet, I did have to use my own router with Virgin Media years ago - their so-called "Super Hub" had a bug which meant you couldn't change the wifi channel (well, you could - it just wouldn't work).  At the time I lived in a built up area and the default channel was seriously congested, so I bought an Asus RT-N66U router and switched the Virgin hub to modem-only mode.  That Asus router has been in use 24x7 since 2013 initially as the main router, more recently as an access point, and has been faultless!

 

I think OpenReach were working on my line this morning, it was dead for about 4 hours.  This afternoon my HH6 reconnected at a faster speed, so I guess they've cleared the line fault and DLM is doing its thing.  Fingers crossed the combination of that and the HH6 will see an end to the issues!

DS
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

I get what you're saying, though you or I shouldn't need to use another router, it should just 'work'. I know there's not many others reporting the same, but surely one of the trialists (if Plusnet have users beta testing?) must have had seen something similar when the software was in the testing phase...?

If I'd have not got my own router to use, then there was a very good chance I'd have quit Plusnet, as my issues are similar to yours - a connection issue causing a drop and then a router issue causing the devices to drop, it made troubleshooting very difficult.

My H6 has been online, fault free, for over 13 days now. I may go to 15 days and then put the either of my H1's back online, more so to compare the speed difference (I did find the H1 connects at a lower speed) and to verify some things I've been thinking on. I will then insist one of my H1's is downgraded (thus becoming a slave router) and my offer to Plusnet is still there - to test any software tweaks they come up with, if they ever come up with one.

 

 

I really hope the OR visit pays off for you!!Thumbs_Up

(if your H6 gets to 14 days, it might do a warm reset, totally normal, though have read somewhere that one user had their business H6 updated and they claim to have got over 14 days without doing this)

mrtullyhubbert
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Registered: ‎11-07-2017

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects

As DS knows I had issues with a BT HH5 & the PN1 regarding actual upload speeds (<0.8Mbps) obtained. My HH5 also used to disconnect around 2-3 times per evening, I learned to live with the disconnects but the speed was killing me.

 

Long story but a Hub 6 purchased on eBay has now had 9d16h57m of uptime and my upload speeds are around 5.5Mbps. 

 

I'm really happy with it, fingers crossed.

DS
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Switched from Sky, now frequent disconnects


@mrtullyhubbert wrote:

As DS knows


Shhh Azn

 

I'm sooooo glad to hear you've had such a massive improvements. I had faith in your decision makingThumbs_Up

 

(you know where to find me if things don't go as planned;))