Hub One - 5GHz WiFi issue

[#1]

Hi @bobpullen. If it's not too much trouble could I also get the 273 upgrade, please? I'm using the 5GHz connection a lot more now because my tablet (Google Pixel C - a bit old now but still a very decent device) connects to it by default and I'm using the tablet for long Zoom meetings.

I wish I'd seen this thread when I still had the Chromecast Ultra I bought in December. I wanted to see if it could do 4K streaming but instead it was just very flaky (stop/start). I took it back thinking it was a problem with the Chromecast itself, which to be fair it might have been, and only later saw this thread and wondered if it had been a router problem.

It's good that the 273 upgrade seems to be working for most people.

[#2]

Hi @bobpullen 

I've been having these same 5ghz wi-fi issues for a while and just come across this post. Would you be able to push the firmware update to me, please?

Thanks

Nishma

[#3]

Hi I have had some issues with 5ghz on this router and just wanted to add something I had noticed. When the router has been rebooted then the 5ghz channel width is 80mhz but after a while (which could be a few weeks) the channel width drops back to 40mhz. I also have a to link archer vr900 and this allows to set the channel with but the Plusnet hub one does not have this setting. Does the test firmware address the channel width issue?

[#4]

Is this problem now solved or is it just a beta test of a firmware solution. Sorry but I don't have the time to read through 30 pages, I read the first few and the last few.

I've had this problem since I first got my router (3years) and have had my 2.4 and 5Ghz separated since then. Nothing works for very long on the 5Ghz and most devices don't even connect to it. I'm about to change ISP because some of my newer devices won't recognise the 2.4ghz either and I'm pretty convinced its due to whatever the conflict issue is. But if there's a fix it might be worth trying first.

[#5]

How did you find the channel width on the hub1. I have looked all over and cannot find it, as this was something I was looking at when I had some interference from a Bluetooth device.

[#6]

@penfold I used the WiFi analyser built into MacOS it reports back channel number and width.

[#7]

Brief description of the problem, and how is masquerades itself. What are the symptoms? How frequently does it happen?

Password intermittently does not work first or second time when trying to connect. 5ghz channel can be connected to but ‘disappears’ from list of Wi-Fi networks every 5 mins or so, kicking all connected devices off (except, weirdly, the PS4). Happens within a couple of hours of router being rebooted.

Do the devices having problems appear to be connected or associated with the hub? Is the hub status indicator normal/blue when the problem occurs?

They are all listed in hub admin if that’s what you mean. Normal blue light shows.

Do you have the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels merged (default setting) or split (different wireless network names)? If the networks are named differently, does the problem only affect the 5GHz network?

Yes, normally. Have tried with splitting them and only using 2.4ghz but in reality it’s just too slow. Merging them seems to mean that at least a third of my outgoing requests are routed through 5ghz, but means that webpages/videos only load partially and then I have to refresh them to get a bit of extra load.

Once the problem occurs is it persistent? Do you have any devices wired to the router and does the problem affect them at the same time?

Yes persistent. No devices need to be wired to have the problem, but I do have a power line adapter (which is new for the lockdown period). This problem has occurred since start of contract (months), and have followed me across two routers!

Are you able to reproduce the problem reliably? Do you think you have a way of triggering it? [for example waking a specific device from power save mode]

It just happens, I can’t find any pattern. I can see that in the logs my iPhone 8 is constantly renewing its DHCP lease, around every 10 mins, sometimes around every 10 secs, during the day whilst I’m using it. Not sure if that’s normal though. I have today increased DHCP lease time to 21 days which will hopefully help.

Is the problem always resolved by rebooting the hub? If so, how long does it take before problems recur?

Yes, but only for an hour or so.

If specific devices are always impacted when problems occur, please provide details of which devices are impacted and which aren't i.e. manufacturer, model, variant and operating system version.

iPhone 8 running latest iOS versions over the past months is consistently affected. PS4 is reportedly using 5ghz but doesn’t seem to be affected at all. Alexa and Google mini do sometimes drop music streams but I’m not sure it’s related.

Have the devices experiencing problems recently received any patches that might correspond with the time the issue first occurred?

No.

Please provide a description of your home network setup and all devices in use including whether or not you're using any additional switches, Powerline adapters or wireless access points.

No extra switches. Power line adapter is new but problem occurred before it was introduced. No extra boosters or access points.

iPhone 8 constantly affected.
PS4 not affected
Alexa and Google Mini possibly affected but not often
Every other device seems to be smart enough to only use the 2.4ghz, they don’t even bother trying the 5ghz any more! If I split the networks and create a separate 5ghz SSID and try to connect all devices to that, they experience the same problem.



Apologies for the bad formatting, I’m posting this from my phone.

I am seeing about a possible test firmware update. I would love to give it a go if that’s a possibility.

[#8]

Good Afternoon,

I have been experiencing unreliable 5G performance from my router for several months. Today I have spoken to support and asked about firmware for my router. The person I was speaking too was adamant my router was using the latest firmware which ends in 263. Looking on the forum I came across topic 'Hub One - 5GHz WiFi issue' where others have been experiencing the same issue as me which seems to be a issue with 4.7.5.1.83.8.263 firmware. On the topic it seems Plusnet are pushing firmware ending in 273 which appear by and large rectifying people 5g issues. Could I please have the 273 firmware pushed to my router so I can also enjoy reliable 5g performance from my router 

Many thanks

[#9]

I have been having issues with wifi and changed to an older router but as it was only 2.4ghz it was a waste of time. i'm back on the Hub one how can i get the newer firmware to try and fix the connection issues.

[#10]

@simoncrnfrth  Welcome to the forum.

You would have been better joining the discussion pinnedvat the top of this board You need @bobpullen to pick up you post.

He is far more knowledgeable about these issues than the general agents.

[#11]

Moderators Note

Topic on same issue  merged.

[#12]

Just a quick update

A few weeks ago I reported that the Hub One had frozen, preventing any ethernet or wireless traffic on my network.  A reboot of the hub one fixed this instantly.

Since then, it's been working fine with no further lock ups or problems

Plusnet Hub One | Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.273 | Last updated 26/03/19

Ian

[#13]

Many thanks for the welcome to the forum. 

It appears someone has seen my post and remotely flashed my router to 4.7.5.1.83.8.280 I will Monitor the wifi performance and see how my router behaves going forward. Thanks for the help 

[#14]

Just got the .273 update. Thanks @bobpullen 

All looks OK. My phone immediately connected to the 5GHz WiFi, which it normally doesn't.

Only problem was that my partner was in the middle of an online class when the update happened. But you weren't to know that, Bob. It was only a few minutes' break. She's fine.

(Now I've just seen a reference to a .280 update, but as long as .273 works I'll not be asking for anything else for the moment.)

[#15]

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@Minxymoo wrote:
When the router has been rebooted then the 5ghz channel width is 80mhz but after a while (which could be a few weeks) the channel width drops back to 40mhz. I also have a to link archer vr900 and this allows to set the channel with but the Plusnet hub one does not have this setting. Does the test firmware address the channel width issue?

---

This isn't an issue I'm aware of, although the behaviour could be something to do with either the automatic channel assignement of the Hub One, or the fact that you were connected to a DFS-regulated 80mhz channel and radar traffic in your vicinity causes the router to flip across to a 40mhz channel.

I would push a firmware update to your router, but I'm struggling to locate your device. If you can private message me details of your account username, router serial number and router MAC address then I'll take another look.

@nshah87 same story with you. If you can message me with the above details, then I'll see what I can do.

@thewrongtrouser wrote:
Is this problem now solved or is it just a beta test of a firmware solution. Sorry but I don't have the time to read through 30 pages, I read the first few and the last few.

The problem is not formally resolved yet. The firmware being pushed reverts a particular change we believe to have introduced the issue a few firmwares ago. So far feedback is positive, however we are still working on isolating exactly what within this change is triggering the behaviour so we can re-apply it.

Anyway, assuming I'm looking at the right account, your router doesn't seem to have been online for a few days? If it is, then can you reboot it and I'll see if I can push an update to you?

@grahamt and @dayallnash I have updated both of your routers. They will have rebooted to apply the changes so apologies if you were in the middle of anything.

In way of a general update, and at the risk of speaking too soon, we now think we're close to narrowing the specific culprit of this issue. To help proof this, we have another build that I would like some help testing.

@simoncrnfrth & @nitrams69 I have just pushed this latest release to your devices (version ending .280) and am very interested to know if it helps. Please keep an eye on things and let me know the outcome. Depending on the success (or otherwise) of this build, I may be looking for some other candidates to help out.