New FTTP with variable speed

[#1]

Hi I chose my bamboozled name with care as Techno wise I always am. Wonder if someone could give me a steer on this question which may be in the answers below but I cant really find an exact "fit"

My PN deal for my FTTC Package was coming to an end in Feb 26 . My bungalow is one of the furthest from the Cabinet and I had a 35 mbs deal which almost always gave 17 to 19 actual speed and supported Wife's I pad at the furthest point from the Router

So we opted for a 300 FTTP and being light users thought that would be satisfactory for our needs. The Installation went well and the Speed was demonstrated as 300 by the Installer

The Wifi runs TV in the Living Room without Ethernet Cable and never a problem . In fact nothing is connected to the Router except the Power supply and the incoming Cable itself

However the Speed seems to be very variable and Wife who sits probably 3 feet from Router complains now and again about it dropping off altogether (and tells me every time the I pad puts up a notification to that problem) so I said I would ask on here first

I check the speeds regularly trying to use Ookla just to remove variables and on my PC 10 feet from Router I usually get 300 mbs but often get 150 to 160 but as low as 55.  Using my own Tablet sat in exactly the same spot I never get more than 25. Usually the test opens up and rises to around 45 before slowly dropping back to below 30

I tell my wife that is still double the speed we usually got with the old Wifi (Router is exactly the same btw) but she says "but I never had this problem before so why did we go for even more speed which is worse "

I said I would pose the question and I know I cant be in 2 places at once so this morning I used Ookla and the PC (Laptop) and got 300 sat in my seat 10 feet away , then 155 ish then I checked 3 other Rooms where I got 50 to 55. This included the Loo at the furthest point from the Router

Returning to my Seat my PC then registered 50 , so I would appreciate any suggestions . I have not touched the Router other than putting it in a higher spot a few days ago but that has not altered the readings in any way

Similarly I have not turned off the Router , nor the Box bringing in the Cable and though there was an Hour long Power Cut a couple of weeks ago I have only tried turning Router off a couple of times since and my Wifes "problem" existed before the Pwer cut and since so I am bamboozled

Sitting here I just ran Ookla on Laptop gave me 284 so I would love iit if people could solves this for me , unless it is a natural thing to be so variable

Ive seen the 2.4 mhz and 5 mhz suggestions but no idea what that entails although I do remember years ago changing something in my Router to a slightly different name to cure some problem but Ive slept since then

Any help would be greatly appreciated ... cheers Bamboozled 

[#2]

Speeds over WiFi are extremely variable.

For that reason the speeds quoted are wired.

Renaming the 5GHz WiFi band to have a 5 after it is a good start, then you can "encourage" devices to use the faster band.

If you want good coverage in other rooms then often (depending on what the building is built from) a "mesh" WiFi system is helpful.

[#3]

@markhawkin On the Hub2, the bands are combined - you do not have the option to rename individual ones.

[#4]

Renaming the 5GHz WiFi band to have a 5 after it is a good start, then you can "encourage" devices to use the faster band.

@markhawkin Its not possible to split the bands on a Hub 2!.

@Bamboozled try and ensure that all your devices are set to 'prefer 5ghz band'

[#5]

@Bamboozled

"I said I would pose the question and I know I cant be in 2 places at once so this morning I used Ookla and the PC (Laptop) and got 300 sat in my seat 10 feet away , then 155 ish then I checked 3 other Rooms where I got 50 to 55. This included the Loo at the furthest point from the Router"

Clearly demonstrating that this is a Wi-Fi problem. To get the 300Mbps FF download speed at a device with Wi-Fi you need a Wi-Fi link speed from the router to the device that is greater than 300Mbps. This means you need at least a 5GHz Wi-Fi link from the router to the device. Any 2.4GHz Wi-Fi link will be unable to give you a download speed of 300Mbps, plus you may have to cope with RF congestion and intermittent speeds. (You may be able to optimise the RF channel used)

A complication with the Hub 2 router (if that is what you are using) is that both its 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Wi-Fi channels share the same name - so you cannot explicitly connect a device to just the named 5GHz channel. You could turn the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal off at the router, unless it is needed by some of your devices!

Otherwise make sure any device that can is using a 5GHz Wi-Fi adaptor. This generally means at start up it will connect to the router over 5GHz but, if the adaptor can also handle 2.4GHz, this is not guaranteed. I find, if the 'wrong' Wi-Fi link is chosen, then disconnecting the network adaptor and reconnecting usually changes it to the 'right' one. If you need to use devices over a wide area you may need a better router or some kind of Wi-Fi boosters around the home.

If you are not using the PN Hub 2 router their may be the option of using separate network names for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels.

[#6]

@Bamboozled 

If you still have it, as an experiment have you tried using your old hub? The Hub one will work, be the upload speed limited to about 30Mbps.

[#7]

Hi 

Thanks for reply but I swapped I believe when going to FTTC from my previous supply. I didnt realise I had a Hub 2 till morning of the change to FTTP when I suddenly realised I hadnt been sent a new Hub and thought that wpuld stop the installation  

I asked Engineer if he had one when he arrived but he said " no but you already have the right one".

[#8]

@Bamboozled 

So, what is different? Has the router location changed due to the ONT being located in a different place to the old  BT master socket?

[#9]

Hi MisterW  

I have checked my Tablet and that is set at 5GHz.

My Phone only mentions changing to 5GHz if it is being used as a Hot spot - but I havent yet found if that is what I should be changing. Could you advise if I need to alter that pls

My Laptop is also saying 5ghZ (36) which is way beyond my understanding

Wifes Ipad will be looked at next but she is reluctant saying it never had this problem before we got the supposed "better" service.

Will await a further reply

Incidentally the original wire supplying the previous wifi service is still in place and I assumed it would be left for 14 day cooling off period and then removed but it is still there. Is that normal as well ?

Cheers once again jt

[#10]

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@Bamboozled wrote:

Incidentally the original wire supplying the previous wifi service is still in place and I assumed it would be left for 14 day cooling off period and then removed but it is still there. Is that normal as well ?

Cheers once again jt

---

Which wire, where?

[#11]

Hi Baldrick and thanks again for reply

Yes the location of the Router was changed to the opposite corner of the same room. The old site was at the back of the bungalow with ethernet cable going to TV from there.

Engineer suggested swapping the Router (Hub) to the opposite diagonal as he could then run the Cable to the same anchor point , down the wall and straight into the "new" corner with minimal disruption. I asked if the TV would be ok without a Cable and he said "yes" and indeed 1 room away the second TV also runs on Wi fi only

He installed without incident and I was really happy as Ookla and others show 300mbs and just over quite often and indeed still am nut Wife is having trouble with Ipad even though she is sat within touching distance of the Router

Cheers JT

[#12]

Hi

My original Telephone line came from the Cabinet which is around a mile away underground then to a pole diagonally opposite my Bungalow

It was then fed across the road and through an airbrick in the apex of the Roof and a Master Socket established in the Loft space. It was never any trouble but one day on a call out the BT as it was then Engineer said Ill put the Master Socket in your Room near the TV if you like. No charge . Its potty having it up there. I agreed and he moved it and again never a problem. All the problems were from the Copper cable getting wet

Anyway there was an "anchor" point by the Airbrick so at the installation recently the Engineer used that anchor point (I think) then rang Cable down wall for the new outside box - drilled from inside to out and put the box there, and of course the ONT box I think its called inside

Installation done , he "proved" it was working , set up the Laptop and I did the rest of the Phones Ipads etc but some did seem to go over automatically

Cheers again JT

[#13]

SORRY above reply should have gone to Jab1

[#14]

@Bamboozled If i read your post correctly, you can ignore these old cables - they will have no effect on your current connection. You could, I suppose, remove the internal ones - providing you ensure you don't inadvertently remove any of the cables for your FTTP connection.

[#15]

Thanks again Jab1 . Yes good idea. I cant get at the overhead cables but the old Router site has Old Master socket there and Ethernet cable that used to run to TV while the new stuff is in opposite corner

Even I cant muck that up lol