WiFi disconnecting frequently

[#1]

The 'X' was only bought the other week. Not sure about the versions of the others (can check later), and they probably won't remember when they were updated - maybe the phones themselves will say.

They are all out most days - I'm in in the afternoons - and today has been pretty stable since they left (together): an XBox was struggling for a few mins mid-morning, but the ~4 other wireless devices were ok.

[#2]

The iOS versions are:

6S - 10.3.3

7's - 11.2.6 and 12.0.1

X - 12.0.1

It did appear to become unstable when the early rev 7 came home (~15:47); and equally or perhaps more so when the other 3 arrived (~16:25 onwards).

[#3]

Hi Bob,

I feel sure that one or more of the iPhones are what kicks off the instability.

Please see log for today: half a dozen devices connected quite happily from 8am until about 5pm. Then many dropouts - not just on the iPhones themselves but also on XBox (58:85:a8...), Android TV (70:77:81...), Squeezebox (00:04:20...). Especially the Xbox, which wasn't in use but was on all day.

The iPhone 7's (11.2.6 and 12.0.1) arrived home about 16:10; the 6S (10.3.3) and X (12.0.1) at about 17:20.

If not the iPhones, then simply the number of connected nodes? But that is only ~10, and I'd previously tried switching off four of the 'fixed' devices before people got home, without any apparent later improvement.

As mentioned before, it's a modest detached house; plasterboard/studding walls; router pretty central, in the hallway.

[#4]

Hi @bobpullen, please can you take another look into this?

[#5]

@colh107, have you tried factory resetting the router yet?

[#6]

Hi Bob,

No I haven't.... how much is that going to reset? Will the SSID and keys stay the same?

(Bit of a PITA that it'll no doubt go back to 192.168.1.x and lose my static IP assignments, but I should be able to re-config that)

[#7]

Everything would revert to how it came out of the box (firmware version excepted).

It's the next logical step before we consider replacing the unit.

[#8]

Ok. Should have a window to do that this afternoon....

I don't recall whether the ADSL user/pw needed entering when it came out of the box, or whether they were pre-installed and will therefore still be there after Factory Reset?

I think - if you're ok with this thought - I'll re-disable the 5GHz, since that's how it's been during the recent examinations.

[#9]

Do you know what band your phones use to connect? Just wondered if one (or more) of the phones is continuously trying to connect to a band that it cannot use, resulting in the whole coming off line.I wouldn't expect it to come off line but it might end up hogging things such that others lock up.

I would enable both bands though. Rename the 2nd band SIDD i.e. 5Ghz, to another name so that it is easily identifiable. Use both bands, for instance most of my kit is fairly evenly spread out between the 2.4 and 5.0 ghz bands but the 5,0Ghz is set to only use the 802.11ac standard. The rest, even if they can connect at 5.0Ghz but use 802.11 N and below, end up using the 2.4Ghz band.

[#10]

I've had the 5GHz disabled for the past week or so, to try to reduce variables/unknowns such as this. From reading around, it does indeed seem that having them on different SSIDs is 'wise'.

Agreed that it would be best to have the 5GHz available ultimately, but I wanted to simply the scenario until the 2.4GHz problems are resolved.

The factory reset is now done.

[#11]

Hi Bob.

The Factory Reset doesn't seem to have helped.

Are there any suspicions/questions over interoperability of this router with any iOS versions....? It does seem to be our iPhones which have the greatest difficult/effect.

[#12]

@colh107, I'm going to ship you a replacement unit. Let me know if there's any improvement once it's arrived. I'm not aware of any specific interoperability issues, although iOS devices are notoriously finicky with dual band routers where the SSID is shared (not really relevant to you if you have 5GHz disabled).

[#13]

Received Bob, thanks. Didn't get a chance to set it up till this morning.

I've got back to enabling 5GHz too (as it always used to be), but un-sync'd to 2.4 and with a different SSID.

[Feature Request, btw: It would be really useful if the WiFi syslog recorded the device's 'name' - as per the other device lists - as well as the MAC address]

[#14]

I tried everything Plusnet suggested and other entries suggested. As I didn't want to move as i have emails that i want to keep I tried plusnet engineers again. Plusnet offered an engineer that could be charged for, dunno how much. I decided to go a different direction and purchased a BT 6 router on the internet from a well known supplier, £35. I fitted itted and set it up on Plunet which was so easy. Now i have no problems and a more powerful signal at all points on WiFi. I feel therefore that the Plusnet router is insufficient to run a simple thing like Netflix or iplayer. I know its £35 but it was less hastle.

[#15]

Yep, I have been thinking that I could resort to getting an alternate WiFi router hooked off the PlusNet Eth port if it comes to it- but what with the newly-arrived SkyQ booster, the hall is getting a bit crowded! I've got an 'IT' stack in my study, but the missus might object to one next to the front door :S

We did a similar thing at work - in fact our Internet connection is a BT ADSL + Draytek router + Cisco WiFi......!  Similarly I veer away from 'integrated' HiFi systems - I'd prefer to have the flexibility of individual components

Hoping that something about my new unit will solve the problems.... will see....