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Worse signal with NETGEAR R8000 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band AC3200... compared to Plusnet Homehub

20190312
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Posts: 4
Registered: ‎12-03-2019

Worse signal with NETGEAR R8000 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band AC3200... compared to Plusnet Homehub

Hi,

I recently bought a "NETGEAR R8000 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band AC3200" (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TDV2IS4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) as I was annoyed that the DNS settings on the Plusnet Homehub are locked down so I could not use OpenDNS, and Plusnet's own "Safeguard" system does not work (for me at least).

I read the reviews and was hopeful that the wifi signal might have been better using the Netgear - but it's a bit worse. Not massively worse, but just a bit, and definitely no better.

To set it up, I have left the Plusnet Homehub plugged into the phone line, since there is no phone line socket on the Netgear. The Netgear then connects to the homehub using the ethernet cable - the ethernet is connected to the Netgear's 'Ethernet WAN' port on the back...

I used the standard setup wizard on the Netgear, and it all seems to work fine... except for the wifi signal being worse.

I wondered if anyone else has any experience of setting up Netgear like this, on a Plusnet homehub?

Thanks

Jim

6 REPLIES 6
dvorak
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Re: Worse signal with NETGEAR R8000 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band AC3200... compared to Plusnet Homehub


Moderators Note


This topic has been moved from Fibre to My Router

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Baldrick1
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Re: Worse signal with NETGEAR R8000 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band AC3200... compared to Plusnet Homehub

When you say the wifi is worse, what do you mean? Are you talking about wireless strength measured using a wifi sniffer such as the Wifi Analyser app or do you mean that your download speed is no better?

If it's the latter then it might be that your devices are incapable of any better speed.

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dvorak
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Re: Worse signal with NETGEAR R8000 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band AC3200... compared to Plusnet Homehub

I assume you've switched the WiFi off on the Hub One too?
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20190312
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Registered: ‎12-03-2019

Re: Worse signal with NETGEAR R8000 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band AC3200... compared to Plusnet Homehub

Thanks for your replies.

1. Yes - I turned off the wifi on the Plusnet Router

2, Sorry re. vague "it's worse" comment. I mean - the wifi signal strength is lower. E.g. one a phone, the wifi signal no longer reaches as far through the house as it used to, so the phone switches to 4G instead of using wifi, like it used to on the homehub wifi. The actual download speed when connected via wifi is the same as it was before.

Thanks

Mustrum
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Re: Worse signal with NETGEAR R8000 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band AC3200... compared to Plusnet Homehub

Do you have your devices set up to connect to the 2.4 and 5Ghz bands on the Netgear?

The 5Ghz band has less range, but less interference from othe networks in your area.

Depending where you live, the 2.4Ghz band can have lots of other routers broadcasting on the same channels. 

Use a WiFi analyser to see which channels are least used, and change to the router to that channel.

Baldrick1
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Re: Worse signal with NETGEAR R8000 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band AC3200... compared to Plusnet Homehub

To add to @Mustrum 's post use an app such as Wifi Analyser to find the best channel both at the router location and where you use your devices. Also make sure that you try both bands, which should have their own individual SSID. If you are using the Hub One in it's standard configuration then the two are synchronised.

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