WiFi Help!

[HeatherC]

Wondering if someone can help me in simple layman terms because I am not very knowledgeable in all the technology.

We are a family of five with a couple doing online classes, one teacher and one work from home. Obviously we are on the internet all day and night. We no longer have desktops and use IPADS and two MacBooks.

We have Spectrum internet because we have NO other options. Only company available here. Anyway...we just upgraded our speed which is now 400 mbps. Connecting to websites is fine and quick. The problem we have is with it slowing way down when watching Netflix, etc. and experiencing a lot of buffering.

We have the router and modem set up on the main floor centrally located (New England colonial). Upstairs it gets very slow in one bedroom and downstairs at night when we are all watching different shows, the buffering would drive you crazy. The signal is strong, however.

‘Trying to decide if we need a new router (less than a year old), WiFi extender, upgrade further for faster speeds or some thing else?

Thanks so much for any advice. Don’t want to go buy an extender or router if we need to just get faster speed. And Spectrum is useless to get help from.

 

[RUDisney]

The best place to put a modem is on your top floor, however, that isn't always optimal in your particular house. Wifi broadcasts down.

Having said that, we started with 400 MBPS internet a month ago and upgraded to 1.2 GB, with a home monitoring system. It was less expensive as the bundle and I actually saved money from my original configuration. This is with Xfinity. We don't have the issues at 1.2 GB that we did with only 400 MB.

Options that you have:

Get a booster for upstairs and for basement, if that's also a place where people go online. This can help.

The modem I received has a faster router than the one I had that was ~5 years old, so I'm using that from Xfinity, too. This seems to have made a difference, too.

You can buy boosters on Amazon that won't break the bank and if it doesn't work, send it back.

Call Spectrum and see what it can offer you for GB speed within a package. You may be pleasantly surprised, as I was when I contacted Xfinity.

 

[RamblingMad]

That should be plenty of speed. I have 150 with no problems.

Here's what Netflix recommends:

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/306
The likely culprit is bufferbloat.

This should help you out:

https://gettys.wordpress.com/
as for getting around problem areas of the home, I recommend these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084CZMYNM/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
If you want to spend a lot more, you can go mesh, but I'd wait on upgrading the wireless until wifi 6 is fully implemented. Right now, it's only partially implemented, so being an early adopter will cost you in the future.

 

[tvguy]

I can't help other than to repeat what I have posted in the past. We have been working from home for 10 months and my co-workers with the fastest internet seem to run into slowdowns (throttling?) . Us folks with the more basic (slow) internet seem to have few if any slowdowns. Provider doesn't seem to be a factor.

 

[kdonnel]

Wifi broadcasts down.

Radio waves go in the direction the antenna is designed to send them. Depending on how the antenna is designed in the device that may be down, up, sideways, or omni directional.

 

[sam_gordon]

Who set up your router? Did they turn on 5G access (not referring to cell phone 5G)? Are your devices connecting to the 5G or the 2.4G (I have different names for each connection)? Is your Wifi password protected? Any chance a neighbor has your password? Do you know how to access your router's setup page? I would start there and look at the following:
* What devices are connected to it (if there are any you don't recognize, block them until you figure it out)
* What wireless networks are turned on (2.4g and/or 5g)?
* Is the guest network on (I suggest turning it off)?

Somewhere on the router is going to be a manufacturer and model number. Google those terms and "setup". You should find instructions on how to set it up. There may even be a sticker on the router that tells you how to access it.

I don't remember what speed we're paying for, but it's less than 400mb. Currently we have two high schoolers doing online classes, DW & I are both WFH, and we have no issues during the day. At night, everyone is generally streaming something different (Youtube, Netflix, Amazon, live sports, etc) and there are no issues. We are also on Spectrum.

 

[GreatLakes]

I don't think you have a bandwidth issue. If you want more control and options you'll need to turn the ISP router into just a router and place your WiFi AP or second router behind it. If you can configure QoS for streaming do so and if you have access to the TCP/IP buffer make it as small as possible. TCP/IP buffering harms real-time data streams.

As Sam mentioned make sure both 2.4Ghz and 5GHz are on and use an analyzer to see which has a better signal near your streaming devices. As a rule of thumb the further you are from your router and the more material you go through the more likely 2.4 will be the better spectrum space. The antenna configuration of your router, the layout of your home, and the material your home is constructed of will all impact where you should place your router and how many additional APs you'll need.

Lastly, which 802.11 protocol does your router broadcast? At the very least you want 802.11n but 802.11ac is better.

 

[kdonnel]

Wifi sucks.

There are too many devices out there sharing the 2.4 Ghz bands assigned. This is less of an issue with the 5 Ghz bands but 5 Ghz has much less range.

The answer to Wifi issues is to use a wire or if that is not possible to have many access points placed strategically around your house.

I wire anything that I can.

For the devices that can only be Wifi connected I have 5 access points. One for each floor in the house and one for outside. The output power of the 2.4 radios is turned to low while the output power of the 5 radios is turned to high. I let the devices pick the band and access point they want to connect to.

My home network is beyond the capability of the average home user.

For the average home user a wifi mesh system is my recommendation.

https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-wi-fi-mesh-network-systems

 

[RamblingMad]

The other issue is that the 2.4 radio can't even handle the 400 ISP speed. Those radios usually top out around 150. So if they have a lot of devices that are connecting to the 2.4 radio, they won't utilize the bandwidth they have available. At that point they're wasting money on the more expensive plan.

 

[HeatherC]

The best place to put a modem is on your top floor, however, that isn't always optimal in your particular house. Wifi broadcasts down.

Having said that, we started with 400 MBPS internet a month ago and upgraded to 1.2 GB, with a home monitoring system. It was less expensive as the bundle and I actually saved money from my original configuration. This is with Xfinity. We don't have the issues at 1.2 GB that we did with only 400 MB.

Options that you have:

Get a booster for upstairs and for basement, if that's also a place where people go online. This can help.

The modem I received has a faster router than the one I had that was ~5 years old, so I'm using that from Xfinity, too. This seems to have made a difference, too.

You can buy boosters on Amazon that won't break the bank and if it doesn't work, send it back.

Call Spectrum and see what it can offer you for GB speed within a package. You may be pleasantly surprised, as I was when I contacted Xfinity.

Thanks so much! Will check this out.

 

[HeatherC]

Wifi sucks.

There are too many devices out there sharing the 2.4 Ghz bands assigned. This is less of an issue with the 5 Ghz bands but 5 Ghz has much less range.

The answer to Wifi issues is to use a wire or if that is not possible to have many access points placed strategically around your house.

I wire anything that I can.

For the devices that can only be Wifi connected I have 5 access points. One for each floor in the house and one for outside. The output power of the 2.4 radios is turned to low while the output power of the 5 radios is turned to high. I let the devices pick the band and access point they want to connect to.

My home network is beyond the capability of the average home user.

For the average home user a wifi mesh system is my recommendation.

https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-wi-fi-mesh-network-systems

A mesh system is another thing I was looking into. Would Google Mesh be good?

 

[kdonnel]

A mesh system is another thing I was looking into. Would Google Mesh be good?

I have heard people have good success with the Google/Nest mesh system.

 

[bcla]

Radio waves go in the direction the antenna is designed to send them. Depending on how the antenna is designed in the device that may be down, up, sideways, or omni directional.

Yep. It goes in all directions all though antenna placement may affect signal strength. I replaced one without an external antenna with one that has two adjustable antennas.

But generally placing an antenna higher in an average house can mean dealing with less furniture in the way of the signal.

 

[HeatherC]

Who set up your router? Did they turn on 5G access (not referring to cell phone 5G)? Are your devices connecting to the 5G or the 2.4G (I have different names for each connection)? Is your Wifi password protected? Any chance a neighbor has your password? Do you know how to access your router's setup page? I would start there and look at the following:
* What devices are connected to it (if there are any you don't recognize, block them until you figure it out)
* What wireless networks are turned on (2.4g and/or 5g)?
* Is the guest network on (I suggest turning it off)?

Somewhere on the router is going to be a manufacturer and model number. Google those terms and "setup". You should find instructions on how to set it up. There may even be a sticker on the router that tells you how to access it.

I don't remember what speed we're paying for, but it's less than 400mb. Currently we have two high schoolers doing online classes, DW & I are both WFH, and we have no issues during the day. At night, everyone is generally streaming something different (Youtube, Netflix, Amazon, live sports, etc) and there are no issues. We are also on Spectrum.

Thanks Sam! Will check all these suggestions out.

 

[Skippy918]

Have you run a speed test to see the actual speed? Do you also have a pc that you can plug in directly to the modem via Ethernet to check that speed? A few years ago, after we upgraded our speed, we weren’t getting that speed because the cable model and router weren’t capable of it. Once we upgraded those it was fine. We also have a mesh network in the house. I would run some Ethernet to plug in those devices that can run off Ethernet directly into the router.

 

[HeatherC]

Have you run a speed test to see the actual speed? Do you also have a pc that you can plug in directly to the modem via Ethernet to check that speed? A few years ago, after we upgraded our speed, we weren’t getting that speed because the cable model and router weren’t capable of it. Once we upgraded those it was fine. We also have a mesh network in the house. I would run some Ethernet to plug in those devices that can run off Ethernet directly into the router.

We did do speed tests on our devices. But they are all Macs and IPads. Seemed to be fine speed wise, it’s just the stupid buffering. Right now my daughter is teaching live and the students faces are all going in and out and not coming in clear.

 

[_19disnA]

The distance from the router makes a difference on signal strength/speed. At our house, if you are at the far end of the house, it can be noticeably slower. I agree as mentioned above, try to google your particular router make/model to see what kind of setup options you have or if there are things you can check. Don't waste your time calling any of those 800# support lines, since all you ever get are people who can barely speak English and seem to have ZERO technical knowledge. After an annoying 45 minutes of getting nowhere on the phone with them, you will be no further ahead. I have done this enough times in the past to know I will NEVER call any 800# number for such things.........LOL.

 

[clutter]

We have Spectrum as well, and had some problems. First they tried changing the channel on our router. Then they finally agreed that it needed to be replaced. Yep, it sure did. We've got three people on multiple devices and haven't had a problem at the lower speed since. I also changed out our extender. Router/Modem is upstairs in the front of the house, extender is one floor below. No problems since the change. We do run on 5G extended for the most part, but the smart tv (1 year old, not 2k or 4k) only takes the 2G.

That said, I noticed less buffering problems when I traded my ipad for a newer model. So many of the apps are now using so much more memory that the issue may be on the device rather than with wifi.

 

[kdonnel]

It goes in all directions all though antenna placement may affect signal strength.

It only goes in all directions efficiently if the antenna is an omni directional antenna and antenna placement will most definitely affect signal strength.

Good manufacturers will make available antenna radiation patterns for their products.

https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005212927-UniFi-UAP-Antenna-Radiation-Patterns

Here is an example of a directional antenna. You are going to get a much, much, much better signal if that antenna is pointed in the correct direction of what ever will be communicating with the antenna.



Compared to an omni directional antenna where the signal radiates outward nearly as efficiently in each direction.

 

[HeatherC]

We have Spectrum as well, and had some problems. First they tried changing the channel on our router. Then they finally agreed that it needed to be replaced. Yep, it sure did. We've got three people on multiple devices and haven't had a problem at the lower speed since. I also changed out our extender. Router/Modem is upstairs in the front of the house, extender is one floor below. No problems since the cnange.

That said, I noticed less buffering problems when I traded my ipad for a newer model. So many of the apps are now using so much more memory that the issue may be on the device rather than with wifi.

I hate Spectrum. I feel your pain! They are soooo bad but we have no other options. When we called to upgrade speed, it literally took two hours on the phone. Then they told us we had to pick up new modem because they couldn’t send one. We asked if they were in stock and was assured they were. Drove 30 minutes to store and they had none!

‘Another hour on the phone and they tell us we can’t pick one up because it is a home delivery. This is after they say we can’t get it shipped. I say ok fine, when will we get it. They say it could take a couple weeks! My dh then calls and spends literally another hour and 15 minutes on the phone and they tell him the store now has it and we have to pick it up. And the store has no phone number to confirm. So he goes again. This time they have one. He brings it home sets it up last night and today guess what shows up on the doorstep? They are unreal. I cannot believe how terrible they are to deal with.

Anyway, the devices are all about a year old so don’t think it’s that.