Glitches with Zoom

[gjc26]

Hi

So I've been having glitches with Zoom.

OpenReach came in and tweaked things, which brought my connection speed up from about 55mbps to just under 80mbps, but the drop outs and "your internet connection is unstable" issues persist.

I prefer to use my own router, it's a Netgear.

I wonder if there's a setup issue, here are the current settings:

Select Country: UK

Select Internet Service Provider: TalkTalk

Transfer Mode: VDSL (PTM)

DSL Mode: VDSL 2

Multiplexing Method: LLC-BASED

VPI: 8

VCI: 35

Use VLANID: 101

Priority(0~7): 0

MTU: 1500

IGMP Proxying [not disabled]

Support British Telecom (BT) IGMP Proxying [doesn't matter if enabled or disabled still glitches]

Disable SIP ALG [doesn't matter if enabled or disabled still glitches]

I think these are the key ones.

Are these correct, and any more suggestions?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Thanks @KeithFrench

[KeithFrench]

Hi @gjc26 

I will PM you a link for a guide of mine on Wi-Fi interference & initially look at the section called "Are you suffering from interference – prove it first". This section includes full details of Wi-Fi analysers that I recommend for Windows, Windows phone, Android and Apple operating systems. However, I have no way of testing the Apple product. Do not worry about interpreting the results, I will do that for you.

Please post the screenshots that I have requested in my guide (no photos please they can be difficult to read as text can get out of focus when zoomed in), from the analyser you are using (also in my attached guide). Please ensure that the analyser window is maximised (if Windows) before taking the screenshots & upload them via the "Insert Photos" button (in a mobile browser it's the picture icon) on the post editor's toolbar with the Size parameter set to Large. If they are too small, I will not be able to read them & although I can enlarge them, this puts the text out of focus. If you prefer PM them to me. If you do PM me, then please add a link in there to this thread, so that I can find it easily.

[gjc26]

Hi @KeithFrench sorry about the delay, yesterday was one of those days.

If you do have the guide that will be useful, not sure how you get that to me.

As a side note, @Debbie-TalkTalk confirmed my WIFI optimisation is turned off, so I guess that's a good start.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @gjc26 

The hub supports band steering by default, but it cannot be disabled & neither can the mode of operation be changed within the UI currently.

You mention channel bonding, do not be tempted to use anything other than a 20MHz channel bandwidth in the 2.4GHz band, as it will be counterproductive in improving bandwidth.

The Sagemcom does not support Guest networks at all.

The biggest issue with WiFi performance on the Sagemcom is its WiFi Optimisation. 

Have you had TalkTalk’s Wi-Fi optimisation disabled on your Sagemcom FAST5364 router? When this is enabled, as it is by default, it has the power to override any Wi-Fi configuration changes that might be changed. This will not help rectify range/reception issues if Wi-Fi Optimisation is allowed to change any settings. Only TalkTalk can do this for you, you cannot do it yourself. If not, just request they disable this for you in your reply.


The next stage involves sending out a guide to you to help you get me some important diagnostic results so that I can analyse them for you and recommend changes to your router configuration to solve them.

I only send this out to people who request it.

[gjc26]

Hi @KeithFrench, thanks for your response, all noted (and there's no reason to read the rest of this thread, it's been a long journey but I think we are there with the connection to premises, we're now just discussing in-premises performance).

Good to know the below; it's just been my observation that the Huawei seemed to have had better range in testing (although the connection to premises was not good at all, hence the move to the Sagemcom which largely addressed that).

One thing that may help is if the Sagemcom has band steering like the Huawei did, so if I bond my 2.4 and 5 Ghz channels, will it apply some logic between these?

Also, is there any way to set up a guest network at present on the Sagemcom, it appears that it has the potential for this, but that it's not currently enabled through the UI.

And finally some feedback to TalkTalk is that it would be great to see a few more of these things exposed / configurable through the customer facing UI to help with some of the things I've mentioned etc. (but thanks to their team for getting me there on helping with the connection issues).

[KeithFrench]

Hi @gjc26 

@Michelle-TalkTalk has asked me to help you with this point. I can confirm that the Sagemcom supports 802.11ac Wave 2 using MU-MIMO. Airtime Fairness will have no impact on the WiFi range at all. Although the Sagemcom does have fewer configuration options available to the user via the UI on the DG8041W, IMHO opinion the Sagemcom is a far better router than the Huawei. However, where WiFi reception is concerned, this is down to the individual installation, environmental conditions & the amount of WiFi interference present.

This is now a very long thread, so I will not read back through all of the posts. If you would like my help to improve this, please let me know.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello,

Thanks for the update. @KeithFrench - is this something that you would be able to offer any additional advice on please?

Thanks

[gjc26]

Hi, it's more the range, but stability could be better. I need to look into it a bit more, but it may just be that the WIFI performance on the Sagemcom just isn't as good as the Huawei; it certainly has less user options, not sure if things like mimo and airtime fairness are hidden behind the scenes?

Also the lack of a guest network on the Sagemcom is a nuisance; it seems that it would theoretically support it as you can actually add a secondary DNS server, which I think is how that works on other devices. You can't however actually put anything onto the secondary DNS through the UI (as far as I can see), so it seems it's there but not available currently?

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

I've re-checked the connection stats now and both the sync speed and the stability look stable for the last 3 days. Can I just confirm, in regards to the wifi, what specific issues are you experiencing? Is it the speed or the stability?

Thanks

[gjc26]

Hi

So I've left it running for a few days, seems ok if not outstanding, the WIFI isn't great though so may need to address that.

Here's my latest stats, not sure if these look healthy or not, they are really quite different to the previous Sagemcom:

Latest:

System Up Time 3d 22h35m03s

Standard VDSL2 (G_993_2_ANNEX_ B)

Line Encoding DMT

Link Encapsulation ATM (G_992_3_ANNEX_ K_ATM)

Downstream / Upstream 

Actual Rate [Kbps] Downstream 75311 / Upstream 20000

Maximum Rate [Kbps] Downstream 73869 / Upstream 20000

Noise Margin [dB] Downstream 6.30 / Upstream 8.10

Attenuation [dB] Downstream 12.30 / Upstream 0.00

Power [dBm] Downstream 13.00 / Upstream -1.00

Previous:

System Up Time 1d 12h02m27s

Standard VDSL2 (G_993_2_ANNEX_ B)

Line Encoding DMT

Link Encapsulation ATM (G_992_3_ANNEX_ K_ATM)

Downstream / Upstream 

Actual Rate [Kbps] Downstream 75223 / Upstream 20000

Maximum Rate [Kbps] Downstream 73776 / Upstream 20000

Noise Margin [dB] Downstream 0.00 / Upstream 6.00

Attenuation [dB] Downstream 12.00 / Upstream 0.00

Power [dBm] Downstream 13.00 / Upstream 0.10

Not sure if I should switch off again for 30-60 minutes and allow it to reset at the cabinet?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi gjc26

I've checked this again and it is showing as switched off.

Debbie

[gjc26]

Thanks for this; I don't see any indication that it's off (all the same warnings are there). Just checking it's definitely gone through as I was changing another setting on WIFI that seemed to reset the router at the time.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi gjc26

Thanks for your reply.

I have also switched this off for you.

Debbie

[gjc26]

Sorry one more thing, and then I guess I just have to monitor things for a few days.

My UPNP toggle seems to have disappeared on this new firmware; if that's something that's not user facing, could we please turn it off?

Many thanks.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi gjc26

Sorry yes I've just switched off the WIFI optimisation too 🙂

[gjc26]

I also confirm that on a quick test, VPN seem to be working.

[gjc26]

Hi Debbie

I have been able to login to the router and it seems fine, I can also see it's on a different firmware.

Should I actually restart it, or is there no need?

Also just checking if optimisation is now off, if that's still an issue with with version of the firmware I'm now on.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi gjc26

The firmware has now updated, please can you retest?

Thanks

Debbie

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi gjc26

Yes of course. I will start the update just after 12 today and post back to confirm once it's been completed.

Thanks

[gjc26]

Hi. It is, but can we push this back until about 12/12:15 as I can't have my internet disrupted this am?