topic Re: Surprise and a problem in Full Fibre

Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 20:43:46 GMT

Well got an email today saying the service was active which was a surprise as it is meant o have been Friday this week. Never mind though. So we have now gone from 150 to 950, whoopee...maybe.

Problem I have is the eero 6 pro. Presently I am setup nicely with the issue talk talk router and my wifi bridge connecting to it linking my networks together. Problem is the Eero will not play ball/ It categorically refuses to connect to the wifi bridge, despite what ever I try.

I do not have time to play around too much with it all right now as I trade financial markets during the day and NEED a stable connection. Or in this case simply a connection 🙂

Only thing I can think of is the Eero uses only one wifi identifier and password and my previous setup through the wifi bridge is one for the 2.4ghz and a different identifier for the 5ghz.

Maybe Keith or other knowledgable person can throw some light on this. Despte being on the top range product and being on City Fibre I was told I cannot have the extra Eero routers due to City Fibre contract and not BTOpenworld. I was also very wrongly told that the upload was 112 when infact City Fibre is synchronous. So 950/950 which it is at the router. I just cannot connect to the damned thing. Powerline adapters despite again being very expensive ones, give only a staggering speed of 73 up/down. Ouch.

I am qualified in networking etc but for the life of me this persisher just will not play ball.

Any input greatly appreciated and likewise if I am eligible for the extra routers to enable wifi throughout, could I be advised and have it arranged or it looks like I am going to have to either replace the Eero with something else or buy another Eero to connect all the network, which being a poor old pensioner now, lacking the winter fuel payment 🙂

Any input appreciated please. I will play around with it again over the weekend.

Re: Surprise and a problem

ferguson — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 20:49:36 GMT

Well the eero is only designed to work with other eeros, so you may need to rethink your entire setup. It looks like a plea for help to @KeithFrench though, so I have alerted him accordingly! 🙂

Re: Surprise and a problem

KeithFrench — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 20:57:39 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

What sort of WiFi Bridge is this? How are you trying to connect the gateway eero to it? What happens if you only use the eeros (I assume that you have two eero Pro 6s)? If you have Full Fibre 900, that is an assumption based on the speeds you mention, I thought that entitled you to two of the Pro 6s.

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:09:25 GMT

Hi Keith

It is a TP-Link Archer c80 set up for wireless bridge. Works fine with the old router for 150 but that router is restricted on download. It is unable to handle the full fibre speed though this may actually be the Archers wifi restricting that. Not entirely sure how fast the old routers ports are. Never found any details anywhere about that.

The sales adviser specifically told me that I was not eligible for the extra Eero as I was on a City Fibre line. I did question this but her was adamant about it. Obviously if I had that Eero, I would not need the Archer c80 in circuit anymore just a switch would do.

I am using the same wifi and password as the setup for the Eero. However, the Eero only uses one password and wifi identifier but the old router used one for 2.4 and one for 5ghz, which is how the Archer c80 is setup.

I did make a quick attempt as changing the old router to the same identifier for 2.4 and 5ghz but ran in to the trouble of the Archer no longer connecting. Which was a bit of a pain as the fibre router is connected to by wireless and therefore the computers could not access the login page. Whoopee for the Android phone then. Changed it back via the phone and everything reconnected again. So I am thinking this may be the problem with the Archer and the Eero. The Archer is giving 2 wifi channels with same password but different identifier and the Eero is only looking at giving one for all.

I will have a play with it at the weekend but if you or someone else could find out about this second Eero, that would sort all the problems out. I have a second Archer c80 purchased a couple of weeks ago from Amazon for £35 on offer, so got it quick. Backup in case this one had any problems at anytime. Very few routers now have the facility of wifi bridge. As I said it all worked great with the old 150 router but the Eero is a very different kettle of fish.

Dave J.

Re: Surprise and a problem

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:25:05 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

I would not bother with your TP-Link Archer c80, as that is only WiFi 5, whilst the eero Pro 6 is a Tri-band (2x %GHz & 1 x 2.4GHz) WiFi 6 router. What is the performance like with just the one eero Pro 6?

I have never heard of such a s restriction of only one eero, when the fibre provider is CityFibre, let me confirm that with TalkTalk for you.

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:26:36 GMT

Hi MerlinBengal,

Just to confirm, you only have the one eero?

Michelle

Re: Surprise and a problem

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:45:15 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

It might be worth checking out the levels of WiFi interference & signal strength, when you only have your one eero Pro 6 connected.

Slow speed, intermittent dropouts, breaks in the signal or no signal on some or all devices or no internet access might be caused by Wi-Fi interference from other local networks, which can also lead to a permanent reduction in speed. No ISP can be responsible for your local environment, this is mainly a byproduct of the popularity of Wi-Fi.

However, other factors should be investigated first. When this happens, what is the status displayed in the app for the internet connection? Do you have any wired connections & if so, how do they perform?

Generally speaking, the 2.4GHz band suffers a lot more from interference than the much faster 5GHz band, but the 2.4GHz one can sometimes have a better range, but this all depends on your local area.

In other words, I try to help you optimise your Wi-Fi connection. 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.

Whilst the eero is supposed to manage Wi-Fi interference, if this is very bad, particularly in the 2.4GHz band, then it cannot do anything about it, no router can. The same goes for any router at that point. Other things that may then need to be investigated are its location within your property and the WiFi bands that you use.

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:47:49 GMT

Hello,

Thanks @KeithFrench

@Anonymous We can send an additional eero, would this be ok?

Thanks

Michelle

Re: Surprise and a problem

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:49:31 GMT

In that case @Anonymous I would accept the kind offer from @Anonymous and we'll do the analysis after that, if you still have problems.

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:56:29 GMT

Good morning Michelle 😁

I only have the one Eero 6 pro. Yes please, I would gratefully accept another Eero to sort this problem out. This will have the 1ghz ports? Many thanks for your help.

Kind regards

Dave J

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:05:43 GMT

Hello,

The eero is on the way and should arrive in the next 48hrs. Please disregard any emails about an eero charge as this won't be chargeable. Please let us know how your connection compares.

Thanks

Michelle 🙂

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:10:46 GMT

Certainly will do Michelle. Yes, that charge looking at it quickly makes you go cold 🤑

many thanks for all the help.

Dave J.

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:12:28 GMT

Apologies, it's an automated email. It definitely won't be chargeable.

Thanks

Michelle

Re: Surprise and a problem

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:49:07 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

Yes, the extra Pro 6 has 1G Ethernet ports like your current one. Whilst I have never tried the Pro 6, my package only allows the eero 6 and initially I thought that the reception left a bit to be desired. After doing some work I proved that with eeros you can get good coverage, but it is all about location, location, location.

These are my recommendations for the best locations for a router, extender mesh nodes and your devices, but obviously, this is not always practical, and a compromise has to be reached. Where Full Fibre is concerned, the router connected to the ONT can easily be moved to a better location via a longer Cat 6 minimum, Ethernet cable.

The general rule is do not keep them in a cupboard, but out in the open and sited as high & centrally within the property. Keep them away from:-

Cordless phone (DECT) base stations
TVs
Loudspeakers & any sub-woofers (including those used with a PC)
Computer monitors
Electrical appliances – they often transmit their own signals that can interfere with Wi-Fi signals.
Bluetooth devices – they operate on the same Wi-Fi frequency as your broadband, which can cause signal problems.
Mirrors – they actually reflect Wi-Fi signals, stopping them from passing through walls and reflecting them back into the room.
Anything containing large amounts of water – things like fish tanks and boilers can absorb Wi-Fi signals like a sponge.
Large metal objects – radiators, for instance, will have the same effect on your Wi-Fi as mirrors. If you have a tower PC case with an internal WiFi card, the metal of the case can block signals to & from the antennae if they are located behind the tower case.
Glass - different types of glass can cause problems for Wi-Fi signals to pass through:-

a) Thick window glass or glazing can block Wi-Fi signals.
b) Low-emissivity (Low-E) windows have a metallic film that can reflect and block Wi-Fi signals more than clear glass.
c) Tinted glass often has a metallic film that can interfere with radio signals.
d) K glass double glazing has a metal vapour coating that can reduce Wi-Fi signal strength by 30-50%.

If you are using a USB Wi-Fi adapter, use a USB socket on the front of the PC, as there is more open space around it than at the rear. If a USB extension cable is used, try to ensure that it is fairly short, so that the power from the computer is not attenuated. Long extension cables can cause the adapter to not have enough power from the computer to work correctly.

Where USB or PCIe-connected WiFi adapters are concerned, power management is best disabled if running in Windows to keep a reliable Wi-Fi connection working at full speed. Once you have made the changes outlined below, it is probably best to restart the PC.

Windows Power Management issues. To check this in Windows 10 or 11, open Device Manager and expand Network adapters. Then right-click your WiFi card & select Properties. Next, click on the Power Management tab and untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. If the adapter is connected via USB, then expand the USB section in Device Manager. The same option can be found in the Power Management tab in most Root Hubs and USB Controllers. Untick it there as well.

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:11:09 GMT

I had hoped to have been able to give you a good update after receipt of the extra Eero but alas Royal Mail have decided not to bother to turn up yet again. Probably gone to the same place as my mums controlled drugs via prescription which to this day are still missing after 2 weeks!!

So for now having to persevere with the old 150 fibre router. Couldn't get the Archer c80 to connect to the Eero I have as it appears this latest c80 is faulty, no internet, no wifi! I do have the best of luck 🤕

I do not understand why people use Royal Mail anymore, totally unreliable. I would rather pay the extra for someone like DPD etc.

Re: Surprise and a problem

KeithFrench — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:29:25 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

I will chase up TalkTalk for you, but they will not be back on here until Monday, now.

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 20:35:07 GMT

Hi Keith

Many thanks. It actually turned up Saturday and I wish it hadn't 😠

Speed is actually no better than with the existing 150 fibre router and my wifi bridged Archer c80 (wifi 5). Eeros are only about 8 feet apart, one in the garage with incoming fibre and one in the lounge. Only a breeze block wall and wooden house frame between them. No other electrical items close. Max I have managed to get to the computers is only 475mbps download, 650mbps upload. Something very wrong there. Tried it also via wireless to the main Eero and that was a stupidly low 65mbps from both computers download, 23mbps up-load. (Wifi 6.)

I did get the new Archer C80 working but TPlink have updated the firmware and it now only works on one channel, either 2.4 or 5ghz whereas my older router used both channels at once and also still transmitted it's own 2.4 and 5ghz wifi channels. Strange as it isn't meant to do that.

Speed to the main Eero is 940/940mbps. It just isn't able to get that to me in the lounge. Going to have to revert to fitting a network socket on the garage wall and run a cable through the wall to another network socket as close to the computers as I can. My powerline adapters which refused to connect together, one managed to blow itself up !?? Yes, God knows why. Never been used before and way out of warranty. They are Tplink AV1000's. Max they gavce last week when I first tried the Eero was 75mbps. Crazy slow.

The other option is to ditch the Eeros and revert back to the old equipment.

Another problem is a delay on the echos and all devices only connecting to the main Eero in the garage and not the easy close one in the lounge.

Now to scour Amazon for some network sockets, back boxes, cable and drywall box.

Re: Surprise and a problem

KeithFrench — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 13:21:56 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

I did offer to check for WiFi interference, but that was before you got the extra eero, so that is still a possibility if you want to go down that route. You have now mentioned echos, are you using these to extend the eero coverage or not?

Re: Surprise and a problem

KeithFrench — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 16:17:06 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

I have been thinking about this some more. Do you need internet access in the garage?

If you don't. then why not run a longer Cat 6 minimum Ethernet cable from the ONT to the gateway eero, say in your lounge & site the other Pro 6 elsewhere in your property?
If you do need the gateway eero to be in the garage with the ONT, why not do away with the wireless backhaul between the eeros and replace it with a Cat 6 minimum Ethernet cable, so that the backhaul is wired?

Re: Surprise and a problem

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 18:49:19 GMT

Hi Keith

Yep, had it installed in the garage as I'm not always available to let anyone in to do any repairs as I am carer for my mum who is vulnerable. Plus have 3 mad house cats running around that dare not be let out on their own.

Idea was to use the wifi bridging of the Archer which worked just great with the 150 fibre, receiving the full rate at my desktop via the Archer c80. I had expected the 950 to work in the same way but obviously either the fibre router cannot handle to 950 or the Archer couldn't handle the increased wifi throughput.

So the Eero it was but the Archer cannot connect to the Eero either through some incompatibility with the Eero or the fact my Archer has 2 different wifi idents for the 2.4 and 5 bands.

The second Eero is on my desk and basically doing the same as the Archer was, however speeds have not increased.

My thinking now is if there ios a problem with the type of insulation used in the house which is this polystyrene cover with thermal sheet. My guess is this is cutting down the connection speed through interference.

I have already decided to put a cat 6 box on the wall by the Eero, run some cat 6 through the garage wall with the garage door on by the side of the incoming fibre but not too close so when I drill there is not chance of damaging the incoming fibre. Then run it low to the old BT incoming point for the telephone and fit a new box in place of the telephone box. That way there should be full rate to the desk top.

My only concern is that I took my netbook into the garage today close to the Eero and did a speed check and it di not increase. So, not sure why this Eero is cutting down bandwidth at source. There is absolutely nothing else in the garage that could cause any interference.

Of coursed it could be the netbook adapter causing the drop. Right now everything is up in the air. I may reset the old Archer to the same wifi identifiers and passwords for all channels and see if that connects again and if so if any better. Not going to have time to play around with it all now until next Saturday. Then I will probably just drill and fit hard wire to the desktop anyway.

It is concerning though why the wifi cannot get through this wall. Breeze block with standard wooden modern house wall. Most houses now are wooden framed.

I will keep you posted with what I find.