topic Re: Message for KeithFrench in Full Fibre

Message for KeithFrench

Woody179! — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:45:25 GMT

I was wondering if you could send me your WI-FI optimisation guide please. I am on Fibre 900 and regularly get speeds of 940 to 950 MB on my Ethernet connected computers, but on my laptop and surface using a Wi-Fi connection only get speeds of between 300MB and 450MB.

I used to work in IT and therefore have knowledge in networking, but unfortunately my Wi-Fi knowledge is lacking.

Thanks,

Paul

Edited to add,

Sorry forgot to say, my laptop is Wi-Fi 6.

Re: Message for KeithFrench

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:50:37 GMT

No problem @Woody179! which router do you have?

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:51:17 GMT

Thanks @KeithFrench 🙂

Michelle

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Woody179! — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:55:37 GMT

Hi Keith,

I have two eero 6+ routers set up and connected together via Ethernet. All the switches that I use for connections are 1GB.

Thanks,

Paul

Re: Message for KeithFrench

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:06:40 GMT

Hi Paul,

Thanks for that, please can I just confirm (it won't affect the level of help I am prepared to give) are these your own eero 6+ units or the TalkTalk-provided eero Pro 6 ones? Where roughly within the property are the two eeros?

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Woody179! — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:14:35 GMT

Hi Keith,

Both eero 6+ units were provided by TalkTalk, one eero unit is located in the study, which is located at the middle of the house at the back on the 2nd floor and the other unit is in the living room, again at the back of the house, but at the house corner near to the outside wall. I do also have VOIP which is plugged into the study Netgear 1GB switch.

Thanks,

Paul

Re: Message for KeithFrench

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:16:10 GMT

I am confused Paul, as TalkTalk to my knowledge, does not prove the eero 6+, only the eero 6 or the eero Pro 6 depending on the package you are on. Are you sure that they are eero 6+ units?

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Woody179! — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:23:27 GMT

Sorry Keith, I got confused with the models, they are eero Pro 6 units.

Re: Message for KeithFrench

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:28:27 GMT

Hi Paul,

No problem, the Pro 6 is a higher spec than the 6+ anyway. I just like to know what I am dealing with first.

Do not worry about interpreting the results, I will do that for you. I will send a PM to you that contains a link for my guide on Wi-Fi interference. It is quite long (about 30 pages), but you will probably only need to look at three or four pages in total. Initially look at the section called "Are you suffering from interference – prove it first". This is the first link in the table of contents. This section includes full details of free 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. Select the analyser of your choice & my guide explains how to use it.

If you are using Wi-Fi Scanner, then please attach the zip file to this thread. As soon as I have downloaded it, I will remove the attachment from your post, to preserve your privacy.

With all other analysers, please follow my instructions below.

Collect the screenshots that I require and include them in your reply.

Please post the screenshots to me in a PM (to protect your privacy), which I have requested in my guide. No photos please as they can be difficult to read, because the text can get out of focus when zoomed in. 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.

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Woody179! — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:52:19 GMT

Thanks Keith, I'll get back to you shortly. 👍

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Woody179! — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 13:49:48 GMT

Hi Keith,

Thanks for the guide which was very easy to understand, I've attached the snapshot and report zip.

Thanks,

Paul

Re: Message for KeithFrench

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 13:51:07 GMT

Hi @Woody179!

I may not have much time today to look at this for you, but I should be able to tomorrow.

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Woody179! — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:27:01 GMT

Hi Keith,

No problem, I'm grateful for your help and time. There's no hurry, I mostly use my desktop which is connected via Ethernet, but when I'm ill, I tend to use my laptop if I'm able.

Thanks,

Paul

Re: Message for KeithFrench

KeithFrench — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:30:45 GMT

Hi Paul,

I have just started to have a quick look at this & first I need to have a look at exactly what APs you have. I can see the two eeros, but what are the MAC addresses of the gateway eero? That way I can identify which one is which. In the app, if you go to:-

Home > Gateway eero > Device information

Please can you get get me a screenshot of that page? It is probably best that you send this in a PM to me to preserve your privacy.

I can also see you have two Netgear extenders with the SSID the same as yours ending in _EXT & _ Ext1. What are the model numbers of these?

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Woody179! — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 15:09:53 GMT

Hi Keith,

I've sent you a message with the screenshot. You're correct I do have two Netgear extenders in use because the Wi-Fi signal wasn't strong enough to reach the garage (car charger, that can only be connected via Wi-Fi) and shed (garden water feature smart plug). The Netgear unit that is connected to my switch is a XAV5201 and the two Wi-Fi extenders are both Netgear XWN5001 units. The Gateway eero is the one in the study on the 2nd floor.

Thanks,

Paul

Re: Message for KeithFrench

KeithFrench — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:04:52 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

This is looking to be a very complex investigation, which may take a little while. I have sent a PM to @Woody179! to give me more details about the type of property, where the ONT is & a few other relevant items.

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Debbie-TalkTalk — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:07:01 GMT

Thanks for your help @KeithFrench

Re: Message for KeithFrench

KeithFrench — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:10:39 GMT

Hi @Debbie-TalkTalk I haven't done much yet! I am still trying to understand where all of the eeros & ONT are located in the property & where the customer wants to be able to have WiFi coverage. Each question I ask is answered accurately, but that seems to pose further questions from me!

Re: Message for KeithFrench

KeithFrench — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:38:31 GMT

Hi @Woody179! @Debbie-TalkTalk @Anonymous

I think that the problems are caused by having the eero Pro 6s at the back of your property, their WiFi signals will struggle to reach the front of your house. Whilst you cannot change any Wi-Fi parameters in an eero, location is everything.

Each eero needs to be sited approximately in the middle of your house on each floor. I know that you have opted for an Ethernet backhaul between the gateway & extender eero, but that is probably overkill. Especially with the more advanced wireless backhaul of the pro 6, it isn't necessary. Obviously, once the ideal positions are found, then restore the Ethernet connection if you want.

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.

Once this is all done, if you still have any problems, please get me a new set of traces etc.

Re: Message for KeithFrench

Woody179! — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 13:31:36 GMT

Thanks @KeithFrench ,

I really appreciate your help, I'll try moving the eeros towards the middle of the house and also everything else that you have mentioned. It might take me a few days to try everything.

But thanks for looking into this and I'll get back to you, if this sorts the issues or not.

Regards,

Paul