2.4GHz keeps reverting to channel 6 - TalkTalk WiFi Hub

[WDeranged]

About eight months ago TalkTalk sent me a new router, the WiFi hub.  It's been working fine, nice and reliable.

Unfortunately this last couple of weeks all my 2.4ghz devices stopped working and the router keeps resetting 2.4g wifi to channel 6.

I go into the settings and change back to channel 10 which fixes the issue but usually within a day it's back to channel 6.  

Selecting Auto makes no difference.

Anyone know what's going on?

[prawlin]

Thanks for your reply Keith. I realised after posting this so I already created my own thread requesting it kindly be disabled here….

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Broadband/Please-disable-my-WiFi-2-4-channel-optimisation/td-p/3...

Yes I know about the old overlapping channels rule. But Though moving from Ch6 to Ch11 helps to reduce my interference to my Sennheiser headphones However it does not eliminate my problem. The Sennheiser uses very wide FHSS occupying much of the 2.4G band, centred around Ch6! but still spilling into C1 and C11. It just clears C13. Hence why it’s my preference in this case. 

I tried Ch11 during my extensive testing and it still reverts to Ch6 anyway.  So either way I still need the compulsory optimisation turning off on my router. I think it’s ridiculous that I can’t turn off this “I know better than you do” auto optimisation feature. Heck I can change a thousand other potentially destructive settings myself so why not this one? 

Please see my other thread. For any further discussions. If there’s anything you can do to accelerate my request, please can you do it for me. Thanks again. Peter

[KeithFrench]

Hi @prawlin 

You need to create your own thread. However, WiFi Optimisation, which is enabled on your Sagemcom, will not allow you to use channel 13, as that conflicts with channel 11. The golden rule with the 2.4GHz band is only to use the non-overlapping channels 1, 6 or 11. Please don't take my word for it though, consult these websites:-

http://www.metageek.com/training/resources/why-channels-1-6-11.html 

or

http://boundless.aerohive.com/experts/WLAN-Channels-Explained.html 

[prawlin]

Hi. I’ve got this problem too. My sagem hub keeps reverting to Ch 6 on 2.4G Wi-Fi.  I need to set it to Ch 13 as Ch6 Wi-Fi completely wipes out my Sennheiser digital headphones which use a proprietary 2.4 FHSS system. The headphones cannot be changed in centre frequency. Please can I have the auto optimisation turned off for my hub. Why on earth is this not a user selectable option anyway. When I select Ch13 all is good but in a day or two it always reverts back to ch6. It drives me crazy. Thank you. Regards. Peter. 

[KeithFrench]

Thanks @Debbie-TalkTalk.

Hi @WDeranged 

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), 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 just 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 as I can find it easily.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi WDeranged

The WIFI optimisation has now been switched off.

@KeithFrench

Thanks

[WDeranged]

Ok.  I request that I want it disabled.

[KeithFrench]

I did explain all this to you before, just request that you want it disabled & then I can get TalkTalk to do it for you. 

[WDeranged]

Yeah that makes sense.  I suspected it might be the case.  I just assumed that turning off auto would be enough.  Had no idea that there was a secret option that only TalkTalk can access.

[Skynet_TX]

The most likely reason it would start doing it would be because your local Wi-Fi environment has changed, for example a neighbour may have a new router and your router is seeing that signal and making the (bad) decision to switch you to channel 6 to try to avoid interference. Often letting your router auto detect is a good thing, but depending on your specific environment it can sometimes make bad decisions, this is when it is best to get Wi-Fi Optimisation switched off to allow you to specify the channel yourself.

[WDeranged]

I'll keep that in mind.  I'm curious why it's started doing this though.  It's been fine for months.

[Skynet_TX]

Yep, the staff here on the community can switch off Wi-Fi Optimisation on your router if you want them to, once that is done it will stay on whatever channel you set it to.

If you want them to do this for you then just reply here to confirm, and they will be able to do it early next week.

[WDeranged]

Thanks for the reply.  It is indeed the Sagemcom FAST 5364.  I just settled on channel 10 as that seems to give me the least trouble.  Regardless, no matter what channel I select, within a day it's back to channel 6 and none of my devices can connect.

I've not asked TalkTalk to disable Wi-Fi optimisation.  That is something to keep in mind when I get a reply from support.

[KeithFrench]

You should only ever use channels 1, 6 or 11, as they are the only non-overlapping channels. This may have some impact on the router changing you back to channel 6, but I assume that you have the Sagemcom FAST 5364 router?

Have you had TalkTalk’s Wi-Fi optimisation disabled on your router? When this is enabled, as it is by default, it has the power to override any Wi-Fi configuration changes that are made.  Only TalkTalk can disable this for you, you cannot do it yourself. If not, just request they disable this for you in your reply.