Fastem Talk Talk router will not keep manual channel setting on 5GHz wifi band

[damiansmart]

My Talk Talk router will not maintain the manual channel setting on the 5GHz WiFi.

My next door neighbour has a powerful signal on channel 36 on the 5GHz band.

My router defaults to channel 36. But the signal from next door blocks out my iPhone on the 5GHz Wifi connection. I tried setting another channel manually, channel 48. The router will stay on channel 48 for a day or so, but then I find I have WiFi connection issues on my iPhone, and when I check the router has gone back to channel 36 by its own accord.

I have tried manually setting other channels as well, channel 60, which is totally free in my vicinity, but no, after a day or two its back on channel 36 again. Its driving me nuts!

I have tried setting it in AUTO channel setting, but guess what, its goes back to channel 36 again.

I have even tried another router from Talk Talk, but its the same. 

Can someone help me find a way to force the thing into anything other than channel 36 please?

[KeithFrench]

Like that, your HP printer is only making the 2.4GHz band worse. You do not need HP direct, everything should be able to print via the router. You can disable WiFi Direct via the HP Printer Assistant. I do have some instructions I documented when I had an HP printer, but that was around four years ago & may have significantly changed now. Try Google on that.

Please get me some more stuff from WiFi Scanner when the problem next happens.

[damiansmart]

@KeithFrench 

Keith. Yes the HP deskjet is on my network.

The snapshots were taken with the 5GHz WiFi set on channel 48, so the problem was not manifesting itself at the time.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @damiansmart 

Is the HP Deskjet 3520 yours?

There are no other networks of any strength to cause a problem within your snapshot's 36 - 48 range. Were these taken at a time when the problem with this channel range manifested itself?

[KeithFrench]

Thanks for that @damiansmart , I will try & analyse it over the weekend at some time.

[damiansmart]

@KeithFrench 

ZIP File

[Karl-TalkTalk]

No Problem 🙂

Karl 

[damiansmart]

@Karl-TalkTalk  OK, thank you. I have set it back to Channel 48. Let’s see what happens now. Meanwhile I will work with Keith on making some further progress.

[KeithFrench]

HI @damiansmart 

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.

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.

[damiansmart]

Hi Keith

Thanks. I’d be glad of any assistance you could offer. It seems ridiculous to me that Talk Talk can’t sort this problem with their own equipment.

They are wasting many hours of my time trying to get a fix for a simple problem. Trying to deal with this online through their support team is like walking through treacle.

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

Keith can really help drill down on local Wi-Fi issues you are having, in the mean time, I've just made another change to see if this will keep the channel where it is set.

Karl.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @damiansmart 

I can offer more help, it will involve me collating evidence as to why WiFi Optimisation is not doing what it should. Let me know if you want to go down that route.

[damiansmart]

@Karl-TalkTalk 

Good Morning Karl

I’m having problems with my iPhone again. Just checked and the 5GHz Wifi has gone back to channel 36 again!!

I’m struggling to understand the logic behind the fact that you cannot turn off the optimisation any more.

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

No Problem 🙂

The channel should stick now, if it doesn't let me know.

Karl 

[damiansmart]

Thank you Karl

I will monitor and see what happens.

[KeithFrench]

Assuming that you have either the Sagemcom FAST 5364 or 5464 routers, then WiFi Optimisation enabled (depending on the change just made by @Karl-TalkTalk) this is the default for these routers.

If the change does not work that Karl has made, then I can offer more help.

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

I've made a change here, can you monitor and see if the channel remains on 48 going forward.

Thanks  

Karl. 

[damiansmart]

@Michelle-TalkTalk 

I’m assuming from your reply there is no one in your technical department that can offer any solution to this problem.

So far I have tried to keep my request exactly to the point.

However, this problem has been going on for a number of weeks now. I have spent several hours with on line chat and spoken with many agents about this problem, but so far no one has been able to help.

I asked for the router to be replaced, as I thought there must be a fault with the router itself. As the agent I spoke to could offer no other solution it was agreed that the router would be replaced free of charge. A few days later a new router arrived, but no returns bag was included for returning the old router. I went on line and requested a returns bag for the old router. I waited over a week, but no returns bag arrived.

I installed the new router and immediately set the 5GHz wifi channel to channel 48. All was good for a few days, but then my iPhone was getting blocked by a nearby strong signal on channel 36. I logged in to the router and sure enough it had changed back to channel 36 again.

I logged back into my Talk Talk account again with the intention of raising the problem again with support, but I noticed a charge on my account of £30 plus £9.95 shipping for the new router that was supposed to be free of charge. I brought this up with the agent on line who transferred me to someone in the billing department. I was told there had been a mistake and my account would be credited, so far it has not been credited.

Whilst I was on line I asked again for another returns bag for the old router, over a week later no returns bag arrived.

Yesterday I logged back in to my account to ask why my account had not been credited, and why no returns bag had arrived. I took me over 90 minutes on line, being passed from one agent to another, before I was told once again my account would be credited. I was then passed to another agent who would arrange again for a returns bag to be sent.

This ridiculous saga has now affected my home telephone settings, as my home phone account is now blocked from amending, or changing, any phone services because the return of my old router has not been done, and thats because Talk Talk has failed on two previous occasions to send me a returns bag!!!

My street has recently been fitted with two new fast all fibre network services, Swish Fibre and Gigaclear. I have been getting many offer from both these companies to switch to one of these services. So far I have been inclined to stick with Talk Talk, but now my patience with Talk Talk is nearing the end. So unless someone can fix the channel 36 problem with my router I will very soon be departing.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Good morning,

@KeithFrench - would you be able to offer any advice please?

Thanks

Michelle