Please turn off Wifi Optimisation & 5GHz issue

[Tim5230]

1) Please can you turn off WiFi optimisaton on my router  

I have a 5364 as the main router and another 5364 wired as an access point to extend the network 

Neighbour has bought a TP-Link DECO mesh network which has no manual override on channel selection. It's broadcasting on channel 8, and my SAGEMCOM 5364 keeps switching back to channel 6 making the 2.4GHz band unusable for me.  

Please can you turn off WIFI optimisation. Presume that optimisation only impacts the main router, or does it also affect the second router access point?

2) Bug in the router firmware 5GHz?  

When trying to manually move the 5GHz channel, I came across the second hidden SSID that the 5364 router is sending out. (attached post below refers). The problem is that the hidden SSID moves instantly to the new channel but the main 5GHz channel is no longer broadcast, even after waiting for the channel scan. I have to power off the router to re-establish the channel and SSID.

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Broadband/My-Sagemcom-FAST-5364-Router-seems-to-be-broadcasting-...

Incidentally, the hidden SSID is still there even when the 5GHz channel is disabled. Presume this was part of the 174  firmware. (My second access point router is running firmware 136, it does not broadcast the hidden SSID and doesn't have the guest network functionality) 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

I'm glad to hear this and please let us know if you need any further assistance 🙂

Thanks

[Tim5230]

Hi Debbie,

WiFi optimisation has worked fine - thanks

Both routers fixed to channels 1 & 11

Even better, after showing him the WiFi analyser output, my neighbour has returned his tp-link DECO mesh system and gone with the Virgin Pod solution. This has chosen channel 6 so no more interference from the TP-links auto channel selection. 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Tim5230

Just checking in to see if everything has been working ok since the WIFI optimisation was switched off?

Thanks

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Tim5230

Ahh no problem 🙂

I have sent you a Private Message with a link to a short survey for the Community.

Thanks again.

Debbie

[Tim5230]

Thanks Debbie, great service!

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Tim5230

Thank you 🙂 I've switched the WIFI optimisation off on this router too.

We have fed back to our Devices Team about having the option for customers to switch WIFI optimisation on/off. We haven't received any further information on this request as yet sorry.

Thanks again.

[Tim5230]

Hi Michelle,

I've reconfigured the second router back as the main router and am running on that now.

Please can you turn optimisation off on this one.

Thanks for your help

PS Just a question, why is optimisation delivered centrally? why not give users the ability to turn it off? It wasn't working on my router by choosing a channel that was so congested my WiFi collapsed 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Tim5230

I've switched the WIFI optimisation off.

If you connect the 2nd router to the line (on it's own) then I can switch the WIFI optimisation off on this router too.

Thanks

[Tim5230]

Hi Michelle,

Yes, please would you turn off optimisation on my main router.

Can I ask what happens with my second 5364 router wired as an access point? Will that also try and optimise it's WiFi channel selection? And, if so, how do I manually fix those channels as well?

Thanks 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Would you still like us to switch off the Wifi optimisation?

Thanks

[KeithFrench]

It is a problem when other APs do not conform with the recommendations, especially, if the channels are hard coded. Mesh systems do vary a lot in what you can configure, as well as price. The Sagemcom Mesh is much better in this case. However, if both of your 5364s serve you well, that is great.

[Tim5230]

Hi Keith,

Thank you for the comprehensive reply, greatly appreciated.

1) The firmware bug you mention explains my 5GHz problem. 

2) I'm happy with the second 5364 router acting as a wired access point so don't need the 266 booster. Does seem strange that the router transmits this hidden SSID when there is no booster connected but I guess it makes it easier implementation easier.  

3) Thanks for the guidance on only using channels 1,6 & 11 on the 2.4GHz band. The problem is with the Tp Link DECO mesh that my neighbour has bought. Had a look at it and there is no user the ability to manually change the channel. Looking on their community board, users have been complaining about this for years with no response. Have also got another neighbour using an ORBI mesh network on channel 3. They should have your guidance on 1,6 & 11 hard coded. 

https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/218246

[KeithFrench · Accepted solution]

Ignoring the Wi-Fi optimisation for the moment, let me explain the other issues that you raise.

The hidden 5Ghz network that the router is sending out, is the backhaul network used when it is working as a mesh with the new Sagemcom FAST266 WiFi Booster. In this case both the initial 5364 connected to the broadband & the 266 form a mesh network with each other and work very well together. Both the backhaul & the normal 5GHz SSID always use the same channel as each other, even when WiFi optimisation is disabled. I have found from extensive testing that this works even better when WiFi Optimisation is enabled (shock horror, as I was the first customer to get this facility disabled & prior to having the mesh, have always kept it disabled). If you should be interested in this mesh setup with your 5364, the 266 WiFi Booster is available to purchase from the TalkTalk Loyalty dept. 

If you have disabled either or both the 2.4 & 5GHz WiFi bands there is a bug from firmware V158, which is still there in V174. In this case, when these bands are re-enabled, they do not work correctly and the router must have a factory reset of its configuration carried out.

It is strange that your neighbour's mesh uses channel 8, as this is an overlapping channel & will interfere with other networks. The recommendation is to only use channels 1, 6 & 11 in the 2.4GHz, but as you have found out, channel 8 interferes with channel 6 and this is assuming it is only using a 20MHz channel bandwidth, if it should use 40MHz this will really increase the interference.

Don't take my word for it, see these articles:-

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

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