Please check WiFi optimisation is disabled for my Sagemcom Fast 5364 router again

[alanl8]

I need WiFi optimisation to be disabled for my Sagemcom router, as it causes the device to select channels that are congested, resulting in intermittent WiFi connectivity. This was last checked in January 2024 but it looks like it has been enabled again, as over the past two nights, the router is performing automatic channel hopping, as per the following log entries:

24.09.2024 04:32:52 Info WIFI
Channel: (1/6) Channel Hopping initiated/Manually initiated

25.09.2024 03:38:43 Info WIFI
Channel: (60/44) Channel Hopping initiated/Manually initiated

Please can someone check that WiFi optimisation is disabled for my router? (or if it is, please explain why the router is ignoring that and still automatically changing channels)

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @alanl8 

Thanks for your reply.

If you do experience any further issues then please let me know here.

Debbie

[alanl8]

Hi @Debbie-TalkTalk , it's been ok since installing the mesh extender.  The router is now back on channel 36, after it hopped automatically at some point, but the extender is providing a sufficiently strong signal to overcome the interference from neighbouring 5GHz networks on the same channel.  So it definitely works, thanks.  I've not yet spoken to my neighbours to see if it's impacted the quality of their network but I think we can close the issue, as I'm back to a working set-up, albeit by using more power to broadcast more RF, rather than just being able to select a free channel.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @alanl8 

How's the connection been over the weekend?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @alanl8 

Thank you for keeping us updated.

I will check in again with you on Monday to see how the connection has been over the weekend.

[alanl8]

Hi @Debbie-TalkTalk , just to update you that the mesh extender arrived today and it's set up and working.

As I saw it has 2 LAN ports, I've currently connected it to the router via an ethernet cable that already runs upstairs, rather than using the WPS WiFi set-up described in the instructions.  This should theoretically give it the fastest connection possible to the router, rather than using the WiFi for backhaul.  So far so good - I can see it broadcasting on both 2.4 and 5GHz (on different channels to the router) and the WiFi signal is now stronger upstairs than it was.

For whatever reason, the router didn't perform automatic channel reselection last night (i.e. the WiFi optimisation didn't get triggered), so it's currently still broadcasting the 5GHz signal on channel 60, after I manually set it back to that yesterday morning.  I'll do some more experimentation over the weekend, to see how the network performs with a variety of devices (including handover between the access points during a mobile call over WiFi), and I'll also try setting the router 5Ghz channel back to the default of 36 with the full 80Mhz bandwidth, to see how that affects things.

I'll update you with the results.

(of course, by boosting the coverage of my network, it will increase the impact on neighbouring networks, so it's possible in time they might add range extenders/boosters to theirs, to compensate, and I'll potentially be back in the same position again)

[Billx]

Yes he is the original poster, but that doesn't preclude someone from making a very important  comment.

So put that comment back.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

This is alanl8 post/topic not your topic/thread

I have fed back the comments raised to our Devices Team.

[Billx]

This is my topic. Are you banning others from participating, in a very important discussion?

What is wrong with congratulating @alanl8 , and pointing out how right he is on the issue of Router Optimisation?

You don't like the truth?

Bill

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Billx 

Please can you post on your own topic.

Thanks

[Billx]

Hi @Debbie-TalkTalk 

It looks like you've done a bit of censorship.

You should be ashamed.

Bill

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi alanl8

Thank you and apologies again.

I will pass on your feedback to our Devices Team.

[alanl8]

OK, great thanks.  I'll update once I've tested it.

Still disappointing that TalkTalk have chosen to remove a capability that solves this problem properly, when used by customers who know what they're doing, rather than just adding more devices and power, which is clearly less efficient (and not good for anyone's carbon footprint either)

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @alanl8 

Ok no problem.

The WIFI extender is on its way, please allow 48hrs for this to arrive.

Please let us know how you get on.

Thanks

Debbie

[alanl8]

I appreciate the offer of Keith's assistance but I already know how to optimise WiFi settings (having worked in the wireless and telecoms industry myself), hence why I've been careful to manually select and configure channels and bandwidths that work best here, without (so far) the need to use an extender.  The signal strength from the Sagemcom is sufficient to reach throughout the house and to the end of the garden here, without one.  However, the interference from networks in neighbouring houses sharing the same channels (especially at busier times) reduces the achievable data rate and causes interruptions.

As I say, it is worth giving the extender a try but it may not entirely solve the problem if ultimately the signal from next door's 5GHz network is still on the same channel and interferes to the same extent.  It'll just help my network dominate within the property, but at the expense of the quality of theirs.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @alanl8 

We have a Community Star who provides really good advice on improving wireless performance. Would you like me to ask Keith to help first before sending an extender?

[alanl8]

Yes, that would be helpful, thanks.  I can see if that helps.

It does seem a bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut though and will probably result in neighbouring properties experiencing more interference on their networks, with my signal then being stronger.  They'll probably then use extenders, to boost their signal and we're back where we started again, but needlessly wasting more power.

(As I say, happy to try it but a better solution would be to allow me to continue to use channel 60 on my primary router, which avoids the interference problem completely)

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @alanl8 

I can see some WIFI coverage issues. Would you like me to send a WIFI extender to see how the WIFI connection compares?

[alanl8]

Hi Debbie and thank you for getting back to me quickly.  That's extremely disappointing as I need to be able to manually control the WiFi channels.  The 2.4GHz channel is extremely congested here, making it almost unusable on any channel (I can see over 10 neighbouring networks, some badly configured on channels you shouldn't use, e.g. 4) so I need the 5GHz to work.  However, there are neighbouring networks that also cause interference on 5GHz too, so I manually configure it to use channel 60 (with 40MHz channel width).  This works perfectly and has for months, with WiFi optimisation disabled.

Since WiFi optimisation has been re-enabled, the router has reselected lower 5GHz channels, e.g. 40, which suffers interference from neighbouring networks again, resulting in interrupted data, ping timeouts, etc.

Please can you offer a solution, as if WiFi optimisation cannot be disabled again, I will have to have to look elsewhere for another router, on which I can manually set the channels (or potentially another provider).

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @alanl8 

Apologies, we are no longer able to switch off WIFI optimisation, this was a business decision.

Is this affecting certain devices (with coverage issues)