Hello All,
I have been with Talktalk Broadband (Fast Fibre 65)/Phone for years and generally happy with the value they offer. This post is not about complaning nor promoting talktalk service.
It is about how to solve if the WIFI keeps dropping or 'No internet' on WIFI
I had these issues with both 'TalkTalk WiFi Hub Sagemcom FAST 5364 ' and their old modem/router. After numerous complaint, Talktalk kept me sending new routers, but to no avail.
Things got worse when we started working from home and it was unacceptable that the WIFI kept dropping causing great inconvienence.
INTENTION:
My main intention is to help others who are facing the same issue as me and a solution that worked a miracle for me!
CAUSE:
I have been adding many smart devices (wifi Cameras, smart plugs, Google Home Hub, Youtube, Netflix etc) and the device count increased to over 20!. The Talktalk router simply could not handle the load on its WIFI channel and we kept losing internet intermittently about 7 - 8 times a day. The only solution was to wait for few mins or to restart the Talktalk router manually (or via the router web admin). This was annoying and calls to Talktalk did not help.
RESOLUTION:
What i noticed was the Laptop that was connected via ethernet to the Talktalk router was fine and was not losing the internet when the WIFI signal got dropped or Wifi had no internet. After researching on net, I came to conclution that i need to buy a decent router that can handle the modern day wifi load and give me a good control over wifi management (security, parental control etc).
So I bought:
1. BT Openreach Huawei VDSL / FTTC Fibre Modem
See pic - This acts as a pure modem where my phone line is connected to. The output of this modem is connected to the new Router. This modem costed me around £20, you can get a cheap one on ebay for £10 may be.
2. ASUS RT-AX82U 5400 Dual Band, Wi-Fi 6 Router
A very good router, app controlled, great monitoring capabilities (esp if you have children), that can cater for many WIFI devices connected at the same time. This is WIFI 6 router and a lot of new devices/laptops/mobile phone can use this band, leaving the 2.4ghz for other devices.
I am sure there are other Routers that can do the JOB at much cheaper price (<£100). But It is one off investment and well worth it.
The setup/config was piece of cake for me - simple plug and play both these devices and I was done!
It has been 3 months now and I never had any WIFI dropping issue and I am so pleased that I invested in these two devices. This saved me the stress of having to call Talktalk/restart the Talktalk router etc.
CONCLUSION (at least in my case):
The talktalk Broadband service (EN5, London area) is not bad, the equipments they supply are not designed for today's needs.
You may simply solve this issue by buying proper Router to handle the load and give you a piece of mind!
This is the modem i bought a refurbished off MyMemory.co.uk website
