Wifi connection constantly dropping

[mcmatt]

Hi,

Last week there was a lightning storm that seemed to affect the internet we (and all others in the local area) were receiving, and an engineer turned up at the local junction/exchange box shortly after. This seemed to sort the internet connection, with the light on the front of the router now a solid white, and remaining so ever since. 

Ever since then, our wifi seems to keep dropping, affecting all devices around the house. I have performed a router reset, and powered down all devices, reconnecting etc. What seems to happen is the connection remains stable for a time, then it is impossible to remain connected for any length of time beyond a few minutes, at best. Early in the morning it is impossible to connect whatsoever. 

Our router is a Sagemcom-FAST5464. I am unable to perform a connection test as there was an issue a few months back and the case remains open with the 'engineer is on the way to the exchange', which was last updated on 01/06/2024.

Is anyone able to provide any advice at all? Any and all would be massively appreciated.

Many thanks in advance, 

Matt

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Matt @mcmatt 

That's great news, thanks for letting us know 🙂

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

Thanks again.

Debbie

[mcmatt]

Hi Debbie, 

Yes it arrived yesterday so, after work I was able to set it up and see if it made any difference. 

I can tell you that the difference is huge, in that everything connected up no issue, there have been no drops thus far, and in the mornings where it was previously impossible to connect, there have been no problems at all. 

Honestly, I can't thank you guys enough for helping out. I shall pop the old router in the returns bag and ship it back to you asap.

Matt

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @mcmatt 

Have you received the router?

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

No problem. We'll check back in with you in 48hrs to see how you're getting on 🙂

Thanks

Michelle

[mcmatt]

That's great, thanks so much Debbie!😃

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Thanks @KeithFrench 

Hi @mcmatt 

I've ordered a replacement router, please allow 24-48hrs for this to arrive.

Let us know how you get on.

Thanks

Debbie

[KeithFrench]

No worries, always glad to try & help.

[mcmatt]

Keith, what an absolute legend you've been. 

A good few years ago we had a few connection problems, though not as bad as it is now, and we made sure that we got the router in a decent enough position that it should receive little interference from outside influences and walls etc. I will admit it's not a million miles away from a cordless phone but there have been times when I've had that turned off to see if it made a difference (to no avail).

I actually spent a bit of time right next to the router earlier with my phone and found that it absolutely would not connect, despite being a mere 2 metres or so away and in direct line of sight. 

I feel it may be worthy then of seeing if a replacement router may be the answer. Either way, thanks so much for your help pal, it is greatly appreciated.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @mcmatt 

Thanks for those screenshots, they are easy to read. The problem is one of very poor signal strength, which could be a faulty router (which I have asked to be replaced anyway). If this does not improve with the new router, there is more that I can do to help you.

However, for the moment, let's see if the router's location is making things worse. These are the best locations for a router, extender mesh nodes and your devices, but obviously, this is not always practical & a compromise has to be reached.

The general rule is do not keep it in a cupboard, but out in the open and to keep it away from:-

1. Cordless phone (DECT) base stations
2. TVs
3. Loudspeakers & any sub-woofers (including those used with a PC)
4. Computer monitors
5. Electrical appliances – they often transmit their own signals that can interfere with Wi-Fi signals.
6. Bluetooth devices – they operate on the same Wi-Fi frequency as your broadband, which can cause signal problems.
7. Mirrors – they actually reflect Wi-Fi signals, stopping them from passing through walls and reflecting them back into the room.
8. Anything containing large amounts of water – things like fish tanks and boilers can absorb Wi-Fi signals like a sponge.
9. Large metal objects – radiators, for instance, will have the same effect on your Wi-Fi as mirrors. If you have a tower PC case with an internal WiFi card, the metal of the case can block signals to & from the antennae if they are located behind the tower case.
10. Glass - different types of glass can cause problems for Wi-Fi signals to pass through:-

a) Thick window glass or glazing can block Wi-Fi signals.
b) Low-emissivity (Low-E) windows have a metallic film that can reflect and block Wi-Fi signals more than clear glass.
c) Tinted glass often has a metallic film that can interfere with radio signals.
d) K glass double glazing has a metal vapour coating that can reduce Wi-Fi signal strength by 30-50%.

If you are using a USB Wi-Fi adapter, use a USB socket on the front of the PC, as there is more open space around it than at the rear. If a USB extension cable is used, try to ensure that it is fairly short, so that the power from the computer is not attenuated. Long extension cables can cause the adapter to not have enough power from the computer to work correctly.

Where USB or PCIe-connected WiFi adapters are concerned, power management is best disabled if running in Windows to keep a reliable Wi-Fi connection working at full speed. Once you have made the changes outlined below, it is probably best to restart the PC.

Windows Power Management issues. To check this in Windows 10 or 11, open Device Manager and expand Network adapters. Then right-click your WiFi card & select Properties. Next, click on the Power Management tab and untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. If the adapter is connected via USB, then expand the USB section in Device Manager and the same option can be found in the Power Management tab in most Root Hubs and USB Controllers. Untick it in there as well.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @mcmatt 

Do not worry about interpreting the results, I will do that for you. I will send a PM to you that contains a link for a guide of mine on Wi-Fi interference. It is quite long (about 30 pages), but you will probably only need to look at three or four pages in total. Initially look at the section called "Are you suffering from interference – prove it first". This is the first link in the table of contents. This section includes full details of free 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. Select the analyser of your choice & my guide explains how to use it.

If you are using Wi-Fi Scanner, then please attach the zip file to this thread. As soon as I have downloaded it, I will remove the attachment from your post, to preserve your privacy.

With all other analysers, please follow my instructions below.

Collect the screenshots that I require and include them in your reply.

Please post the screenshots to me in a PM (to protect your privacy), which I have requested in my guide. No photos please as they can be difficult to read, because the text can get out of focus when zoomed in. 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.

[mcmatt]

That's great, thanks very much! 

By all means, if there's anything that you believe may remedy the issue in the meantime, let me know and I'll try and sort you out with whatever you need to take a look.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @mcmatt 

I will ask @Debbie-TalkTalk to replace the router first, it will be about 48 hrs from tomorrow before you get it. However, if you want to go ahead with my help in the meantime:-

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.

[mcmatt]

Ah cheers, Keith. I'm not sure at all, to be honest. @Debbie-TalkTalk from what I have mentioned about our issues thus far, do you think this would warrant me changing the router, or would it be best to try other avenues first?

As ever, thanks for your help Keith!

[KeithFrench]

No problem at all. However, in light of the fact that it all started with a lightning storm, would you rather the router be changed out first? The choice is yours.

[mcmatt]

Hi all, 

Sadly, and perhaps somewhat predictably, there has been little improvement in our WiFi signal/dropping since I last posted. 

Keith, if you happen to come across this post, could I please take you up on your offer of assistance? 

I must confess, I'm really not sure what the source of the issue could be as it's really unstable, and completely unavailable during the early hours of the morning.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Morning @mcmatt 

Please let us know if you do experience any further issues with the connection.

Thanks for your help @KeithFrench 

[KeithFrench]

No problem, just let me know.

[mcmatt]

Hi Keith, 

thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I would say the storm definitely had something to do with this one way or another, as we had pretty decent internet connectivity for a good few years, with only a small issue that warranted a visit from the Openreach engineer. 

I do know that a lot of people in the area I live in have had the initial issue of no internet also just after the storm, as I mentioned. With this in mind I have switched the channel on the router as it was sitting on channel 1 on the 2.4GHz band. Thus far, it seems to be a little more stable, though I have had a few blips where the WiFi has booted me off. Our phones would flat out refuse to connect before but now seem to be happier connecting. I remain to be convinced that this has fixed the problem but for now I'll monitor. 

If problems do persist, then I will take you up on your offer, if I may. 
Thanks again.

[KeithFrench]

Assuming that the router wasn't damaged by the lightning, the most likely cause is WiFi interference. 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.