Comparing FF150 and FF500

[GerryMac]

Hi All,

It,s coming to that time of the year again to re-new or look for something else that,s on offer. I,m interested in the TT500 as I,m currently on TT150 Data Only. My current set up has two other Eero,s (6) in different rooms, while the main one is in hall, connected to the ONT. Also have a TP Link Extender upstairs on landing.

If I were to get the FF500 would my existing eero,s still give excellent coverage around the home or do I need the up-graded versions of the Eero..ie: Eero 6 Pro.

TIA

Cheers.

[GerryMac]

Hi Keith,

The other day when I connected the new Hub it wasn,t even connecting to TV/ Recorder Box, nor the X-Box upstairs.

Cheers.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @GerryMac 

I have replied to your PM. What is the WiFi specification (Wi-Fi 4, 5 or 6 (802.11n, ac or ax, etc) of the TV & recorder?

[GerryMac]

Hi Keith,

Thanks for the detailed reply.

The basic checks have been done and I,m using Eero,s only, both Client Steering and Local DNS are enabled. All devices bar one are all on 5 GHz.

The PC is achieving the alotted speeds and I would think that Samsung phones, S25/23 would allow for similar speeds. The TV is maybe 5/6 yrs old, the recordable TV box 2/3 yrs and the Firestick the same. All with their respective software up-to-date. The Hub wasn,t even connecting to these devices the other day!

I,ve sent you a pic via PM that is my set-up at present. As for up-stairs and Xboxes etc...well that,s another matter.

Cheers.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @GerryMac 

The Full Fibre 500 or 900 packages often mean that customers do not achieve the speeds they expect (typically around 500 or 900Mbps). Firstly, you do not typically need the fastest speed possible on just one device, but rather enough speed to accomplish your tasks without compromising performance on all devices. As an example:-

1. Up to 15Mbps – basic online activities such as web browsing, emails and watching low-resolution videos.
2. 15-50Mbps – HD video streaming and managing a small number of smart devices in the home.
3. 50-100Mbps – 4K video streaming on one or two devices, online gaming, and supporting a limited number of smart devices in the home.
4. 100Mbps or more – 4K video streaming on multiple devices and supporting a good number of smart devices around the home.

However, I can help you achieve the fastest speeds possible on your devices. This is often not an issue or design of these services, but the connection between their devices and the router. The Wi-Fi network adapters in these devices often cannot deliver speeds as fast as the fibre service can.

Take the example of some older Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) adapters that might work at speeds up to 433Mbps, when used in a perfect wireless environment, which most homes are not. When an internet speed test is performed, the speed achieved is down to the slowest link in the chain, namely the 433Mbps Wi-Fi adapter. Speed tests in this case might achieve somewhere around 400Mbps or less.

Older Ethernet connections can suffer as well. If a device only supports the 10/100Mbps standard, not the normal 1000Mbps (1Gbps) or even the newer 2.5Gbps available on some desktop PCs, they are likely to only record 100Mbps on a speed test.

To get close to the 500/900Mbps on a speed test, that device must either have a minimum of a 1Gbps Ethernet connection or, if wireless, a faster Wi-Fi adapter. This would be a higher specification Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) adapter.

While Wi-Fi 6 is not designed to boost download speeds significantly, the new features will allow more connected devices. That said, faster speeds (up to 2.4Gbps) will be available if the environmental conditions allow the use of a 160MHz channel bandwidth. Even so, at these wireless speeds, signal quality must be near perfect (signal strength with very little Wi-Fi interference).

There are some basic checks that you can do to ensure that your devices have the best chance of achieving these higher speeds:-

1. Check that these devices are connected to the 5GHz Wi-Fi band, not the 2.4GHz band. If you have the eero Pro 6, then as many devices as possible should be using the 5GHz (High) band.
2. Which eero Pro 6 (if applicable) is each device connected to? It should always be the gateway or the closest/fastest extender node. The more extender nodes that you go through to get to the gateway, the slower the speed will always be. In fact, you will probably need to be connected to the gateway to have any chance of these speeds. Additionally, with the eero Pro 6, any device capable of a 2402Mbps link speed must be connected to the 5GHz (High) Wi-Fi band and use a 160MHz channel bandwidth, which is very unlikely to work due to environmental conditions. The 5GHz (Low) band is not as high a specification as the 5GHz (High) one.
3. To aid with step 2 (again for eeros), is "Client Steering" enabled within the eero app, as well as "Local DNS Caching"?
4. Have you checked for Wi-Fi interference, a topic that I can provide a lot of help with?

[GerryMac]

Hi,

Well I have moved from FF150 to FF500. The Go-Live Day came early....ATM I haven,t changed anything with my set-up. I,m using my existing eero,s and a TP-Link Extender( on landing).

My PC is Hard-wired and getting 502.99/71.86, quite impressive. The Wifi, however is a lot lower, infact lower than when I had FF150, except for kitchen area. When my phone is connected to the eero here I,m getting 151/68. While in Living Room, with a different eero I,m getting between 50/68 to 102/65. Even up-stairs it,s the same and similar if I connect device thru the TP-Link extender.

After my experiment two days ago, connecting the new Hub, several devices did not connect ie: main TV and Recorder Box. This is the reason, so far that I,m still using the eeros.

I will connect the new Hub tomorrow morning and monitor. Router will be sited 3/4 feet up on a cabinet in hall( same as before)

If there is no change, I still have a few days left within the Cooling-Off Period to cancel this order-don,t like too but!!!..No real difference.

I,ll post up tomorrow and hope the results are bettered.

TIA.

[nambuso-TT]

No worries, please do let us know how it goes.

[GerryMac]

Hi nambuso,

The new Hub arrived today so I,m gonna connect it up this evening and see what the Wifi range covers. My Go-Live date is the 27th(Monday) so will let you know if that happens.

Regards.

[nambuso-TT]

Thanks for the above information @KeithFrench 

[KeithFrench]

There is nothing stopping you from using your eeros if you prefer them. Personally, I have found that the WiFi Hub 3 has better range than the eeros. However, this depends on levels of Wi-Fi interference & signal strength, making everywhere different.

[GerryMac]

Hi, I rang last Friday and up-dated/graded my package to FF500. Pleased with the outcome and they did have the Chat Transcript from earlier in the month that got me that deal.

So it goes Live on the 27th. of this month. They are sending me the new Wifi Hub but will I still be able to use my current set up with Eero,s? Are they compatible with speeds of 500mB? I believe this new Hub has increased WiFi Range.

Will have a play about when the time comes.

Cheers.

[siphosethu-TT]

You are most welcome, ring them and let me know how it goes. Thanks 

[GerryMac]

Thanks for the added detail. If and when I decide to up grade I,ll let you know but off course I,ll be ringing Loyalty to hopefully get the same deal as on Chat or even better.😃

Cheers.

[siphosethu-TT]

The Wi-Fi hub 3 is more updated and compatible with full fibre packages, you can also get a booster for the setup. Thanks

[KeithFrench]

Hi @GerryMac 

It is impossible to answer any WiFi coverage questions with any degree of accuracy, as so much depends on the airwaves around you.

Personally, I find the Hub 3's (also Wi-Fi 6) coverage much better than the eero 6. Whilst you could use the two together, it is not recommended due to the creation of a double NAT scenario. It is far better to extend the WiFi Hub 3's coverage (if required) via the purchase of the Sagemcom FAST266 Wi-Fi booster, which combines with the Hub 3 to form a Wi-Fi 6 mesh, the same as a pair of eero 6s.

As to why TalkTalk has moved from the eero to the Wi-Fi hub 3 was obviously a commercial decision; the reason has not been disclosed.

[GerryMac]

Hi Keith,

Thanks for the reply. So would the Hub 3 be sufficient in transmitting a better Wifi signal around the house? I take it I coudn,t use the Hub 3 and the 2 existing eero,s. Are TT doing away with these eero,s...2 years ago they were the Greatest thing, allegedly!!

Cheers.

[KeithFrench]

All Full Fibre pages from 150Mbps upwards now come with the new Sagemcom Wi-Fi Hub 3 (Wi-Fi 6), not an eero.