Wifi Drops out

[Donna2569]

Since installation of our Eero 6 we have had intermittent problems with the wifi dropping out (especially in our Lounge and upstairs) was thinking of getting an extender to help with this but before I purchase one I understand that this may not solve the issue Message for KeithFrench 

We run health  checks and it is always Ok and the wifi comes back on but it gets annoying and not sure whats causing the buffering and drop outs!

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks

Donna

[KeithFrench]

Hi @Donna2569 

It wouldn't have been TalkTalk that did the installation, it would have been Openreach, CityFibre or some other fibre installer. Certainly, Openreach uses sub-contractors some of the time.

Yes, download the analyser of your choice and follow my guide on how to use it. If you can, perhaps get two sets of screenshots or snapshots, one where the signal is OK & one where it is bad.

[Donna2569]

Thanks Keith much appreciated and yes very annoying as Talk Talk installed it (or a subcontractor) so a bit disappointing that they don't bear your recommendations in mind when putting them in.  Unfortunately, it cant really be moved easily and certainly not to the lounge  without lots and lots of trunking!  As mentioned the only thing in the way is concrete walls and double glazed windows but possibly other devices are a problem?  I assume I need to download the wifi scanner (Or Netspot free in my case) to a home desktop (Apple Mac) that is connected to the wifi and then follow your guide?  In the meantime, I will look at the possibility of moving the eero to a higher location but within the same room to see if this might help 🙂

[KeithFrench]

Hi @Donna2569 

Thanks for that. I disagree with whoever installed the eero, that it would be fine near a TV. It needs to be moved, but this is not as daunting as it might sound. There is just an Ethernet cable connecting the eero to the ONT, which I assume is nearby. Is there somewhere else in the lounge that it could be moved to? If there is, then buy a new Cat 6 minimum Ethernet cable (loads on Amazon) and you can also get self-adhesive white plastic trunking to hide it in. The general rule for the new location is do not keep the eero in a cupboard, but out in the open and sited as high & centrally within the property. Keep them 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%.

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.

[Donna2569]

Thanks Keith your response is much appreciated and if you could send us the guide that might be useful 🙂

In the meantime, the eero is located downstairs on top of a TV cabinet (so yes its near a TV) which we did mention to the guy when he installed it but he said it would be fine.  It doesnt have to pass through any large metal objects or water just concrete and stud walls.  To be honest though prior to the eero we always had problems with Talk Talk broadband with the TV in the lounge buffering.  Its not as bad now with eero but still does it and its still annoying.  This TV does use the 2.4Ghz band and intermittently buffers when streaming (Netflix, Fire Stick etc) .  However, we do also have similar problems in the kitchen and bedrooms upstairs which all use the 5Ghz band.  Thought a booster may help but not sure as it can be fine for days and then just drop out and as soon as you go on the app and run a health check it connects again and says wifi is all connected?   

[KeithFrench]

Hi @Donna2569 

Thanks for creating your thread.

Please can you roughly describe where the eero is within your property & what is around it, in respect of other electrical equipment? Is it likely that to reach the dead zones, the WiFi signal would have to pass through any large metal objects or tanks of water etc?

.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.

However, other factors should be investigated first. When this happens, what is the status displayed in the app for the internet connection? Do you have any wired connections & if so, how do they perform?

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.

Whilst the eero is supposed to manage Wi-Fi interference, if this is very bad, particularly in the 2.4GHz band, then it cannot do anything about it, no router can. The same goes for any router at that point. 

[Donna2569]

Yes the eero 6  version 6.49.1 which we thought would put an end to any dead zones and buffering but sadly it hasnt 😞

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Donna

I'm sorry to hear this. Have you got the one eero?

Could you help please @KeithFrench 

KeithFrench is one of our valued Community Stars and can help with a range of issues related to wireless and networking. At times he may ask you to send him test results via a Private Message to help analyse/diagnose an issue.  Although Keith does not work for TalkTalk, he very kindly shares his time and knowledge to help with others.  If you need further help or, if we need to take any details such as personal information about your account like phone numbers, account numbers etc.  one of the TalkTalk team will jump in and help out.