Wifi problems?

[ColinJ]

Since I got ill this summer, I have been using my laptop and Galaxy Tab to go online. (It was too uncomfortable to sit at my desk to use my desktop PC for more than a few minutes.)

My internet connection appeared to be getting less and less reliable. Page loads were freezing or even stalling altogether. I had been used to a solid 15 Mb connection but this was starting to feel like going back to the bad old pre-broadband days.

I was going to get in touch with TalkTalk to discuss the problem, but then it occurred to me that it might be a wifi problem rather than a TalkTalk one. I checked it by going upstairs and using my desktop PC for a few minutes. It was totally reliable! The desktop uses an ethernet link to the router but the Tab and laptop connect via wifi.

So, last night I found this Android app which monitors wifi links. It showed me that I am picking up about 10 wifi signals from surrounding buildings. Most of those signals were very weak, but I discovered that 2 of them are much closer in strength to my own, and more importantly - they were both using the same wifi channel as me! I reckon that those signals are probably coming from my immediate neighbours.

I just went into my router setup and changed it to a 'quieter' channel and BINGO - I have my fast, reliable wifi link back!

So, if you are an Android user with wifi problems, check out that app. I'm sure that you could find similar software for other platforms too.

 

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 2175142, member: 259"]That's a nice looking app Colin. I've been using WiEye, but it's a bit basic. Downoading it now [/quote]
In case it wasn't obvious to non-techies ... the problem with sharing a wifi channel with other signals of similar strength is that they effectively 'jam' each other! My router has 13 channels to choose from and by pure chance, I just happened to be sharing channel 11 with my neighbours.

 

[Enw.nigel]

In case it wasn't obvious to non-techies ... the problem with sharing a wifi channel with other signals of similar strength is that they effectively 'jam' each other! My router has 13 channels to choose from and by pure chance, I just happened to be sharing channel 11 with my neighbours.

Interesting. I just downloaded the app. and checked my daughter's bedroom where she is always complaining about her internet connection and discovered that there are two other wi-fi signals on her channel. However it is only this room that suffers from this multiple channel reception.

 

[ushills]

Can anyone actually use channels 12 or 13, most of my devices cannot connect on these channels and lose connection.

 

[musa]

is there a similiar app for the iPhone? Im in my router settings so I dont know if I just pick and hope for the best

 

[MrJamie]

Wifi Analyser is great, its good for doing a site survey of your home to find out which channels are free where you need them to be, its also good for finding a good free wifi signal in pubs/cafes etc Also on the WiFi front, "Wifi Manager" app has a pretty good widget for one of your homescreens to quickly select wifi network.

The channels really are getting overloaded with all the people having wifi routers, if i stand in my street I can pick up 14 different networks and then you get those people who insist on using dual channel wifi that hogs most of the spectrum

 

[Stonepark]

I use wifi analyser and wifi manager, both as good as each other, depends whether you like graphs or text

 

[ColinJ]

Can anyone actually use channels 12 or 13, most of my devices cannot connect on these channels and lose connection.

I've switched to 13 and it is working fine for me. I am picking up 9 stray signals which are on channels 1, 6, 7 & 11.

 

[marinyork]

For this reason about overcrowding if your router supports it it may be a good idea if you use 5GHz. The downside being that although it's free to do whatever you want and happily pump out undisturbed, it may give you problems penetrating things like walls and other objects.

 

[defy-one]

Channel 11 is the default one selected by netgear,thompson,sky and talktalk ..... No idea why!!!!

 

[musa]

On vm it was channel 6 for me. I've now changed it but have no means of testing. Options there please?

I did see the option to change to 5Ghz but there's The small print so to say. Worth using that?

 

[marinyork]

I did see the option to change to 5Ghz but there's The small print so to say. Worth using that?

A lot of people with superhub problems find it better. I run mine on 5GHz but also have bridge mode running. 2.4 GHz on mine is insanely unstable. 2.4GHz from the other router in bridge mode gives roughly 19.5Mbs/1.12Mbs which is almost bang on advertised speed. 2.4GHz on the superhub whichever channels I use it varies from about 0.5Mbs- 15Mbs, not so much the speed but the instability. 5GHz is in the middle between the two with more stability (most important thing) than superhub 2.4GHz.

There are downsides to it though, if you like running mobile phones, consoles and all kinds of devices on your wi-fi all the time it's fairly unlikely all of them will support (the ones we're talking about here of) 5GHz.

The other big downside is the propagation. If you're hoping that your neighbour or someone across the road or hoping to use 5GHz at the bottom of your garden. No chance. However for a typical small property 5GHz should work fine. But it's really a case of experimenting with the channels and settings as ColinJ says.

Not even a problem with just wifi, some people migrate to 5GHz for other things like bluetooth problems - it's just that's much less common a problem.

 

[musa]

Connectivity with 5GHz is really bad, I couldn't pick it up on my phone yet alone alone

Ill revert it back to 2.4GHz and experiment with the channels

 

[musa]

Having connected by ethernet cable, found it was on channel 44

 

[marinyork]

Set it manually.

You could try 36+40. That might work better. Some people have experienced problems with 48+40 on the superhub (if you think about why it makes sense).