Wifi Performance Degrading

[JustinH]

Originally Posted By: DeafBrad
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Have you added any new electronic devices in the home, including a new microwave oven? Have there been any changes to the local utilities such as new wire runs, additional cell towers, weather monitoring equipment, etc? If you current router operates only on the 2.4GHz band it might pay to get one that operates on the 5GHz band as well, assuming your devices operate on that band as well.


Hi, thanks for your suggestions. There is nothing new in the house. The set up I have now has both 2.4ghz and 5ghz. There is a Roku box on the 5ghz band. All the computers and tablets and laptops run on the 2.4ghz band. I am not sure if I am able to switch everything to the 5ghz band as that signal does not even show up on my laptop.


If you can't see the 5ghz network on the laptop, it means the wifi card in the laptop does not support the 5ghz band.

Most low end home laptops are not dual band, and most lower end android tablets are not dual band either.

All newer apple ipads are dual band, same with samsung tablets. The lower end roku is 2.4ghz only, but the new roku premier is 5ghz.

If you can see the 5ghz network, then use it by all means over the 2.4ghz.

 

[DeafBrad]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Did you read the reviews on the N600 over on Amazon? Try the suggestion mentioned in the review, go to QoS settings. Uncheck Enable WMM (Wi-Fi multimedia) settings and apply.

As for not getting a combo, the only real disadvantage to that is that if one part dies, you have get rid of the whole thing. But electronics are pretty reliable these days so it's a toss up.


Good idea about checking the Amazon reviews.

 

[dishdude]

I have one of these, it's simple, fast and just works. OVERKILL posted a link to check if your router left ports open and your network vulnerable, and it passed. Settings and customization are limited, and it only has one hard wired ethernet connection so you'll need a switch if you have multiple items to plug in. But if you just want a simple router that works, this is it.

https://madeby.google.com/wifi/

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
I'm also a big fan of OpenDNS by the way. Was pretty impressed that Cisco bought them.


I have been using OpenDNS for quite a few years now. I agree.

 

[Jetronic]

Could it be the modem/router has attracted some dust inside and is dialing back the transmit power because it's getting hot? That explains why a new device works for a few months.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: DeafBrad
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
As others have suggested, reboot it and see if it comes back. Post back with the results.

I generally run higher end gear in my house so reboots and the like are a non-issue. However, having extensive experience with consumer-grade stuff, a lot of what has been mentioned may apply.


Hi, thanks for your suggestions. My modem/router gets rebooted maybe 1 time a week or once every few weeks. I would say it helps a little, but I have not gotten back the full signal strength.


Have you tried changing the channel the WiFi is on to see if it has an effect? You can play around with that just to see if it makes a difference. Most good devices will do a traffic scan and put themselves on whatever the least congested channel is, but that is often not the case for consumer gear.

 

[funflyer]

Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Could it be the modem/router has attracted some dust inside and is dialing back the transmit power because it's getting hot? That explains why a new device works for a few months.



This is the issue my Arris 6580 was having, only it wasn't caused by dust, it was just getting too hot. Problems with the wifi started about three months after I bought it. Signal would drop to a snail's pace or it would just drop altogether. I tried all the tips and tricks from the reviewers and they helped a little but the answer was to add a cooling fan to the heatsink.

 

[mk378]

You could connect a computer with a wired connection and run a speedtest to be sure the DSL side is OK.

And you definitely need to run a scan (Wifi Analyzer as previously noted is excellent) to find out where the neighbors are operating and change your channel to avoid them as much as possible.

Overheating is a problem with most cable and some DSL modems. Use the modem in the position (horizontal or vertical) recommended by the manufacturer. Do not stack anything on or near it that would obstruct the airflow.