Awful Wi-Fi performance Hub 3

[Casey77]

I migrated to Virginmedia from Plusnet last week.

I’m finding Wi-Fi performance from my hub 3 to be very poor and erratic. One minute I can see 200 Mb and then nothing. Wi-Fi devices show strong signal strength even when there is no data flow. Is this the sign of a fault or is this awful performance to be expected from this router?

Note: Ethernet and very near the router Wi-Fi seems ok. Also a Wi-Fi access point (airport express) connected directly to the router works fine. I have ordered a pod which I hope will improve things (delivery promised yesterday but nothing).

As an aside the hub3 user interface is the slowest I have seen on any router in all the years I have been using broadband, again is this normal?

[Alicia69]

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@Casey77 wrote: HISD Connect

I migrated to Virginmedia from Plusnet last week.

I’m finding Wi-Fi performance from my hub 3 to be very poor and erratic. One minute I can see 200 Mb and then nothing. Wi-Fi devices show strong signal strength even when there is no data flow. Is this the sign of a fault or is this awful performance to be expected from this router?

Note: Ethernet and very near the router Wi-Fi seems ok. Also a Wi-Fi access point (airport express) connected directly to the router works fine. I have ordered a pod which I hope will improve things (delivery promised yesterday but nothing).

As an aside the hub3 user interface is the slowest I have seen on any router in all the years I have been using broadband, again is this normal?

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I appreciate the information and advice you have shared. I will try to figure it out for more.

[Robert_P]

Hello Casey77

Sorry to hear of the broadband issues experienced and the impact on your wireless network, we appreciate you taking the time to raise this via the forums and welcome to the community.

How are the speeds over a wired test via a laptop or PC? We have these tips available to help with broadband issues:

• Service status page - virg.in/service
• Wi-Fi hints and tips - https://virg.in/wifisos
• Wi-Fi troubleshooting - https://virg.in/wifinotworking
• Slow speeds - https://virg.in/SpeedUp
• Speed test - virg.in/speedtest

When running a speed test we would always recommend running this via a wired connection This can be completed using an ethernet cable via a PC or laptop and will allow us to see the speeds available at the Hub.

We do have the Connect App https://virg.in/connectapp that will allow you to scan your property to optimise the wireless network and if needed order pod's. Depending on your package these may be free but any package is eligible for these if needed.

Rob

[Casey77]

Hi Rob, 

Thanks for the reply. Sadly though, I don’t think you actually read my post. 

I have no broadband issues as indicated by good Ethernet performance via the router and therefore there is no impact on my wireless due to the broadband connection as indicated by a 3rd party access point working well. 

My issue is or rather was, awful Wi-Fi performance using the routers inbuilt Wi-Fi at any distance from the router. This drop-off and performance was sudden and somewhat random and my wireless devices indicated a good signal but saw no Internet connection. My question was, is this normal for a hub 3. And I think the answer is yes.

I also asked if the painfully slow web interface to the router was normal. And I think the answer to that is also yes, unless you know different.

regards,

p.s. The Wi-Fi coverage and random behaviour seems to have been remedied by a booster plug 

[Megan_L]

Hi Casey77,

Thanks for coming back to us about this, I am glad the slow WIFI speeds have now been resolved with our handy WIFI pods. 

Although we can't promise a flawless WIFI service 24/7, our Hub 3's are reliable for the most part - there are always going to be instances of faults which is to be expected with any company. In this situation it seems the Hub is doing it's job correctly, it just needed the Pod to complement it's signal to spread the WIFI more evenly around your home due to what could be a multitude of obstacles and objects that were disrupting the WIFI signal. 

I hope this helps answer your question you put towards Rob 🙂

Thanks,

Megan_L  

[Casey77]

Megan_L,

> I am glad the slow WIFI speeds have now been resolved with our handy WIFI pods. 

I did not say I was experiencing slow Wi-Fi, it really is disappointing that another Forum team member hasn't read what I have said.

> Although we can't promise a flawless WIFI service 24/7 ...

Really, why not? - my previous Wi-Fi setup worked flawlessly for many years. Wi-Fi is not broadband, why should it fail unless the router dies? 

Anyhow - a forum is about disseminating information and discussion, so let me make some statements based on my experience of the Hub3.0.

1 - Hub 3 Wi-Fi can offer good data rates at a fairly short distance. Beyond this (at least to the Apple devices I used) the failure mode is sudden and complete - there really is no middle ground. Signal appears strong (full bars) but internet connection is lost. Other Wi-Fi routers/access points I have used do not behave like this.

2 - Hub 3 user interface is painfully slow taking 15-30 seconds to move between pages, similarly making changes through this interface is very slow.

I appreciate that this is a cheap router but it doesn't compare well with my previous suppliers hardware. 

[Kain_W]

Thanks for the responses there, 

I can appreciate the frustration with this. 

It appears you're experiencing issues from a distance of the Hub, can I ask how far would you say roughly before it loses signal strength?

With the nature of Wi-Fi the speed can fluctuate from as you said 200mb to lower speeds especially from range. 

Whereabouts it the Hub placed also?

Let us know,

[Casey77]

Kain,

> It appears you're experiencing issues from a distance of the Hub, can I ask how far would you say roughly before it loses signal strength?

If you please actually read my original post you will see that there is no apparent loss of signal strength - "Wi-Fi devices show strong signal strength even when there is no data flow.".

If you are asking, when do I lose connection to the internet then the answer is random or "erratic" as I posted. The same position in the house can see 200Mb one minute and then no internet connection the next. There is no problem with the actual broadband connection as both local WiFi/Ethernet and a second access point connected to the router work fine. 

If you are asking at what distance from the router does the erratic behaviour start then I would say approximately 6 metres....

You know what - I will write below the email that you, Robert_P or Megan L should have written (of course I don't actually know the answers but surely you do) ...

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Hi Casey77

I am sorry you are experiencing issues with your routers Wi-Fi performance.  I can see you have proven the broadband connection is good and that the Wi-Fi works well when near the router. Also, I can see that you have identified that an access point works reliably indicating no problem with congested Wi-Fi traffic.

The range of the Hub3 Wi-Fi to mobile devices may not be sufficient for some installations and I recommend you add a Wi-Fi Booster plug to your Virgin-Media installation. These can be ordered from .... 

The Hub 3 web interface can be a little slow but this is not an indication of a problem.

Kind regards,

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I hope this helps.

Regards, 

Casey

P.S. please don't respond to this unless you are actually going to offer something useful.

[Kath_F]

Hi Casey77, 

Thanks for coming back to us again on this one. I'm sorry if you feel your post hasn't been dealt with correctly. 

To put your mind at ease, I've gone directly back to your first post and will base my reply from there and include any information you've since added. 

It's great that you've already been able to establish that the connection is perfectly fine when checking on a device that is running via an ethernet cable. 

I've ran through diagnostics on your Hub this end and can see that your downstream and upstream power levels are all optimal. This is the same for the signal levels and there are no signs of any area fault either. 

Based on this, the only thing that can be affecting you is WiFi interference or any third party equipment you're using. As you've already mentioned the connection is also good when using the access point, lets assume the issue is interference. 

I know you've already confirmed that the addition of a WiFi pod has already resolved the issues you were having but for future, if you notice these issues happening again, or even other behaviour, then at least you're armed with the self care links ready. 

There are so many things that can influence a WiFi connection some of which include but are not limited to, a fish tank being in the same room, walls being built with concrete instead of brick, it could even be that your next door neighbours router is interfering with yours. Due to this, we are only able to offer limited help. Please have a look here: WiFi Help

The Hub's location could also cause the problem so we do need to check the positioning of it. Can you please ensure the following: 

• Out in the open
• Next to the TV not behind it
• Away from large bodies of water (e.g. fish tanks)
• Away from baby monitors and cordless phones

Think of the Hub as a radio, and WiFi as the sound - the further away you are from the radio, or the more obstacles that are in the way (walls, electronic devices etc.), the quieter the radio & the poorer the WiFi connection as a whole. 

If that doesn't help, you can download our Connect App which will allow you to scan areas of your home and will offer help. You can view more information on that here. 

Finally, you can view more about our new WiFi Max service here. Even though you already have 1 pod, you can add up to 2 more. If you're having trouble then this link will help and it will suggest if a second or third is needed. 

I hope you'll find this post more informative and tailored to your posts but if not, or you have any other concerns just let us know. 

Thanks,