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Bad WiFi even after putting into modem mode with router

KevyL
Tuning in

Hi everyone,

 

I have constant WiFi dropouts ever since I joined virgin almost 2 years ago. When it came round to contract renewal last year I had actually almost changed only they came back and promised to double my speed to 200mb and sent an engineer out.

 

The engineer tweaked settings and put a WiFi booster upstairs but it didn't help.

 

I have tried putting superhub 3 into modem mode and used a tp link archer c60 v2 but the WiFi is exactly the same as if I was still using the superhub 3. The coverage stops as soon as I go into the kitchen. With my previous provider (BT) I had coverage almost at the end of my street.

 

I have also tried using the tp link archer router as a wireless access point but still it has not improved my WiFi signal or drop outs at all..

Thankfully my contract is due to end in October so I finally have the option to switch. The only problem is I do like the TV package virgin media have with bt sport and would have kept it if I could get acceptable WiFi.

 

Has anyone any idea what I could do to try and fix my WiFi one more time before I go back to bt? Everything works perfectly when wired. 

56 REPLIES 56

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person
BT now charge an extra £10/month for "guaranteed" whole home wifi.

~95% of VM's 5m+ customers have no problems with the Hub's wifi - otherwise this board would be getting thousands of complaints in a week - it doesnt. Its just an unlucky few who have the issues

I am not one of them as in >20 years I have never used any ISP's wifi equipment - IMHO - it is all "poor" and the router options are also too limited for me and I dont want any ISP controlling my routing preferences and wif options - which they do when in router mode.

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John
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I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.

I'm a bit late to this one and have only really skimmed it so ignore me if you want but what devices and products are you using the measure the performance?

What exactly is slow and/or unreliable? The connection to the router or the internet connection? Does the internet connection drop much?

Do you know for sure that the pods (or whatever they are called) are working properly ? How can you be sure you are connected through them, if they make no difference?

I'm using my huawei p20 pro and my ipad and the wife's p20 pro.

 

Ive downloaded the speed test app by ookla and have been using it.

Both my huawei p20 pro and ipad constantly hang when browsing the Web using the 2.4ghz band. If I am in the same room as the router in the 5ghz band it's perfect and neither device hangs or drops connection.

 

When I leave the living room or move approx 4 metres from the router it automatically connects to the 2.4 band and the performance is terrible. If I try to stream any video it buffers constantly on both the ipad and the p20 pro phone.

 

My nvidia shield upstairs also constantly kicks me out of streaming apps such as BBC iplayer constantly and I have to close the app and go back into it after 2/3 minutes. If I'm watching a thirty minute show it will do it maybe three times.

 

When the engineer came he configured the boosters and plugged one into the bedroom, and when I connected to it the exact same fault was happening, but of course I only discovered this after he left. I preserved for a couple of weeks with the boosters but found and they didn't improve anything I then went out and bought a tp link router for about 50 quid I currys.

I set about installing it and again it didn't improve anything, i was getting the exact same drop outs and reduction to about 10 or 20mbs (paying for 200). I would have settled for these speeds if the WiFi wasn't so unreliable and kicking me out of streaming apps on both my phone, my nvidia shield and the ipad.

I have had two superhub 3s as well and both have been the same. I also bought a dearer tp link router in the hope that the first one  I bought was just cheap and that a dearer more powerful one would sort my issues out. 

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person
You have had 2 Hub3's and get the same results - I think legacy1 was correct in his assessment.

What model of TP-Link router did you get?

It ought to help - have you set it up in the sequence below - try it this way.
_______________________________
First in the settings, set up your own router to have the WAN port set to be in DHCP mode, then disconnect all cables from your new router and unplug it.

Put the VM Hub into modem mode
( https://www.virginmedia.com/help/virgin-media-hub-modem-mode )
and wait for the base light to turn magenta/purple.

Once it’s in modem mode, the VM hub “MUST” then be powered off.

Switch your router back on and make sure it’s fully initialised (leave 5 min) and then put in the WAN ethernet cable to the VM hub.

NOW… power up the VM hub leave 5-10 minutes to initialise and and you should get a good connection. This order only needs to be done the first time you connect the router to the VM hub.

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John
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I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.

I have an Archer C7 connected to a SH3. At present I have the SH3 router mode with the C7 also as a router. Even with double NAT I get 300MB/s 10m from the router.

Did you separate the two bands?

Since my SH3 is in router mode I've also enabled the 2.4 and 5GHz bands on that and coverage is almost the same as the C7.

Out of interest, how long have you had the Nvidia Shield. The only time I had problems on my C7 was when I bought a Roku stick that uses WiFi to link to the remote. I believe the Shield does the same. The Roku transmits on the same channel as it connects to the router and caused real problems on my WiFi (particularly when set to the 5GHz band). I now use it on 2.4GHz.

However, you really need to test your broadband connection with a direct cabled connection. Your stats seem to indicate a problem with the signal from the street. The Lost MDD and Sync Failure are not a good sign. The large number of post RS errors are also not good.

In summary, I don't think your have a WiFi issue; its with your incoming cable.

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person
Did they fix the network issue that Serena_C identified in the message of a week ago?

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John
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I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.


@jbrennand wrote:
Did they fix the network issue that Serena_C identified in the message of a week ago?

I don't know, as this issue has been happening for the last year or more, my WiFi has been consistently bad. 

 

 


@Eeeps wrote:

I have an Archer C7 connected to a SH3. At present I have the SH3 router mode with the C7 also as a router. Even with double NAT I get 300MB/s 10m from the router.

Did you separate the two bands?

Since my SH3 is in router mode I've also enabled the 2.4 and 5GHz bands on that and coverage is almost the same as the C7.

Out of interest, how long have you had the Nvidia Shield. The only time I had problems on my C7 was when I bought a Roku stick that uses WiFi to link to the remote. I believe the Shield does the same. The Roku transmits on the same channel as it connects to the router and caused real problems on my WiFi (particularly when set to the 5GHz band). I now use it on 2.4GHz.

However, you really need to test your broadband connection with a direct cabled connection. Your stats seem to indicate a problem with the signal from the street. The Lost MDD and Sync Failure are not a good sign. The large number of post RS errors are also not good.

In summary, I don't think your have a WiFi issue; its with your incoming cable.


Yes I would agree it seemingly has more to do with the signal in as I've tried  a couple of superhub 3s, 2 tp link routers, WiFi boosters. 

 

Ive tried hub in modem mode, tried it in router mode also and used the tp link routers as an access point but still no different. All my troubles seem to be on the 2.4ghz band. I have no trouble on the 5ghz band, but it's range is really bad. 

 

The nivida shield is relatively new, bought within the last two months, and your correct it does use WiFi for the remote but The issue was ongoing long before this.

 

Would the engineer that came out not have picked up problems if it was the cable to my house? Is there anything I could do to check this?

My ps4 is wired via ethernet and gets the full speed. As is my older nvidia shield downstairs (which uses infrared remote) 

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person
So to sum up...

Your ethernet connected devices are all fine and get good speeds and all the issues are all Wifi related? And two TP-Link routers (you sure they were "routers" - what model numbers are they) didn't sort it.

... correct ?

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John
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I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.

Yes ethernet is fine. Only 2.4ghz WiFi constantly disconnects and hangs and buffers on every streaming device I have. 2 huawei p20 pros and an I pad. And the nvidia shield in the bedroom disconnects frequently 

 

The tplink archer c7 ac1750 and an older tp link router  archer c60