Constantly losing connections

[Allie98]

I am at my wits end with the VM connection.  Every so often, the signal gets so weak that we can't talk on Whatsapp, or use streaming games etc.  My wife went blind in the last year or so and is more than ever dependent on her phone, but Whatsapp is unreliable due to a bad wifi connection.  I spoke to someone at VM support who said my wifi was only connecting on 2.4Ghz and she set up a second connection ending _5Ghz.  She said that would make things better.  It didn't.  The devices connected kept switching back to 2.4 and the problems persisted.  So they sent an engineer round.  He removed a small device between the cable and the router and then adjusted some settings.  His advice was to spend £270 on a mesh system.  What he said about the pod extender is not repeatable. 

However before I lay out for the mesh, I'd like some advice and guidance as to why the signal is sometimes so weak at a distance of 5m from the router that websites won't connect or a streaming game that I like comes up with a message saying "can't connect - wifi signal too weak" or words to that effect.  As far as I can understand it, if basic signal is unreliable then a mesh isn't going to help.

I'd like to get some input from VM itself but I can't find an email address for them that will reach the right team.  Their "help" pages are useless, if you don't fit into their specific areas of interest, then they seem to be unable or unwilling to help.

Any help and advice greatly appreciated - we are desperate

[jbrennand]

You will get best advice and help in here 😎

Firstly... Are the issues only evident on wifi connections or do you see them at the same times on devices connected on ethernet cables? If you don't know, can you check to help diagnose whether it is just a wifi issue or it could be network connection related?

What Hub model do you have and what are the various Hub lights showing/doing when this happens?

The reason wifi is poor as you move away is down to "physics" and the fact thet VM sourced their Hubs from the poundshop and they are asking it to do a lot of processes for little quality 🙂

Finally if it is just a wifi issue - you may not need to lay out £250 for a Mesh system. There are cheaper options available from £50-150. Depends on size/layout of your property

[Allie98]

Hi John and thanks very much for your help

I only have my desktop iMac on an ethernet connection.  As I'm using this for work related stuff I am not aware of any slowing down.  Everything else is wifi.  I have 2 printers which show up as connected devices but in fact the wifi connections to them were so unreliable that I use only usb cables now.

I have a hub 3 and once fully booted up, there is only a white light at the bottom.

I understand what you are saying about physics and the fact that a signal will get weaker as one moves further away from the router.  But I'm seeing weak and unstable connections at a distance of just 4-5m away.  Sometimes the connection is absolutely fine, no problems with downloading or watching say iplayer.  But other times, websites are painfully slow to load and the game I play (Rummikub) wont let me in because it says the signal is too poor.

I can't see the point of getting something to extend the range when the signal is unreliable at 5m

Thanks

A

[jbrennand]

OK...  VM Hubs are trying to be a modem, a router, a switch and broadcast wifi from one piece of kit with an estimated teardown cost of twenty quid. Look up the cost of those indivdual components from reputable companies like Netgear, TP-Link, Asus etc... and you will see why, although it works fine for the majority of customers, those who may be in a more challenging wifi environment or are asking it to do more..... can struggle.

I and many others decided (>20 years ago) that the Hubs should only ever be in modem mode and switch the other 3 functions off completely and get our own better kit to do the serious business. In modem mode there is no Hub wifi to extend the range of - that new wifi signal and its range is determined by the equipment you get that replaces it.

Either - (1) Mesh System, (2) Wireless router, (3) Wireless access point (4) A combination of (2) & (3).

VM's solution is Pods - but their own Tech dissed them 🙂 Actually they do work well for most people - but they will charge an extra £5/month rental charge - which I believe will be better invested in one of the solutions above.

If all ethernet connections are nice and stable and its just wifi (need to be sure) then if you are moved to get your own equipment to solve the wifi issues completely, post up some response to this statement i have posted before for some assistance there 🙂
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It depends on your requirements for... better routing features, your house layout, size, construction materials, your tech abilities, and of course, budget, ~£40-80 will get a decent introductory wireless router but 'may' not alone solve the wifi in your house, but spending ~£500 will get the “Rolls Royce” solution of a high-end Wifi6 Router & WAP's or a top end Tri-band Mesh system with WiFi6 (may cost a bit more). You'll probably want something suitable - somewhere within that range - I reckon ~£100-150 is around the “sweet spot” for most standard users, and where you would probably need to start for a standard 2/3-story house if it has brick walls. Less for a one-bedroom modern build flat, more for a stone built 8 bedroom mansion