Magic speed increase on speed downgrade. Any theories to why?

[slimcraigy]

Hello everyone I recently downgraded from gig 1 to m600 due to a lot of issues with slow WiFi speed hub 4 being worse than hub 3 intermittent WiFi etc.

I went to retentions as I was miffed at very slow speeds. Agreed on same bundle just m600 ultimate at a much better price.

I always checked speeds regularly including actual speed to hub.

At midnight when things usually update and package took effect speeds suddenly shot up from 11-25mb/s ( at first on some devices) to sometimes 100mb/s occasionally more even on 2.4g. I was amazed. Looked at Samsung s5 a few days later and link speed was 866mb/s  (not actual speed that gets nowhere near I am aware of that)

Very strange speeds seemed quicker in other rooms than the hub location. Yes I had gotten a WiFi pod but still a rebroadcast. Why? It's bizarre

What happened here? Was it a hub 4 f/w update. Had settings changed? Did virgins local area issue exist and get fixed? How does a downgrade increase speed/coverage and can I get it back?

Any theories? Thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated.

I had just bought an expensive 3rd party router too to make use of these speeds. Something I was partially influenced by a VM engineer who said that would help.

Then suddenly fast speed and better coverage. Magic?

The "magic" downgrade helped speed and a pod helped range. I highly doubt that if I hadn't downgraded speeds would be as high even now that the magic has gone. 

If this didn't happen I honestly think speed could have been same or marginally better than 11-25mbs on 2.4g right in same room even with a WiFi pod. Range improved though.

So buying that 3rd party router I honestly believed that was the best solution at the time. Was let down range was better than hub 4 and speed probably would have been pre magic.

I regret rebooting my VM equipment trying to understand what happened when my router refused connection. If I can't understand the problem all other routers/ systems could do it. Why was it not the same?

I may have noticed when you contact VM and they control or reboot things their end results seem better than if I were to reboot from here.

Anyway since reboot of hub and now speed tests are erratic and a third of what they were. Big troughs slow to build speed,large jumps sometimes other times poor results. Not predictable start slow increase peak and back off/bounce near top end.

How can I get my stability/ speed back? Hub plus pods are ok range but speed I know can be hugely better.

I will post separately on other issues too but here are some.

I always have issues when changing settings within hub 4. Other user logged in or freezes when applying settings. Previous manually selected 2.4 and 5g channels are stuck on what I had before the pods.

I'm scared to go into the settings and manually change to less congested channels then re-enable optimisation again in case the pods stop working leaving me worse off without range.

Channels and pods stick to same ones as manual even though main hub channels white out (lock) when channel optimisation is on but they are still ticked. Only the pods change channel maybe if unplugged to ones I had previously used.

Now they all cause congestion on same channels.

Is there anything I can do to get these speeds back with hub 4? Short of calling it witchcraft maybe it was just f/w or the right set of circumstances. But it's a BIG coincidence. I say I'm unhappy and downgrade package and speeds go up.

I dread reboots now since I can never be sure pods will connect what speed I will have what WiFi channel it will be on. 

I thought 3rd party router set forget be impressed sadly not as much. Issues still.

But there seems like there is something fundamental wrong here somewhere that speeds/ range can do what it did. Then next reboot go back to 2 bars signal without pods.

Regards Craig

[jbrennand]

Thats all very detailed - can we simplify things a bit

What wireless router are you using and have you got the Hub in modem mode ? If so, note that Pods will only work with the Hub put back into "router" mode.

The Pods are not really a good solution - particularly if they started charging you £5/month after you downgraded from the 1GB service - is that the case?

Your own router and wireless equipment is always the best option - the Hubs do not do wifi6 either !

[legacy1]

The pods screw up things unplug it do a speed test next to the hub see what you get.

[slimcraigy]

Hi John sorry I can get into so much detail.

Originally I was using the Asus ac86u I think you replied to the post as I was having issues with it.

I haven't seen any benefit with it so have been using the hub 4 in router mode channel optimisation on etc.

I did direct comparisons and hub and pods are better range and speed is similar.

I am not being charged for them as in ultimate oomph bundle.

Unsure where this increase came from tbh. I just lost it with a reboot.

Thinking of ditching the router anyway in favour of mesh system. If speeds are less erratic (they are not slow but prone to dropping noticed more by others).

No question the pods help a lot.

Just thinking why it copies the channels I manually set/ a step behind I think before unplugging and plugging back in. WiFi analyser used. Optimisation should be Auto?

Thanks for quick reply. John much appreciated. Regards Craig

[jbrennand]

Cant help unravel why the Pod behaves this way - Legacy1 may be correct 🙂

Someone more knowledgable about them needs to comment.

One thing is certain though.... the Asus router will be a quantum leap superior to that in the Hub - even if it doesn't cure your wifi issues on its own.

If you do chnage it - get one that is wifi6 enabled and perhaps triband for the backhaul to help reduce "Hop" speed drops on a mesh system.

Or consider getting a couple of good quality wireless access points (see the Ubiquiti range) and wire them into the new wifi6 router by Cat6 ethernet cables - that will be the Rolls Royce solution 😎

[slimcraigy]

Hi John and legacy1 sorry just spent an hour messaging you back legacy1 bwhike doing back to back tests. Had rewrite a whole message. Sorry.

To Legacy1 I would do that test but am frightened moving the pods they are so sensitive I dare not unplug them sometimes in case I can't get them back as range improved a lot with the pods to where I needed or to reach.

They just seem stuck on say channel 108 Ch 44 both of which I had selected and sometimes it's like they are split between using WiFi analyser except one says hidden SSID. It's not my neighbours and the peak hits right at the plug.

I haven't found the Asus superior except range without pods now it's done a 180.

My most capable device is a Samsung s5 with dodgy battery so dies all the time.

It's more stable in speed no peaks and troughs. Wish it worked properly and always.

To John also WiFi 6 is a dream for me and unlikely. I haven't the money for on with dedicated backhaul and WiFi 6. I have to compromise WiFi 6 dual Vs WiFi 5 triband I think.

Can't cable together things either as others wouldn't allow it 😞 but can access points be used with say an Asus or would it need to be same brand?

I know Asus only use aimesh.

Is an access point different? Could I connect an Asus to a ubiquiti wirelessly maybe or different brand?

am a network newbie though have a little basic knowledge.

Heard good things about ubiquiti though they never pop up in A****n searches for me I forget about them. Some are expensive beasts. Lol 

I need some better equipment anyway to take advantage of the better speeds. Thinking about new laptop maybe.

What about a hub reboot again? Would that settle anything down?

Regards Craig

[SonarUK]

the 86u is still a strong solid router if performing right.

the 86u has a problem with high temps causing cpus to bottleneck and shutdown/restart.

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/router-temperatures.71123/

This might might be one of your issues, you can check the router logs to see any errors regarding this.


Read the reviews on amazon for the asus XT8 - mesh system - alot of unhappy people.
Me personally would upgrade to the ax86u.

[slimcraigy]

.Hi solarUK thanks for the reply. 

I'm trying to reply this is my fourth time I have tried replying I will post eventually I've fell asleep in between edited accidentally clicked the tab off. I am literate as well or semi at least lol. then twice tried to post and it took so long or something it said authentication failed or something. Had to log in again.

Bear with me please lol. I have sort my 86u out twice I started return process and then thought no I have to know what is wrong posted here. Anyway will post full reply soon.

Btw can't even post tags at the bottom for some reason have to add manually later.

Will reply properly soon 

Regards Craig 

[slimcraigy]

Hello again sonarUK here is my full post hopefully anyway.

By the way I believe it is a decent router at the heart of it the 86u. It's good but I honestly thought it would be a rocketship and have signal everywhere to varying degrees. I definitely was convinced by the engineer saying a router would help. Also something had to be done about the pre magic speeds.

I don't think it's an overheating issue with mine but could be wrong. I think it's something really simple that anyone further in the know would see to straight away. It doesn't restart anyway touch wood.

Still I set up returns process with large retailer twice and didn't send back as I had been determined to find the cause after accepting defeat initially. I wanted to find the cause and have up to 30 days.

What would you do in this situation that follows? (A*****n is company)

I want to get a full refund but have obstacles in the way. I don't know how much money I will get back for it they said just send it to us at first and we would refund you.

The next time I said I basically I'd been trying to diagnose the issue and didn't want to send back with passwords and it may have occurred with other routers. Was Put through to a tech guy even though it was pointless. I had to reboot my computer in between but I think it said must be in original factory condition with original F/W.

It was updated the day I got it or the day after when it messed up. I think when it worked properly. So I am in 2 minds whether or not to keep it as I'm going for mesh anyway probably. Nothing no factory reset hard reset will sort it. What to do? Be honest and hope for best refund keep hold I haven't paid it off yet anyway. Say how do I know it wasn't the update that caused the issue in the first place. Ask them to reset it properly and say I can't attempt to fix it? I don't know and it needs sorting I have like a few days really. 

I know roughly which F/W version it should be as it says on the sticker but it doesn't say the full. It's version 384.0.0.4 or something without looking anyway.

I looked on Asus website and there is no match it's all 384.247.444 just made that up but still no match just the first few numbers 384. Something so I can't put the original back on. So no idea what to do be honest and say look I don't want to risk putting old firmware on and can't find the proper type anyway. Now it's on 386 after a long time of 384.xxx.xxx.

I read so many amazing reviews on 86u and was convinced I needed it then bam unprecedented speed from nowhere still quicker ATM just. The 86u was the Most consistent router out there I read and by the sound of it.80+ to 90ish average score in most tech online resources.I really believe that it should perform better dongknowstech clocked 800mb/s (may be wrong) and did range tests and mine even close to it on 2.4g is slower than VM hub. I know max is really 750ish theoretically wireless but 400 link speed usually.

I did buy with brother in mind for gaming which he doesn't do so much now. Oh well. Speed Vs the hub 4 I thought it would be like lightning everywhere with much improved signal and yes it definitely did improve signal further than the hub 4 but with the pods and that magic upgrade I haven't got back it's similar speed but good enough range for hub 4 now.

I would rather have a better solution so was thinking of mesh systems now. But continuing what I said in that quick post previously I really wanted to find the problem with the Asus even if the range wasn't as great and pods are doing an ok job now.

It was unfortunate timing and influenced somewhat by a virgin engineers comment that own router would be better. I thought mesh was too expensive at the time.

Pods are really up and down and dimwitted. Most VM stuck on ch11 near me as they probably have optimisation on. I need it on for the pods but yeh dropouts are very bad since reboot earlier. One was on ch6 so was trying. I have tried manual channels then turning it back on but if I don't leave on ch1 or 11 it's very slow. Even if less congested

Even if I fixed it then I have to have another Asus as aimesh to cover dead spots and they are not cheap either. That puts me off aimeshing an xt8 then and people seem to have mixed results with different models. 

Is the ax86u worth it anyway? Better range? Or just specs and speed?

Anyway thanks for your help. Let me know what mesh you would recommend? Orbi rbk50 deco m9 plus Huawei ax3 meshed (lol it may be good) or spend extra on Asus aimesh if I have to get stuck with this one?. Thanks and regards Craig 

[Martin_N]

Hi slimcraigy,

Thank you for your post. I'm very sorry to hear about the broadband issue you're having. 

I have been able to locate your account and have ran some checks on our side. 

It does looks like need an engineer visit is needed to adjust some settings. 

What I will do is private message you to progress this. 

^Martin