Need to reset router every day

[nubster]

Been with Virgin media since time began and always been a big advocate. The main reason I've stuck with Virgin is the fact that my @ntlworld.com email address is the only email address I have ever had and the hassle to change is massive.

Nevertheless I am being pushed to the edge by the really [REMOVED] connectivity I have suffered for the past year.

Basically, the router needs restarting every day - sometimes 4 or 5 times a day. When I contact the technical helpdesk they run their tests and restart the router and they say it will be sorted. It is, for the next hour if I am lucky. Occasionally, I kick up a stink and say that we need an engineer to come to the property. They arrange this and subsequently attend.

My router is situated upstairs in a 2-storey house and is a 3.0 hub.

The last-but-one-engineer said that one of the problems was that the router was placed by a wooden desk and that dampens the signal downstairs, which is where the majority of the wifi stuff is. Moving the router downstairs isn't something I want to do, as I only have Virgin broadband and telephone - not TV.

The last engineer suggested that I needed to upgrade my broadband speed from 100mbps to 200mbps as I have around 20 wifi devices connected (who doesn't!). So, last month I upgraded the speed as suggested to 200mbps.

Sadly, the performance is exactly the same - dropping daily. The dropping is sometimes dropping of wifi and sometimes total dropping of the internet.

Help, otherwise I'm going to have to think about BT or something else!!

[Mod Edit – Inappropriate Comments etc]

[DJ_Shadow1966]

Hello

When you say it is dropping what happens to the light's on the router ?

Does is this also happen with a wired connection ?

Regards Mike

[nubster]

Hi

Sorry I am colour blind but the router light looks yellow.

When I say it drops out, I am predominantly referring to either connectivity to the router via wifi (is down) or I can connect via wifi to the router but the internet is down.

i don’t use many hardwired connections. The one that is used the most is for my kids gaming (PS4) and I regularly hear “I’m going to reset the router as I’m offline now”.

thanks for your help.

Dave

[DJ_Shadow1966 · Accepted solution]

Hello

This more sounds like a signal level, the number of devices attached wireless will not affect your connection, just slow down the wireless for each device.

Can you try this -

Login into the hub at http://192.168.0.1 using the details from the base of the hub on a sticker.

When in goto "Advanced Settings", "Wireless", then "Wireless Signal", place a tick in circle where it says "Disable Channel Optimization" and then click on "Apply Changes".

That should solve your problem with connecting to the hub.

Regards Mike

[Andrew-G · Accepted solution]

"The last engineer suggested that I needed to upgrade my broadband speed from 100mbps to 200mbps as I have around 20 wifi devices connected (who doesn't!). So, last month I upgraded the speed as suggested to 200mbps."

You have been lied to and mis-sold.  This isn't the first time, and VM really ought to be cracking down on any of their staff spouting such garbage, but we don't see any sign in these forums of VM raising standards.  Possibly you got this for the same price as before, if you're paying more then you should raise a complaint with VM under their Complaints Policy, demanding that they (a) reinstate your previous speed and price, and (b) sort out their ropey connection.  They might get off their slothful behinds and fix the connection (or more likely the VM staff who monitor these forums will step in).  But there's a good chance the company will deny the lies told about having too many wifi devices and reject that element of your complaint.  If this lie was told over the phone, then VM's call recordings will include it, you can request all data about you including call recordings by making a Subject Data Access Request - search out VM's Privacy Policy to find out how.

If VM do reject the mis-selling complaint, then you will need to escalate to the (free) arbitration service CISAS, but in both the complaint to VM, and any escalation to CISAS keep your story clear and concise - bullet point paragraphs, clarity on what, when, why and the outcome you want.  And if escalating to CISAS request compensation for the ongoing poor connection and hassle to sort out the mis-selling.

[Emily_G · Accepted solution]

Thank you for your post Nubster and sorry to hear of your connectivity issues.

I'd like to look into this further as you advise you're losing connection through wired devices as well as wireless devices, this would suggest there may be some issues with the downstream levels as I can see no known area faults on our system. 

I'll pop you over a private message now with some security questions so we can access the correct account, if you can please respond to this by going to the purple envelope in the top right of your screen.

Thank you, Emily.

[nubster]

Thanks Mike - I have tried that to see if things improve.

A Virgin engineer is coming out on Friday to look at the downstream levels. Hopefully this will help to sort out the ongoing problems. I had better stability years ago !

thanks again for your help

[nubster]

Thanks for the advice. I don't think the upgrade was a lot of money (few pound) but it was worth a go.

Sadly it hasn't made any difference so there is obviously a deeper problem. As the engineer is coming on Friday I hope to have something positive then.

[nubster]

Well, the engineer attended on Friday evening (6th Dec) and advised that the signal needed adjusting. He did this. He also changed the cable from the box on the wall to the router. He was certain that this would fix the problem.

Unfortunately, since then, the connection has dropped on the following occasions and has necessitated the router being restarted:

Sat 7/12 10:12

Sat 7/12 20:38

Sun 8/12 17:03

Mon 9/12 07:15

Mon 9/12 12:38

So this is currently 5 times in 3 days that the connection has dropped. These have been a combination of losing the wifi connectivity and also internet drops.

I have now reduced the number of devices connected to just 10, but still have these problems. Something is badly wrong.

[jbrennand]

Can you confirm for definite that ethernet cable connected devices are dropping out or is it just a wifi problem?

If wired ones are losing internet connection set up a free “Broadband Quality Monitor” to continually monitor the state of your connection and will record any of those network dropouts. It does it 24/7/365 and it keeps a visual record of any/all of your network disconnections, useful data to have to match to the Network logs (in your Hub settings) and also in discussions with VM. Make sure you uncheck the “ignore ping from WAN side” box in the settings if you see a wall of "red" - note it will take an hour or two to start seeing a sensible picture.

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality