Farmside wireless router affecting radio reception

Forums › Vodafone New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Farmside wireless router affecting radio reception

onetapu

205 posts

Master Geek

#112446 9-Dec-2012 11:37

Our newly installed Farmside wireless router is interfering with our radio reception so badly, we have to switch it off to be able to listen to our favorite National Radio on 101.2 FM. It is definitely the router (not the power pack). We have tried changing the router channels - all 13 of them with no success. We are not able to change the position of either the radio which is part of a large Denon system, or the satellite dish. Farmside apparently can't help. Anyone able to suggest a solution? Assistance would be MUCH appreciated.

RunningMan

5814 posts

Uber Geek

#729224 9-Dec-2012 11:47

Can receive National Radio via Freeview instead?

SATTV

969 posts

Ultimate Geek

#729229 9-Dec-2012 11:57

Hi there, Are you on satellite or another type of connection?
If I recall farmside just use a linksys router to connect to their modem, have you tried another wireless router?
Do you have a proper external FM antenna on the roof, with Balun and coax to your Denon receiver?
JOhn

I know enough to be dangerous

onetapu

205 posts

Master Geek

#729236 9-Dec-2012 12:11

National radio is not available on our Freeview - I already checked that out.

Our Farmside connection is via satellite.

Haven't tried another router. Ours is Nettcom - supplied by Farmside but paid for by us. Asked Farmside about trying another one and they haven't responded. Not getting much help from them. They have done their job and don't seem to care too much.

Don't have a proper FM external antenna on roof. Is that likely to be successful or will router still interfere?

Thanks for the replies so far.

cyril7

7345 posts

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#729237 9-Dec-2012 12:17

National radio and concert FM are most definitely on FV Satellite its running in the background here now, sounds like you need to do a scan, whats FV box do you have.

Cyril

onetapu

205 posts

Master Geek

#729625 10-Dec-2012 11:29

I've done another scan on my Freeview box and neither radio station came up. Any ideas why this could be?? Not sure what brand my box is but I will check and get back. All I know is that I can only record the channel I'm watching, which rather defeats the purpose. Need to upgrade.

My apologies to Farmside. They are on the job and are sending me another router and a longer (?) cable to try.

cyril7

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#729628 10-Dec-2012 11:31

Hi, normally there is a Radio/TV button on the remote that toggles between them, todate I have never seen a FV or FTA DVB-S box that does not support Radio services, and I have installed a pretty large number.

Cyril

onetapu

205 posts

Master Geek

#729632 10-Dec-2012 11:33

Cheers, Cyril, will try when I get home tonight.

richms

23097 posts

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#729998 10-Dec-2012 21:45

Well either the router is faulty and outside the allowable non intentional emmisions levels or you have a seriously weak signal there.

It could still be the power supply since an unloaded powersupply is basically idle.

Richard rich.ms

onetapu

205 posts

Master Geek

#730083 11-Dec-2012 06:48

No, our radio signal is fine.

Can you explain what you mean about the power supply, please.

I can't find a button on the remote to switch to radio. Will have to get my family onto it at Xmas as its got me beat.

onetapu

205 posts

Master Geek

#730084 11-Dec-2012 06:48

cyril7

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#730094 11-Dec-2012 07:20

What model is the sat receiver, rich's comment about the power supply is that the plug pack supply that powers the router is most likely a switch mode supply, these can produce lots of hash, particularly when unloaded or lightly loaded.

Cyril

onetapu

205 posts

Master Geek

#730100 11-Dec-2012 07:36

The satellite receiver is ipstar - standard for Farmside.

So are you saying that the power pack could indeed be causing the problem?

cyril7

7345 posts

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#730105 11-Dec-2012 07:41

Hi, no the FreeView receiver is what I am after, also its most likely the 70 or 140MHz MHz TX IF from the ipstar modem thats causing the issue, if that were the case then using a quadshield cable may help, although if its leaking from the modem itself then that wont help.

You say the interfence goes away when the Linksys is turned off, then if that was the case then the above IF theory is wrong.

Cyril

raytaylor

3435 posts

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#733128 16-Dec-2012 13:21

Last Saturday I installed a broadband connection at a customer's home who was switching from farmside.
For the first time, someone reported this exact same issue to me with our equipment.

The customer had their farmside connection hard wired into the desktop computer, but we installed their Taylor Comms connection and wireless router in the kitchen - next to their FM radio so they had better laptop (upcoming xmas present for his wife) around the house.

Anyhow when they power up the wireless router, it seems to kill the nearby FM radio.

I know that ethernet leaks radio interference when unshielded cable is used, and the shield needs to be earthed - but usually only VHF ham radio operators notice it between 130 - 170mhz
The CPU of the router is also another cause of radio interference that usually travels up the ethernet cable.
Unfortunatley most routers have a cpu clock cycle of 100-200mhz.

I am not sure if ipstar's new (white, no fan) CPE units will NAT or if they are just a plain bridge. If they NAT then you should be able to plug your computer directly into the ipstar unit and still use the internet. See if the interference stops when you switch off the wireless router.

For my customer, i am going to be revisiting him this week to see what i can work out. We may just end up moving the router away from the radio.

Oh another possibility is the power supply to the router.

Ray Taylor
Taylor Broadband (rural hawkes bay)
www.ruralkiwi.com

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