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jeffory123

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#272026 6-Jun-2020 09:44
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Hi there,

 

I live in an old villa that is about 100sqm 3 bedroom, bathroom, kitchen + lounge + dinning room (1 big room).

 

I got a Huawei 630b as part of signing up for Spark VDSL many many years ago. The wifi reception has always been average at best but with covid-19 and working from home it has become very problematic, typically in the dining room (which is where we work from home) we get drop offs maybe once an hour and the signal is often weak to average (at best). The wifi is in the middle bedroom in the house (opposite the bathroom) in a traditional villa layout. I've tried to put the router as high as possible in the room (on top of some stacked boxes) and set it to a channel that android wifi analyser recommends - none of which particularly helped.

 

Now, my question is, is there something I can do to significantly improve the reception which doesn't involve moving the router into the lounge/kitchen? I am getting upgraded to Spark Fibre unplan in the coming weeks for background info. We are not heavy users (2 people living in the house and the maximum use would be either one streaming movie or one person online gaming and the other browsing the web. Important note: as part of the upgrade to fibre I chose not to take the router that comes with it to save the $29 postage - if this was mistake please let me know and I will get them to send me one - I guess I assumed my 630b would work with Fibre.

 

Is there a better router that will improve the signal? (I want something that will work with both vdsl and fibre - Chorus is taking forever to get it hooked up). I'll post a picture of where the router is positioned as part of this.

 

I would also consider any other options that you guys deem will work i.e. signal boosters or anything, I have no idea what will work. If someone sorts out this kind of stuff for a living I am okay with paying for someone on the forums to help if they need to come around to my house but ideally I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on this (unless I need to buy a new router).

 

Here is the WIFI analyser from literally standing right next to the modem (I am the brown one on the right - SPARK-JRVPVX)

 

Click to see full size

 

And here is the signal from the problem room by placing my phone next to the laptop:

 

Click to see full size

 

Here is the picture of where the router is currently sitting in the middle bedroom:

 

Click to see full size

 

Thanks for your help!


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hio77
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  #2499539 6-Jun-2020 12:03
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Sounds like your facing 2.4ghz congestion, which would have certainly been worse over COVID19 as more people would have been utilizing their services

 

 

 

the HG630 will work for fibre 30/50 and fibre 100 (be it with a minimal loss in performance) but i'd highly recommend against it.

 

Please reach out to the contact center and ask them to send out the modem. You will get our new smart modem which is leaps and bounds better than the HG630 and will work for Both Fibre and DSL. 

 

 

 

Postage is also not 29$. it's 14.95 off the top of my head. I suspect you may have been looking at the price for express delivery (But even then it's been missquoted) 





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Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

 

 


 
 
 

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richms
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  #2499610 6-Jun-2020 13:17
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Those results are clearly wrong because its so weak when you are near the router.

 

Try turning wifi off and on again to clear the saved networks and redo it. If you are not seeing over -40 when in the same room as the router, its either reading wrong or the router is stuffed.

 

edit: Also move it up to ch 11, nothing you can do about that idiot who has set theirs to 9, but you want to be on 1 6 or 11 to be a good neighbour and avoid interference from the guys on 6.





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hio77
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  #2499613 6-Jun-2020 13:18
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richms:

 

Those results are clearly wrong because its so weak when you are near the router.

 

Try turning wifi off and on again to clear the saved networks and redo it. If you are not seeing over -40 when in the same room as the router, its either reading wrong or the router is stuffed.

 

 

if it's andriod 9 which it looks like, then He's suffering from the really cool feature google put in. Limiting wifi scans from applications.

 

Basically killed these apps....





#include <std_disclaimer>

 

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

 

 




richms
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  #2499616 6-Jun-2020 13:22
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hio77:

 

if it's andriod 9 which it looks like, then He's suffering from the really cool feature google put in. Limiting wifi scans from applications.

 

Basically killed these apps....

 

 

Still mostly works fine for me and when I have used it recently. I have had it many times stop scanning and just have a network stuck in the list at the old reading when the others were all going up and down but a wifi on and off sorted that out. Seems to be when I have bluetooth on it really stuffs up the wifi scans, probably the coexistance carryon.

 

 





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jeffory123

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  #2499662 6-Jun-2020 13:46
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Thanks for the replies. I will contact Spark and get them to send the newer modem/router out. Hopefully that will improve things and rule out any problem with the current one.

 

edit: hmm it appears they can't edit a fibre order in progress and they are sending me to a spark store to pick up the modem and get it charged to my account and then they will refund it if I ring the new connections team. Oh well, it least the end result will be good :)

 

What model are the new spark fibre ones?


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  #2499669 6-Jun-2020 14:45
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Spark Smart Modem: https://www.spark.co.nz/shop/internet/spark-smart-modem/

 

Also, they have the Spark Smart Mesh which is well worth it if you suffer from weak signal at the other end of the house: https://www.spark.co.nz/shop/internet/spark-smart-mesh/

 

Very good router.





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jeffory123

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  #2499677 6-Jun-2020 14:53
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Thanks Michael. It sounds like this will be the solution to all my problems. I'll pick it up tomorrow and if it doesn't completely fix the problem I'll get the smart mesh thing.




quickymart
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  #2499690 6-Jun-2020 15:40
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Two queries: what is that wifi analyser app? Would like to see what networks are around me, as I get interference from time to time. Also, as a Spark customer if I re-sign with them for another year could I get the new (smart) router as well? Just curious.


hio77
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  #2499702 6-Jun-2020 16:08
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quickymart:

 

Two queries: what is that wifi analyser app? Would like to see what networks are around me, as I get interference from time to time. Also, as a Spark customer if I re-sign with them for another year could I get the new (smart) router as well? Just curious.

 

 

If you resign yes, there are tons of applications out there.

 

 

 

Personally i prefer analiti, as it's able to break down the wifi becons too.  





#include <std_disclaimer>

 

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

 

 


jeffory123

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  #2501035 8-Jun-2020 23:23
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By the way, the new spark modem solved all the wifi drops, i don't even need the smart mesh thing. It must be significantly better than the old 630b. Thanks for all the help! I didn't even have to pay the delivery since i picked it up in store!


hio77
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  #2501091 9-Jun-2020 07:26
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Oh it is by far better. Band steering may be a new experience for you :)




#include <std_disclaimer>

 

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

 

 


jeffory123

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  #2501622 9-Jun-2020 17:28
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But sadly it seems to have introduced a new issue. Every so often the WAN connection will drop (happened 3-4 times in the last 3 days). I check the modem log and there is a whole lot of stuff talking about DHCP in there. Is this the DHCP issue i have heard people talking about in other threads? Although I guess it could be the wet weather, one of the reasons I am upgrading to fiber is that occasionally i get drops in wet weather (normally very heavy rain).

 

 

 

Jun  9 17:23:42 VRV9517 user.info arc_link_state: WAN Link Down
Jun  9 17:23:43 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Server 4.1.1-P1
Jun  9 17:23:43 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: Copyright 2004-2010 Internet Systems Consortium.
Jun  9 17:23:43 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: All rights reserved.
Jun  9 17:23:43 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: For info, please visit https://www.isc.org/software/dhcp/
Jun  9 17:23:43 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: Wrote 5 leases to leases file.
Jun  9 17:23:43 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: Listening on Socket/br0/192.168.1.0/24
Jun  9 17:23:43 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: Sending on   Socket/br0/192.168.1.0/24
Jun  9 17:23:44 VRV9517 user.info arc_link_state: WAN Link Down Stage2
Jun  9 05:23:44 VRV9517 daemon.info pppd[4768]: Exit.
Jun  9 17:23:59 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPINFORM from 192.168.1.67 via br0
Jun  9 17:23:59 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPACK to 192.168.1.67 (94:de:80:7b:1f:d4) via br0
Jun  9 17:24:10 VRV9517 daemon.notice pppd[789]: pppd 2.4.1 started by root, uid 0
Jun  9 17:24:29 VRV9517 user.info arc_link_state: WAN Link Down
Jun  9 17:24:30 VRV9517 daemon.info pppd[789]: Exit.
Jun  9 17:24:30 VRV9517 user.info arc_link_state: WAN Link Down Stage2
Jun  9 17:24:58 VRV9517 daemon.notice pppd[1826]: pppd 2.4.1 started by root, uid 0
Jun  9 05:25:05 VRV9517 daemon.notice miniupnpd[4946]: shutting down MiniUPnPd
Jun  9 17:25:05 VRV9517 daemon.notice miniupnpd[2022]: HTTP listening on port 42038
Jun  9 17:25:05 VRV9517 daemon.warn miniupnpd[2022]: no HTTP IPv6 address, disabling IPv6
Jun  9 17:25:05 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5035]: exiting on receipt of SIGTERM


hio77
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  #2501632 9-Jun-2020 17:37
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Can you dm me your account number, wanna take a look at what we are seeing.

Looks like dsl interface is dropping which if it is could be a loose cable etc.




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Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

 

 


jeffory123

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  #2501676 9-Jun-2020 19:21
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Thanks Hio77, PM sent. My gut feeling is that my Fibre install will take care of the problem but thanks for taking a look! :)

 

 

 

I just saw this appear in the log as well "DNS-rebind attack detected: sinkhole.netmng.com" is it something to be worried about? Or is it a good sign that it protected against something?

 

Jun  9 17:53:42 VRV9517 daemon.warn dnsmasq[2109]: possible DNS-rebind attack detected: sinkhole.netmng.com
Jun  9 17:53:42 VRV9517 daemon.warn dnsmasq[2109]: possible DNS-rebind attack detected: sinkhole.netmng.com
Jun  9 17:53:57 VRV9517 daemon.warn dnsmasq[2109]: possible DNS-rebind attack detected: sinkhole.netmng.com
Jun  9 17:53:57 VRV9517 daemon.warn dnsmasq[2109]: possible DNS-rebind attack detected: sinkhole.netmng.com
Jun  9 17:55:29 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPINFORM from 192.168.1.67 via br0
Jun  9 17:55:29 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPACK to 192.168.1.67 (94:de:80:7b:1f:d4) via br0
Jun  9 18:25:29 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPINFORM from 192.168.1.67 via br0
Jun  9 18:25:29 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPACK to 192.168.1.67 (94:de:80:7b:1f:d4) via br0
Jun  9 18:40:29 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPINFORM from 192.168.1.67 via br0
Jun  9 18:40:29 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPACK to 192.168.1.67 (94:de:80:7b:1f:d4) via br0
Jun  9 18:55:30 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPINFORM from 192.168.1.67 via br0
Jun  9 18:55:30 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPACK to 192.168.1.67 (94:de:80:7b:1f:d4) via br0


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