Orcon VDSL, Extenders and Bad WIFI

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Orcon VDSL, Extenders and Bad WIFI

mike87

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#139348 5-Feb-2014 17:32

Hi people I hope i'm not doubling up on a topic already covered but i really really need help and im at my wits end and going round in circles. So here's my story: one week ago I got switched over to Orcon Unlimited VDSL. Everything seemed to work fine on first test with 42 ping/20 down and 8 up compared to Orcon ADSL which at its best was 13 down and 0.8 up. I then tested wireless as for the last week or two it had been slow and I had thought and hoped it was the router. It wasn't. I got same ping and upload but download ranged from 0.2-4. I test every hour or 2 and once or twice i got 10mb download straight after rebooting router but after half an hour or so its back to normal. Now i should ad that only one computer was connected and not downloading anything when i tested as all the other computers are too far away to connect without an extender. I have rung Orcon 4 times and the only advice they have given me is don't have a microwave too close to router (it isn't and not in between router and computer) dont connect too many devices (too far away to now, keep testing it and after being connected for 10 days ring back (no change yet). The next problem I am having is range. I did have a Linksys RE1000 extender in use but I wasn't told it isn't compatible and when I asked Orcon what extenders work the reply I got was 'I don't know ask somebody else'. Great help huh. So pleeeease help me if you know why just wifi is so unreliable when it never has been before and what extenrs can I use on VDSL. Oh and the router is a Netcomm NF4V.

Thanks People.

hio77

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#980885 5-Feb-2014 17:35

because of the way wireless extenders work.. i wouldnt recommend using one at all.

you are never gonna be perfect speeds over wireless, chances are you will have wireless interference somewhere slowing it down.

going via an extender will take a hit again.

if possible, ild configure the extender into WAP mode, and run a cat5 cable back to the orcon router.

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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.

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#980886 5-Feb-2014 17:36

Hi There,

Are you saying the WiFi on the NF4V is slow? It shouldn't be, and hasn't been in any testing we've done. Can't speak for any extenders.

Having said that, interference on the 2.4Ghz band is rife, and I'd suggest rather than using "AUTO" channel you select a channel (from the web interface) after checking with inSSIDer or a similar product which channel is least used throughout your house (not just at the router's location, which is how it chooses a channel automatically). I also found that reducing transmit power to 80% actually helped performance in my situation with the NF4V. For the extender, choose a different channel. Furthermore, you should only use channels 1, 6 and 11 as they don't overlap.

Hope those tips help you out, give it a try and let us know. If you're still having problems I'd suggest asking for a replacement as perhaps your router is faulty.

Cheers

Dan

PS: As per hio77 above -- an extender will cut your speed considerably. Consider wiring it in (if you need it) and running it as a WAP. Use the same SSID, PSK and a different channel (1, 6 or 11) for great success.

sbiddle

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#980889 5-Feb-2014 17:45

In a typical urban environment noise and congestion on the 2.4Ghz band can make 2.4Ghz WiFi performance very poor.

Wireless extenders are not a solution to anything, they're merely a cause of further problems. You also get an immediate 50% drop in maximum throughput using one.

If devices are outside the range of your WiFi router the solution is to either run Ethernet cable to a location where you can install an additional access point, or if a cable run isn't possible use Ethernet over powerline adapters with an access point plugged in at the other end.

Set the network name to be the same with the same security key but (most importantly) a different channel.

There are plenty of similar threads on here discussing these two solutions.

johnr

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#980891 5-Feb-2014 17:49

Joys of Wifi in a populated area on a public band

FireEngine

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#980899 5-Feb-2014 17:59

mike87: Hi people I hope i'm not doubling up on a topic already covered but i really really need help and im at my wits end and going round in circles. So here's my story: one week ago I got switched over to Orcon Unlimited VDSL. Everything seemed to work fine on first test with 42 ping/20 down and 8 up compared to Orcon ADSL which at its best was 13 down and 0.8 up.

I did have a Linksys RE1000 extender in use but I wasn't told it isn't compatible and when I asked Orcon what extenders work the reply I got was 'I don't know ask somebody else'. Great help huh.

Just checked your line and can see the Netcmm is still synced at 21/8 so there isn't a fundamental issue with your VDSL service.

Sorry for how the "ask someone see" came over but the essence is we don't test extenders at all so the Contact Centre don't have any information at all to give you. The extender will sit on your LAN network though so it shouldn't need to be "compatible with VDSL" as such.

As others have said though, they generally aren't a route to internet nirvana...

Regards FireEngine

raytaylor

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#980900 5-Feb-2014 18:00

Guide to extending your wifi network in my signature.
Have a read- you will get some of the concepts.

Typically you should not expect wifi to perform more than 25mbits - VDSL runs at 50+ so wifi is always going to be a bottleneck. 802.11n and 802.11ac wifi routers paired to client devices such as 802.11ac pci cards or usb dongles will help

Ray Taylor

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mike87

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#981115 6-Feb-2014 10:28

Wow thanks all for the variety of advice. I think an alternative to an extender might be the way to go if I can figure it out. Might look into running signal through power current. I don't actually want one but the way our huge 2 story house is and where the jack point is its pretty much the only way I knew how. I have a flatmate that sits on his gaming pc in his room 18 hours a day and 300gig+ a month so no Internet almost killed him. I don't think bad Wifi is the routers fault I'm just guessing here but think maybe wiring or something from the transfer box? Any solution without cables going everywhere would be great too so slower Internet within reason could be a compromise.

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raytaylor

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#981156 6-Feb-2014 12:07

mike87: Wow thanks all for the variety of advice. I think an alternative to an extender might be the way to go if I can figure it out. Might look into running signal through power current. I don't actually want one but the way our huge 2 story house is and where the jack point is its pretty much the only way I knew how. I have a flatmate that sits on his gaming pc in his room 18 hours a day and 300gig+ a month so no Internet almost killed him. I don't think bad Wifi is the routers fault I'm just guessing here but think maybe wiring or something from the transfer box? Any solution without cables going everywhere would be great too so slower Internet within reason could be a compromise.

Well as I said, the guide in my signature tells you all about the options.
Ethernet over powerline is the best option and personally I like the TP-Link
http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/networking-modems/wireless-networking/adaptors/auction-692477960.htm

You then just get a cheap second router for the other end of the house and when you program it correctly as the guide tells you to, your laptop or wifi client devices will use whichever router they get the best signal from and will happily roam between them.

Ray Taylor

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