Network Expert REQUIRED PLZZ like actually have certs/degree.

[Dimmizer]

Still trying to figure this out.. I have enough of a background in computers on how to set things up or at least look things up and set them up / configure.. The problem I have is I don't know what it is I need hardware wise.

We have like 5 phones, a Nintendo Switch, 2 PC's and 2 Laptops and 5 smart TV's. We stream a lot of stuff like Hulu and Disney+ etc.. We JUST upgraded to 450+ down and 20 up and still having issues with people lagging  especially my brother on his laptop when playing games via wifi and the cell phones will randomly disconnect intermittently for like a minute or so. We stream a lot of UFC fights and baseball / football etc.. and have parties so the net gets used a lot for that especially since both of the smart TV's are HD so I imagen they're deffo pulling some bandwidth making it hard on the Router to keep up since it disconnects a lot or one of the TV's will buffer for a few minutes while it tries to regain a connection.

We have Charter Spectrum with the newest model modem and then we have a Netgear R6400v2 router.. Would a mesh system be better or? just trying to figure out what we need so this isn't a problem anymore. I've posted here a few times and never really got the help I was looking for.. if needed I'm willing to jump in a discord call and can explain the layout of the house etc.. and see what'd be the best option for the family.

hopefully someone can help this time.

[homeap5]

Well, some people can help you, but truth is if you need someone with cert/degree, you must hire specialist. Here are mostly standard users who have some experience and helps for free, but if you required expert with cert, you must find some paid specialist that visit you at home, made some tests, check cables, signals and tell you what do you need to buy for improve your network experience.

 

Just small hint - your phone should not disconnects, no matter how heavy is network traffic. That means problem is somewhere in hardware or signal is not powerful for your home. But as I said - only home visit can solve this. And good luck with finding certified specialist who wants to guessing what is wrong using forum and photos.

 

[WereCatf]

11 minutes ago, Dimmizer said:

Network Expert REQUIRED PLZZ like actually have certs/degree

Nothing in your post requires someone with a degree, but oh well, I don't have one so I obviously can't help you!

[schwellmo92]

24 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

Nothing in your post requires someone with a degree, but oh well, I don't have one so I obviously can't help you!

Was about to post this haha, agreed.

[Donut417]

2 hours ago, Dimmizer said:

hopefully someone can help this time.

How big is the house? What is it made out of? 

[beersykins]

If you are having issues with airspace add more APs, then you can balance clients across different parts of the wifi spectrum and they won't interfere with each other.

 

I have a CCNA Wireless but it's irrelevant for this topic

[Dimmizer]

19 hours ago, Donut417 said:

How big is the house? What is it made out of? 

2400 Sq Ft and jsut basic dry wall w/ insulation n such
 

21 hours ago, WereCatf said:

Nothing in your post requires someone with a degree, but oh well, I don't have one so I obviously can't help you!

the reason why I asked for someone with a degree is because of the last 2 times I've posted about this issue I just didn't really get any help and the people who replied didn't even know what to say really.. just gave me some basic response.

I'm actually trying to fix this issue so just something other than "get as many devices as I can wired instead of wifi" if I could have all my devices wired then I most likely wouldn't be here lol..

[WereCatf]

1 hour ago, Dimmizer said:

2400 Sq Ft and jsut basic dry wall w/ insulation n such

If you only have a single WiFi-router for such a large house, of course you're going to have a bad time. A mesh-WiFi is one of the better solutions, but can get somewhat expensive. Ars Technica actually just recently posted a good article on how to cover a building with good WiFi, you could take a look at it and see if it is enough, and then come back here for additional questions and/or help.

 

If you have an Android-phone, I recommend WiFi Analyzer (open-source) at the Play Store for checking which networks are overlapping and the strength of the signal. I use the same app myself and find it very useful.

[AidenTheBotLol]

23 hours ago, Donut417 said:

How big is the house? What is it made out of? 

obviously gold 

[PineyCreek]

39 minutes ago, ShelterMan said:

obviously gold 

Crap, he could actually use a powerline adapter successfully then with that level of conductivity.

[Alex Atkin UK]

9 hours ago, Dimmizer said:

I'm actually trying to fix this issue so just something other than "get as many devices as I can wired instead of wifi" if I could have all my devices wired then I most likely wouldn't be here lol..

The thing is, it may not be possible to fix it.  WiFi by its nature will always have lags unless you live in a lead lined box.  I've tried every bit of the spectrum and sometimes its fine, sometimes its not.

 

If by mesh you mean WiFi APs using a WiFi link to connect each other, that improves WiFi coverage but potentially would make interference even worse.  The only way to improve coverage without adding more latency/interference issues is to add WIRED Access Points where you have a weak signal and make sure they are using different channels.  Even then, you may struggle to avoid clashing with other networks nearby.

[beersykins]

On 2/29/2020 at 1:43 AM, Dimmizer said:

"get as many devices as I can wired instead of wifi" 

That's actually a fix though.

 

You can either add more airspace, or decrease the amount of traffic on the existing airspace.  There are a few routers with multiple 5G bands on them (like the R7850), you could add another AP, or try offloading some devices to the 2.4G band.

[Falcon1986]

I'm not certified in this area, but can still give some advice like many others have already done. If you need professional advice, then you have to be prepared to employ a professional.

 

My opinion of what you're experiencing is that your current network hardware just can't keep up with the current load you're placing on it. And this is where I'd recommend a simple Ubiquiti setup. I find their equipment is better than consumer grade and, while a little more expensive, isn't as expensive as many of the other "pro-sumer"/subscription-based alternatives. A low-cost Edgerouter with 2 or more wired-in UniFi access points (UAP-AC-LR, UAP-AC-Lite, UAP-AC-Pro and/or UAP-NanoHD) will be just fine. An USG or separate UniFi POE switch isn't necessary but allows for monitoring and expansion.

 

Ubiquiti also recently released their UniFi Dream Machine and AmpliFi Alien, both of which are all-in-one router/switch/AP devices except that the UDM has many more features like their other hardware and can be connected to UAP access points (for mesh) and the Alien has WiFi 6 compatibility (and can be meshed to an Alien extender). Neither of these are cheap devices (~US$300+), but they may cost less as AIO network devices compared to purchasing the component parts separately.

[lakonic]

Charter spectrum, what modem did they give you, does it also have wireless/wifi? They can help you with some issues. If so, set it up to provide you with some device acess (smart tv or computers), spread  the load and get details from them like what channels and spectrum( 2.4ghz or 5.0 ghz). Cellphones? what kind of wifi do they use, can you customize the settings. If your willing to do the leg work then you need to understand whats going on around you.Try using/install wifi analyzer app on a cellphone. Get the app that will display signal strength,what bandwidth (2.4/5ghz) and channel info. You will have to figure out how the app works and there is a learning curve, are you up for it? Where does your signal drop off? Do you have devices that sit on the same channel/spectrum. At the very least know your home environment.

 

You may have to get a range extender for the wifi to cover the whole house. These range extenders/AP devices are tricky.

Cost and time, can you get this kind of service from a pro and what is it going to cost you vs your personal time.

You asked for a lot, welcome to the 21 century.

 

[Xenexo]

Hey so I am actually a network support specialist. 

 

Your problem has nothing to do with NAT or bandwidth usage. There are a few things this could be. 

 

You just got a faster internet. This means that you either upgraded to fiber or are still on copper. 

 

Regardless, you might want to check your trace. To do this, open CMD prompt and type 

tracert google.ca

Alternatively you can also type in CMD 

ping google.ca -t

and run that for 1 hour. To stop it press CTRL-C while CMD is open.

Let me know what results you get. 

 

I would also do a DNS flush to make sure nothing is getting routed to a crappy and slow DNS. 

 

Check that your ISP is not down or intermittent. It looks to me like Charter Spectrum is down quite a bit. 

https://downdetector.com/status/spectrum/map/

 

[Zergom]

What does the channel utilization look like at your place? Does this problem persist on 2.4ghz AND 5ghz? Or only one of the two? To me it sounds like interference causing reduced performance.

 

I'd look for an open channel, or pick the channel with the lowest noise floor, and narrow your channel width to 10mhz, if it's stable, then go to 20mhz, and so on. Keep in mind, that reducing channel width reduces throughput, so keep any downloads on wifi on hold until you figure out your channels, or do this test with 5ghz with one device and throw all your other devices on 2.4ghz, and then repeat the test with one device on 2.4ghz and all the other on 5ghz until you find stable channels (in some places there's simply too much interference to get great stability).

 

No degrees here, but I have experience as a network ops manager for a WISP.

[Alex Atkin UK]

7 hours ago, Zergom said:

What does the channel utilization look like at your place? Does this problem persist on 2.4ghz AND 5ghz? Or only one of the two? To me it sounds like interference causing reduced performance.

 

I'd look for an open channel, or pick the channel with the lowest noise floor, and narrow your channel width to 10mhz, if it's stable, then go to 20mhz, and so on. Keep in mind, that reducing channel width reduces throughput, so keep any downloads on wifi on hold until you figure out your channels, or do this test with 5ghz with one device and throw all your other devices on 2.4ghz, and then repeat the test with one device on 2.4ghz and all the other on 5ghz until you find stable channels (in some places there's simply too much interference to get great stability).

 

No degrees here, but I have experience as a network ops manager for a WISP.

For a specialist I find it odd you do not mention avoiding overlapping channels (only use 1, 6 and 11 on 2.4Ghz) and mention 10Mhz channel width which is completely none-standard and unlikely to be supported (plus it would also be an overlapping channel so no benefit over 20Mhz channels at least on 2.4Ghz).

[WereCatf]

20 minutes ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

For a specialist I find it odd you do not mention avoiding overlapping channels (only use 1, 6 and 11 on 2.4Ghz) and mention 10Mhz channel width which is completely none-standard and unlikely to be supported (plus it would also be an overlapping channel so no benefit over 20Mhz channels at least on 2.4Ghz).

Not to mention that they apparently don't understand that there is literally no way of making 5GHz cover the entire house, no matter what, since it can barely pass through a single wall. I mean, you can fiddle with the 5GHz-channels all damn day, if you like, but you can't break the laws of physics and make it pass through the walls and cover an entire house. As such, it's pointless to even bother mentioning 5GHz in this context.

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, WereCatf said:

Not to mention that they apparently don't understand that there is literally no way of making 5GHz cover the entire house, no matter what, since it can barely pass through a single wall. I mean, you can fiddle with the 5GHz-channels all damn day, if you like, but you can't break the laws of physics and make it pass through the walls and cover an entire house. As such, it's pointless to even bother mentioning 5GHz in this context.

My 5 Ghz does the whole house, and partly outside as well. And it passes thru multiple walls in the process. Walls are made out of thick plaster and Drywall. 

[Jarsky]

I have CCNA, but this is absolutely nothing to do with Cisco networking, and even with my enterprise wifi knowledge in Cisco & Ruckus and their network controllers, thats still nothing to do with your issue with average consumer gear.....

 

If you want a certified network 'expert' you should also be already providing technical information

 

- How are all your devices connected. 

- How many radios does your AP have, and what protocol of radios and their power rating

- What protocol/frequency are your devices connected at

- What does the spectrum analysis look like, and what are some of the dB ratings on some of your connected devices

- Do you have a floorplan of the premises, the construction material, etc...to overlay the expected coverage of your radios?

- What sort of throughput readings have you run from your wireless devices, such as a speedtest or iperf to a wired device. 

- What sort of throughput is required, how many devices are streaming simulatenously and what bandwidth is required for those streams

 

 

I can tell you a few things from my own experiences at home with consumer gear and configuring various Wifi setups with Netgear, TP-Link, Asus and mesh setups with Netgear and Ubiquiti

 

- Your router supports 3x3 MIMO, so make sure your channel width is set to the max in your router configuration e.g 80Mhz. Also check broadcasting power is turned up. 

- Smart TV's, many of the cheaper ones even if theyre UHD still only use 2.4Ghz, so they may skip if you're trying to push 4K netflix through them. Check what wireless standard theyre connected at. If they're far from the router then they may be limited in speed. As an example Series 6 & 7 Samsungs dont support 5Ghz. 

- Interference from other home networks can be a problem so use a spectrum analyser to check what channels theyre using and try adjusting your wifi to use different channels. Lower channels are better for compatibility especially with 5Ghz (e.g channel 36-48). 

- Most cheaper consumer units are really only good for apartments and 2-3 bedroom smaller homes. You typically need at  least a second AP or a mesh for larger 3-4 bedroom homes. 

 

If you have a larger home or changing the above doesnt work then:

You could try running a single stronger unit like a ASUS RT-AC5300.

You could switch to a mesh system like Netgear Orbi, Google Wifi or Unifi UDM + Additional AP setup. 

If you can run an ethernet cable, you could get a standalone AP like a Unifi AP to act like a 'mesh' with your current router by giving them the same SSID & Password. 

 

[Dimmizer]

Update:

Tested 5Ghz which I had originally turned off because I knew it doesn't go through walls very well and the layout of our house has like MULTIPLE walls just to get to the living room or kitchen so I figured it'd be pointless and sure enough.. I connected the smart TV just to run some speed tests and yea like 30-40Mbps compared to the 50 sometimes 60ish on 2.4 so unless maybe it'd still be better to run on the 5Ghz cause less interference or none in this matter since I can't see any other 5G networks in my area according to the WiFi Analyzer app.

 

On 3/3/2020 at 7:31 PM, Jarsky said:

- How many radios does your AP have, and what protocol of radios and their power rating

- Your router supports 3x3 MIMO, so make sure your channel width is set to the max in your router configuration e.g 80Mhz. Also check broadcasting power is turned up.

A. I don't see anything in my router that says radios except for Enable Wireless Router Radio for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz respectively.
B. I don't see anything in the router that says channel width either.. and yes the broadcasting power is at 100%

Those are the only 2 questions I have.. am I missing something or does the NetGear R6400v2 not show this information? and I wanted to say thanks for your reply and your time. With all the responses and replies it really just seems like it's an AP issue.. The router isn't in the best place and it wasn't an issue when we 1st moved into the house like 10-12 years ago because only thing that needed internet was 2 desktop PC's and then a few cell phones but obviously that's changed lol. 

[Alex Atkin UK]

16 hours ago, Dimmizer said:

Update:

Tested 5Ghz which I had originally turned off because I knew it doesn't go through walls very well and the layout of our house has like MULTIPLE walls just to get to the living room or kitchen so I figured it'd be pointless and sure enough.. I connected the smart TV just to run some speed tests and yea like 30-40Mbps compared to the 50 sometimes 60ish on 2.4 so unless maybe it'd still be better to run on the 5Ghz cause less interference or none in this matter since I can't see any other 5G networks in my area according to the WiFi Analyzer app.

 

A. I don't see anything in my router that says radios except for Enable Wireless Router Radio for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz respectively.
B. I don't see anything in the router that says channel width either.. and yes the broadcasting power is at 100%

Those are the only 2 questions I have.. am I missing something or does the NetGear R6400v2 not show this information? and I wanted to say thanks for your reply and your time. With all the responses and replies it really just seems like it's an AP issue.. The router isn't in the best place and it wasn't an issue when we 1st moved into the house like 10-12 years ago because only thing that needed internet was 2 desktop PC's and then a few cell phones but obviously that's changed lol. 

Googling screenshots it looks like this might just be simplified in the Mode setting, with different speeds listed which represent the different channel widths.