Hub One - 5GHz WiFi issue

[#1]

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@funn3r wrote:

Actually I would like a fix in the very near future. It's just a firmware;

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Harder than you'd imagine - each time they rollout new firmware to fix bugs they introduce new ones.

[#2]

I have suggested to @bobpullen to try going back to a really old firmware but......
I don't work for Plusnet, I just stand in for the people who should reply on this forum !

[#3]

Following my post 31/12, I am sad to report that although the 'fix' did enable a 'reliable' connection, this 'connection' faded at around 10feet to virtually nothing. We have reverted to the previous BT hub and connection is much better with no issues cause by the dual band.

It would appear the provided PN router is, simply, rubbish!

[#4]

Sorry but I don't agree with all the praise heaped on plus net for advice and what they are doing about this issue. The fact is the router, as configured when shipped, can cause problems.
After not having a smart phone for many months and not being able to afford mega bucks I chose a reputable supplier and a Chinese phone with good reports. It's brilliant but WiFi kept dropping out. So for the past 4 months or so blamed the cheap phone. Getting frustrated I did phone plus net on the off chance they might be able to help.
Within 5 minutes they reconfigured my router remotely and problem solved.
So yes, problem solved but it was wrongly configured and it should have worked out of the box.
It would not be beyond possibility to put a note on the email from billing to just nudge people about the problem and a short term fix. But there again billing is not brilliant is it.
So not pleased that the kit supplied in some cases does not work. Not pleased Plusnet knew and only tech savvy people who comes in the support community would know. What about Mr and Mrs average who just wants it to work.
So no praise, Plusnet are only doing what they should and not doing it very well regarding this issue.

[#5]

I totally agree with you,if it was anything else you would return it back to seller,,/Supplier. But for some reason when it comes to broadband we just seem to accept the poor service ,,and very poor quality equipment. I suppose we have no choice as under contract and if we leave not only do we have to pay Plusnet compensation for leaving early but it could take weeks to get a new supplier and broadband reconnected. Eventually this and other issues from Plusnet will come back to bite them in the backside as has issues with other types of companies . Compensation claims will eventually cost Plusnet more than a recall and replacement of the router. They really do need to get they heads round this issue and get it sorted Before the ombudsman or trading standards steps in and does it for them. It's there hard working staff,who are dealing with a constant bombardment of complaints I feel sorry for. The end of the day we are paying good money for a sub standard WiFi service with faulty equipment. Definitely not on and no excuse is good enough.

[#6]

@funn3r - thanks for the detail. We have a Google Mini, but not one of the newer Nest devices so I’ll try and get hold of one.

@Baldrick1, yes it should drop back to 2.4GHz. The issue we’re seeing seems to be with either the four-way handshake or the bridge between the Wi-Fi/routing interface. I’ve intentionally left the splitting of the two bands out of my original list of suggestions for the sake of simplifying things. There shouldn’t be too many devices these days that struggle with the two bands sharing the same SSID.

@Lard365, yes that is unusual. You should only see a single network name if you have disabled the 5GHz network. Have you tried ‘forgetting’ all of the saved Wi-Fi networks on the device you’re seeing the two broadcast names from?

@wellanna, the firmware downgrade route isn’t ideal as it introduces other problems. I do hope to have a build soon though that will hopefully offer some respite. I’ll post here when I have more news.

@NigeBoy, there are hundreds of thousands of Hub Ones in use that are running the affected firmware build. They are definitely *not* all affected though. Without 100% nailing down what is causing the issue, and without an obvious signature that can be used to identify problem cases, we can only go on anecdotal reports. Whilst it can't be argued there are many, they are representatively few when you consider how many devices there are out there and how long this problem has been going on for.

@mikejphillips, that’s unusual because on paper the 2.4GHz radio should be more reliable over longer distances (assuming there’s not a load of local interference).

Appreciate the info provided by everybody else, and apologies to those who continue to be inconvenienced.

[#7]

@bobpullen 

Thanks for giving this feedback. I trust that it will give those affected confidence that the problem is being addressed.

I find it interesting (nightmare for you!) that whilst one may easily assume that this is a software fault, such faults are normally systematic in nature. This seems incompatible with the fact that the fault does not affect all routers and is so difficult to replicate.

I assume that your team is also looking at the hardware as it occurs to me that this behaviour could well be a timing issue? In a previous life this sort of problem occasionally occurred when components were changed due to obsolescence. The one thing I learnt to look out for was changing an active component for a 'better' i.e. faster one, only to fall foul of the effect of faster edge rise and fall times. These were often rectified with a software 'tweek'.

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@bobpullen wrote:

I’ve intentionally left the splitting of the two bands out of my original list of suggestions for the sake of simplifying things. There shouldn’t be too many devices these days that struggle with the two bands sharing the same SSID.

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Fair enough. I mentioned it as I very recently encountered this problem with a relative's Smarthub 6. Her phone would not connect until I split the bands.

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[#8]

Bob - if it was a 'local interference' problem, surely that would affect the BT router too - same location? The performance at 2.4 is STUNNINGLY bad! There was no opportunity to compare the 5 performance for obvious reasons! Even l.o.s at 10-15feet was losing a 21'ish broadband connection.

The BT router appears to cause no problems in double wifi mode either. As others say, this PN router is not really fit for purpose.

Does my son return the router?

[#9]

Can I clarify something. Plusnet, remotely, reconfigured my router and also sent me an email how to do it myself. The problem seemed to be the 2.4 AND the 5 GHz streams had the same ssid. Now mine appear with different ssid's and I do not seem to have drops and a new responsive experience.
As for anyone wanting to leave or send the router back or any other drastic action up to you but I have a solution with 1 phone call.
My gripe is that this is a known issue but only known to those who spend more time delving into the technicalities and on here every 5 minutes rather than using the net. I just want to connect not keep tweeking etc. and making suppositions about what is happening.
I have had 4 months of frustration blaming my phone when 1, 5 minute call has improved matters immensely. So happy with my £110 Chinese smartphone again.

[#10]

@briston
If simply separating the SSIDs has fixed things for you that is great. That solves a different problem not the one this thread relates to.
This thread relates to a firmware problem where the 5Ghz WiFi loses connection to the outside world.
My SSIDs have had separate names for 3 and a half years but this other issue has been affecting many of us for 10 months.
Please read the full thread and the 33 pages of its predecessor before accusing us of all being idiots.

[#11]

@Nigboy
Thank you for your sound advice about reading 33 pages. I have and also I have looked again at my posts, perhaps you would like to read all 2 of them in this thread. At no time did I call anyone an idiot.
If you would like me to send a transcript, even the actual voice recording of the conversation I had with Plusnet it reveals that indeed, my problem does relate to this thread. Also Plusnet, in the email which I alluded to in my post, has the address of this very thread.
Also during this thread it is stated that not many devices should have problems with handling 2 streams with the same ssid. Well 1 is 1 too many.
So I stand by my comments. Still looking for when I called anyone an idiot but did say I don't want to spend hours on the technicalities of using the internet, just use it.
After 27 years in the broadcast TV industry working for a local itv broadcaster in Norwich, famous for its sale of the century, as an electronics engineer I have had enough of that sort of thing now. I just want to use technology. However if anyone wants to know about how the TV system works, booking by lines, repair a telecine (that's old stuff), fashion a colour killer from a piece of coax or time in a new studio I'll give you the heads up.

[#12]

@briston I am afraid that you are misinformed and @NigeBoy is correct, the splitting of the wireless bands is not a solution to the 5Ghz network failure issue, you shouldn't believe what customer support say, it needs a large pinch of salt. I am a retired electronics and software engineer and there is no way I would let an ISP support person change anything in my router configuration. which they can't actually do in my case because I never use ISP supplied equipment.  I am surprised that you allowed it to happen.😮

[#13]

@RealAleMadrid 

Whilst I understand your point, if the two bands are separated and you are using the 2.4 GHz band I assume that the 5GHz band can do its own thing without affecting the 2.4 GHz connection? Is this not correct?

I do agree that the problem concerning devices not working with synchronised bands is a totally different problem.

[#14]

@Baldrick1 

I do not understand your first sentence, I never implied anything about the 2.4Ghz network performance being affected, my understanding is that devices on 5GHz lose connectivity. PlusNet's useless work around is to disable the 5Ghz network.😮

It is of no concern to me as previously mentioned I use my own router and WAP devices.

[#15]

@RealAleMadrid 

What I was alluding to is this comment that you made:

@briston I am afraid that you are misinformed and @NigeBoy is correct, the splitting of the wireless bands is not a solution to the 5Ghz network failure issue,

The point I was trying to make is that my understanding is, and I might be wrong as, like you, I do not use a Hub One, that if the bands are split and you use the 2.4GHz band then it does not matter what the 5GHz band does. However, and again I say I might be wrong, it is my understanding that if the bands are synchronised and presumably the connected device is using the 5GHz band, when the 5GHz band goes down it appears from my reading that the connected device still hangs on to the now defunct 5GHz signal rather than drop back to the 2.4GHz band.

If my last assumption is incorrect then presumably many more Hub Ones have this problem but users are not aware due to the automatic fall back to the 2.4GHz band.

[#16]

@briston I am afraid that you are misinformed and @NigeBoy is correct, the splitting of the wireless bands is not a solution to the 5Ghz network failure issue,

The point I was trying to make is that my understanding is, and I might be wrong as, like you, I do not use a Hub One, that if the bands are split and you use the 2.4GHz band then it does not matter what the 5GHz band does. However, and again I say I might be wrong, it is my understanding that if the bands are synchronised and presumably the connected device is using the 5GHz band, when the 5GHz band goes down it appears from my reading that the connected device still hangs on to the now defunct 5GHz signal rather than drop back to the 2.4GHz band.

If my last assumption is incorrect then presumably many more Hub Ones have this problem but users are not aware due to the automatic fall back to the 2.4GHz band.