Hub One - 5GHz WiFi issue

[#1]

Hi @bobpullen,
Thanks for pushing a further update to my router. I'll give it sometime to see how it goes and write a feedback.

[#2]

Hi @bobpullen,
Thanks for pushing a further update to my router. I'll give it a week or two to see how it goes before I give you feedback.

[#3]

Hello. I’ve been away from home for a few days and on returning yesterday I’ve noticed I can’t connect to the 5GHz WiFi. I can connect to the 2.4 without issue. I switched off my hub 1 router yesterday, left it for 5 min and switched back on and could then connect to the 5GHz again.

Arrived home this afternoon and again couldn’t connect so again switched off and on again. So far I’m connected again. I’m currently running software version 274.

After 5-6 months of problems with PN at the end of last year everything has been running fine till now.

[#4]

Just to add my experience to the compilation...

1. Brief description of the problem, and how is masquerades itself. What are the symptoms? How frequently does it happen?           Main symptom is either my home laptop (EVGA brand running Windows 10) or my work laptop (Lenovo, running Windows 10 ) randomly losing Internet access while still being connected to the WiFi broadcast. Happened every few days since joining PlusNet in mid-June but happens several times a day over the past week. Home laptop affected more frequently than work laptop.
   
   
2. Do the devices having problems appear to be connected or associated with the hub?  Is the hub status indicator normal/blue when the problem occurs?                 Hub light is blue. Other devices seem unaffected (NowTV stick continues to stream, phones remain able to utilise the broadband via WiFi).
   
   
3. Do you have the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels merged (default setting) or split (different wireless network names)? If the networks are named differently, does the problem only affect the 5GHz network? Merged presently.        Both affected devices are definitely on the 5GHz frequency, though. Have not experimented enough to know whether the other devices on the WiFi are using 2.4 or 5GHz.
   
   
4. Once the problem occurs is it persistent?  Do you have any devices wired to the router and does the problem affect them at the same time?                  Once a device is disconnected I don’t think it connects again without re-starting the router, so it is persistent in that sense. Sometimes it has taken two or three re-starts to restore Internet access to the affected device. Switching the affected device off an on again never restores access; only rebooting the router does. There are no devices wired to the router.
   
   
5. Are you able to reproduce the problem reliably? Do you think you have a way of triggering it? [for example waking a specific device from power save mode].              No, sadly not.
   
   
6. Is the problem always resolved by rebooting the hub?  If so, how long does it take before problems recur?          No, on occasions the affected device has still not had Internet access, despite being connected to the WiFi broadcast, even after rebooting the hub. Generally a reboot of the hub does seem to resolve the problem, though. Problem can re-occur within a couple of hours of a reboot.
   
   
7. If specific devices are always impacted when problems occur, please provide details of which devices are impacted and which aren't i.e. manufacturer, model, variant and operating system version.                As above, I’ve only noticed the issue with an EVGA laptop and a Lenovo laptop, both running Windows 10. Other devices seem unaffected, although only the NowTV stick is running persistently enough for me to notice. The two phones have network data as a contingency, so we would not necessarily notice if WiFi dropped out on them occasionally as they revert seamlessly to mobile data.
   
   
8. Have the devices experiencing problems recently received any patches that might correspond with the time the issue first occurred?              Problem has been evident almost from day one of PlusNet membership, so no.
   
   
9. Please provide a description of your home network setup and all devices in use including whether or not you're using any additional switches, Powerline adapters or wireless access points.               Nothing fancy in use. Every device is WiFi: no powerlines or hardwiring. 2x laptops (as above), Chromecast, Amazon Firestick, 2x Kindle Fire HD 8, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 3. There is a Lenovo tablet (2014) and a Nexus tablet (2012) in the house, although the are rarely ever switched on.

PlusNet router firmware is 4.7.5.1.83.8.263

[#5]

Hi @bobpullen

I believe I have started to experience this issue as multiple (not all) of my devices no longer connect to the wi-fi. My phone, for example, says an authentication error has occurred.

1. Brief description of the problem, and how is masquerades itself. What are the symptoms? How frequently does it happen?
   Devices which were previously on the 5Ghz wireless no longer connect to the wifi, these are a Samsung S8+ phone and a laptop. Devices on the 2.4Ghz wireless, four google homes, two wired devices, another phone, another laptop, and two televisions, are unaffected.
2. Do the devices having problems appear to be connected or associated with the hub?  Is the hub status indicator normal/blue when the problem occurs? 
   Yes, it is blue.
3. Do you have the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels merged (default setting) or split (different wireless network names)? If the networks are named differently, does the problem only affect the 5GHz network?
   Don't know how I would find this out, although since I haven't changed anything I assume it is the default setting.
4. Once the problem occurs is it persistent?  Do you have any devices wired to the router and does the problem affect them at the same time?
   It is persistent, devices cannot connect.
5. Are you able to reproduce the problem reliably? Do you think you have a way of triggering it? [for example waking a specific device from power save mode]
   No.
6. Is the problem always resolved by rebooting the hub?  If so, how long does it take before problems recur?
   No.
7. If specific devices are always impacted when problems occur, please provide details of which devices are impacted and which aren't i.e. manufacturer, model, variant and operating system version.
   Devices which were previously on the 5Ghz wireless no longer connect to the wifi, these are a Samsung S8+ phone and a laptop. Devices on the 2.4Ghz wireless, four google homes, two wired devices (Hive and BT extender), another phone, another Toshiba laptop, and two televisions one Samsung and one LG, are unaffected.
8. Have the devices experiencing problems recently received any patches that might correspond with the time the issue first occurred?
   No.
9. Please provide a description of your home network setup and all devices in use including whether or not you're using any additional switches, Powerline adapters or wireless access points

Samsung S8+ ad one other smartphone, two laptops, four google home minis, two wired devices (Hive and BT extender), and two televisions one Samsung and one LG.

Many thanks,

Alex

[#6]

1. Brief description of the problem, and how is masquerades itself. What are the symptoms? How frequently does it happen?
   I am connected to the 5G on my laptop and I suddenly lose connection. It then will not reconnect unless I reboot the router. It has now happened twice around 4.30PM on a Saturday afternoon.
2. Do the devices having problems appear to be connected or associated with the hub?  Is the hub status indicator normal/blue when the problem occurs?
   The light remains blue and all the devices connected to 2G remain connected and working. The problem is only with the devices connected to 5G
3. Do you have the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels merged (default setting) or split (different wireless network names)? If the networks are named differently, does the problem only affect the 5GHz network? They are currently merged but I split them on the router I had before and I had the same problem.
   
   
4. Once the problem occurs is it persistent?  Do you have any devices wired to the router and does the problem affect them at the same time? Wired devices are unaffected.
   
   
5. Are you able to reproduce the problem reliably? Do you think you have a way of triggering it? [for example waking a specific device from power save mode] The only thing will be to see if again it happens next Saturday around 4.30 although I am going to disable 5G as it is too frustrating.
   
   
6. Is the problem always resolved by rebooting the hub?  If so, how long does it take before problems recur? Rebooting does resolve it and I think normally it is around 4 to 5 days before the issue re-occurs.
   
   
7. If specific devices are always impacted when problems occur, please provide details of which devices are impacted and which aren't i.e. manufacturer, model, variant and operating system version. Samsung S7 and Samsung S8, along with a laptop Lenovo Windows 10. 
   
   
8. Have the devices experiencing problems recently received any patches that might correspond with the time the issue first occurred? No
   
   
9. Please provide a description of your home network setup and all devices in use including whether or not you're using any additional switches, Powerline adapters or wireless access points. No powerline adaptors, 2 Alexa's, 1 Fire TV Stick, 2 Chromecasts, and 2 Mobile phones all connected via WI-FI plus a Samsung TV and Synology NAS connected by network cables to hub.

Plusnet telephone support have been really good but if this issue has been ongoing since December then I thin all new customers since then are due a refund or can at least cancel without penalty as the service is clearly not fit for purpose.

[#7]

This is getting ridiculous!  We complained on the forum a couple of weeks ago about the wifi dropping out and given instructions how to do an update.  It resolved the issue for few days and the problem returned.  However now unless you are in the same room, the wifi is very intermittent and drops out and you have to reconnect.  We live in a rural area so no mobile coverage however we use the phones through the router's wifi. 

I have put up with it until now and did not pursue my complaint however I am now finding that it is dropping out even when using an Ethernet connect direct to my laptop although it is not as frequent as when using the wifi.  It is noticeable when using the Firestick on the TV as sometimes it can take ages to load the service provider i.e. Amazon, Netflix etc.  If using the Amazon or Netflix app on the TV it is quicker most times as the TV is connected to the router by the Ethernet cable.

We would really like to resolve this issue once and for all as it can be frustrating with connection dropping out randomly!

[#8]

1. Brief description of the problem, and how is masquerades itself. What are the symptoms? How frequently does it happen?   My Galaxy s10-e loses wi-fi connection after about 6 days.  Reconnecting only seems to work for about 10 minutes.  My iPad (generation 4) also loses connection but not as often as the phone, also at some point it eventually fails to recognise the password too. In all the months it has been happening I only lost connection from my laptop once. My wife's Galaxy S8 does not lose connection as often.
   
   
2. Do the devices having problems appear to be connected or associated with the hub?  Is the hub status indicator normal/blue when the problem occurs?  The light is usually blue when I check and when I go to reset,
   
   
3. Do you have the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels merged (default setting) or split (different wireless network names)? If the networks are named differently, does the problem only affect the 5GHz network? Default setting
   
   
4. Once the problem occurs is it persistent?  Do you have any devices wired to the router and does the problem affect them at the same time? I don't think it has ever gone away without a reset. I have a desktop wired connection but I don't use it often.
   
   
5. Are you able to reproduce the problem reliably? Do you think you have a way of triggering it? [for example waking a specific device from power save mode] Problem happens regularly.  It appears without me doing anything - phone and iPad are always on.  
   
   
6. Is the problem always resolved by rebooting the hub?  If so, how long does it take before problems recur?
   Always resolved by reboot. About 5-6 days before recurrence.
7. If specific devices are always impacted when problems occur, please provide details of which devices are impacted and which aren't i.e. manufacturer, model, variant and operating system version.
   As mentioned earlier
8. Have the devices experiencing problems recently received any patches that might correspond with the time the issue first occurred?
   No.
9. Please provide a description of your home network setup and all devices in use including whether or not you're using any additional switches, Powerline adapters or wireless access points Router setup away from main BT access. Regularly connected: Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S8, 3 Amazon Echo Dot, PS3, PackardBell EasyNote T-69KB laptop, iPad x 2. I connect other things but not as often and the problem occurs before these are connected e.g. Wii

[#9]

This has been going on since 2019 looking through the various posts. I joined in August and am having exactly the same issues. It is defo 5GHz waveband causing the problem but it also affects the 2.4GHz unless you disable the 5GHz waveform.

That basically stops a number of my WiFi devices from connecting.

I'm running .263 firmware and certainly don't want to put in A BT HH6 or SmartHub that I have sitting around as they don't allow complex password security on the internet password which means I'd have to change my Account password to be "unsecure" - that certainly won't be happening

[#10]

Hi @Surfer ,

If your PC connection through Ethernet cable drops out, then your line has a problem and you should ask it to be checked (by PN). Of course, this could be on top of a WiFi issue, but you can tackle only one problem at a time.

Cheers,

[#11]

They replaced the junction or connection box in the home on the last visit.  The problem is that it is intermittent.  The Ethernet may drop out now and then and can live with that, but the wifi drops out constantly which is very annoying.  Samsung S10 phone and laptop in same room both lose wifi intermittently and frequently. 

[#12]

I had similar happen two years ago, 10 months it took BT to correct and it was only because the last guy who came in was very experienced....

5 visits over 9 months the inexperienced just out of college guys with their instruments quoting this and that is in tolerance...... Each visit replacing different parts and checking\rechecking... making\remaking connections worked for a few hours to a few weeks then back to everything slowing down.....

The 6th guy who came simply said that bit of cable there (house to pole) probably 30+ years old... that's the problem, replaced.......not a single issue (apart from PN 5Ghz) since.....

Hope this helps someone.....!

[#13]

Thanks for this very useful post. Now think I realise what my problems are.

Answers to questions below.

Many thanks for your help.

1. Brief description of the problem, and how is masquerades itself. What are the symptoms? How frequently does it happen?
   WiFi drops fairly often in that it appears connected but internet doesn't work e.g. streaming stops/websites don't load. It happens most often when I go into the room where the router is, and devices try to reconnect to 5GHz. My wife frequently gets the issue with it asking her to reconnect her iPad but not accepting the password.
   
   
2. Do the devices having problems appear to be connected or associated with the hub?  Is the hub status indicator normal/blue when the problem occurs?
   Yes, they still appear connected. The Hub status indicator is normal/blue.
   
   
3. Do you have the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels merged (default setting) or split (different wireless network names)? If the networks are named differently, does the problem only affect the 5GHz network?
   Default setting.
   
   
4. Once the problem occurs is it persistent?  Do you have any devices wired to the router and does the problem affect them at the same time?
   It is persistent but other WiFi devices can continue to work. Don't have any wired devices.
   
   
5. Are you able to reproduce the problem reliably? Do you think you have a way of triggering it? [for example waking a specific device from power save mode]
   Other than being more common in the same room as the router, there doesn't seem to be a specific trigger.
   
   
6. Is the problem always resolved by rebooting the hub?  If so, how long does it take before problems recur?
   Yes. Problems are usually back in some form within a day or two.
   
   
7. If specific devices are always impacted when problems occur, please provide details of which devices are impacted and which aren't i.e. manufacturer, model, variant and operating system version.
   Worst device seems my wife's iPad 32GB WiFi 6th Gen Model MR7G2B/A iOS 13.7
   
   
8. Have the devices experiencing problems recently received any patches that might correspond with the time the issue first occurred?
   We have multiple iPads and iPhones which will generally all receive updates at similar times. We tend to keep them up to date.
   
   
9. Please provide a description of your home network setup and all devices in use including whether or not you're using any additional switches, Powerline adapters or wireless access points.
   No additional hardware.
   

   2.4 GHz Wireless:	Jamess-MBP	MacBook Pro
   	Sophie	iPad
   	ShirleyAnnsAir	MacBook Air
   	Emmas-Air	MacBook Air
   	JCluckiiPad2019
   	Sophies-iPhone
   5 GHz Wireless:	amazon-6b7c447e0	Echo dot
   	amazon-153c69747	Echo dot
   	amazon-39d37822c	Echo dot
   	dhcpcd-6-8-2-Linu...	FireTV Stick
   	iPad	*iPad with worst symptoms
   Ethernet:	udhcp-1-10-1-30-f...	BluRay Player
   	Unknown-d0-4d-2c-...	NowTV Box

[#14]

As it seems that Plusnet are not going to resolve the issue permanently in the near future, we have decided to buy the BT Hub 6 to get around the problem of the wifi dropping our constantly.  As we live in a rural area with virtually no mobile phone signal we rely heavily on wifi for comminications.

[#15]

To me, it's quite logical the problem could be the line from the pole to the house due to the fact it moves in the wind so could be making and breaking from time to time. Mine is 30 plus years and I do have disconnection problems from time to time but OpenReach won't replace it as they say it tests ok.

IMHO they should have a bit of test kit they can leave in place for 48 hrs to check if the line makes and breaks.

I don't think they like climbing these days due to HAS rules.