Hub One - 5GHz WiFi issue

[#1]

Hi,

I've been through all the troubleshooting points (I'm not on 2.4GHz only) and have been advised via Messenger to now comment on this forum that I would like the Firmware pushing to my router please. I've answered your questions below anyway.

I assume from my plusnet username you can get all my router details.

Thanks

1. Brief description of the problem, and how is masquerades itself. What are the symptoms? How frequently does it happen? Every day for last 2 weeks or so internet gets super slow, have to flick phones on to 4G to load pages. Can't use spotify during the working day anymore - prior to 2 weeks ago we had two of us working from home, both listening to spotify/youtube while using Dropbox and OneDrive all day for heavy graphics files, plus video calls.
   
   
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 indicator never falters from blue - can see it all day long.
   
   
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? I was initially advised (for some reason) to go to 5GHz only, that didn't work. I've now done the split and am on 2.4GHz only.
   
   
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? The problem hardly ever goes away, it's just constantly poor. No devices regularly wired, have had to from time to time for testing.
   
   
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, it's just always a problem. Doesn't make a difference time of day or how many devices connected.
   
   
6. Is the problem always resolved by rebooting the hub?  If so, how long does it take before problems recur? No - usually rebooting solved any connection issues - including power cycling it - not any more.
   
   
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. Only notice on the iPhones and Macs, they're the things searching. Streaming on Roku devices and Alexa sometimes grainy and slow to load but this is less of an issue than not being able to run a google search during the working day.
   
   
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. One Plusnet router sitting in the living room - no additions.

[#2]

We have had problems with devices failing to connect and WiFi dropping. I have separated the 2.4 and 5GHz bands in the router settings. Now devices connect to 2.4GHz without complaint but 5GHz band allows no devices to connect.

PN Support Gandalf said I should post here so you can have my firmware updated.

[#3]

Hi @bobpullen ,

Having the same issue as describe here - very interested in the firmware fix.

Below are the answers to Qs. Hope it is of some help.

1. Brief description of the problem, and how is masquerades itself. What are the symptoms? How frequently does it happen?
   
   

Devices connected will cut out. Observation through home hub manager suggest these affected devices are the only ones that connect to 5GHz radio frequency. Laptop (Acer Aspire 3) only ever drops wen moved from position  in house where it picks up 2.4GHZ to a position where it tries to connect to 5GHz

1. 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?

Always blue light.

1. 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?
   
   

Have not split as yet but as noted it only affects devices plugged to 5GHz

1. 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 tend not to have an issue

1. 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]]]
   
   

On Google Pixel phone it happens regularly,

Laptop as stated above cuts out when it moes into 5GHz range at times.

XBox one seems more stable but will lose connectivity to 5GHz

1. Is the problem always resolved by rebooting the hub?  If so, how long does it take before problems recur?
   
   

Yes, Sometimes only a few minutes till problems reoccur (esp on Pixel phone) someitmes an hour or so

1. 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.
   
   

Pixel 3 

Acer Aspire 3

XBox One

1. Have the devices experiencing problems recently received any patches that might correspond with the time the issue first occurred?
   
   

No

1. 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.

Only one WAP.

[#4]

Quick update....got through to manager to discuss options. They are supposedly working on things in the background to bring the router up to standard but the problem with all ISP’s is they don’t have to guarantee WiFi signal just the minimum speed...argued the toss that if you can’t connect as it’s constantly dropping then you’re not get any guaranteed speed! To cut a long story short, you need a new router....they have reimbursed me for the router I have bought, TP link arrived yesterday and set up. Currently no issues and looks to have solved it....

[#5]

Hi @bobpullen,

Would you be able to push the beta firmware out to my router please?

When it's done, will I be notified so a can reboot it?

[#6]

Yes and the fact that they distribute a router manual to the customer saying 'this is how you use the 5Ghz wifi channel'. All customers with the router should get the firmware fix

[#7]

I don't think anyone is listening anymore...

[#8]

I'm not excusing PlusNet but to those who would prefer not to buy a new router I will again confirm that the .273 FW has fixed the issue for me. My phone is normally connected to a UniFi WAP which serves most of the house. Here in my office where the PlusNet Hub is, the signal is still OK but the speed tends to drop to around 200-300Mbps. I just changed it to the 5GHz channel on the Hub and it jumped up to 780Mbps. Of course my broadband is only 72Mbps download so that's mostly irrelevant, but it shows that the Hub wifi is fine.

I does seem that nobody from PlusNet is currently monitoring this thread and I guess I was lucky to have joined it at the right time to get the FW push to my Hub. Are other folks specifically asking for the FW update rather than just explaining the issue? Sometimes you have to help them to help you. I have one other idea but I suspect it is too optimistic: When I got the FW push my Hub UI still showed the .263 FW but the "last updated" date had changed. If PlusNet has pushed the FW generally then maybe that date has changed and you wouldn't know about it without looking. The Hub needs a soft or hard reset to actually start using the new FW.

[#9]

I was told 24 hours ago by plusnet support to post on here that I wanted the firmware update and they’d do it in a few days - hang in there! I am hopeful...!

[#10]

Hi, running 4.7.5.1.83.8.263 here and would like the updated firmware please!!

Currently running with 5Ghz disabled and 2.4Ghz only with all devices on reserved IP's, This has been stable for a week now.

Symptoms on 5Ghz are:- unable to connect Applie devices, Nintendo Switch won't connect, error for both is "Invalid password", SSID's are split. Some wired devices are connected and these often disappeared then reappeared in the Router GUI. When these were using DHCP then often the Wired -- Port  would display a connection (e.g. 100Mb/s) but no hostname or IP/MAC address next to it. Maybe something is broken between ARP and DHCP?

PN ID is lostatsea

[#11]

Could you push the new update to my router please?

I have 4.7.5.1.83.8.263

I have tried splitting the channels along with disabling the 5ghz, both worked initially however problems continue and got worse over the weeks. Specifically drop outs when one Wifi device connects to network (desktop) it seems to knock out another (xbox). I've checked IP addresses to see if there were conflicts but they are auto assigned unique IPs so might be an interference issue.

I've been putting up with unstable Wifi since I signed up with Plusnet about a year ago and finally am fed up.

Will probably leave Plusnet at contract end because I had zero problems with sky prior to swapping over. The only conclusion is that it's a hardware issue I.e. router.

[#12]

I cant tell if anyone above has recently been successful in getting the firmware update but whats to lose. My firmware version is listed as "Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.263 | Last updated 25/03/19"

I am experiencing exactly the same 5Ghz network issues. Phones and consoles suffer slower and slower speeds until they finally just disconnect. A router restart solves it for half hour but then the problems return. 

When I split the two wireless frequencies all devices try connect to the 5Ghz, fail and end up on the 2.4Ghz.

[#13]

I have had no joy in obtaining the fix.
My bt smart hub arrived today, picked one up for £35. Literally took 5 mins to hook up including a firmware upgrade. Software interface far superior to the Plusnet one and dual band wifi working perfectly.

[#14]

I've also gone HH6 this morning.

It was a bit of a [-Censored-] to set up because I didn't know my password. 

Most significantly It's not the one written on the router. It's the same one you use to log into one of the plusnet websites. 

This forum has one, plusnet broadband has another and my plusnet mobile has another.

And strangely the ebay seller put a piece of paper with the password which must have been for his other router. That cost me a bit of time

I'm really pleased with it but will wait a week before praising it too much.

Certainly in the top bedroom as far away as you can get in the 5 bed house the signal is much stronger than I ever saw with hubone.

[#15]

I'd be interested in hearing about your findings with the line speed of the HH6. I borrowed one from a friend because of the 5Ghz issues previously and it solved them all, with a much better range too.

However I've found my download is consistently around 5Mbps slower than that of the Plusnet hub one with using all the same devices and cables etc. I only noticed though because I'm currently monitoring every 30 minutes due to other ongoing issues.

@timraper How did you update the firmware out of interest and what is that latest version? I may check this on the one I have here.