Hub One - 5GHz WiFi issue

[#1]

@bobpullen

If by "forced reboot" you mean initiated by me via "restart router" then yes they are.

But the problems of disconnects are much more frequent than that (all throughout the day at random times), although they can sometimes be fixed in the short term by reconnecting or rebooting a device, although Windows10 PCs seem to reconnect at (or sometimes drop to) a very slow speed (which can't be the plusnet wifi bands as I use my mesh setup.)

I did wonder if some of the problems stem from DHCP as the plusnet router has arbitrarily changed IP addresses I had previously assigned to static (for IP cameras) and often my android phone will say it cannot get an IP address (as well as "connected without internet" or "sign in to the network" or "requires login/authorisation")

Since disabling the uPnP extended security, I'd say this has improved things, and although my phone still loses internet connectivity (while remaining connected to wifi), turning off wifi and then back on again seems to fix it. Previously, it might take a phone reboot and perhaps a router reboot too. IP cameras / wifi light bulbs / google home mini still lose connection periodically, although with the uPnP change, this seems to be less often and they reconnect quicker without the need to reboot them every single time.

Is it safe enough to keep the uPnP extended security disabled though?

Just as I went to post this, my PC connection speed just plummeted. I've just run a speed test (fast.com) and it said 60kbps. A second test has gone up to 1.5mbps. My line usually syncs at 72mbps and I get about 67mbps on a test when all working fine.

Thanks again.

[#2]

Hi Bob

Recently joined and having issues from day 2, split my connection and issue seems to be with 5ghz only although 2.4ghz can be slow. Is it possible to get the firmware update pushed to me please?

Hub status remains blue when problems occur

No devices wired.

Can’t trigger problem seems to be persistent across all devices but with no noticeable pattern

Rebooting resolves

Current firmware version 4.7.5.1.83.8.263

Thanks

[#3]

Plusnet customer since September and , Split my connection and issue seems to be with 5ghz but 2.4ghz painfully slow.  So fed up.

Is it possible to get the firmware update pushed to me please?

Hub status remains blue when problems occur

No obvious trigger to problem, seems to be persistent across all devices but with no noticeable pattern. All my google home devices run on 5ghz and every time 5ghz disappears/switches itself off my entire system is disabled.

Rebooting normally resolves, but sometimes I have to reset all devices individually which is hugely inconvenient.

Current firmware version 4.7.5.1.83.8.263

[#4]

@bobpullen 

Firmware version:  4.7.5.1.83.8.263

1. Zenbook UX425E with Intel AX201 wi-fi chipset on the latest (May 2021) drivers with no issues according to Windows troubleshooting will usually get ~1Mbps, sometimes 4Mbps, sometimes full speed in a speedtest. The DHCP lease set to 1 day probably has something to do with this (only had the laptop a week).

2. Hub otherwise has been fine, connecting okay with an iPad and iPhone both on latest iOS14.

3. Yes, I tried splitting wi-fi and it worked for a few hours, the Zenbook working fine on 2.4GHz band but wi-fi stopped altogether after a few hours.

4. Wired connection is good, too early to say if laptop issue is persistent since DHCP lease was set to one day (now set to 21 days).

5. No, I assume its random based on DHCP lease.

6. So far, yes (only rebooted three times though) problem reoccurs the following day.

7. Zenbook UX425E with Intel AX201 wi-fi chipset on the latest (May 2021) drivers running up-to-date Windows 10.

8. No but it's a new laptop and I updated all software and firmware immediately so wouldn't know!

10. One PC connected via ethernet along with a PlayStation 4, everything else on wi-fi. Three laptops, two iPads, an iPhone, chromecast and printer.

[#5]

@drwarrowsmith @probbins & @pun_thedon - I've just pushed the update to your devices. You'll need to switch your routers off/back on to apply it.

Hope it helps.

[#6]

@bobpullen 

Hi, I've not been doing forced reboots.  After all signals go, I can't see any neighbours routers either.  Eventually my router reboots itself and asks me to enter the router admin password.  I have to keep trying this for a couple of minutes and eventually all connections are restored.

I just checked my account and it looks as if i've had this router since July 2016.  I wonder if it has reached the end of it's natural life?

[#7]

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@Simon974 wrote:

If by "forced reboot" you mean initiated by me via "restart router" then yes they are.

But the problems of disconnects are much more frequent than that (all throughout the day at random times), although they can sometimes be fixed in the short term by reconnecting or rebooting a device, although Windows10 PCs seem to reconnect at (or sometimes drop to) a very slow speed (which can't be the plusnet wifi bands as I use my mesh setup.)

I did wonder if some of the problems stem from DHCP as the plusnet router has arbitrarily changed IP addresses I had previously assigned to static (for IP cameras) and often my android phone will say it cannot get an IP address (as well as "connected without internet" or "sign in to the network" or "requires login/authorisation")

Since disabling the uPnP extended security, I'd say this has improved things, and although my phone still loses internet connectivity (while remaining connected to wifi), turning off wifi and then back on again seems to fix it. Previously, it might take a phone reboot and perhaps a router reboot too. IP cameras / wifi light bulbs / google home mini still lose connection periodically, although with the uPnP change, this seems to be less often and they reconnect quicker without the need to reboot them every single time.

Is it safe enough to keep the uPnP extended security disabled though?

Just as I went to post this, my PC connection speed just plummeted. I've just run a speed test (fast.com) and it said 60kbps. A second test has gone up to 1.5mbps. My line usually syncs at 72mbps and I get about 67mbps on a test when all working fine.

Thanks again.

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@Simon974 thanks for the detail. That explains the connection drops then.

One trouble I have understanding the issue you're observing (and apologies if this sounds blunt), is the fact that it is arguably nothing to do with the problem being discussed in this thread. The problem under discussion here involves use of the Hub One wireless radios, and you have both of these disabled (are they both disabled? - I can see fairly recent associations on the 2.4GHz network)

It's better suited to a separate thread, but immediate questions I'd be asking would be around what mesh solution you are using, and how it is configured i.e. is it in AP rather than routing mode? What DHCP settings of its own does it have (if any)? How are the AP's connected to the hub (any other networking devices like Powerlines on the network)?

I think UPnP is likely a red herring, or masking the underlying problem.

There are some slight changes in 289.1.1. Nothing I think is going to help with this particular issue, but I've pushed it your way regardless (you'll need to reboot). 

Bottom line is - if you do not experience issues with the mesh units removed from the equation (outside of range limitations), then this is probably going to prove pretty tricky to troubleshoot/replicate from here as most of the Wi-Fi traffic is passing through an aftermarket device that we have practically zero visibility of.

[#8]

@bobpullen

Thanks for the detailed response and new update - and also my apologies that my posts around these issues may be in the wrong thread - when I first found it a few months ago, it was the only one I could find that was consistent with the problems I have been experiencing.

I'll try and find time to run the network (with range limitations) without the mesh for a while and see what happens, but then start a new support thread if needed.

To briefly answer your questions - I keep the 2.4 band on the PN router switched on just as a backup way of connecting to it. But this seems to respond just as slowly after a disconnect/slowdown which is why I assumed the problems were similarly related.
And my mesh is a Tenda Nova MW6-3 in bridge mode. Therefore no DHCP options at all, essentially 3 APs which are all connected by ethernet cables, with no powerlines.

I was experiencing problems before I bought the mesh system - but originally had put it down to coverage - our house walls seem to kill wifi signals. I suspect the mesh addition has only muddied the waters...

Thanks again for your considerable time spent on this.

[#9]

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@CecilSneer wrote:

Hi, I've not been doing forced reboots.

Then something is definitely not right. At a glance, I would have made an assumption that there's an issue with your actual broadband connection that needs investigating.

After all signals go, I can't see any neighbours routers either

That can't be anything to do with the Hub One. The ability to 'see' other Wi-Fi networks is solely the responsibility of the device you are using.

Eventually my router reboots itself and asks me to enter the router admin password.

Ah! If the router is physically rebooting itself, then that's something else entirely. Neither related to the line, or the Wi-Fi performance. I can see this in the logs immediately preceding the reboot events which does not look healthy:-

Boot reason: watchdog reset (cause: 0x3)

I just checked my account and it looks as if i've had this router since July 2016.  I wonder if it has reached the end of it's natural life?

Based on the above, I have pushed the 289.1.1 update to your device to rule out a crash condition that I know it fixes (please reboot at your convenience to apply it)

Keep an eye on things, and if the issue persists then let me know and I'll arrange the shipping of a replacement.

[#10]

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@Simon974 wrote:

And my mesh is a Tenda Nova MW6-3 in bridge mode. Therefore no DHCP options at all, essentially 3 APs which are all connected by ethernet cables, with no powerlines.

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Is that the recommended configuration for these devices? Are you saying you have each mesh point wired back to the Plusnet router?

Isn't a more traditional approach to wire a single mesh point to the router and have the others communicate over wireless backhaul?

I'm wondering if having each unit wired back to the router might be (rightfully or wrongly) introducing problems, as the hub will effectively be seeing devices flip-flop between ethernet ports as you walk around your house. If this causes a lease conflict due to how quickly it happens i.e. where you've set static dynamic IP allocations, then I could quite easily see the Tenda devices getting confused. 

[#11]

@bobpullen

Sorry - I should have stated explicitly that the mesh units are daisy chained as per the instructions for wired backhaul. Only the master unit is wired into the PN router. That's one of the reasons I chose the system as the wifi signals between rooms can be very poor.

[#12]

Thank you Bob.  I've updated to 289.1.1 and will keep an eye on it.

[#13]

Hi @bobpullen, I've been having this issue for the last few months, could you push the update to my router?

Thanks.

[#14]

@jcheng - sorry to hear that. I've pushed an update to your router that should help. You'll need to restart it at your side to apply.

@Simon974 wrote:

Sorry - I should have stated explicitly that the mesh units are daisy chained as per the instructions for wired backhaul. Only the master unit is wired into the PN router. That's one of the reasons I chose the system as the wifi signals between rooms can be very poor.

Interesting. Not come across (relatively) budget options like this before. Spot of Googling suggests there can be some quirks with the wired backhaul in certain scenarios, but tends to be when wired back through a switch rather than directly daisy chained.

I wonder if removing the wired backhaul, and reverting to wireless might also be something to explore (although recognise it's a PITA).

Another quick question - Is the 2.4GHz SSID for the Hub One different to the one being used by the mesh? If it is, then I'd also suggest changing it to something else (or try disabling entirely).

At this stage, I'd probably look to try replicating the problem but it's dependent on me sourcing the cash to acquire the Tenda units - and even if I can replicate, there's no guarantee it's not going to end up being something specific to the Tenda implementation 😕

[#15]

Hi @bobpullen

Yes, the 2.4GHz band on the PN Hub One is totally different to the the mesh.

Thanks for the suggestions - although from what I understand, the wireless backhaul uses the 5GHz band on the nodes so I have my doubts about it keeping a stable link.

Interesting to hear you mention a switch - I do have an unmanaged switch connected to the LAN port of the primary node which feeds tv and a desktop pc - as well as the second node. But they are daisy chained in the correct sequence and all indications are that they are syncing as expected.

As you say - a pain to start changing configurations, but perhaps what I need to do is start from scratch and only connect one bit at a time.

Thanks again.