Reply With QuoteSome routers will allow you to set priorities and dedicate bandwidth to particular devices. Unless a significant number of those devices are shovelling data at the same time, I doubt that the number of connected devices is the cause.
Hi
A question…!
I have around 27 connected devices for WiFi in my home - it’s a lot but I used to work in developing smart home products, so, i acquired a lot of connected tech
Multiple Sonos, sky q boxes and 3 apple airport express units doing various jobs…. It all adds up
My broadband hangs a lot…. My broadband provider advised that it is because I have too many devices all of which take an equal share of my bandwidth (average around 35mps)
I can’t get faster broadband as my limit is around 43mps - which is a clear limitation
What I want to avoid is my laptop hanging with me working from home, I all too regularly get kicked out of calls
I could get a second bonded line, but, as I’m moving soon I would rather avoid it
My question - is there a service provider that allows you to prioritise importance of device? Now tv (my current provider) only show the volume of devices but have no way of more active management
Any other thoughts? Live with it? Use 4G hotspot for really important calls?
What else do others think?
Cheers
Ben
Some routers will allow you to set priorities and dedicate bandwidth to particular devices. Unless a significant number of those devices are shovelling data at the same time, I doubt that the number of connected devices is the cause.
If you are a bit tech savvy look at using pfSense as a router.Originally Posted by Wolfie
https://www.pfsense.org/
I have my IOT split off onto another subnet, there is all sorts of traffic shaping & limiting you can do.
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/...per/index.html
If you have an old PC to install pfSense on its free of charge.
My Mesh (TP-Link) allows me to prioritise if it was needed
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Buy a decent routher like a Draytek & create separate wireless LANs for each type of use - you can have four on the 2.4GHz band & four on the 5GHz band & you can create separate wired LANs as well. Each one can have a rate limit applied so you can control the usage. If you've got a lot of people streaming video though you will run out of incoming bandwidth unless you put them on a different LAN to yourself & restrict their bandwidth allocation.
I think you need to change to a provider that doesn't employ idiots. Try Zen
Are you sure it's all about the bandwidth? I don't think all your devices are connected through cable, so one thing that comes to mind is WiFi/Blueetooth interference.
This is the kind of thing I was after…. I could my Now Tv router as the modem abs bridge a router that allows me to prioritise a few devices…. Tried to put it through my HUAWEI router but couldn’t find a setting to enable this…
I genuinely have no idea…. The way their 12 year old technician explained it was that the signal comes in and gets equally divided amongst all the connected devices meaning that there wasn’t much to go round…. I assumed (wrongly it seems) that if I was pulling WiFi through having the devices actively using the broadband that this would be the issue - but it’s the sheer volume I was told and it keeps diluting how much you provide to each device
Upgrade to a mesh network, backhaul it, ethernet everything you can, use 2-3 SSIDs and when you have important calls turn off one or two of the other SSIDs if you still need to.
I have an Orbi set up and would buy one again. I used to have Apple APs, partly as a way to get cheap AirPlay pre-Sonos but Apple APs are quite out of date now. I doubt they are able to load balance effectively compared with today's offerings.
I got the feeling this was nonsense…. So it all about managing access through the router effectively
What beyond what you’ve suggested does this on a reasonable budget
Also how do I set the Now tv router to bridge mode to allow a more sophisticated router to do the network management?
I use my airport express to spread the wireless network and make my ageing Sonos kit smart
Your suggestions at the top were a bit Japanese to my ears…. I’m no Luddite and work in technology but this kind of stuff gets very confusing!!!
I mean it’s really only one device that I am trying to protect - what’s a cost effective way of doing it that’s effective…. I’m moving soon and could probably fix It with higher speeds?
Backhauling just means make sure any repeater access points are connected by ethernet. I tried my two access point mesh network without having the repeater plugged in by ethernet and the results were pants. When I got an ethernet cable into the loft and plugged it in there the signal around the entire house was perfect.
You have two issues here. Your speed isn't great to begin with and then your network is probably quite old and is struggling internally. Regarding struggling internally no change in internet speed would help that, it's a network issue rather than a Virgin/BT etc issue.
Thanks - not massively savvy ! But ok…. Was after a simple solution (if one exists) or maybe a broadband provider that offers this kind of service as I am still in my cooling off period until the 24th September and I am not remotely happy with Now TV service
At a minimum I would reconfigure your network into two SSIDs (own with junk and one with important devices) and when you have a call I would pop into Airport Utility and turn the second network off. That's free and should help.
Right - so new rather than use my airport express as my network …. I need another layer of networked devices? I do have an Ethernet connection going to one other point in the house…
Would Orbi help manage priorities and provide a better up to date network?
I never even knew NowTV provided internet. I would guess their service is just rebranded BT and that their router is junk.
Go with a traditional network provider like BT or Virgin (or even Sky) and see how you get on. If it's still pants upgrade to a Mesh network from someone like Orbi.
Not another layer, no, I would rip out whatever you have and start again.
Only Virgin require you to use their modem so you should be free and clear to take out anything NowTV and just buy your own modem or equipment in general.
So I have three access points on my airport utility…. I can’t see how to pop them on or off?
- - - Updated - - -
So I don’t need to use the NOW tv router?
You wouldn't be turning on and off the access points. You'd be turning off the network/SSID.
Network A: computers and phones
Network B: Hue, Sonos, Xbox, other nonsense etc
Before a call go into settings and then off network B. Nothing to do with access points.
Probably not but you would need to check with them for sure. That's just what they send you out to get you up and running. You are probably allowed to buy your own stuff.
Why don't you just turn the WiFi off on it and use your airport access points to run your WiFi?
Ok…. I think I follow -
How do I create separate networks?
how do I associate different devices to these different networks
What is the process for turning them on and off?
This feels like it may well beyond my tech ability!
And thanks for trying!
Nah - just checked and it didn’t work! How do I turn off its WiFi? As I literally have it connected to nothing but it does put out a signal
I haven't used Apple's Airport devices a few years and no longer have iPhones but from memory.
Put a pin in the back of the airports for 10 seconds until the lights flash amber. This will wipe everything off them and start from factory fresh.
From an iPhone you can join any of the new access points and set it up within iOS. I would reset the one you want to use as your main first, then reset and set the other two up as additional/repeater access points.
During set up you can choose to turn on/off guest network or create an additional network side by side (SSID). That network can be given access for X minutes per day or only between certain hours so I'm quite sure you can open up AirPort Utility on your phone/Mac and turn it off/on manually.
Hope that helps.
Ok - will have a play…. My current access points are routed from another
And by the way - you’ve been really helpful - thanks for being so patient!
I have discovered a ‘guest network’ setting on HUAWEI router - so could just turn that on and off from an app!
Last edited by Wolfie; 20th September 2020 at 14:07.
No worries. To be honest your network set up sounds overly complicated and I would look at simplifying it. Sounds like there are routers and access points everywhere.
This is timely. I am having exactly the same issues with the same network provider. I'm not particularly tech-savvy either.
I have 43mb confirmed coming into the house, but can only get a maximum of 20-25mb on devices.
Ethernet is not an option at present but did invest in a TP-Link router 4-5 years ago that works on the SKY/NowTV
network and have 3x Tenda Nova mesh wifi to help with coverage across the house.
Most of the time it is ok, but it's when you drop a work video call or the SkyQ drops out in the bedroom that infuriates me.
The TP-Link router is probably 4-5 years old now and may upgrade it although reluctant as I know the speed into the house is ok.
There are - I have the NOW tv router plugged into an TP link Ethernet spitter which then goes into the first airport express which wirelessly connects to the other two
The first sky q box comes straight off the router with a network of its own
The Sonos network feeds off the airport express network…
I need to think about how to simplify and manage things more effectively
Speed internally is down to many things. The speed you get into the house almost doesn't matter.
Here are two speed tests I've just done sat on my patio. One done using the Orbi app which is connected by ethernet to the Virgin box and checks the speed the Orbi APs are receiving. The other shows the speed my phone is getting from the Orbi network.
If I was indoors it would be better. So many variables at play.
Their technican needs a slap - this is utter bullshit.
I have well over 50 devices and the monthly background internet usage is negligible - especially compared to just one night's streaming of Amazon TV.
Indeed here is my monthly usage on my IOT network:-
https://i.ibb.co/p0bwCG4/Screenshot-...t-11-44-19.png
The peaks are 4K Netflix
Last edited by Nogbad The Bad; 21st September 2020 at 12:56.
Orbi is my preferred tool, here are my current speeds on my Orbi and on my iPad Pro connected to it by 5Ghz WiFi:
Rob
Watches are like Dictionaries; the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.
Samuel Johnson
Do you know what - I guessed it was…. He was utterly convinced that this was the issue though
I don’t know if it’s an issue with my network or the just the supply dropping and everything hanging…
I have 2 days to decide whether to get rid of my current set up…
If your connection regularly hangs completely then it's really very simple:
Either: There's a fault on your connection
Or: You have a faulty router/modem/setup
Depending on your provider, your modem/router could be rubbish or acceptable and the resolution to your issue depends a lot on whether your provider allows you to have your own modem. I'm with Virgin and I have to use their cable modem (they record the MAC address) BUT you can turn off the router part and use your own so I run Ubiquiti kit for that part and for WiFi coverage - both reliability and WiFi are leagues above what I got using their kit alone.
If your provider allows your own modem and router I'd buy one - you can probably get a decent one for under £100. Forums usually have a pile of info about how to set them up on your provider. If your provider insists on their own modem, then see if you can put it in modem-only mode and buy your own router - again well under £100.
Alternatively you can try to get them to do proper tests on your connection and/or give you a replacmeent modem/router....
When there is a doubt, there is no doubt.
Try Zen or IDNet: not cheap, but impeccable service, which in this year's circumstances has been a godsend (I am with the latter)
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I have the same issue i countered it bu using a reasonable high end consumer router. my case its the Asus RT AC88U, but anything similar in their line up from the 66U upwards would be fine. the key issue for me was that i could flash the Merlin operating system over the top, which is a community tweaked version. It has additional Quality of Service (QoS) priorities you can apply to different devices, so alexas yet the short straw but PCs and netflix get priority.
You could also try splitting netowrks. assigning some devices to your 2.4ghz band, and others to the faster but lower range 5ghz band.
I would recommenced wiring as many devices into the router as possible rather than wireless connections, TP link powerline adapters for devices which are really far away helped me
finally select wireless bands with care, see this as an example: https://www.extremetech.com/computin...-right-channel
It could be your neighbours old TV!?!?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54239180
I was just thinking that myself :-)
You'd think the neighbourhood would club together to buy them a new TV rather than just guilt them into not using the old one
I wanted a simple answer and this seals it….
Now to deal with a customer service centre <shudders>
I’m not inept when it comes to tech…. But I smelt nonsense and I would love some reliable support
House raids are booked - only to discover its my tv !
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