OT: Router and WiFi Help

[KeithK7624]

I’m really not that savvy when it comes to technology so I always assumed a router is a router. At home my TV’s are hard wired, but the phones, tablets, and laptops rely on WiFi. For watching Netflix and browsing the internet on these devices the WiFi works fine. Ive recently upgraded my connection to a 200mbps broadband but I am unsure if it is coaxial or fiber. Regardless it is the best that I can get in my part of Mumbai.

Where I struggle is when I am live streaming something or using WiFi for work calls. The speed is consistently around 40mbps download and 50mbps uploads, but the video still buffers and the calls drop and breakup. My assumption is that my routers suck and they can’t support the connection.

So my question to the board is, what do I need to look for in a router that will allow for better quality calls and streams? Do all of the routers need this? Or just the main?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RUNVA]

It has been sometime since I last messed with this. I am not sure of the connection/environment. Make sure all other devices are off when you are trying to make a call. How old is your router?

 

[RUtix4me]

WhAt is the stated service level? Also how big is you residence, are you getting strong signal throughout the unit?

 

[fg7321]

Plug into your modem directly with a CAT 5 cable and run speedtest on your laptop. If you don't have 200 mb speed its the cable company's issue.

Then Assuming you are getting 200 mbs at the router then run a speedtest on your phone and laptop right next to the outer but using wifi if still not getting clsoe to 200 mbs the router is holding you back.

Look inot replacing with the new mesh network Wi-Fi setups that help to balalnce the signal throughout your home

 

[rutgersal_rivals139582]

I’d bet that it’s your service that sucks and that your not always getting the 200 MBS.

 

[B1GRU91]

If you’re in Mumbai, I would not expect consistent service at all.

 

[Knight Shift]

If you’re in Mumbai, I would not expect consistent service at all.

I he's in Mumbai, there should be thousands of tech support people to answer this question (just kidding OP).

 

[RUnTeX]

I he's in Mumbai, there should be thousands of tech support people to answer this question (just kidding OP).

Well, at least Bangalore is a relatively short flight away if need be.

 

[SouthJerseyRU]

If it is not your ISP's fault, then Google your router's quality of service (QOS) settings. You should be able to change what programs get a higher priority from your router. Here is an older guide, just look for something similar for your brand and model router.

 

[yesrutgers01]

We went through this and upgraded our service to Verizon's gigabit plan and then purchased an Orbi WiFi router and two satellites. There are other similar systems but for the price, this worked out great for us. We have about 6000 sq ft to cover and our ISP considers us "power users"...

 

[RUSK97]

Exactly how much better is the Orbi mesh wifi vs those plug in signal boosters? It’s a pretty significant price difference.

 

[yesrutgers01]

Exactly how much better is the Orbi mesh wifi vs those plug in signal boosters? It’s a pretty significant price difference.

I guess it would depend on the need. We have the Ring doorbell and 3 of the spotlight cams on the property and had originally purchased the chimepro to help boost the signal and it didnt help much at all. I can say that we have our router in our office in the basement and have a total Sq ft of 6200. With the Orbi- it reaches and works great with all of the spotlight cams outside, the theater room across the other side of the basement and two floors about where we have another home office and our son can do gaming and streaming with no problems also on the top floor and we have no issues at all. I don't think cheap plugin boosters would have allowed that. But again, it depends on the need. Try the boosters first, if they don't help, return them.

 

[KeithK7624]

My apartment is about 1200 square feet, but the walls block the signal. I have the main router in the living room, which the TVs are connected to as well as two more routers in my office and master bedroom. I also have a repeater in the hallway, so there are no dead spots and my guest bedroom gets a decent signal too.

I haven’t tested the speed into the router itself, but it’s new construction high rise and the service provider says the building gets those speeds which I definitely don’t.

I am assuming it is the router. My routers are about 2 years old, but I went cheap. Basically the cheapest I could find at Croma, the Indian equivalent to Best Buy.

So my guess is I need to upgrade the routers. But when I go online I have no idea what the hell im looking at or the difference between $150 router and a $50 one

 

[Scarlet Haze]

I too have an Orbi mesh system, as others have mentioned in this thread, and it works great. I even have an outdoor Orbi satellite and I can sit anywhere in my yard and get coverage. That wasn't remotely possible before the Orbi.

 

[RUScrew85]

I’m really not that savvy when it comes to technology so I always assumed a router is a router. At home my TV’s are hard wired, but the phones, tablets, and laptops rely on WiFi. For watching Netflix and browsing the internet on these devices the WiFi works fine. Ive recently upgraded my connection to a 200mbps broadband but I am unsure if it is coaxial or fiber. Regardless it is the best that I can get in my part of Mumbai.

Where I struggle is when I am live streaming something or using WiFi for work calls. The speed is consistently around 40mbps download and 50mbps uploads, but the video still buffers and the calls drop and breakup. My assumption is that my routers suck and they can’t support the connection.

So my question to the board is, what do I need to look for in a router that will allow for better quality calls and streams? Do all of the routers need this? Or just the main?

Thanks in advance!

It's possible you are bumping up against the bandwidth limit for your wifi connection standard. AC is faster than N. Try AC if you are using N. If your wireless router supports AC.

 

[OntheBanks]

On my desktop I had a problem when my wifi speed was increased to 100 mbps. The Network Interface card would not handle that speed. Maybe that's your problem.

 

[KeithK7624]

On my desktop I had a problem when my wifi speed was increased to 100 mbps. The Network Interface card would not handle that speed. Maybe that's your problem.

I still wanna say I need to upgrade the router. Like I have a basic. Not dual band, I don’t know if it’s even 5ghz

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

I still wanna say I need to upgrade the router. Like I have a basic. Not dual band, I don’t know if it’s even 5ghz

You can have a bunch of problems..

Tell us what cableco

Tell us what your cable modem looks like.. is it a router as well? Was it replaced by your cableco since you first had it? was performance okay and then changed to bad?

One common issue is that cablecos now usually issue a combined modem/router.. the cableco's unit is BOTH. If you have a separate wifi router on top of that you could easily have the dreaded double-NAT situation... that can be fixed by going into your cablemodem settings and turning off its wifi function... then rely on your router.

Another issue might be the connection between your modem and your router.. is that cable good? is it in another room? does it go through a switch to get to that room? is the switch old and slow or is it a gigabit switch.

I bet if you draw a diagram of what equipment is where you will discover your problem.

If your cablemodem allows.. you can try connecting a PC/laptop directly to it with a wired connection and then do a speedtest.. ookla spped test for example.. there yo should see the download and upload speed that the cableco promised you. If you do not have that right out of the cablemodem.. it is likely the cableco's problem.

Even then, whatever speed you see there should be replicatable via wi-fi.. of close to it.. over whatever layout you have. If you see lower numbers.. and more drops.. then it is your layout somewhere.

Also.. 2.4Ghz wifi networks travel far.. in an apartment bldg you can have a lot of interference from neighbors gear.. wifi routers try to find bands (frequencies) that work well.. but only the smartest ones will be successful at it regularly.

5Ghz does not travel far.. your devices using 5Ghz to a nearby router or repeater will function better... if you have 5Ghz gear.

You can download a wifi-analyzer app for your phone to actually see the signal coverage as you walk around your home.

Hope that all gives you a good start in getting it fixed.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

On my desktop I had a problem when my wifi speed was increased to 100 mbps. The Network Interface card would not handle that speed. Maybe that's your problem.

that's an old desktop. You can buy a cheap Gigahertz network card for it.

$32 on newegg (oops.. you mentioned the wifi went to 100mps and then you had issues.. I assumed "desktop" meant a wired connection.. someone else later suggested a USB wifi adapter.. a wifi card inserted inside the machine would likely be better.. but if you go the USB dongle route.. perhaps a USB male-female extender or powered USB hub could be useful to put the dongle where it gets a better signal and the hub could provide better power)

Don't know what you do with your desktop if its that old.. but maybe even that $32 might be better spent toward a new system.. used or new for $500 or less that is at least modern enough to have a gigabit card built in... The little intel nuc below is about $450 at B and H.... I'd imagine it is more powerful than any desktop whose network was limited to 10Mpbs.. and it is tiny.. actually the Zotac mini PCs are probably a better value.

 

[RU85inFla]

I have a 3 story condo. Couldn’t get good WiFi with boosters. I bought the Linksys mesh system and it’s great. I constantly have 19 devices connected to WIFI and get great signal.

My recommendation would be to research mesh systems and buy what works for you.

 

[Scarlet Haze]

On my desktop I had a problem when my wifi speed was increased to 100 mbps. The Network Interface card would not handle that speed. Maybe that's your problem.

------------------------------------
This will solve it for $16. It worked great on my older laptop. Put the below description in amazon

USB WiFi Adapter 600Mbps USBNOVEL Dual Band 2.4G / 5G Wireless WiFi Dongle Network Card for for Laptop Destop Win XP/7/8/10, Mac OS X 10.4-10.14

 

[RUScrew85]

I still wanna say I need to upgrade the router. Like I have a basic. Not dual band, I don’t know if it’s even 5ghz

What letter is the designation of your WiFi standard. Are you connecting over WiFi N?

 

[Big East Beast]

1200 square feet is pretty small to cover - esp if it is one floor. Unless the walls are concrete or glass, you shouldn’t need to over engineer it and less is more when it comes to devices. Mesh networks are cool because you don’t need cables but there’s signal degradation between units and another point of failure.

Don’t forget placement- it may be best to have the wi-fi router centrally located whereas you may not have much option for where telco service/modem comes in.

You are probably also dealing with a lot of interference from your neighbors. If you have a cheapo router, it’s probably on the default channel and doesn’t have the capability to switch to a different channel automatically if it detects a lot of interference. Try manually changing to another channel.

Make sure the access point/router/antenna are placed according to instructions for best coverage. It’s not uncommon for even professional installations of enterprise gear to be installed with antennas pointing in wrong direction. Depending on the unit, sometimes it’s best to install vertically rather than horizontally, for example.

Good luck.

 

[RUScrew85]

1200 square feet is pretty small to cover - esp if it is one floor. Unless the walls are concrete or glass, you shouldn’t need to over engineer it and less is more when it comes to devices. Mesh networks are cool because you don’t need cables but there’s signal degradation between units and another point of failure.

Don’t forget placement- it may be best to have the wi-fi router centrally located whereas you may not have much option for where telco service/modem comes in.

You are probably also dealing with a lot of interference from your neighbors. If you have a cheapo router, it’s probably on the default channel and doesn’t have the capability to switch to a different channel automatically if it detects a lot of interference. Try manually changing to another channel.

Make sure the access point/router/antenna are placed according to instructions for best coverage. It’s not uncommon for even professional installations of enterprise gear to be installed with antennas pointing in wrong direction. Depending on the unit, sometimes it’s best to install vertically rather than horizontally, for example.

Good luck.

Good point. There are signal strength apps available for your smartphone that can show you what channels are free in your area.

 

[RU Golfer]

I have the google wifi mesh system and it works great.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

I have the google wifi mesh system and it works great.

Yes.. Google wifi had a couple issues that first year.. but it is now set and forget. And it automatically looks for the least used bands. There is a bit less control over what it does.. but that's the point. The AI does the work.

 

[VirginiaBer]

Well, I am not a big specialist in this field, and I don't want to make advertising here, but I am sure that you can find all the necessary information accessing this site: https://wifitrends.com/. I also had a problem with my wifi and my friend recommended me to check this site and now I can assure you that I fixed my problem and you can fix yours, so make sure you don't miss this awesome opportunity. I hope you guys will find this information helpful. Stay safe and have a wonderful day!

 

[ashokan]

I am assuming it is the router. My routers are about 2 years old, but I went cheap. Basically the cheapest I could find at Croma, the Indian equivalent to Best Buy.

Could be the router. Maybe it needed a firmware update a long time ago. How are the antennas? Some antennas suck and you need to keep them clear - no routers on the floor and under the desk.

As mentioned its 2.4 that goes through walls but gets more interference. When I was using 2.4 I had to use a wired keyboard because wireless was erratic (i would type a letter once and get 3 or 4 of them on document). Wifi 6 is out now but your gear probably doesn't have it


Top 10 Reasons for Slow WiFi

https://support.sparklight.com/hc/en-us/articles/115010184927-Top-10-Reasons-for-Slow-WiFi

 

[MulletCork]

I have the google wifi mesh system and it works great.

I have this also. My old router went kaput and I picked this up after some reading. So simple to set up. I like the phone app for it. And the mesh system is cool if you want to add more coverage. Very inexpensive and have not had one issue. I will be streaming UFC on one screen and football on another. Never a hiccup. Cool too if you have kids or whatever and need to monitor usage.

 

[RUnTeX]

@Richard Schnyderite or Mods

Post #27 resuscitates a necro thread from almost 21 months ago and appears suspicious....."so make sure you don't miss this awesome opportunity".....really?

I'm sure the poster doesn't "want to make advertising here".... yeah right.

 

[drewbagel423]

Well, I am not a big specialist in this field, and I don't want to make advertising here, but I am sure that you can find all the necessary information accessing this site: https://wifitrends.com/. I also had a problem with my wifi and my friend recommended me to check this site and now I can assure you that I fixed my problem and you can fix yours, so make sure you don't miss this awesome opportunity. I hope you guys will find this information helpful. Stay safe and have a wonderful day!

Almost everything on their top 10 list of routers is >$300