Wireless issues...

John Knutson · Post by **John Knutson** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 4:26 pm

I am not sure if this is the right area for this issue.

I have Mid-continent Communications for my ISP. We have had them for over a year with no problem. Now over the last several months, we are having issues with our internet. We are supposed to get 60 mbps download speeds. When hardwired I get that, but at times I do not. Our biggest problem though is the WiFi. We average 20 mbps or less. Our tablets have internet issues along with our laptops. For example, my laptop will show I have full bars, even when I am 8 feet away from the modem, yet every other page I goto says Unable to connect to network, unable to access internet, or webpage not available. Or it could take a while for a page to load. Also, in the past, we could goto the living room and have full bars on our laptops and tablets. Now the laptops will average 4 out of 5 bars and the tablets 1 or 2 out of 4 bars. The modem is in the bedroom where it has been since it was installed. I have called several times and they have done tweaking, etc. but nothing works. Now they tell me that the issue is from all the other people around me and their signals interfering with mine. I know this can happen, but I do not think this is the case because it was fine for a year and just recently started happening. Plus I have talked to my neighbors and none of them are having this issue with their WiFi. Wouldn't they be having the issue too if that were the case? Today I did some more speed tests while hardwired and I was getting 20 mbps like I was not wired or something or it would time out. Does anyone have any clue as to what my issue might be and how to resolve it? I have saved screen captures of the errors that I am getting along with speed test results that I have gotten.

Thanks

John

RaisinCain · Post by **RaisinCain** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 4:58 pm

Cable, DSL or satellite connection?

Post by **Philip** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 6:34 pm

To get the best out of your WiFi, you should really do a site survey and use a channel that does not interfere with your neighbors.. You may want to check these FAQs:

http://www.speedguide.net/faq/what-is-t ... to-use-346
http://www.speedguide.net/faq/what-is-t ... reless-374

John Knutson · Post by **John Knutson** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 5:10 pm

RaisinCain wrote:Cable, DSL or satellite connection?

We have Cable through Midcontinent Communications.

John Knutson · Post by **John Knutson** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 5:15 pm

Tech support has jumped us all over the place on the channels. I spent over an hour one day with them as they jumped us around the channels. It was doing it on all of them. They also ended up sending us the newest modem they have and still have the issue. If we are having this issue, would our neighbors have the issue as well? I have talked to all our neighbors and those that use their WiFi do not have the problem at all. Not even one time.

RaisinCain · Post by **RaisinCain** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 5:20 pm

What modem do you have?

John Knutson · Post by **John Knutson** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 5:29 pm

RaisinCain wrote:What modem do you have?

It is a Hiltron Technologies Model: CGN

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Wed Oct 08, 2014 11:38 pm

Just off the top of my head, could be a source of noise in the spectrum your wifi is running on? Unshielded or poorly shielded electric motors, ballasts, arc welders, microwave ovens and other forms of strong electrical activity can obfuscate radio network comms.

I say this as it sounds like with everything else being equal in your area (neighbors having same network hardware), there may be a variable in your situation your neighbors don't share.

If it's important to you enough, you may want (in line with Philip's reply) a more granular site survey that will show all forms of noise in that band of the spectrum regardless if they are a wifi access point or not.

I pondered getting into the site survey game awhile back and looked at this as a way to get started: http://www.metageek.net/products/wi-spy ... s%2F#learn . For $1k - $1.5k USD you could have the joy of possessing the hardware to figure it out yourself or find someone who can do it for you for somewhat less.

*Edit*: I dropped the idea of doing site surveys as, to be frank, I'm a crappy salesman.

RaisinCain · Post by **RaisinCain** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 7:28 am

Or just try this.

http://www.inssider.com/

Marry Smith · Post by **Marry Smith** » Mon Oct 27, 2014 4:14 am

Hello