Ok, so the Android box is just a small tv receiver box, like the apple tv, with one ethernet port and an HDMI port to connect to the tv? Do I have that correct? I run satellite tv, which connects via HDMI, no apple tv or android box. Just want to make sure I understand this. So, assuming that the Android box is just a small box, can you move that downstairs for test purposes just to see if you run into the same issues? Or do you happen to have another one of these already downstairs which connects via ethernet and runs as it should? This gets back to whether this is a cable network or wifi issue.
Hello @vm2you,
Welcome to the Rogers Community Forums!
I know first hand how frustrating it can be dealing with slow speed issues, especially when it has gotten this bad. Downloading at less than 200KB in 2018 is definitely not right! =(
If you are getting -10 on your downstream channels then the signal levels are too weak and could be the root cause of the issues you are facing. We'd like to run some additional diagnostic tests on our end to see if other users nearby are also affected or if its an isolated issue.
Please send us a Private Message to @CommunityHelps so we can pull up your info and get started. If you are not familiar with our Private Messaging system please Click Here.
We look forward to your Private Message!
RogersTony
@Unclefavre, ok, first things first, is to check and change the wifi parameters if necessary. To do that, with a pc or laptop directly connected to the modem via ethernet, log into the modem. Start a web browser and type in the following address into the address bar, without any www or http:
192.168.0.1
Then hit enter. That should bring up the log in page for the modem. The credentials for the login are:
Username: cusadmin (this cannot be changed)
Password: your current wifi passphrase unless you had previously changed it.
After you have logged into the modem, navigate to the Wireless (up top) ..... Basic Settings tab. There you will see the tabs for the 2.4 and 5 Ghz networks, the WPS and Guest network.
Starting with the 2.4 Ghz tab, check and adjust the network parameters to the following list:
Wireless enabled: On
Wireless Mode: 802.11 n (note if you have any old devices you could set this for 802.11g/n or perhaps 802.11 b/g/n. My recommendation for really old devices is, its time to move on and update those devices.
Channel Bandwidth: 20/40 Mhz, although, for test purposes you could set this to 20 Mhz. In a crowded wifi environment, I would set this for 20 Mhz. It will default to 20 Mhz in a crowded environment.
Wireless channel: AUTO or, to an open channel if one existed, or to the channel that offers the least interference from neighboring routers and modems as seen with a wifi monitoring application listed below.
WPS Enabled: OFF
Network Name (SSID): This should be long and completely random. Since you very rarely ever have to key this into any device, fill the space (32 characters) with random characters. If this is randomized, it will prevent anyone from identifying you or your house. Note that when you set up the modem, you might have made both 2.4 and 5 Ghz network names the same. I highly recommend setting those to different network names so that you know which network any given device is operating on. Laptops for example usually aren't smart enough to change back and forth between networks on their own, so with both network running the same name, you don't know which network the device is running on which makes troubleshooting more difficult than necessary.
Enable: On
Broadcast SSID: On (This broadcasts the network name. In theory with windows only devices and perhaps linux devices well, you can do without, but, Apple devices aren't happy unless they can see the network name in the modem/router broadcast.
WMM(QOS): On This is Windows Multi Media Quality of Service, which uses packet type tags to optimize services to those devices that run multi-media traffic.
Security Mode: WPA-Personal
Auth Mode: WPA2-PSK
Encrypt Mode: AES only
Password: This should also be long and random. The password length is either 63 or 64 characters depending on what type of characters you use. The minimum length for a passphrase should be at least 25 characters. My recommendation is to fill it with random characters. This only becomes painful when you have to key that into a mobile device.
Save the changes.
The reason for the long, random character sets is to prevent a hacker from using precomputed hash tables for the purposes of hacking wifi networks. This doesn't mean that WPA2 is impervious to hacking. Its not, but, brute force attacks take much longer to accomplish. WPA3 Authentication was approved this year, but, its going to be a while before we see this on modems and routers.
Check/set the following 5 Ghz wifi parameters:
Wireless enabled: On
Wireless Mode: 802.11 a/n/ac mixed
Channel Bandwidth: 80 Mhz, although, for test purposes you could set this to 40 Mhz. I'd set 80 Mhz first.
Wireless channel: 149 to 165 Use this higher channel range as it runs higher transmit power levels.
WPS Enabled: OFF
Network Name (SSID): Once again this should be long and completely random.
Enable: On
Broadcast SSID: On
WMM(QOS): On
Security Mode: WPA-Personal
Auth Mode: WPA2-PSK
Encrypt Mode: AES only
Password: Again, this should be long and random
Save the changes.
For now, as you've indicated that your not totally familiar with computer operations, I recommend turning off IPV6. There are two computer network address schemes in effect today, IPV4 which has been around forever, and IPV6 which has been around for at least ten years, probably longer.
Navigate to BASIC (top list) .... LAN Setup. change the Router Mode from Dual (IPV4 and IPV6) to IPV4 only. Save the changes. That will take two to three minutes to take effect. Even with that change over, I'd like you to run a modem reboot. Navigate to Admin (top list) .... Device Reset. Use the Reboot function to reboot the modem. I would reboot any connected devices as well.
What those changes will do is ensure that the modem is running the highest level of encryption available which also allows the wifi to run at faster data rates. The potential movement of the 5 Ghz network to the upper channels will ensure that the modem is running at its highest power output level for 5 Ghz channels which gives the user the largest range and highest data rate for 5 Ghz channels.
Note that I indicated at the very start to do these changes via ethernet connection to the modem. When and if you change the wifi network names and / or passphrases, you would lose connection over wifi, and you would have to connect to the modem once again with those new wifi network names and passphrases. As long as you're prepared for that, it can work, but, I suspect that a good number of users have problems recovering from the changes if their not ready for that to occur.
Once those changes are made, have your son reconnect to the modem if you have changed the wifi network name or passphrase. For the wifi networks, the 2.4 Ghz networks will give the longest range but with a slower data rate. They also suffer from the most interference from your neighbours wifi modems and routers due to that long range. 5 Ghz networks have a shorter range, but with a much higher data rate. As you walk around the house with a wifi scanner loaded on laptop, you can see the changes in received power levels from both networks.
Fwiw, the Intel or Broadcom designs these modems, which are then built by various manufacturers. The wifi component of the newer modems are actually surprisingly good, but, the ISPs disable a good number of features which would provide better performance for wifi networks. This keeps the maintenance and support costs down, but, drives users to distraction when their wifi networks don't measure up to the expectations.
Your modem is currently running in Gateway mode, operating as a modem and router. It can be set to run as a modem only, allowing you to use any router that so choose. That is a typical approach as it give the user far greater control over the various functions that result in better wired and wifi networks. For a small house, I suspect that a single router would suffice, although I prefer to run a wired ethernet network for fixed devices as they run interference free, compared to wifi networks.
So, yes, you can definitely use a third party router for your network.
The Netgear Nighthawk 5000 that you indicated.... is this the router that you're referring to?
https://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/R8300.aspx
Fwiw, I run a Asus RT-AC86U that I'm satisfied with. As I'm more familiar with Asus routers, I can be of greater help if you decide to go with an Asus router. There should be users on the forum who can help with Netgear routers. My only recommendations in this regard are to ensure that the router has external antenna, and that the processor is a minimum 1.4 Ghz processor. There are 1.8 Ghz processor routers on the market now as well, the Asus RT-AC86U being one of them. If you run gigabit rates, router horsepower is the name of the game, in order to run the data rates and any router functions that you might be interested in running.
For ways to connect to upstairs, look behind any wallplate that has a cable or telephone port on it. What you're looking for is the presence of more cables, such as Cat-5 ethernet or perhaps RG-6 cables for cable or satellite purposes. The Cat-5 cabling would allow you to run an ethernet network in the home. Any additional RG-6 coax cables would allow you to move the modem around the house to a better location for wifi purposes. You can also run ethernet via the coax cables by using ethernet to coax adapters. This can work very well with the right adapters and splitters or amplifiers, depending on what is required.
Lastly, I'd like you to load inSSIDer Lite and possibly Lizard systems wifi scanners on a laptop if you have one that can be used for wifi scanning purposes, and also on your son's wifi connected pc.
These can be found at the following locations:
inSSIDer Lite: Requires a freebie account set up to use it. That is displayed when you go to download the application.
Lizard Systems wifi scanner:
https://lizardsystems.com/wi-fi-scanner/
A freebie home user licence can be obtained by using the Get Licence link for the Wifi Scanner on the following page:
https://lizardsystems.com/purchase/
When you walk about your home with the wifi scanner running on a laptop, keep in mind which channel you are using (149 to 161) and have a look at the graphical display on the inSSIDer or Lizard Systems display. That will show you just how many other network are running on your channel. Stop in place for two to three minutes so that the application has enough time to adjust to the new location in your home. You can sort the data in the text data display by selecting the column titles to sort the data up or down. Sorting the channel column will allow you to determine how many networks are running on each channel. Sometimes there are too many to determine from the graphical display, so, sorting the text data is the only way to determine that.
The question of the day is how many other networks are you competing with? The wifi scanners will tell you that. Note that for your son's pc upstairs, as he's located at a higher elevation, his pc will have a larger Radio Frequency horizon, so, the scanners on his pc will show more networks from around the neighbourhood.
What you might find is that running in the higher 5 Ghz band, you have competition from your neighbours. That competition will be countered by the higher power output from the modem. At the higher 5 Ghz channels, its 1 watt. For the lower 5 Ghz channles, its 50 or 200 milli-watts depending on when the device was approved by Industry Canada. That power difference at the higher channels does make a positive difference, despite the competition from the neighbours. So, even with that competition, you might find that you're better off running channels 149 to 161 instead of down around channel 36. That would take a little experimentation to confirm it, but, if you have time someday, you can reset the wifi channel in the modem to run a test for different channels.
Personally speaking, I've written off the 2.4 Ghz wifi channels in my neighbourhood. With at least 35 or more modems and routers running nearby, the data rates in that band are pretty slow, so, I've moved everything possible up to the 5 Ghz band. When you look at the inSSIDer Lite display, that is probably what you will find. The left side 2.4 Ghz band is probably over crowded, and the right side 5 Ghz display might be ok. You will have to determine that yourself. You can ask your son to take a screen shot and save the image so that you can post it in another post. Use Control + Alt + Delete (simultaneously) to capture the image, then paste that into something like Microsoft Paint which comes with Windows operating systems. Save that image. It will save with a .png extension. Then you can post that image.
Ok, hope this helps. Please let me know if you have more questions. At any time, if you're stuck with something, don't hesitate to post a question, or contact tech support to have the Customer Service Rep change any settings for you.
@BS, you ask a couple of questions in a blog a couple of weeks ago and I haven't managed to get back to it. Sorry for the delay. From the sounds of it, you're not having much fun with your wifi service, for various reasons.
First a question. You asked about any issues caused by splitting the cable service for cable tv and internet. The splitter will cause a 3 db drop for each outbound port. If you have enough signal excess, this shouldn't be an issue. But, if your signal levels are marginal, then yes, 3 dB could make a difference. It all depends on where your current signal levels are. If you have a look at the DOCSIS WAN tab in the modem, that will very quickly let you know where you stand. Ideally, the downstream DOCSIS 3.0 levels should be around 0 dBmV with a signal to noise ratio of 36 to 40 dB. The upstream DOCSIS 3.0 levels, if one OFDM downstream channel is showing active will be in the 30 to 32/33 dBmV range.
Now, if you happen to have a cable port upstairs that is centrally located, you could install an F-81 connector downstairs to join the external cable with the single upstairs cable, and then install the splitter at the upstairs cable port to run both cable tv and internet modem from that port. It all depends of course on what that might do to any fixed ethernet cabling. F-81 connector looks like the following:
https://www.lowes.ca/coax-cable/ideal-3-ghz-f-splice-adapter-4-pack_g1200823.html?SearchTerm=85-339
Or, if you can manage to snake a cable upstairs so that you can relocate the modem upstairs, that might do the job as well. For wifi purposes, bringing the modem closer to the devices results in a couple of improvements, the received signal level increases as does the signal to noise ratio. If you look at the following Modulation and Coding charts, that pushes the data rates down the chart.
https://www.wlanpros.com/mcs-index-charts/
Consider each spatial stream to equal one antenna in the router. You start at the top, with 1 out of every two data bits being used for data purposes. The other bit is for error correction. Down at the bottom of the single stream group (top group), you end up with 64 QAM and 5 out of 6 bits being used for data and only 1 bit being used for error correction. The end result can be very dramatic depending on where you're starting from. If you can manage to run anything with 5 Ghz 80 Mhz (bandwidth) channels, that will also make a considerable improvement.
This doesn't solve the issue of sharing channels with the neighbours, but, it should make a considerable difference in data rates despite that channel sharing.
When you have time, can you have a read thru the following post from tonight, specifically looking at the wifi settings and the wifi scanners.
https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Internet/slow-wifi/m-p/437127#M55494
Just to note, TKIP can/will cause slower data rates. From what I remember its not officially compatible with the 802.11n spec. Understanding that you have some older devices running, that might be something to think about, slow data rates to support older devices versus retiring those devices.
Something to think about is the use of the Dynamic Frequency Selection channels, which lie between the lower and higher end of the 5 Ghz band. Those channels are shared with Weather Radar and there are requirements for the modem to monitor its active DFS channel for any Weather Radar transmissions. If that transmission is encountered, then the modem has to evacuate that channel and go elsewhere. Here's a link to yet another post, this one covering the DFS channels.
Now, if you can manage to use those channels without any interference from Weather Radar, that might solve part of the problem of competing with the neighbours. The drawback to these channels is the possibility of some devices not supporting the 5 Ghz DFS channels. The device would appear to connect to the channel, but, it simply won't go anywhere. You would know in a minute or two if any device is old enough or not designed to allow DFS use. Just for curiosity's sake, I'd give that a go. Have a look with inSSIDer Lite to determine if anyone nearby is using any of the DFS channels. Hopefully not, then kick the 5 Ghz wifi channel into the DFS range.
To do that, log into the modem, navigate to WIRELESS .... ADVANCED and enable the DFS channels. Reboot the modem, ADMIN .... DEVICE RESET .... Reboot.
After the reboot, log back into the modem and navigate to the WIRELESS .... BASIC SETTINGS and select one of the DFS channel groupings. I think there are three to choose from. You would have to monitor that wifi connection to see if its stable or if it changes channel due to any detected Weather Radar transmissions.
So, food for thought, if you still have the 4582, and if you can manage to relocate it upstairs, you might get your money's worth out of it.
Other food for thought, if you have a house with a main floor, and just the basement, you could consider a router that has external antenna. That antenna can be replaced with higher gain antenna that limits the vertical power distribution and increases the horizontal power distribution. Understanding the issue of budgets, with after christmas sales going on, it might be possible to pick up a router at a good price that would allow you to swap the antenna. Just have to be careful to buy antenna that runs both 2.4 and 5 Ghz.
Hello, @MWalker.
Welcome to Rogers Community Forums! 😃
Thank you for posting your query in the Community. Different devices may indeed show different speeds depending on various factors like hardware, distance and orientation of the router and devices etc.
Do you know when you have tested the speed, all your devices connected to the same network? Like the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz network.
What's the modem's model? Are you using a third party router?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Cheers,
RogersMoin
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