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Can Band Steering be Disabled if you are using WiFi Pods?

victorvdc7
I'm here a lot

Just got new Rogers Ignite service and we had to put the gateway in the basement furnace room to access the Alarm system Phone Lines.

 

Result was weak signals at the TV and computers not just above the Gate way.

 

I fixed the TV signal by renaming the wifi net work so it forced them over to the 2.4G network which had better penetration and now excellent signal strength.  However for computer the 2.4G network that got the whole house was slow (30MBs) because so many neighbors.  The 5G was fast (>100MBs) but only when just over the gate way.

 

Got two pods and installed them.  The computers are now getting (150MBs ) in all rooms except for the farthest bed room (35gbs) which is not a problem.

 

Unfortunately  installing the pods forced the 2.4G and 5G names to be the same.  So the Ignite TV boxes jumped back to the 5G network and now they are again popping up a message of a weak signal again.    The TVs are within 10 feet and 20 feet of the pods both still with a weak signal.

 

The TVs seem to have no problems on the 5G with a weak signal or the 2.4G with a strong signal but more traffic.  Still now the ignite box keeps popping up a warning message that the signal is weak.

 

So my question is can the Ignited TV boxes be forced back to the 2.4G network to get a stronger signal ??

Should we leave them as  is . Then what do we do abut the signal problem message?

Is an antenna available for the Ignite TV boxes?

 

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Re: Can Band Steering be Disabled if you are using WiFi Pods?

Thankyou for all your information.

 

As I now understand more about band Steering I realize this thread has gone off topic for my problem.

 

I now believe  Band Steering is working good  in my WiFi network but my Ignite TV box is steering to the wrong band.  

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5 REPLIES 5

Re: Can Band Steering be Disabled if you are using WiFi Pods?

Datalink
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@victorvdc7 the problem here is the enforced use of Band Steering.  When you installed the pods, Band Steering went into effect, resulting in the same network name for both wifi networks.  And now, with Band Steering enabled, the modem is controlling which band is used for the wifi devices in the home.  

 

When you have time, can you have a look at the wifi channel that is in use for the 5 Ghz channel.  I'm wondering if its in the lower channel 36 to 40 range or in the upper 149 to 161 range.  I suspect that its using a channel set located in the lower 36 to 48 channel range. 

 

I don't know if its possible to disconnect the pods and disable Band Steering.  Once Rogers system grabs control of the Band Steering setting, it seems that its just about impossible to disable it, allowing separate wifi networks.  

 

@-G- can tell you more about this problem and whether or not there are any potential workarounds.  Do you have ethernet runs in the home that can be used to support the Xi6-A/Xi6-T set top boxes and other equipment around the home?  I suspect that the ultimate fix is to buy your own router which give you full control over the network configurations.  

Re: Can Band Steering be Disabled if you are using WiFi Pods?

-G-
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

This isn't really a band steering issue.  (Okay, it is, kinda, if you want to make it easier for a device to establish a marginal connection on the 2.4 GHz band... but that is not, ABSOLUTELY NOT, the solution to this problem; just an ugly workaround.)  If you have wireless performance and coverage problems, most likely caused by how your home was built and where the builder chose to install plumbing, wiring and ductwork behind walls, you need to take a step back, map out those trouble spots, visualize/partition your home into Wi-Fi zones where a Wi-Fi access point can provide coverage (above, below and around) and determine the best place to install your Ignite gateway and Pods.  Part of the process of performing a basic Wi-Fi site survey of your home is to also identify gaps in interference where a Wi-Fi signal can pass through your walls, and use that to your advantage when placing your Ignite gateway and Pods.

 

Your goal should be able to get good Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home, with band steering enabled and with whatever Wi-Fi channels that the Rogers Ignite gear auto-selects.

 

At this point, I would not try to fix anything.  Figure out where your Wi-Fi works, where it does not work, what Wi-Fi channels are being used by your Ignite gateway and Pods, and your options for relocating any or all components.  (You should consider the option of moving the Ignite gateway into the main living space and running a telephone line from that location back to your main panel/utility room in your basement.)

 

I would avoid the option of enabling Bridge Mode on the Ignite gateway and using an external router for connectivity.  First of all, it is not officially supported by Rogers.  Secondly, your home's construction does not seem to allow for good Wi-Fi connectivity, so a single router would not provide adequate coverage.  (Also, if you require maximum power on your Wi-Fi channels just to "see" the router, that's a problem... because the best that you will be able to do is get marginal Wi-Fi connections with your devices, and that will result in HORRIBLE Wi-Fi performance.)

 

If you must keep your Ignite gateway in your basement, a better choice may be to install a good 3rd-party Wi-Fi mesh solution.  Disable wireless on the ignite gateway and run your mesh in "AP mode".  That way, you can place the Primary node in your main living space and position it in such a way that satellite can still get a very good connection.  (Yes, you can enable Bridge Mode on your Ignite gateway instead, and run your Wi-Fi mesh in router/gateway mode but again, with Ignite TV, you are getting into unsupported territory with Rogers if you go this route.)

 

Do you also have Ethernet cabling running to any rooms in your home?  That also provides options for where your can install networking components to address the problems that you are currently experiencing... but I digress.

 

I would first try to figure out the best options for installing your Ignite gateway and Pods into a good working configuration.

Re: Can Band Steering be Disabled if you are using WiFi Pods?

-G-
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

I just want to add that it's almost impossible to perform a proper Wi-Fi installation unless you have some sort of Wi-Fi scanner that you can use to map out and analyze the Wi-Fi signals in your surroundings.  It does not need to be anything fancy.  The professionals typically use specialized hardware/software, or specialized apps (e.g. WinFi) that you can install on a laptop.  However, if you have an iPhone or other iOS device, you can install the Apple AirPort Utility.  It is a free app that is usually used to manage Apple's AirPort network gear... but it also has a Wi-Fi Scanner that you can enable in Settings.  (Macs also have a Wi-Fi Scanner that you can access through Wireless Diagnostics.)  Free and paid apps are also available in the Google store for Android devices.  (I'm not an Android user so I cannot recommend anything on that platform.)

Re: Can Band Steering be Disabled if you are using WiFi Pods?

-G-
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@victorvdc7  I don't use Pods in my own home so I don't know how intelligent Rogers/Comcast's implementation actually is.  However, Plume's implementation is pretty sophisticated and their back-end constantly optimizes the Wi-Fi mesh, and that includes steering Wi-Fi clients to a Pod that may not necessarily be the closest but that provides superior network connectivity.  (i.e. it may be steering the set-top box to a Pod/AP that has a better/higher-speed connection to the Ignite gateway.)

Re: Can Band Steering be Disabled if you are using WiFi Pods?

Thankyou for all your information.

 

As I now understand more about band Steering I realize this thread has gone off topic for my problem.

 

I now believe  Band Steering is working good  in my WiFi network but my Ignite TV box is steering to the wrong band.  

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