@aishaforsythe wrote:
I cannot disable band steering in the modem settings(10.0.0.1) nor am I able to do so in the Rogers Ignite app, which the modem settings direct me to. The option simply doesn't exist. I have a 1Gbps plan and I get abhorrent speeds -- under 10mbps. Where can I disable band steering? A 5ghz band with low signal is better than 2.4 with max signal in my experience
Welcome to the Community!
The XB6 gateway is different from the old CODA modems; there is no option to explicitly enable or disable band steering. Band steering gets enabled automatically when both bands have the same WiFi network names. Conversely, band steering gets disabled when you assign separate network names to the 2.4 and 5GHz bands.
Also, where do you have your modem placed that you are getting such poor connection speeds? Keep in mind that if you have multiple active network devices with poor WiFi network connections, they will degrade network performance for devices that are only a short distance from the WiFi modem.
@aishaforsythe The Ignite Pods require that band steering be enabled; that's why the option to assign separate network names is not available to you.
You should also be getting MUCH better speeds with Pods. Did you use any tools, even the signal strength meter on a mobile device, to help with your Pod placement in any way? Pods are essentially wireless repeaters. They only work well if they are placed in an intermediate location where the Pod has a strong network connection to both the Ignite XB6 gateway and to the devices that connect to them. It's fruitless to place a Pod in any location that has poor WiFi connectivity to the modem; devices close to the Pod will get a good connection to the Pod but the Pod will have poor connectivity on its backhaul connection, and that will result in extremely poor network throughput.
@aishaforsythe wrote:
Also JUST did a speedtest and the speeds are significantly better than yesterday, 50Mbps but still, a far cry from 1Gbps. Although I read pods are limited to 200?
200Mb/s is the "average" throughput that you will see through a Pod, if it is placed in an optimal location. The reason for this is that the Pods (that Rogers currently uses) have only a single 2.4GHz radio and a single 5GHz radio. If the 5GHz radio is used for both device connectivity and for relaying that traffic on the backhaul connection, then half of the capacity will be used for the backhaul and the other half for device connectivity, so the throughput will max out at half of the speed of the slowest leg in the connection path.
If you have a network topology where traffic flows through multiple Pods, throughput will suffer because each Pod adds delay, and introduces "speed bumps" into your network path that results in reduced overall throughput. The Pods communicate with each other and with the XB6 gateway to form a mesh, and mesh optimizes itself over time, but you still need to be careful as to how many Pods you use and where you place them, and the optimal number of Pods and their placement varies from one home to another, depending on its construction and whether the modem can be placed in an optimal location to begin with.
Quick question about pods, is it better to have more pods and cluster them, or use less and space 'em out?
I have 3 pods placed around the house. First is about 4 meters from the gateway, 2nd about 3 meters from the first pod and the final is a good 8~ meters from the 2nd pod.
Generally, it's best to start off by placing your main WiFi gateway in a central location and measuring the WiFi signal strength in all areas of your home. You can use the WiFi signal strength meter on a mobile device as a crude measurement tool but it is best to use a WiFi scanner app. (If you have an iPhone or iPad, install the Apple AirPort utility from the App Store and enable the Wi-Fi scanner in Settings.) Ideally, you would want the signal strength to be better than -65 bBm and no worse than -70 dBm. If you have areas that get a poor signal, you should install Pods. Ideally, you will want to use a "hub and spoke" arrangement where all Pods connect directly to the modem, not indirectly through another Pod, and place the Pod such that its signal strength to the modem is in the -65 to -68dBm range. I prefer to use only as many Pods as are necessary.
The above hub-and-spoke topology also simplifies the mesh topology and also ensures that a device will connect to the most optimal WiFi access point in the network.
@Meds wrote:
I’m trying to setup my 2.4 and 5g and it won’t let me make them separate? I see in the threads that Rogers changed this setting? Please help with instructions how to do this
It is possible to configure separate network names for the 2.4 and 5GHz bands through the Ignite WiFi app. However, if you have Pods installed, then that option gets disabled because the Pods require that Band Steering be enabled.
@MarisaGomes have a look at the following post from earlier today:
It links to the instructions to turn on Band Steering, so its a matter of reversing the changes indicated in the Rogers Band Steering instructions.
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