Evening @jjjjy7,
Ignite WiFi Pods are a great way to extend strong and reliable coverage all over the household. The pod the tech moved today, is it the only pod in the vicinity? You can find the signal strength to that Ignite TV box by clicking and holding the exit button (3 secs) Down > Down > 2 on the Rogers Voice Remote. The pods all act as access points. Your devices will connect to whatever provides the best signal and connection, which could be the modem in most scenarios.
The Ignite WiFi Pods don't have the same maximum download speed that the gateway does. They help extend the range of the WiFi to cover dead spots (or keep our set top boxes within our acceptable signal level). Additionally, they take up to 72 hours to optimize within the home network.
Hope this helps.
RogersZia
Hello, @yyz64
Ensuring your pods are working properly is really important to ensure you get a strong Wi-Fi signal throughout your entire home.
If there is a flashing light on one of your Pods, it means there is an issue and it is not connecting properly. Please reboot the Pod by unplugging it from the wall for 10 seconds and then plug it back in. Have you attempted rebooting the affected Pods before?
We look forward to your response!
RogersTony
@jjjjy7 wrote:
I had PODS installed today and am not sure I understand how they work. I was having issues with one of my TVs that was furthest away from the modem, but the tech placed the pod for that TV further away from the modem than where my TV and box are currently.
The Pods themselves are made by Plume. A number of network-oriented tech sites have reviewed how they work. A few years ago, Ars Technica published an article about them and got a behind-the-scenes look at how the Pods were developed and tested: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/02/going-hands-on-and-behind-the-scenes-at-the-plume-wi-fi-hq/
2. When I walk around the house, my phone stays locked on the main modem at all times. Is it not dynamic?
That's not entirely unexpected. When a mobile device connects to Wi-Fi, it will connect to the access point with the strongest signal. Once connected, devices will not typically look for a stronger AP to connect to (or disconnect) unless the RSSI drops below -70 dBm.
Over the past 10 or so years, standards such as 802.11k/r/v have also been developed to allow Wi-Fi clients to roam seamlessly from one access point to another but requires that both the client and the AP support those capabilities. These standards were initially developed to enable Wi-Fi VoIP handsets to roam in enterprise Wi-Fi networks so that people could walks around with these phones without their calls dropping. More recently, these standards have been adopted in high-end consumer network gear and mobile devices.
So, the roaming behaviour that you'll see depends on your device and the capabilities of the AP that you initially connect to.
3. When I speed test the main modem, I get 500+. But the pods speed is around 25. The tech told me that the speed test for pods is not compatible with the main modem. I really didn't understand this.
Try disconnecting from Wi-Fi and then reconnecting while next to a Pod, then retry the speed test. Don't be shocked if you don't get super-high speeds. Pods typically top out between 200 and 250 Mb/s. However, I would expect better than 25. It's possible that you might either need more pods or you might need to optimize their placement in your home.
One thing you may want to do, is try moving the pods around, to try and get better coverage.
You may never get crazy speeds as much as direct as when right by the modem itself, etc.
But I am able to get 100ish from each of mine (on the 500 plan).
But the way they work, is they are supposed to repeat the signal onto each other A may talk to B, B to C, etc.
But they will only be able to broadcast as good as a signal as they get.
So moving them slightly closer to each other, should hopefully increase speeds and connectivity slightly.
@JohnWick Pods are primarily for improving Wi-Fi coverage in tough-to-reach areas, not increasing speeds. They are not the fastest devices out there, they operate as repeaters so they inherently introduce delay, and they are not meant for providing connectivity to a large number of wireless devices operating simultaneously.
On the other hand, if you were to have a huge "dead zone" in your family room due to plumbing and duct work blocking your modem's Wi-Fi signal, then adding Pods (or a Wi-Fi mesh node) may not give you tremendous speeds but will provide you with reliable Wi-Fi connectivity and provide ample bandwidth for your TV service and mobile devices.
@jjjjy7 The STB is going to connect to the BSSID with the strongest signal. That could be the modem even if the Pod happens to be in the same room.
I'm not a die-hard fan of Pods myself but I'm not going to bash them either. They have their purpose and can make a HUGE difference when deployed properly and for the right reasons. They are also not always necessary, and sometimes they are totally unsuitable for some installations.
@Alex4161 I was able to find an Ignite WiFi Pods FAQ but was not able to find any guides on how to perform a self-installation. To install the Pods, the XB6 needs to have Wi-Fi enabled and cannot be in bridge mode. You will also need to have an active MyRogers account and must install either the iOS or Android Ignite WiFi Hub app on a Bluetooth-capable mobile device. You cannot install the Pods without the mobile app. When you receive the Pods, they need to be added to your network and associated with your Rogers account.
The procedure should be fairly straightforward and hopefully Rogers will ship installation instructions with your Pods. If you want to see what the process looks like, Comcast has online instructions on how to install and activate their Xfinity xFi Pods. It's the same hardware and the installation procedure is generally the same but, obviously, you will need to perform your installation using the Rogers app.
The Ignite WiFi Pods FAQ provides general tips on Pod placement. They need to communicate with each other and with the XB6 to form a mesh. Start by installing the first Pod close enough to the XB6 to get a strong connection... but not too close... then start expanding coverage by adding additional Pods throughout your home. Once all of the Pods have been installed, allow 15 to 30 minutes for your new Wi-Fi mesh to optimize.
@geoff890 wrote:
Hi,
I just signed up for the Ignite TV and 1Gbps internet package and have a few questions. I've seen information about these Ignite WiFi pods to extend WiFi range but I'm just wondering are these included with the package? Or do they have to be purchased seperately? If they are seperate how much do they cost?
I can't find pricing info for the Pods anymore. When I last saw it, it wasn't crazy expensive... something like $5/month for a pack of 3 Pods... and at one time, Rogers was waiving the rental fee for the first pack for Ignite TV customers. The Rogers Wall-to-Wall WiFi web site has a phone number that you can call regarding Pods for your Ignite (XB6) WiFi Gateway.
Lastly should I get the Pods or would I be better off buying a 3rd party mesh network system?
That is a really tough question to answer because it really depends on SO many factors. The Pods are a great option to improve WiFi coverage for most people; they are well-supported by Rogers and Rogers has worked hard to provide a well-integrated solution that will allow customers to manage all aspects of their home WiFi networks using either a mobile app or a web portal. You won't get super-high network throughput with Pods but they still serve their purpose well, and they are the most user-friendly option for use with Ignite TV.
Rogers also provides the eero WiFi mesh solution for a charge. It may be a better option for some, and even with the rental fee, it is still a cost-effective when compared to purchasing the eero Pro + Beacon from Amazon. It is also fully-supported by Rogers.
When it comes to using other 3rd-party mesh network systems, I can confirm that they usually work fine but are not officially supported by Rogers. I already had a WiFi mesh from another vendor when I signed up for Ignite TV (in the "before Pods" era) so I continued to use it rather than renting the eero. I am generally a fan of mesh networks but from personal experience, all that I can say is research your options carefully. If the vendor should ever lose interest in supporting their product, you could end up with a very expensive paperweight. (FYI, I have since dumped the product that I had been using. It was mostly working fine but the last straw was when, a few months ago, the vendor updated their mobile app (required to perform some functions) and the app stopped working when the WiFi mesh was in bridge mode. It is still broken to this day. Caveat emptor.)
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