Questions about PODS

[jjjjy7]

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.

1.  How does that increase the connectivity when the TV/box is drawing the signal from a pod further away from the modem that the box was?

2.  When I walk around the house, my phone stays locked on the main modem at all times.  Is it not dynamic?

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.

thanks for any explanation.

*** Edited Labels ***

[-G-]

---

@Sn02py wrote:

I just spoke with a rep from Rogers with a question about extending my Wifi signal into my backyard.  We do get an OK signal there at right now, but it is not as strong as inside and seems to be a bit inconsistent (we currently have no pods as they weren't needed during installation).  We also have a detached garage (about 20 feet away from the backdoor of the house) that my husband would love to have wifi in.

They are sending me a set of three pods.  He suggested that I put one on the inside wall closest to the yard and one about halfway between that one and the modem.  My modem is on the main level, which is not that big, so I'm not sure I'll need that.  Do you think we could put one in the garage?

---

The number of Pods that you will require inside your home and their location really depends on the building materials that were used to construct it.

I don't think that placing a Pod in your garage will be of much benefit unless you want to extend WiFi coverage beyond that point.  Devices in the garage will likely have the same connection quality to the neighbouring Pod in your home as the "garage Pod" itself would.  However, you really have to try all available options and see what actually works the best for you.  The one thing that you absolutely want to avoid is any situation where you have several devices with poor, slow WiFi connections that send/receive lots of network traffic.  That will slow your entire WiFi network down.

I'm assuming the pods are not made for outdoor use, so that might serve the purpose of getting better connectivity in the garage and yard.  It's a 70s house, so I don't have a ton of electrical sockets to choose from, which makes pod placement options limited.  Are the pods easily moved so that I could plug one in outside on a nice day if I want to work out there and just plug/unplug as needed?

---

The Pods are definitely NOT rated for outdoor use.  You should plug the Pod into an indoor wall outlet that is as close as possible to the outdoor area requiring WiFi coverage.  If you don't initially get a good WiFi signal, try a different outlet that changes the Pod's antenna orientation.

[MikeInOttawa]

I have ignite in my home. I find it odd that, for one example, the tv box in the basement, which is 15' from the modem is constantly connecting to the pod in our master bedroom on the 2nd floor above ground.

[-G-]

---

@MikeInOttawa wrote:
I have ignite in my home. I find it odd that, for one example, the tv box in the basement, which is 15' from the modem is constantly connecting to the pod in our master bedroom on the 2nd floor above ground.

---

I can't say for sure why this is happening but according to the WiFi Pods FAQ, this is normal; a WiFi client may not always connect to the closest Pod.  As for why it doesn't connect to the modem, I would guess that something is blocking the signal, making the 2nd floor Pod the better choice.  (Modern homes may not have plaster on mesh walls, but the signal can be blocked by plumbing, duct work, mirrors, and there is often a mesh underlayment under ceramic tile floors.)  You would have to use WiFi analyzer software (on a mobile device or laptop) to troubleshoot this further.

[MikeInOttawa]

That's interesting. I might look for some analyzing software. There are no obstructions between the tv box and the modem (both in basement). They have direct line of sight.

[-G-]

---

@MikeInOttawa wrote:
That's interesting. I might look for some analyzing software. There are no obstructions between the tv box and the modem (both in basement). They have direct line of sight.

---

Unfortunately, I don't have Pods in my setup so I don't know their quirks as well as others here might.  I wish that I could help more with this.

For a WiFi scanner, if you use iOS and just want to perform simple scans, install Apple's AirPort Utility.  The primary purpose of this tool is to configure Apple's WiFi base stations but it also has a scanner that can be enabled in settings.  Not the most powerful tool out there but it is is free and trustworthy.  If you are a Mac user, the macOS Wireless Diagnostics also has a built-in WiFi scanner.

On Windows, @Datalink  is a fan of WinFi Lite.

[Gdkitty]

I am not completely sure its a signal type thing.. 

My understanding from a least a while back, was told that the TV boxes will tend to tie themselves to a specific AP (vs just to the SSID as a whole).  When scanning for the wifi, the tv box will show all the different pods individually, even though they are all on the same SSID.

Might just be worth re-connecting the wifi on that TV box?

[geoff890]

Hi All,

So we recently got Ignite TV and Internet. We have a gigabit internet plan and we were also given 3 WiFi pods. 

First I set up the modem without the pods to test the speeds before and after adding the pods. When I set up the modem the first time I set it up using our previous network setup. That setup consisted of the modem with 5GHz WiFi enabled and 2.4GHz disabled along with a second router acting as an Access Point also with only the 5GHz network enabled.

For the most part this worked pretty well. Speeds ranged from approximately 250Mbps-500Mbps throughout the house. The problem with this setup is that having the XB6 modem and an Access Point setup wasn't seamless. So sometimes we had dropouts or devices would be connected to the Access Point even though it was further away then the XB6. And yes I am aware that the 2.4GHz band has better range but personally I can't stand the slow speeds it offers.

So when Rogers saw the dropouts and offered the WiFi pods to us I first thought it would be a perfect solution. Currently it seems like I was wrong. I'll start by saying that we've only had the pods setup for about a day and a half and I do know that they say it can take 2-3 days to optimize them (Although it doesn't say what its optimizing?). So at the moment when connected to the pods devices only seem to get 25-50Mbps. No where near the speed I expected. I read somewhere that the max speed for the pods is supposed to be around 200Mbps though which I would be totally fine with if it meant I had a more seamless experience then my previous setup. I also realize the more pods you have to jump through to get back to the XB6 the slower the speed will be. But even when connected to the pod closest to the Xb6 (about 10 feet away) I still only get around 50Mbps.

When setting up the pods I know it said it needed to adjust a few settings on the gateway to auto manage them. I noticed this re-enabled the 2.4GHz network with the same name as the 5GHz network. I am assuming this was to automatically activate band steering for the pods. So this brings me to where I am a bit confused. If band steering is working properly then my devices should be connecting to the best possible network that they support. But for example if I look on the ignitewifi app to see which pod my iPad Pro is currently connected to and then go hold the iPad right next to that pod and do a speedtest it still only gets 25-50Mbps. I am assuming that my devices are only connecting to the 2.4GHz network through the pods. My understanding though is that with the band steering enabled then any 5GHz capabable devices like the iPad Pro or my iPhone X should be connecting to the 5GHz network through the pods. I then logged into the modem admin page and disabled the 2.4GHz network to see if that would force the pods to use 5GHz and therefor improve my speeds but it seems to have had no effect on the speeds I get through the pods.

So ultimately I'm hoping someone can tell me why the speeds through the pods are significantly slower than the supposed maximum they offer? I really love the seamless experience that the mesh network offers but with it currently being 10x slower than my previous setup I'm not sure its worth it.

I believe I've provided all the necessary details for helping solve this but if you need any other details let me know.

Thanks in advance!

[Don_Ca]

You just made me look. There is no way to see what band devices on the Pods are connected to. In the Modem they all show as "ethernet" connected, which of course if wrong.

The phone app or Web App do not show it either.

I find my set up with the PODs to be as fast as I had before.

[-G-]

@geoff890  A more complex mesh can take time to fully optimize but with only 3 pods, it should get to a near-optimal state fairly quickly.

Band steering needs to be enabled on the XB6 and both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands need to be enabled.  The 2.4 and 5 GHz networks need to have the same name.  Given you have tried to "force 5 GHz" with configuration settings, you should double-check that all Wi-Fi settings have been configured correctly and saved, and then power-cycle your XB6 gateway and all of your pods to ensure that they are in a good state.

You also need to be very mindful of your pod placement; they can't be too close together but every pod need to have a good connection to its nearest neighbour in the mesh and be close enough to the devices that will be connecting to it.  Ideally, you would want the WiFi RSSI between the pod and its neighbour to be in the -68 to -70 dBm range.  (Since you have iOS devices, you can install and enable the Wi-Fi Scanner in Apple's AirPort Utility and use that to measure and troubleshoot issues related to signal strength.)  When placing pods, be mindful of anything that could be blocking the signal (that includes plaster-on-mesh walls, ceramic tile floors that could have a mesh underlay, duct work behind walls, aquariums, or even people) and ensure that you are still able to establish a good mesh, and that your devices will also be able to get a good connection to the nearest pod. Pods should ideally be placed in the open and not hidden behind furniture.  For additional pod placement tips, you may find this article in Ars Technica helpful.

When you are done, walk around your house with your iPhone in hand.  You should see your WiFi signal strength dropping-off, then jump when it hands-off to a closer pod.  Also double-check (with your Wi-Fi scanner) that you do not have any "dead zones" where you require good Wi-Fi connectivity.

If you are getting a slow speed test on a mobile device, try disconnecting from Wi-Fi and reconnecting again to ensure that you are actually connected to the closest pod.  (If your pods are too close together, you may find that a Wi-Fi  client remains connected to a more distant pod and at a lower speed.)

If you still cannot improve your Wi-Fi speeds, contact Rogers tech support.  They have additional tools that can check the health of your Wi-Fi network and connections to/from/between pods.

[geoff890]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

@geoff890  A more complex mesh can take time to fully optimize but with only 3 pods, it should get to a near-optimal state fairly quickly.

---

So I got the notification today from the Ignite WiFi app that the pods had fully optimized. I tested the speeds again but still only got around 50Mbps. I also made sure to check which pod my device was connected to before testing.

---

Band steering needs to be enabled on the XB6 and both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands need to be enabled.  The 2.4 and 5 GHz networks need to have the same name.  Given you have tried to "force 5 GHz" with configuration settings, you should double-check that all Wi-Fi settings have been configured correctly and saved, and then power-cycle your XB6 gateway and all of your pods to ensure that they are in a good state.

You also need to be very mindful of your pod placement; they can't be too close together but every pod need to have a good connection to its nearest neighbour in the mesh and be close enough to the devices that will be connecting to it.  Ideally, you would want the WiFi RSSI between the pod and its neighbour to be in the -68 to -70 dBm range.  (Since you have iOS devices, you can install and enable the Wi-Fi Scanner in Apple's AirPort Utility and use that to measure and troubleshoot issues related to signal strength.)  When placing pods, be mindful of anything that could be blocking the signal (that includes plaster-on-mesh walls, ceramic tile floors that could have a mesh underlay, duct work behind walls, aquariums, or even people) and ensure that you are still able to establish a good mesh, and that your devices will also be able to get a good connection to the nearest pod. Pods should ideally be placed in the open and not hidden behind furniture.  For additional pod placement tips, you may find this article in Ars Technica helpful.

---

I have gone in and re-enabled the 2.4GHz network and restarted the XB6 and all the pods. Could you possibly elaborate more on how to check the network using the Airport Utility? When I scan the network I see various networks come up. Some have SSIDs and some say network name unavailable. But none of the MAC addresses seem to match that MAC addresses of the pods.

[-G-]

---

@geoff890 wrote:

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I have gone in and re-enabled the 2.4GHz network and restarted the XB6 and all the pods. Could you possibly elaborate more on how to check the network using the Airport Utility? When I scan the network I see various networks come up. Some have SSIDs and some say network name unavailable. But none of the MAC addresses seem to match that MAC addresses of the pods.

---

I actually use a different Wi-Fi solution, not Pods, so I can't say for sure how to lookup the MAC addresses that you would see for the Pod's BSSIDs.  However, the AirPort Wi-Fi scanner sorts by signal strength so if you place your iPhone/iPad next to a Pod, its networks should appear at the top of the list.

As for the hidden network names, I assume that these are duplicates of the hidden networks that the XB6 has active.  Some of these are used for Ignite TV so that a set-top box can automatically discover and connect to your in-home Wi-Fi network.  The others, apparently, are there for "future services" that Rogers has declined to say anything about.  I presume that some also would be used by the Pods for signalling and other communications associated with maintaining the mesh.

[JamesFamily]

WiFi Pods Setup for a Basement

Hi,

So i'm currently awaiting on WiFi Pods that are arriving and the reason of me for getting them is so that I can get internet access from the top 3rd floor of my house to my basement. I was thinking of also getting a PowerLine Adapter to use along with the Pod, but i'm unaware on the design if it has a Ethernet port.

Anyone have an answer for me?

If this doesn't happen to be a solution for me to use with the PowerLine Adapter, I was maybe hoping that if I plug it above me in my living room (2nd Floor) so that it could reach down to my basement. I wouldn't plug it in the basement for i t to reach my modem upstairs because the transmission might be buggy, as of right now, my WiFi Card for my computer in my basement connects and disconnects randomly because it looks like its struggling to have a stable connection.

I even bought another modem for my basement since it has a Coaxial Cable down here that's connected upstairs, but I found out by calling in that Rogers doesn't supported them, even though Canada Computers says they do. I figured I could have run 2 modems becuase thats the only port I have down here.

[Bplayer]

The PODS should provide coverage from top to bottom for wifi. There is also a port on the unit, maybe it can be used for an ethernet connection. It should not matter where the Gateway is installed, but the middle floor would be optimal.

If you are only concerned about ethernet connections and not wifi then PowerLine solution is reasonable. A secondary router/switch is another alternative, and a bit more involved.

Start with the PODS and give it a few days to optimize then see if it does all that you need.

[-G-]

@JamesFamily  FYI, if the devices on the third floor of your house have a bad/slow Wi-Fi connection and are actively using the network, that will cripple Wi-Fi performance for devices everywhere in your house that are using that same Wi-Fi band, including the devices that are located only a few feet away from your XB6 gateway.  (and cripple Wi-Fi performance for your neighbours, if they happen to be sharing the same frequencies that you are using.)

[mubashir56]

Adding a pod

I had three pods spread out through different rooms in my three bedroom apartment.  My Ignite Gateway is in my bedroom where I get the highest speed [500 Mbps]. In the living room, however where the Smart TV is, I was barely getting 5-20 Mbps, so I installed a powerline which in the living room gave me about 30-55 Mbps.  

Yesterday, I noticed that off the Gateway I am getting about 200 Mbps  in the kitchen which is next to the Living Room. Upon walking into the living Room however,  the speed dropped to 10 Mbps because of a concrete wall in between. 

I decided to install a pod in the kitchen which dropped the speed to about 130 Mbps, still much better than the powerline.  Upon walking up to the TV, the speed dropped to about 100 Mbps [still better than powerline's 30-55 Mbps]. I named it as "Kitchen" and on the Ignite App only, I deleted the other two pods. 

Encouraged, I decided to install another pod in the Living Room in an outlet closest to the Kitchen. Going through Rogers Ignite App's "Add a Device" I found I will have to install all pods one by one starting with Pod # 1 !!
The reason I am hesitant is that if I do so, I may lose the higher speed I am getting now!

So, is there a way to add pods to the mesh without going through the whole process again and deleting the Kitchen pod? 

[RogersTony]

Hello, @JamesFamily

Welcome to the Rogers Community Forums!

Thanks for posting your concern in the Community. I know how important it is to have a consistent connection and fast speeds.

The Pods were designed to ensure that you have consistent connectivity all over your home. The speeds achieved via the Pods will not be the same as the modem. With regards to losing the current speeds you have, adding an additional Pod should not cause a drop in speed unless the location of that Pod is causing interference with another Pod or the modem. If that is occurring you may want to consider installing the Pod at a different location.

The positioning of your equipment is crucial when trying to create a healthy Wi-Fi network. It may take a bit of rearranging to find the most optimal location for your equipment as all homes are designed differently.

I hope this helps!

RogersTony

[Don_Ca]

My set up in a multilevel townhouse is this:
1. Modem is in the basement. My home office is here and I connect the important things via ethernet, I have never liked wifi.
2. I have 3 PODs, one on the floor above modem (about 4 feet above where the modem sits). The next is on the floor above that in the hallway and the last on the floor directly above it. These are all in hallways that have stairs next to it, so kind of open.

I get great coverage from this, but I know the PODS are not as fast. The current models do not support the same speeds as the modem itself. However my daughters do gaming on them and never complain about the speeds.

[Bplayer]

If you have not already done it, run and record speed test results on all floors. Then unplug the POD that is about 4' above the Gateway. You may actually find that it improves the speeds in the other areas. If it does not, then nothing lost and just plug it back in. Also try unplugging the POD on the top floor and testing the speed to see if it makes any difference.

[-G-]

The tricky thing about Pods is that in an optimal installation, they need to be able to maintain good, strong connections to both the WiFi clients and their upstream neighbour(s).  The transmitters in the Pods are not very powerful so, if they are placed in the wrong location or too far away, they may receive a strong signal from the XB6 but they may not have enough transmit power to maintain a good connection that uses an optimal data encoding scheme on the link.  In that case, speeds drop and the WiFi network itself becomes less efficient.

That one Pod above the XB6 could be an making an improvement, have no effect, or it could be a bottleneck.

You may also not be aware of potential problems if you only have a few WiFi clients on your network.

[goju]

I just got the ignite tv bundle and everything seems to work okay. I got two ignite pods that I tried to install in the basement and the top floor since the gateway modem is on the main floor. I downloaded the ignite wifi hub app on my phone and follow the directions sent to me from Rogers but I can't even get pass the first page. As soon as I signed into my rogers account it wants me to activate the modem gateway which is already activated and working. I didn't want to go any further of re-activating which who knows what can happen, maybe take my modem offline. The page that "should" show up after I logged into the app was a picture my gateway and option to add devices which I don't get. Any ideas to install these pods?

[-G-]

---

@goju wrote:

I just got the ignite tv bundle and everything seems to work okay. I got two ignite pods that I tried to install in the basement and the top floor since the gateway modem is on the main floor.

---

I can only help you a little bit since I don't have Ignite WiFi Pods and don't use the Ignite WiFi Hub app either.

I downloaded the ignite wifi hub app on my phone and follow the directions sent to me from Rogers but I can't even get pass the first page. As soon as I signed into my rogers account it wants me to activate the modem gateway which is already activated and working. I didn't want to go any further of re-activating which who knows what can happen, maybe take my modem offline. The page that "should" show up after I logged into the app was a picture my gateway and option to add devices which I don't get. Any ideas to install these pods?

---

To install the Pods, you must use the Ignite WiFi Hub mobile app so, you will need to do whatever you need to do to get the app initialized and logged into your Rogers account.  In order to install Pods, your XB6 modem also needs to be in gateway mode; you cannot install or use Pods if Bridge Mode has been enabled.

If you are unsure about anything, feel free to contact Rogers Tech Support or reach out to the @CommunityHelps  team by sending them a PM.

Don't worry too much about putting your modem into a bad state.  You always have the option of performing a Factory Reset and then configuring your modem again from scratch.