Crap Wifi, tons of APs

T

TordanGow

[H]ard|Gawd
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May 25, 2015
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Anything I can do about my terrible 2.4 wifi? In any given hour, not including car based wifi there are 25+ APs visible. I already tried channel 6, etc. to no avail. The other stations around hop as well. It's working fine now, but at various points of the day, ie. when kids get off of school until ~9 PM, the channel utilization on 2.4 GHz pegs to 85%+ and just stays there making the connection basically worthless.

I tried 5 GHz N / AC but the penetration through my walls is complete garbage, 1 wall and things can only intermittently connect (laptop,iPhone XR, LV V30+, etc.). Outside of putting APs everywhere is there anything else I can do?

APs I have:
1 x Unifi AC lite
1 x UAP Pro (non AC version)


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Brian_B said:
maybe try to pick something other than Ch1 and Ch11 you should be relatively ok - proably Ch6.

There's always going to be some overlap though. Your going to get a lot of "run hardwire"

This may help:

https://www.metageek.com/training/resources/why-channels-1-6-11.html
Click to expand...

Already tried Channel 6, the other APs hop around as well so that doesn't really resolve it.

I also ran auto channel on my APs, no real change, most channels seem trashed at various points of the day.
 
Hardlines to AP's on each floor of your house for N/AC.

1 wall or floor should be fine for AC. I have 3 AP's to cover my 3500 sq/ft house
 
TordanGow said:
I tried 5 GHz N / AC but the penetration through my walls is complete garbage, 1 wall and things can only intermittently connect
Click to expand...

Sounds like you just need a better 5Ghz access point with more transmit power IMO. While 2.4Ghz does have better penetration through walls, that doesn't mean that a single wall should destroy a 5Ghz signal. DirecTV for example uses a WiFi-based 5Ghz system to transmit from it's main satellite receiver box to other smaller boxes in individual bedrooms, etc. This works fine even from one corner of the house to the other and through 4+ walls. Why? Because the DirecTV access point / base station has a VERY powerful transmitter, at least compared to most 5Ghz consumer WiFi access points. Using several APs spread throughout the house that individually only have mediocre transmit power is another way to go, but in the end you are accomplishing the same goal, but doing it the "hard way". And if you have the ability to wire Ethernet across your house/apartment to be able to hook up multiple access points, might as well wire Ethernet directly to as many devices as you can also.

5Ghz has been around for a while now. Everything that isn't extremely old or low-end should be able to use it now. 5Ghz is the solution to your problem and problems like you are having is literally one of the main reasons it even exists.
 
GotNoRice said:
Sounds like you just need a better 5Ghz access point with more transmit power IMO. While 2.4Ghz does have better penetration through walls, that doesn't mean that a single wall should destroy a 5Ghz signal. DirecTV for example uses a WiFi-based 5Ghz system to transmit from it's main satellite receiver box to other smaller boxes in individual bedrooms, etc. This works fine even from one corner of the house to the other and through 4+ walls. Why? Because the DirecTV access point / base station has a VERY powerful transmitter, at least compared to most 5Ghz consumer WiFi access points. Using several APs spread throughout the house that individually only have mediocre transmit power is another way to go, but in the end you are accomplishing the same goal, but doing it the "hard way". And if you have the ability to wire Ethernet across your house/apartment to be able to hook up multiple access points, might as well wire Ethernet directly to as many devices as you can also.

5Ghz has been around for a while now. Everything that isn't extremely old or low-end should be able to use it now. 5Ghz is the solution to your problem and problems like you are having is literally one of the main reasons it even exists.
Click to expand...

I'll look at re-positioning my two APs then, power on them is set to auto, but they seem to be broadcasting at the max power I can specify on the units manually. Also, anything that can be hardwired is. I pulled Ethernet to my kids desktop, my desktop, mediacenter, etc. The devices having issues are laptops, phones, etc. that aren't going to get wired up.


Here's an example of how it will stay from about 2:30 PM to 9 PM.

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GotNoRice said:
Sounds like you just need a better 5Ghz access point with more transmit power IMO.
Click to expand...
Will the clients be able to reply?

TordanGow said:
I'll look at re-positioning my two APs then...
Click to expand...
Always worth a try. Your WAPs should overpower outside interference until your clients get pretty far away.

Put any devices that will connect reliably onto 5Ghz. Because wifi timeshares, congestion is a slippery slope. One slow device hurts every other client on that band. Actually, since your WAPs support multiple SSIDs, try creating a "slow stuff only" 2.4 network on a different channel.
 
HammerSandwich said:
Will the clients be able to reply?
Click to expand...

Access points generally have much larger antennas than mobile devices do, so they can pick up weaker signals. Also, most WiFi traffic is internet related with much more downstream traffic than upstream traffic. A weaker return path from the device back to the access point is generally not going to negatively impact something like streaming where the vast majority of the traffic is going from the access point out to the device. So yeah, an upgrade to an AP with higher transmit power almost always produces superior results even if the client devices remain the same.
 
You could try reducing the channel width on your 5Ghz antennas. You will lose bandwidth but if reliability is what you're after it may be worth a shot.
 
inbedwithhomer said:
You could try reducing the channel width on your 5Ghz antennas. You will lose bandwidth but if reliability is what you're after it may be worth a shot.
Click to expand...

I'll change that, thanks!


Master_shake_ said:
in home faraday cage ought to do it,
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Ordered a case of aluminum foil on Amazon. My neighbors are going to love the updated aesthetics. /jokes
 
Short answer, probably not. At least not easily. Just too many APs around your house. And it will only get worse. Every time one of your neighbors buys a new 'Smart' TV or Roku or Fire Stick or WiFi printer or Ring camera, or etc., it will get worse.

Might gain some time with better 2.4 external antennas. A good omni directional in the center of the house or a narrow directional one on each end.

If you plan on living there for a long time, the faraday cage isn't such a bad answer. Look into WiFi blocking paint or metal siding.
 
Disable 2.4 and go all 5. Add more AP's if you have to but 2.4 is pretty much always going to be unusable with that kind of outside noise.
 
Have you tried messing with Airtime fairness, band steering? Also have you tried adjusting power levels. Sometimes to high of power can just as bad as to low of power. I can cover a 2500 Sqft house with just 2 in-wall AC units. One on each floor and at opposite ends of the house.
 
Eickst said:
Put this paint inside of the exterior facing walls of your house, then repaint over it

https://www.amazon.com/Shielding-Solutions-EMF-Paint-HSF54/dp/B007A0RTES
Click to expand...
Interesting reviews :)

"I am very happy with the results so far! I can sense the RF/EMF as a continuous whistle in my head. The more whistle, the more puffed my eyes are and the more tired I am in the morning. In places without RF/EMF I wake up refreshed and no puffiness around my eyes."

Pressing X on that one.
 
Hey if the e-shield film we put on glass at work is enough to block wifi signals why not a paint
 
I remember once a customer was having issues in a block of apartments with 30 other APs. I just plugged outdoor 10dB+ antennas into the router in the apartment and that worked a treat.

Shout the loudest.
 
Get a CPE210 access point. I bet your signal would eat anyone else's. I have that and the CPE510 dish to play with 5ghz. The 210 is so strong I can stand 2 blocks away from my house and still get a decent signal.
 
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