How to overcome WiFi interference?

MrRockliffe

MrRockliffe

MrRockliffe

Soldato
Joined
14 Apr 2014
Posts
7,710
Location
Hampshire
I live in a one bed flat, one of five in a building, all of which have virgin media superhubs.

The interference has become very annoying, with speeds dropping from 220Mb by the router, to 2-3Mb in the bedroom (the bed visible from the sofa - approximately 15m away).

My desktop PC, which is in the bedroom (router in the corner of the living room) reaches speeds of 90Mb. While that's good, what's the best way to overcome the interference?

If you need any more information, let me know.
 
There's an app I use on Android that can show which WiFi channels are being used find a gap and you should be able to change the WiFi channel on the hub.
Alternatively a cable?
Andi.
 
MrRockliffe said:
No - it's a rented apartment with wood flooring. It would have to be homeplugs or a new router
Click to expand...

Tacked to the skirting board every six feet with cable clips or similar and routed over/around door frames? Where the wall meets the ceiling? Where there's a will there's a way, especially in a flat. :p The 2.4GHz spectrum is woefully over-subscribed, and the 5GHz channel doesn't have many free channels before you get into DFS territory in the UK. Best bet would be - as suggested above - get a wifi scanner app, and ideally work with neighbours to try to minimise cross talk between you all. I'm pretty sure the SH has an option for transmit power. Lower transmit power settings for 40MHz bands for everyone should reduce the issue somewhat as the signals would stay within each flat better. At the moment you all have SHs blasting out wifi at default full power. Power doesn't equate to speed so much as range...
 
Download Apple's airport utility, enable Wi-Fi scan in the settings/airport utility, open the app, tap wifi scan in the top right, set timer to 20-30 seconds and scan. Once the scan has completed, make note of your wireless network and what channel it's using. Tap 'i' in the borrom right and see what other channels are being used and switch to an unused channel.

Wi-Fi Analyzer on Android will do something similar.

Alternatively, some devices, Apple especially but not always, will attempt to stay on a 5GHz channel even when the signal is very poor. Consider splitting your SSID's on the Virgin Hub and changing the SSID for the 2.4GHz and specifically connecting to that network. 5GHz is faster but rubbish at penetrating walls, floors and ceilings. 2.4GHz is slower, but generally works better the further away you are from the Router.
 
May be an option - I did try using a 600Mb homeplug and got a speed of 47Mb at the computer - I was able to get 93 at my last place with 100Mb broadband. I do have Sonos equipment too, which is set up wirelessly - I imaging changing that to cable would help. I thought about moving the router to the other side of the TV, as it's currently in the right most corner of the property.
 
Switch off the WiFi on the superhub and install a UniFi AP AC LR. You will definitely get better performance, the 5GHz range on the UniFi AP AC LR is much better than a superhub.
 
pcfarrar said:
Switch off the WiFi on the superhub and install a UniFi AP AC LR. You will definitely get better performance, the 5GHz range on the UniFi AP AC LR is much better than a superhub.
Click to expand...

Range isn't the problem - I'm getting a strong connection in the bedroom, but just the speed is horrendous.
 
MrRockliffe said:
Range isn't the problem - I'm getting a strong connection in the bedroom, but just the speed is horrendous.
Click to expand...

The 5GHz range on superhub's is junk, I guarantee you will get better performance with a UniFi AP.

Buy one from the rainforest and you can return it hassle free if it's not better.
 
pcfarrar said:
The 5GHz range on superhub's is junk, I guarantee you will get better performance with a UniFi AP.
Click to expand...

While Ubiquiti do some nice stuff, that's not necessarily true. The routing and features of the SH firmware are crap (e.g. broken port forwarding), but I can't say the SH3 wifi was rubbish. In fact I get a better signal and better 5GHz speeds on the other side of the house from the SH3 than I do my Unifi UAP AC Pro, with both set to 80MHz channels and high transmit power. The UK has a legal maximum wifi transmit power (22dB iircc), and as such all devices are bound to honour this. No one device will have a stronger transmitter than another, and in this case both devices are 3x3. The SH3 just happens to give a better signal in my case, though I still use the Pro (so I can leave the SH3 in modem mode and use a proper pfSense box). The advantage of the Unifi stuff is you can mount it in a more convenient location, but it's not necessarily accurate to say it's better; especially when it costs around £100 for potentially no gain.
 
Rainmaker said:
While Ubiquiti do some nice stuff, that's not necessarily true. The routing and features of the SH firmware are crap (e.g. broken port forwarding), but I can't say the SH3 wifi was rubbish. In fact I get a better signal and better 5GHz speeds on the other side of the house from the SH3 than I do my Unifi UAP AC Pro, with both set to 80MHz channels and high transmit power. The UK has a legal maximum wifi transmit power (22dB iircc), and as such all devices are bound to honour this. No one device will have a stronger transmitter than another, and in this case both devices are 3x3. The SH3 just happens to give a better signal in my case, though I still use the Pro (so I can leave the SH3 in modem mode and use a proper pfSense box). The advantage of the Unifi stuff is you can mount it in a more convenient location, but it's not necessarily accurate to say it's better; especially when it costs around £100 for potentially no gain.
Click to expand...

The antenna in the UniFi AP LR's is vastly superior to the superhub. The fractal antenna will hold on to a 5GHz receive signal at much greater distances than a superhub. I never use the Pro's at work, either the AC LR or the AC HD. The ability to do RF environment scans from the UniFi controller is also really good and will show you what channels to use and can show problems that PC/phone scanners can't see.

See here for an example:

https://community.ubnt.com/t5/UniFi-Wireless/FYI-Wireless-2-4GHz-Headphones/m-p/1641432#M175508
 
MrRockliffe said:
How would it affect gaming and other tasks? Is that still processed through the super hub?
Click to expand...

UniFi AP's don't effect gaming in any way. I would just get one from the rainforest and give it a try. You haven't got much to lose as you can return it hassle free for a refund if it doesn't work out.
 
How would port forwarding be handled? I need to open some for gaming through my Xbox One, due to broken party chat and a couple of games refusing to find games.
 
MrRockliffe said:
How would port forwarding be handled? I need to open some for gaming through my Xbox One, due to broken party chat and a couple of games refusing to find games.
Click to expand...

Nothing changes, the UniFi AP just operates as a bridge so everything is handled by the superhub still. You don't need to open ports for the Xbox One as it works by UPnP. Make sure UPnP is enabled on the superhub and thats all you need.
 
pcfarrar said:
Nothing changes, the UniFi AP just operates as a bridge so everything is handled by the superhub still. You don't need to open ports for the Xbox One as it works by UPnP. Make sure UPnP is enabled on the superhub and thats all you need.
Click to expand...

It is enabled, but I still have troubles with broadband :/
 
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