Wifi/Internet problems

[Andy_con]

Yesterday my internet stopped working, still not working this morning so i had to phone BT. they couldn't do anything as i have a third party router setup.

ive got 500mb fibre, so it goes little white modem then into this mesh setup -

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/tplink-deco-x20-whole-home-wifi-system-triple-pack-10222658.html

at their request i plugged the bt smart hub 2 back in and it all worked fine, im yet to plug the deco back in this evening. i restarted the deco a few times yesterday but didnt solve the issue.

i also noted how much faster my speeds are with the smart hub 2 over the deco.
bare in mind im on fibre 500, an internet speed test comes back at 150mb using the deco, with the smart hub 2 currently up and running, doing exactly the same test i get 433mb.

any suggestions?

 

[ChrisR]

Use the BT Hub and not the Deco?

 

[andybond]

Are you hardwire testing both hubs? Compare them when wired. It could be something like a QoS policy doing some magic on the deco

 

[Andy_con]

Use the BT Hub and not the Deco?

but then i wont have a mesh setup

 

[Andy_con]

Are you hardwire testing both hubs? Compare them when wired. It could be something like a QoS policy doing some magic on the deco

no, wireless, using my phone.

the second deco in my workshop is directly connected via a cable to the main deco in the house. yet if i do a speed check in the workshop im only getting about 70mb download. which is fine for teams calls but i was hoping for more.

in my head i assumed as the second deco is wired to the first i would be getting exactly the same speeds.

 

[andybond]

no, wireless, using my phone.

the second deco in my workshop is directly connected via a cable to the main deco in the house. yet if i do a speed check in the workshop im only getting about 70mb download. which is fine for teams calls but i was hoping for more.

in my head i assumed as the second deco is wired to the first i would be getting exactly the same speeds.

The speed difference could be many things including RF interference either from the original deco or from another device.

You dont mention the connectivity between the two deco devices. The link between the two could also have fault.

If possible drop the hardwire between the two and use the dedicated backhaul ( model dependant ) to compare.

 

[Andy_con]

The speed difference could be many things including RF interference either from the original deco or from another device.

You dont mention the connectivity between the two deco devices. The link between the two could also have fault.

If possible drop the hardwire between the two and use the dedicated backhaul ( model dependant ) to compare.

the deco in my workshop is hard wired via a cat5 cable to the main deco in the house.

given the cable is run in conduit mainly under ground, id be very surprised if it was damaged.

no idea what that means - dedicated backhaul??

 

[Gav_r26]

Firmware all up to date? My deco system did some wierd stuff when it was due an update. Been absolutely fine since!

 

[Daz...]

the deco in my workshop is hard wired via a cat5 cable to the main deco in the house.

given the cable is run in conduit mainly under ground, id be very surprised if it was damaged.

no idea what that means - dedicated backhaul??

Cat5 is limited to 100mb.

 

[Andy_con]

Firmware all up to date? My deco system did some wierd stuff when it was due an update. Been absolutely fine since!

not sure, but will defo check

 

[Andy_con]

Cat5 is limited to 100mb.

ffs...

so how does the cable which looks like a cat5 cable between the little white BT modem and the smart hub/main deco transfer 430mb?

 

[seb]

Is it cat5e?

 

[Gav_r26]

ffs...

so how does the cable which looks like a cat5 cable between the little white BT modem and the smart hub/main deco transfer 430mb?

It will be Cat6 ... looks identical to the untrained eye.

 

[cs_rich]

Even cat5e will comfortably manage gigabit speeds.

 

[Andy_con]

It will be Cat6 ... looks identical to the untrained eye.

ffs... not happy now!!

am now thinking about how i can run a new cable to the workshop.

so any tips on what i should do with the mian deco in the house to make sure its working tip top? ill check for any updates shortly

 

[JamesBryan]

I'd be very surprised if it's Cat5 and not Cat5e or 6.

 

[Andy_con]

I'd be very surprised if it's Cat5 and not Cat5e or 6.

BT gave it to me when they installed fibre, so may not be cat5

 

[Andy_con]

interesting the cable supplied by BT is cat5e, its printed on it. (between main deco and white BT fibre modem.

am now thinking about getting a cat6 cable, see if it improves the speed. the cables arent expensive.

 

[Aaron..]

BT gave it to me when they installed fibre, so may not be cat5

BT also gave me a cable and I was only getting circa 100.
Since I asked on here, I then went and got a new cable, 480+ on every wired test.

BT engineer didn't know what he was talking about.

 

[Andy_con]

BT also gave me a cable and I was only getting circa 100.
Since I asked on here, I then went and got a new cable, 480+ on every wired test.

BT engineer didn't know what he was talking about.

just checked on screwfix, i can get a cat6 cable today. so have just ordered.

 

[JamesBryan]

interesting the cable supplied by BT is cat5e, its printed on it. (between main deco and white BT fibre modem.

am now thinking about getting a cat6 cable, see if it improves the speed. the cables arent expensive.

5e is perfectly fine.

 

[Andy_con]

5e is perfectly fine.

for just £10 im getting a cat6 cable today

 

[andybond]

given the cable is run in conduit mainly under ground, id be very surprised if it was damaged.

I dont like to assume , so I didnt know if you had a point to point cable , or running over powerline for instance.

Hence question.

As you have now established I think a cat6 cable would suffice.

What model Deco do you have? I have the Deco XE75 and I dont use a cable, I let the satellites talk to each other via WiFi and no issues with throughput

 

[Andy_con]

I dont like to assume , so I didnt know if you had a point to point cable , or running over powerline for instance.

Hence question.

As you have now established I think a cat6 cable would suffice.

What model Deco do you have? I have the Deco XE75 and I dont use a cable, I let the satellites talk to each other via WiFi and no issues with throughput

Ah I see, when I built my workshop I ran 4x cat5 cables to it from the house. Currently using one for Internet and one for cctv. Other two are spare.

Mine are deco x20

My workshop is to far from the house to pick up the main deco, hence the cables and second deco in the workshop.

 

[rctempire]

cat6, cat5 etc wont change the speeds at all (domestic setting)
Unless you are going upto 10Gigabit. But doubt it.

On the deco, are you using it as a "full functioning mesh" or a wireless access point?
Id disable ALL silly features on it and use it purely for wireless access (it still meshes) and make sure they are all backhauled.

 

[Aaron..]

cat6, cat5 etc wont change the speeds at all (domestic setting)
Unless you are going upto 10Gigabit. But doubt it.

On the deco, are you using it as a "full functioning mesh" or a wireless access point?
Id disable ALL silly features on it and use it purely for wireless access (it still meshes) and make sure they are all backhauled.

It does though?
My old cat5 sent circa 100. Changed it to cat6 and it was 480+? From the box to the hub.
@Crayola said cat5 can only take 100 when I asked in the IT thread?

 

[cs_rich]

It does though?
My old cat5 sent circa 100. Changed it to cat6 and it was 480+? From the box to the hub.
@Crayola said cat5 can only take 100 when I asked in the IT thread?

Where the hell did you get cat5 from?

I started working in IT in 2001 and everything was cat5e and gigabit capable back then.

 

[Aaron..]

Where the hell did you get cat5 from?

I started working in IT in 2001 and everything was cat5e and gigabit capable back then.

f**k knows. One that my dad gave me I imagine. Was pretty old, he closed his computer shop around 2000 iirc

 

[cs_rich]

f**k knows. One that my dad gave me I imagine. Was pretty old, he closed his computer shop around 2000 iirc

Was it terminated with an RJ-45 plug or did it have tin cans attached?

 

[SC03OTT]

Turned it off and on again?

 

[Steve1986]

Was it terminated with an RJ-45 plug or did it have tin cans attached?

 

[Andy_con]

cat6, cat5 etc wont change the speeds at all (domestic setting)
Unless you are going upto 10Gigabit. But doubt it.

On the deco, are you using it as a "full functioning mesh" or a wireless access point?
Id disable ALL silly features on it and use it purely for wireless access (it still meshes) and make sure they are all backhauled.

its currently operating in wifi router mode.
what are silly features? if i knew what i was doing i wouldnt be asking for help

no idea what backhauled means?

 

[YorkshireKyle]

It does though?
My old cat5 sent circa 100. Changed it to cat6 and it was 480+? From the box to the hub.
@Crayola said cat5 can only take 100 when I asked in the IT thread?

I must have had an off day

Cat 5 will still do gig over a very short distance but it won't be happy about it. Either way like @The Psychedelic Socialist said, cat 5 is 20+ year old so just bin it either way

 

[andybond]

no idea what backhauled means?

Backhaul is a method for shunting data from the current access point back to the main one thats connected to the outside world.

Some have a dedicated backhaul wifi channel, some only a dedicated backhaul if wired and some just have a shared backhaul.

 

[JP83]

I must have had an off day

Cat 5 will still do gig over a very short distance but it won't be happy about it. Either way like @The Psychedelic Socialist said, cat 5 is 20+ year old so just bin it either way

We were still running cat5 at our offices until about 10 years ago.
Running gigabit over cable lengths of about 50m.

Office is cat6 nowadays thankfully.

 

[YorkshireKyle]

We were still running cat5 at our offices until about 10 years ago.
Running gigabit over cable lengths of about 50m.

Office is cat6 nowadays thankfully.

Our DC is capable of doing 350Gig

Our office is still on 100Mb

 

[Andy_con]

Just dug out the reel I used for my workshop, maybe it's not as bad as I thought

 

[seb]

Is it cat5e?

Oh.

 

[rctempire]

Just dug out the reel I used for my workshop, maybe it's not as bad as I thought

View attachment 1689539

Absolutely fine for a domestic setting. Dont be kidded on its not cat6e etc.

 

[rctempire]

Backhaul is a method for shunting data from the current access point back to the main one thats connected to the outside world.

Some have a dedicated backhaul wifi channel, some only a dedicated backhaul if wired and some just have a shared backhaul.

Deco have wired backhaul enabled on them.

Essentially @Andy_con is the deco plugged into the ethernet at all locations?
Is it in router mode or Wireless Access Point mode?