New Router

J_B

We use Airband for our internet (a WISP service - not using the phone line)

The signal from the router is getting a little intermittent over the last few weeks so we are considering replacing it.

Our current router is a Cambium Networks CN Pilot R201P Model=C3Voip-201P (but we don't use the VOIP service on it)

Can someone suggest a good quality and suitable replacement?

[Deleted User]

Before you splash out any cash - what are the symptoms and how do you know it is the router that is the issue and not the external signal? Using a WISP is prone to interference and environmental issues, maybe a tree has started to grow in the line of sight for the signal or the receiver has moved for example?

If you are convinced you need a new router, all depends on your budget really, I'm thinking a good quality Wifi 5 router will be good enough for what I believe is average 40mpbs so depends on your budget really but some suggestions around the £150 mark as a starting point:
ASUS RT-AC86U WiFi Cable & Fibre Router - AC 2900, Dual-band
LINKSYS MR8300 WiFi Cable & Fibre Router - AC 2200, Tri-band
TP-LINK Archer C2300 WiFi Cable & Fibre Router - AC 2300, Dual-band

aerostar

In the last few weeks we have had high pressure weather systems, and those can cause signals to fade randomly., causing dropouts, and increase interfering signals from other transmitters. 

J_B

[Deleted User] said:

Before you splash out any cash - what are the symptoms and how do you know it is the router that is the issue and not the external signal? Using a WISP is prone to interference and environmental issues, maybe a tree has started to grow in the line of sight for the signal or the receiver has moved for example?

If you are convinced you need a new router, all depends on your budget really, I'm thinking a good quality Wifi 5 router will be good enough for what I believe is average 40mpbs so depends on your budget really but some suggestions around the £150 mark as a starting point:
ASUS RT-AC86U WiFi Cable & Fibre Router - AC 2900, Dual-band
LINKSYS MR8300 WiFi Cable & Fibre Router - AC 2200, Tri-band
TP-LINK Archer C2300 WiFi Cable & Fibre Router - AC 2300, Dual-band

We have good line of sight to the transmitter, 3½ miles away - no trees (it's across the valley, but my Welsh friend laughed when I called it a valley!!!)

The router is in the under-stairs cupboard in the centre of the house.

For example, sitting outside with 'no more than six people' last week, on my phone (MotoG) and Mrs B's phone (iPhone SE) the wi-fi signal 'fan' was showing 3/4 one second and nothing the next. On her iPad in the bedroom the signal is similarly intermittent.

Is there a way of testing it?

Budget for a new one? Not a clue sorry. If we are going to spend, it may as well be on something to do the job properly! Are your suggestions especially for WISP services?

Also, we are making a home office in the attic, so may need to either relocate the router to upstairs or put an additional one in the attic.

WISP feed enters the house in the attic - the house has data points in every room - and is then fed to the router downstairs.

J_B

B U M P

Anyone?

glennevis

Testing:

From your description it does appear that your WiFi signal is intermittent. The WiFi fan is a rough indication. I use an Android app called WiFi Analyser by a developer called farproc. You can see various live views of all nearby wifi signals on both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. The 'time graph' view (see the second image on the app description on Google Play Store) shows your router's signal strength over time so you can easily determine whether a signal is dropping out intermittently.

You can also use the app to determine how far your signal reaches. Just wander around and watch the channel graph. It works better on older versions of Android though it is usable on Android 9.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer

J_B

glennevis said:

Testing:

From your description it does appear that your WiFi signal is intermittent. The WiFi fan is a rough indication. I use an Android app called WiFi Analyser by a developer called farproc. You can see various live views of all nearby wifi signals on both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. The 'time graph' view (see the second image on the app description on Google Play Store) shows your router's signal strength over time so you can easily determine whether a signal is dropping out intermittently.

You can also use the app to determine how far your signal reaches. Just wander around and watch the channel graph. It works better on older versions of Android though it is usable on Android 9.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer

Just sitting here with the phone in front of the laptop ....

5gz was reading around 65 dBm .... then it just disappeared off the screen completely, then came back at about 55, then went away again, then back to 65 - what does this mean?

2.4 was reading about 65, but then also went off, then back to 55

Then I found a graph on one of the other pages ... (Ours is Airband, neighbours have BT)

J_B

Mickey666 said:

Thus it's possible to buy a router that has no wifi capability and also buy a 'wifi access point' (AP) to provide the wifi.  Why would anyone do this . . . often for the same reasons that professional and business user do - better performance.

Interesting to think 'outside the box', thank you.

We do holiday rentals in a block on four floors (that has a lift) - we have the router in the basement where the lift controls are and then a TP link TL-SG1008P (8 port Gigabit Desktop Switch with 4port POE) with an access point on each floor - it works well

Our house here has data points in every room, so, maybe this is a possible/probable plan?

Back to the beginning ... is the router rubbish, or just it's wi-fi capabilities? .... Or are Airband not sending me enough oomph!

getmore4less

The router is in the under-stairs cupboard in the centre of the house


You could try moving it but do you have the wired network topology to do that.

J_B

getmore4less said:

The router is in the under-stairs cupboard in the centre of the house


You could try moving it but do you have the wired network topology to do that.

Yes, but my WiFi analysis last night was done only 5m from the router so, would that make a difference?

Swoosh84

J_B said:

getmore4less said:

The router is in the under-stairs cupboard in the centre of the house


You could try moving it but do you have the wired network topology to do that.

Yes, but my WiFi analysis last night was done only 5m from the router so, would that make a difference?

Your wifi analysis is picking up a signal from the router, if your router is not getting a signal then your wifi analysis on your phone is not going to get a signal. You should definitley move the router, any walls will degrade the signal. Try moving this around the house then re-running the test to find the best spot. Your first try should be as close to the source as possible and as high up as possible.

Being in the middle of the house is definitley not going to help, more walls to get through.