Whole home wifi low speed

[jmf1949]

I have three white whole home WIFI disks installed in my house. The one downstairs is connected to a Virgin Media Hub 4 by Ethernet via a TP-Link WPA7617 Power line extender. It is about 20 ft from the hub.

The two upstairs are WiFi connected.

My Windows 11 lap-top is connected to the VM Hub by Ethernet. Because it doesn't have an Ethernet port, I am using a hub connected through the USB Type C port. On my PC I can get download speeds of up to 200Mbps.

Using either a Galaxy M32 phone or a Nokia T20 tablet, I am unable to get a download speed greater than 25Mbps, no matter which white disk I am connected to.

What should I be trying to see if I can get increase the download speed?

[chrisjp]

I suspect the problem may be with the powerline extender between your Virgin Hub and the first white disk. Could you try connecting it via an ethernet cable?

[jmf1949]

Chris, not sure. With previous BT hub I was getting around 60Mbps, which was the limit for the BT contract I had, same tp-link extender.

[c64z86]

Do you know whether your phone and tablet are connecting via 2.4ghz or 5ghz?

Your WiFi transmits on 2 bands: 2.4 and 5ghz.

2.4ghz has good range but slower speeds, 5ghz has shorter range but faster speeds.

To make sure you are connected to 5ghz , instead of 2.4, it is really necessary to be closer to the router and then to try toggling your WiFi on and off again on the tablet and phone, so it then can connect via 5ghz.

On some devices you can force it to stay on 5ghz, but not all of them support this option. If it supports this option, it can be found in the WiFi settings of the device usually.

There is also the problem where the discs themselves will drop down and start using 2.4ghz after a little while, which then lowers the speeds for their connected devices, it is necessary to reboot these every so often to keep them connected via 5ghz.

[jmf1949]

Thanks for your detailed response.

I have turned off 2.4 on both my VM hub and the TP-LINK device. I don't think that's an option on the BT discs.

I spent a long time earlier this evening with a TP-LINK "expert", but have not come up with a solution yet.

If I attach the first BT disk directly to the VM hub via Ethernet, and use the BT wifi network, I can get a download rate of between 75-80 Mbps.

If I have the TP-LINK device right next to the VM hub and use the TP-LINK wifi network, I get a rate of about 50-55 Mbps.

I tried to "clone" the TP-LINK device with the hub using WPS, but I was unable to get it to work. I will raise that with TP-LINK tomorrow.

[c64z86]

By TP-Link WiFi do you mean the WiFi that is transmitted from the powerline extender?

If so, those aren't 100% reliable devices. A lot of factors affect their speed, like the noise on the power lines, the age of the power lines and even the load. Think of them more like WiFi and halve the rated speed they print on the box, and you should have a better expectation of the performance they truly deliver.

Don't get me wrong, they are miles better than WiFi, but they are still a few miles short of the performance a true ethernet network can deliver.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@jmf1949 

Have you asked on the Virgin Media Forum, as there quite a few posts there about these BT badged disks?

It may be best to give the WHW product helpdesk a call on 0808 100 6116 ( Mon to Fri 9am to 5.30pm and Sat 9am to 2pm) or drop them an email to: btconnectedhome@bt.com and they'll be happy to help.

[c64z86]

What has helped me to stretch my 500mbps further around the home is to invest in a WiFi 6 router, that also has support for DFS channels and 160mhz!

The DFS channels can transmit at higher speeds than the usual 5ghz channels can because they aren't as congested and they also transmit at a higher power, but the catch is that you have to make sure that there are no radar stations, bases or airports nearby as DFS uses the same frequencies as radar. Also your devices have to support DFS too, as not all of them do.

I used to get 150-220mbps on my WiFi 6 laptop that is one thick wall and 2 thin walls away from my router, now I get something like 430-480 having just switched over to the DFS channels. What helps is that my router (Acting as an access point to the Smart Hub that handles all the other stuff like DHCP) is also 4x4 Mu-Mimo with 8 antennas. Even though nothing I have uses 4x4, let alone 3x3, the extra antennas and streams available from the router help immensely.

[jmf1949]

Yes, I am referring to the wifi network located on the TP-LINK device.

I think I have the option of connecting to four different WIFI networks.  There is the one from the VM Hub 4; one from the "base" TP-Link device; one from the "remote" TP-LINK device; and one from the BT white discs mesh.

This morning I tested with my mobile phone attached to the wifi from the BT white disc, which is directly connected via Ethernet to the VM Hub, and I got a download speed of 225Mbps!

I am beginning to feel that the investment in the TP-LINK pair is going to prove to be wasted.  Yesterday TP-LINK suggested that I would never get more than about 65Mbps through their device.

I was previously getting 55-60Mbps from my BT white discs when the router was a BT Smart Hub.

I will be spending some time today trying to develop this with the "experts", so forgive me if I don't post an immediate response!

[jmf1949]

Thanks Keith, I have done some searching on the VM Community, but have yet to find a solution.  I hesitate to phone their technical support, since I have found them not to be very skilled in their responses.

Not sure it is a VM issue so, as per my other reply, I am going to contact TP-LINK again and also BT.