BT Smart Hub2 - wifi speeds dropping frequently

[KpN]

Every couple of days the Wifi speed drops considerably.   BT checked the fibre, line in to Hub and Hub and could find nothing wrong other than lots of other Wifi signals in area.  Channel was considered the best channel.  After a reboot everything goes back to normal with 70+mbps download and 18+mbps upload.  It seems random.  I noticed in the event log the following. 

You can see a connection from my macbook at 21:38 and a speed of 1053mbps.

Then at 21:59 a CWMP session.  

After the CWMP session closes there are client associate/disassociate requests pertaining to the macbook, with the speeds for 2.4G and 5G considerably low.

At this point I noticed the low connectivity speed on my macbook and other devices.

A reboot resolved this.

So what is the CWMP session doing to interfere with the Internet speed, and why would it cause this  considerable drop in speed?

22:18:50	05 Feb. LAN [ADD] ARP 192.168.1.194 with f0:18:98:7a:75:7c from br0(wl0)
22:18:50	05 Feb. 2.4G Client disassociate from f0:18:98:7a:75:7c  (IP=192.168.1.194) RSSI=0	Rate=0Mbps
22:18:49	05 Feb. 5G Client associate from f0:18:98:7a:75:7c (IP=192.168.1.194) RSSI=-73	Rate=526Mbps
22:18:49	05 Feb. Receive a DHCP request
22:18:49	05 Feb. WHW INFO A station (Smart Hub 2)IF[5G](60:8D:26:2B:50:52):STA(F0:18:98:7A:75:7C)(Legacy Device) join WHW infrastructure
22:18:49	05 Feb. 2.4G client Mac: F0:18:98:7A:75:7C Deauthentications (Reason:Deauthenticated because sending station is leaving (or has left) IBSS or ESS)
22:18:49	05 Feb. Self roaming might be occurring... Deauth original one...
22:18:47	05 Feb. DHCP device Connected: 192.168.1.194	f0:18:98:7a:75:7c
22:18:47	05 Feb. 5G Client disassociate from f0:18:98:7a:75:7c  (IP=192.168.1.194) RSSI=0	Rate=0Mbps
22:18:47	05 Feb. LAN [ADD] ARP 192.168.1.194 with f0:18:98:7a:75:7c from br0(wl1)
22:18:47	05 Feb. 2.4G Client associate from f0:18:98:7a:75:7c (IP=192.168.1.194) RSSI=-65	Rate=117Mbps
22:18:46	05 Feb. Receive a DHCP request
22:18:45	05 Feb. WHW INFO A station (Smart Hub 2)IF[2.4G](60:8D:26:2B:50:53):STA(F0:18:98:7A:75:7C)(Legacy Device) join WHW infrastructure
22:18:45	05 Feb. WHW INFO A station STA(F0:18:98:7A:75:7C) leave WHW infrastructure
21:59:46	05 Feb. CWMP: HDM socket closed successfully.
21:59:46	05 Feb. CWMP: HTTP authentication success from pbthdm.x.x.x
21:59:46	05 Feb. CWMP: HDM socket opened successfully.
21:59:44	05 Feb. CWMP: HDM socket closed successfully.
21:59:44	05 Feb. CWMP: HTTP authentication success from pbthdm.x.x.x
21:59:44	05 Feb. CWMP: HDM socket opened successfully.
21:59:44	05 Feb. CWMP: session completed successfully
21:59:44	05 Feb. CWMP: HDM socket closed successfully.
21:59:44	05 Feb. CWMP: HTTP authentication success from pbthdm.x.x.x
21:59:43	05 Feb. CWMP: HDM socket opened successfully.
21:59:43	05 Feb. CWMP: HDM socket opened successfully.
21:59:43	05 Feb. CWMP: Server URL: https://pbthdm.x.x.x; Connecting as user: ACS username
21:59:43	05 Feb. CWMP: Session start now	server: https://pbthdm.x.x.x
21:59:43	05 Feb. CWMP: Initializing transaction for event code 2 PERIODIC
21:44:06	05 Feb. LAN [DEL] ARP 192.168.1.108 with 02:0f:b5:b2:88:f1 from br0
21:44:03	05 Feb. WHW INFO A station STA(02:0F:B5:B2:88:F1) leave WHW infrastructure
21:44:03	05 Feb. 2.4G client Mac: 02:0F:B5:B2:88:F1 Deauthentications (Reason:Deauthenticated because sending station is leaving (or has left) IBSS or ESS)
21:43:43	05 Feb. WHW INFO A station (Smart Hub 2)IF[2.4G](60:8D:26:2B:50:53):STA(7E:4B:A0:B2:88:F1)(Legacy Device) join WHW infrastructure
21:39:56	05 Feb. SIP Registration - success
21:39:19	05 Feb. ARP [add] br0(wl1) 192.168.1.108 02:0f:b5:b2:88:f1
21:39:18	05 Feb. ARP [del] br0 192.168.1.108 02:0f:b5:b2:88:f1
21:38:59	05 Feb. ARP [add] br0(wl0) 192.168.1.194 f0:18:98:7a:75:7c
21:38:47	05 Feb. DHCP device Connected: 192.168.1.194	f0:18:98:7a:75:7c
21:38:47	05 Feb. DHCP lease issued 192.168.1.194 to f0:18:98:7a:75:7c MacBook-Pro-2	lease duration is 43200 seconds
21:38:47	05 Feb. 5G Client associate from f0:18:98:7a:75:7c (IP=192.168.1.194) RSSI=-84	Rate=1053Mbps
21:38:47	05 Feb. LAN [ADD] ARP 192.168.1.194 with f0:18:98:7a:75:7c from br0(wl0)
21:38:47	05 Feb. Receive a DHCP request
21:38:46	05 Feb. Lan IPv6 Neighbour Discovery events: NEIGHBOR_SOLICIT
21:38:46	05 Feb. Lan IPv6 Neighbour Discovery events: NEIGHBOR_SOLICIT
21:38:46	05 Feb. Lan IPv6 Neighbour Discovery events: NEIGHBOR_SOLICIT

[Edinburgh-wg]

This could be down to congestion. It's difficult to find 'the best channel' in such environments because your neighbours' access points could be doing the same: finding a less congested channel by doing channel hopping, therefore creating more congestion.

There are a couple of things you can do, if WiFi is indeed the cause:

- get a better router that offers access to DFS/all DFS channels

- use apps like WiFi man to identify the best channel 

- avoid using WPA3 encryption 

- use the 5GHz band more than 2.4GHz (so, you could separate these on your hub to see if this improves the situation, and conversely)

- keep your access point away from obstructions, especially metal things (for example some door frames, metal bed frames), position your access point more centrally, and note that a microwave oven, cordless phone, or Bluetooth devices are also operating on the 2.4 GHz radio band

[spile]

- use the 5GHz band more than 2.4GHz (so, you could separate these on your hub to see if this improves the situation, and conversely)

You can’t do this on the SH2

[c64z86]

I don't know in great detail about CWMP, but I can offer up a few suggestions that might help:

1.) I notice in the log that it says "WHW info A station" so are you using BT wifi discs?

If so, make sure to give these a reboot every so often too! They have a tendency to drop down to 2.4ghz after a while, even when they are close to the Smart Hub. Which will also affect the speed of any devices connected to them.

2.) Is there any way you can force or tell your Macbook to prefer 5ghz over 2.4ghz? I know you can do this in device manager in Windows, but not sure where such a setting would be on Mac OS. Maybe check the wifi/network control panel for this setting? This would help it to at least keep hold of the 5ghz connection more, instead of dropping to 2.4 all the time.

3.) This post on the Plusnet forums(Which also uses a rebranded SmartHub 2) explains what CWMP is:

"It's actually your router checking in with the hardware management platform, not the other way round.

The router has a URL stored for the management platform and an 'inform period' set, which determines how frequently it should make contact (every 24hrs in this case). The actual time it happens likely coincides with when you first plugged the device in (or 'activated' it).

Typically, all it will be saying is "I'm still here!", and relaying some basic info like firmware version and subscriber ID/PPP info. This is helpful from an asset management perspective, and allows us to easily determine how many routers we have in active use.

As others have alluded to, it can also be used when remotely pushing software updates or running ad-hoc reports etc.

It is possible to trigger your router to make a call to the remote management server from this side, but that's not what you're seeing here."

[Edinburgh-wg]

I also meant to add:

It may be that your devices use the 5ghz radio but since it has a worse range than 2.4ghz one, then they start using the even more congested 2.4ghz radio, this affecting their performance. 

The steps you could take:

- reset your router to see if the situation improves

- borrow/get a good router (for example Zyxel 8924 or Fritzbox 7530 or something else) and check if the situation improves (make sure that the router can separate both radios and that they allow access to all DFS channels)

All that if WiFi is really the issue here. If not, you'll need to do further testing.

[c64z86]

Just be aware, if you have Digital Voice, it will not work with a 3rd party router directly.

Digital Voice will only work if the SmartHub 2 is the first device Connected to the line, with the 3rd party router then plugged into it. So you can turn off the WiFi of the SH2 and let your 3rd party router provide the WiFi that way, if you really need DV.

It's clumsy I know, but the way BT's version of Digital Voice works requires that the SH2 be the first device Connected to the line.

[KpN]

thanks

no i am not using any wifi discs

[KpN]

BT engineer to attend to check everything out. BT this morning said they can see lots of  dropping on the line.