topic Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues in Broadband & Landline

Recurring WiFi 7 issues

ben_flugel — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:19:36 GMT

Having had my 1.6gbps service with EE for 6 months now, I'm largely disappointed with it and wish I'd made more of a fuss at the start when I was experiencing issues. With hindsight, I should have exited the contract but now I'm stuck.

I have various issues with the Wi-Fi requiring full restarts probably once a week. Devices failing to connect, our two WiFi 6e enabled laptops frequently connecting to 2.4 rather 5 or 6, despite being close to a wired in node.

I've tried compatible wifi settings, adjusting channels, moving nodes to different locations. But I continue to experience issues.

Our cabled in nodes also regularly drop their speeds. After a reboot they'll connect at 2.5gbps. It can be the same day or a few days later and speeds have dropped to around 300mpbs when testing. Reboot that node again, or just remove and reinsert the cable, and we're back at 2.5gbps.

I'm seriously considering getting a different mesh setup, but the fact I'm paying a premium for the 1.6gbps service stops me doing that!

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

JimM11 — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:14:31 GMT

@ben_flugel It has been reported that the Ethernet interface on the Pro and will assume that the Smart wireless also are Extremely fussy about the Port speed and syncing, this has been put down to possible cable issue's / possible connected device issue's but also could be the unit's themselves, you cannot at present trust the app or web when looking at them to get it right and display what you think will be right or wrong, but if you DO remove a cable plug it back in say 30 seconds later and it all goes back up in speed then you are doing the right test. You need to then report it back to EE CS and hope that it goes where it needs to be. There are NO tools in the web/app to show what is going on correctly....

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

ben_flugel — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:42:27 GMT

@JimM11 thanks for the quick reply! I have read that there are rumours of a firmware update coming very shortly. No idea if that is true, or even if it will help!

Definitely can't trust the app/web view. I've had the web interface report 100mb connection, yet a speed next through that node gives me speeds of 1.3gbps. And also vice versa - 2.5gbp reported by then only 300mb. It's weird.

I just wish it was more reliable and consistently reliable. It's too expensive to be anything other than that.

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

JimM11 — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:50:53 GMT

@ben_flugel It maybe all unit related, and yes a FW update may help or fix that is one off the variables, would advise one point and reference testing, wireless wi-fi can be so hit / miss so Ethernet connected is more reliable but can also be very miss leading to aide what is going on, if you are finding that 300Mb/s speed is it does it stay hard and fast until you intervene and correct the issue, that being switch off/on to reset, or just leave it all alone and see if it recovers by itself...

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

JimM11 — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:02:06 GMT

@ben_flugel Take this example, i had to re-locate the Routers and access points around the house, wife had the brain fart need to move all the furniture about, so just get the pardon my French all moved as i don't want it there anymore and with everything wired for backhaul was yes she who must be obeyed. Dropped it all off too wireless backhaul, no issues all tickety boo, EXCEPT my Samsung mobile and only mine nothing else, fought the sucker for 6 weeks, was an easy fix on the phone wireless wi-fi off, wait five seconds back on back to normality, FF500 down when phone decided no longer playing speed on it was 12Mb/s down but always 70Mb/s up.

Had enough off it, everything looked good, wi-fi signal was not the greatest but was in the low -60db range, just said that is it, another access point installed, wired the backhaul on it and that was last week, phone has NOT once dropped speed again!

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

ben_flugel — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:02:18 GMT

@JimM11 It can be either. When I posted this earlier, I was getting around 300mbps on one node and 1.3gbps on the other node. Just tested again now and the slow node is now at 1.3 and the other at around 600. Unplugged the lan cable on the 600 one and back in again. Boom, back to 1.3 or so. All three units (main plus two nodes) are at full speed. How long for though is anyone's guess.

The main router always gets full speeds, as you'd expect.

I don't believe the cable issue though, I have replaced the ethernet cable in one unit (it's more easily accessible to change cables) with a brand new cat7 cable. Exactly the same behaviour as before.

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

ben_flugel — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:06:19 GMT

@JimM11 that's the sort of randomness I see as well, like with our two wifi 6e laptops. Will sit connected at 2.4gbps according to Windows. Make a video call or stream something, and it drops to around 130mbps and has moved to 2.4ghz channel.

Today's changes I've made is to re-enable compatible wifi mode on 2.4 and 5 and turn off 2.4 on main wifi, leaving only 5 and 6 available. We'll see how that goes.

But all this should just work. I had Eero 6 Pros with Talk Talk in exactly the same physical locations and with the same cabling. They were excellent. I'd get around 800-850mb via my phone on wifi, consistently.

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

JimM11 — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:10:02 GMT

@ben_flugel Are you an Android user or fruit flavoured for your mobile device, mesh is hard at the best off times especially when you cannot see what is going on in the wireless world!

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

ben_flugel — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:15:54 GMT

@JimM11 Pixel 9 Pro XL for me and Pixel 8 Pro for the wife.

I do have iPhones here too for work (I work in IT so very familiar with all this sort of stuff).

I can actually knock on 1.6gbps from my 9 Pro when standing next to the main router. Pretty impressive over wifi really. It's the stability I find deeply frustrating.

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

JimM11 — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:19:40 GMT

@ben_flugel This is all i have to look at on my mesh to see that it is working as expected.

Asus wi-fi 6 only mesh and speed's

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

Northerner — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:28:56 GMT

Hi @ben_flugel

Under the adaptor settings on your laptops you should be able to select preferred network band.

If you're using windows it will always chose the most power efficient connection, which you can change.

Thanks

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

ben_flugel — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:26:51 GMT

@Northerner I've tried that too. Doesn't make a difference.

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

JimM11 — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:57:19 GMT

@ben_flugel You will probably have to look closely at the properties and Roaming Aggressiveness will more than likely be the best one to adjust, all driver dependent and how well implemented!

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

Colesey — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 15:23:03 GMT

I had the exact same issues with both my hardwired nodes. The speeds would drop so low on them, that in the end I gave up and started using wireless backhaul.

I think the system as a whole needs a FW update. One thing I find particularly frustrating is my phone won’t automatically connect to the node I’m closest to. E.g if I’m upstairs and move downstairs almost next to the router, it stays connected to the node upstairs rather than the hub which is right next to me!…

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

JimM11 — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 15:26:02 GMT

@Colesey You may find that the phone wireless off 5-10 second wait then back on when you change area helps. worth a try!

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

ben_flugel — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:46:55 GMT

@Colesey yep, I agree with all that. And yes, I have the same with the lack of roaming between nodes as well.

Whilst @JimM11 solution does work, it really shouldn't be necessary.

I do hope the rumoured firmware update is imminent and fixes a load of these issues.

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

bobpullen — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 07:26:04 GMT

@ben_flugel wrote:
Our cabled in nodes also regularly drop their speeds. After a reboot they'll connect at 2.5gbps. It can be the same day or a few days later and speeds have dropped to around 300mpbs when testing. Reboot that node again, or just remove and reinsert the cable, and we're back at 2.5gbps.

Is the negotiated Ethernet speed actually dropping, or is the slowdown only seen in throughput tests? In the Hub Manager at 192.168.1.254 you can see the negotiated Ethernet speed by navigating to Advanced > Wireless, highlighting the extender in question and checking the info that pops up underneath it. For a 2.5GbE link, I'd expect it to say as much. Very unusual if it's negotiated at 2.5GbE but not unlocking that throughput for devices that are wirelessly connected to the extender.

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

ben_flugel — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 07:54:39 GMT

@bobpullen The negotiated speed shown in the hub manager isn't accurate.

I can do throughput tests from my wifi 7 phone and get 1.3gbps but the hub manager shows the negotiated speed is 1000mbps - which clearly isn't correct. Likewise, it can show 2.5gbps in the hub manager but I get 300-400mbps on my throughput tests.

I've got up this morning and checked both my wired in nodes this morning. Both have throughput tests topping out at about 390mpbs. The hub manager shows one node is connected at 2.5gbps and the other is 1000mbps.

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

JimM11 — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:14:44 GMT

@ben_flugel Do you know where the device doing the speed test is latched onto, just in case it thinks that the Pro hub is where it want's to be and it is in range of it's wireless wi-fi signal. You are only going to see where the device is by looking at it's connection and to which mac address with a wireless wi-fi analyzer app on that wireless device.

Else you need to have a web manager hook up to see what the Router and the smart wireless devices are all connection wise!

Re: Recurring WiFi 7 issues

ben_flugel — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:24:19 GMT

@JimM11 Yep, done that too. Have been able to confirm it is connected to the node I am expecting it to be. I do find that part of the hub manager to be accurate - the devices update on there pretty quickly as I move around. Though to make sure, I always disable and re-enable my WiFi connection on the phone to make sure it reconnects rather than hanging on.

I can also see on my device that it has a Wi-Fi 7 connection on 6ghz with excellent strength. The listed connection speeds on the device are around 2.4gbps during the tests. I also have a Google TV Streamer wired into one of my nodes - speed tests on it using an app on the streamer match what I see on the phone when it's slow - 300-400mbps. When my phone is hitting 1.3gbps or so, the streamer gets around 850mbps (it only has a 1gb port, so that's expected).