Help & Advice Please

[Marg0105]

I have recently changed to Full Works Fibre 67 and it has been Trouble all the way!

There were a lot of time consuming issues getting it set up (by us) and eventually I was getting speeds of 60m at my desk top PC.  In my call last week (about voice mail)  was persuaded to accept two WiFi extenders to replace the very old round discs I'd previously had as the Guide thought there may be a loss of compatability between old & new kit .

I connected the new ones expecting a much improved service instead the speed to my PC has dropped from 60 to 28 - 35 at best today.

I phoned a Guide  and she told me that the 60m signal to my home is divided 'like  a pie' between all the kit I have in the house whether they are being used or not.  I would expect it only to apply if we were using multiple items at any one time.

My question is:-  Do the 2 replacement Wi Fi extenders count as 'in use kit' thus diluting the speed to my PC?

If so, should I consider reverting (not easy to do) to just one extender in the hope of getting 60 speed back to my PC?

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

Marg0105

It is very difficult to absorb all the different verbal information we are getting as no one at EE seems able to reply in writing so I can refer back to the info.

[XRaySpeX]

Before you put these 2 new extenders, did you have nothing there before?

If a device is not being used, it is not using any bandwidth.

[JimM11]

@Marg0105 So here it goes, on the Fibre 67 package you have that is the max speed, everything combined gets to that max speed as it is a Network and that is a shared resource, the wrong and very hard to prove is all your wireless wi-fi gets it, one device and everything else in a quite state then you get the max, and take this, TV HD movie being watched streaming on wi-fi, its pulling upwards of 30-40mb/s, so leaves the rest as available to other devices, pause end the movie and its all free to be used again your 60mb/s is all yours. HTH to answer you question...

The placement position of extenders is very important and the best way to test is Ethernet connection to all, Router/Extender 1/Extender 2, that takes the device wireless out off play, 60mb/s on router should be NO issue what so ever, what you get at each off the extenders will show you HOW good the wireless is because it is Extender - Router comms. If you cannot or will not switch all the other Wi-Fi devices, you need to apply the fudge factor as you DO NOT know what they are doing.

[Marg0105]

Hello XRaySpeX

Thank you for replying

Yes, I had 3 very old BT round discs extenders but the guide I spoke to about voice mail thought they were perhaps not working as well as they should with the newer kit which I'd received a couple of weeks ago.  (a new router and a device to keep me connected via I know not what using  SIM)

The names of all these things are confusing. I'm old enought to remember  two tins & a piece of string!

[Marg0105]

Thank you for replying JimM11

I'm sorry but as you may guess I'm not very tech savvy.

I get that all devices share the 60mb/s  but at the time I  was getting very low  'speed'  to my PC nothing else was being used (other than, I now think, the extenders)  Are all three extenders taking 'speed' all the time?

I'm not sure I understand your 2nd paragraph. Are you saying that at least one extender should be plugged  into the router with an ethernet cable? I couldn't do it with them all.

[Minkey1]

@Marg0105 

Hey Marg. I was the boy holding the other can at the end of the string.

Your internet connection service is like a cake. Slice it into 4, and if there’s you plus 3 guests and they each have a slice, there’s only a bit left for you. Slice it into 4 and your guests all b*gger off without their slice, you’ve still got the plateful. Bit of a poor analogy, but you get the drift.

The “sim” device is likely a special fall back type of router designed to keep devices connected if your main internet goes down. I’ve never bothered with ours. The only time we’ve no internet is during power cuts, and you’re jiggered then anyway.

Internet providers will often give some sort of speed guarantee to the router. They won’t guarantee speed or coverage in the house; there’s too many variables. It’s usually best tho to have matching, up to date equipment, which is why they’ll have mentioned or sent you new stuff (if they do, they’ll probably ask you to return the old kit). When we were with BT they called their signal extensions Discs, EE call them Extenders. Same thing. 

If you’re not getting coverage in the house, let them know. Or come here; there’s some helpful folks in the community.

Not me. I’m a miserable old git 😉

[JimM11]

@Marg0105 What is said is, pc plugged into the extender with the wired connection speed test test's that no wireless is used on the pc, PC sends down the wire, the extender transmits it to the router over the wireless, router receives and back and forth it goes, so if you get 20mb/s then that is a good as that extender is....

[JimM11]

@Marg0105 You have the principal understanding fine, have sent you a PM if you need it, envelope top right click on it and you can read it.

[XRaySpeX]

That's not quite what I'm after. So I'll take it in chunks.

1. What EE router do you have (read its label or post a pix)?
2. If you have a modern EE Smart Hub the white Whole Home discs should work with it but the black BT Complete WiFi definitely won't. I take it you had the BT white disks?
3. Post the initial Status page of the router after logging into it @ http://192.168.1.254
4. With the Fibre 67 plan you could get 80 Meg if you're near enough to the cab., say 1/4 mile.

[Marg0105]

Thank you for all  your kind offers of help.

After a very busy couple of days that stopped me coming back with the info you asked for, and another separate ongoing issue  with my land line (voice mail) I spoke to yet another Guide and the upshot was that a Guide/Engineer is visiting my home on Monday morning. I do hope my confidence in this person isn't misplaced or in the words of the exterminator "I'll be back".

Fingers crossed

Thank you once again