High speeds but low quality

[nickhollis]

Since switching to the EE SmartHub router after being moved from BT, we've been suffering poor video calls for work on multiple devices.

Our download and upload speeds are generally very good. Today is lower at 400mb download and 100mb upload but usually 700-800 download during the week.

But even so I'm unable to have a successful call when sitting next to the fibre router. Audio is hit and miss, and video regularly fails. I couldn't even share my screen at all yesterday which was highly frustrating.

I regularly lose connection on calls. Our IT team have run tests and they have said they've picked up there is packet loss occuring. I've just asked EE for a replacement router but doubt this will fix it. BT have come out to check the fibre line and all is ok.

EE have also helped me set up a secondary wifi network with the WPA-2 settings, rather than WPA-3 which apparently might help disconnections so they claim.

Any ideas/advice? Considering buying a non-EE router to see if that helps.

[JimM11]

@nickhollis Do you also have either off EE TV or DV for the landline phone operation, and assuming that you have the EE Smarthub+ router also, have you tried an Ethernet connection direct on the router if possible to eliminate if it is a wireless issue that you have?

[nickhollis]

Thanks Jim. Yes we have EE Tv (can’t remember if set up on wifi or DTV/aerial though, I’ll need to check). We used a hard wired connection yesterday on a call and it seemed ok, but not done enough testing wifi vs Ethernet yet. I’ve been purposefully using the WiFi connection to test it and my work’s IT team have created some .bat files that are measuring packet loss and ping speeds on my local wifi, and main BT network to help try and diagnose the issue. 

annoying thing is, we didn’t used to have this issue on our WiFi at all with the old BT router. 

[JimM11]

@nickhollis Take it that you may have already returned your old BT router if it was requested to be returned. The EE Smarthub+ was a fairly good router in my opinion until they updated the FW late Feb on it to try and match look/feel of the Pro router, at that point it turned it into a complete dog in operation, and i fought it hard for a month then just gave up throw the towel in and moved to another ISP, it could be that if possible to turn the Main wi-fi off, and only run on the compatible if it is possible to do so would be worth a try, do not have the EE router anymore so cannot test or help much with it.

The BT Smarthub2 was also reconned to be good, having set it up 3 weeks ago for a friend where i was working, and saw it go through 2 FW updates in that short period, hard to say if it was better/worse than the EE router. What you have EE wise is going to be the factor's to consider if you do decide to go down a third party route of operation.

Plenty of BT Smarthub2 routers available new/second hand so would be an easy change back to what you had previous and also if going to be trying to use the app side also.