WiFi Pro devices not actually WiFi 7 compatible

[LuckyAOS189]

I recently upgraded to full fiber, the new hub and WiFi Pro extenders looked like a good solution with the more powerful WiFi 7 option. Since the broadband was installed I've had nothing but headaches, when I'm connected to the hub it's great, 907Mbps download and no problems, but when I'm connected to the WiFi extenders I'm lucky if I break 100Mbps. I've had engineers out, I've spent about 40 hours in total on the phone to different advisors who have just sent out new extenders, all with the same issue when all set up. Nobody is able to fix the issue. To make matters worse when I switch off the 6Ghz bandwidth from the hub everything seems to work fine. No signal drops, no problems with WiFi calling and when connected to the WiFi extenders I get on average 600Mbps. So to me it looks like the extenders can't cope, or aren't capable of the newer technology. Is the new equipment a total missale? I'd love some outside input to this, or someone to actually help get it working, because ee clearly can't! 

[JimM11]

@LuckyAOS189 When you switch off the 6Ghz signal SSID you kill the backhaul feature to the Smart Wireless devices, if you are finding that everything is still working as you would expect and getting speed's that you are happy with then just let it go at that. There are not enough tools in the EE armoury to find out anything that is going on with the mesh so you will just hit the brick wall....

If you have the 1.6Gb/s speed package you may just be a little on the low side for speed, that's all. 

[Northerner]

Hi @LuckyAOS189 

Do you actually need the extenders with your new WiFi router. It should extend further than the last router.

Thanks 

[LuckyAOS189]

Sadly yes, it's a very old property with a unique layout. The old walls kill wifi from where the router comes in. That wouldn't explain why I have to disable the 6Ghz in order for the extenders to work properly. Called ee again tonight and they still can't explain the problem or have any idea how to fix it. 

[LuckyAOS189]

But surely switching off the 6Ghz isn't the answer? It should work, they advertise "WiFi 7 in all corners of the house" so they must have the means and tools to diagnose and fix issues if they arise.

Based on that idea they would be better off selling a a service without wifi and telling customers to go to ubiquti if they need it. 

[Matt_124]

It's entirely possible the 6GHz is struggling with the walls in a way that the combination of 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals do not.

Possibly just getting through but with an extremely weakened signal strength, causing the inconsistency you're seeing.

Better a strong 5GHz than an extremely weakened 6GHz signal.

There are still benefits to the Wi-Fi 7 spec beyond the inclusion of the 6GHz band, as there are even some Wi-Fi 7 routers on the market that are only Dual-band 2.4 & 5GHz.

[JimM11]

@LuckyAOS189  And that's the way to do it for sure! There is a lot better mesh out there, but then again it's not £240, you only get what you pay for. And wi-fi 7 is inclusive of the 6Ghz band with all it's own problems to boot and only a speed demon. Wired backhaul to the unit's you will not have the 6Ghz issue!

[MattFriend101]

I'll be honest I'm in a similar predicament to you. I have a manshed in the garden that 15m from the smart pro booster(1 of 3 supplied by EE), sometimes the signal is fab more often  than not its non existent.  So they've supplied me with 3 boosters and also 2 PowerLine adapters that im about to install tomorrow as I've just returned from holidays. Very frustrating as I was told WiFi 7 was so much better than the WiFi 6 I previously had with Virgin, it isn't not by a long way.

The EE mini TV box is in the Manshed and thats where I wanted it and was told I'd get the WiFi 7 out there 'No Problem' ha! Righto. 

I too have spent many hours on the phone and chatting via text to very helpful agents but not really fixing the problem. My main TV box is over 5ms from the main hub, everyday it pixilated and freezes, never had that with Virgin not once. Suggested I move my TV closer........ to the hallway is it? No!

Its looking like I need to get a 3rd party WiFi specialist in to install a ethernet cable and booster now at a cost of a few hundred pounds, thats after it cost me £653 to switch from Virgin to EE, never again!  

The TV set up with EE is garbage also compared to Sky & Virgin, only switched to save money as the salesperson  told us it was 3 months free and half what were paying with Virgin. Well the WiFi is 3 months free and the TV is £65 thats only sky sports & TNT, with Virgin we had everything the sport & movies plus 1.1Gbps Internet for £122 now we're paying £115 and all we get is sky sports & TNT. And crap WiFi in the Manshed.

Mis-sold big time in more ways than one! Waiting for our contract to end in 2027 and back to either Sky or Virgin.

Hope you get yours sorted m8.

[JimM11]

@MattFriend101 To benefit from wi-fi 7 devices have to be wi-fi 7 also, without that you do not really get what is needed, for sure your TV will not be, not sure what the powerline was for but you can try it for both the TV and the mancave if you have power shared between both, they do work just try to avoid using any extension cables! The main 6Ghz band is higher Frequency and therefore lower distance travelled, and will not like going outward from the home over that 15M distance and possibly even a few walls in between that combination, good at the localised point but not much further! If you do require Wi-Fi also in the mancave, you may also be able to get one off the Smart Wireless Pro extenders to operate via the powerline but you can only try and see, speed may not be the greatest but just depends on the needs at that location!

[MattFriend101]

Thanks Jim!

I do need WiFi out that but I just need a regular 30 or 40 Mbps for the firestick(Netflix) and the EE mini TV box to run, sometimes Speedtest Google registers 180Mbps in the Mancave then 8 or 10 if lucky,  its so inconsistent. 

EE have given me 3 x Smart Pro Boosters & a pair of Powerline adapters. I've also purchased a DECO X55 AX3000 mesh system that I've yet to install.....

Im also looking at a Nighthawk wifi extender, im not tech illiterate but even this is starting to evade me, must be getting old. ...