Help Needed for New Modem

• 

  avoidfullprice on 14/01/2023 - 22:41

  +1

  We have been told…

  Explain who told you to upgrade?

  • 

    pvoss91 on 14/01/2023 - 22:42

    the internet provider when we questioned why its slow
    We spoke with some young man at jb hi fi and he also said it would be beneficial

    • 

      avoidfullprice on 14/01/2023 - 22:46

      Do you live in an apartment or in a crowed neighbourhood?

      • 

        pvoss91 on 14/01/2023 - 22:47

        no i a stand alone house with good distance to the neighbours

        • 

          avoidfullprice on 14/01/2023 - 22:49

          +1

          @pvoss91: Okay then. When is the internet slow for you? And how far you are from the router when it is slow

          Shit wifi wont affect you watching tv because you use Ethernet cable so trying to understand what you meant by slow and when

          Also 5GHz doesnt help with range. 5Ghz helps with capacity but not reception

          If you still think replacing a router is the way to go, look up TP Link Archer AC???? Where ???? Is some numbers like 1200 or 1750

          • 

            pvoss91 on 14/01/2023 - 22:55

            @avoidfullprice: randomly through the day and night. We are with mate communicate and was good 5+ years ago, wifi everywhere, now struggles 10m away, we are only running phones and tablets on the wifi
            Tvs run perfect when plugged in, when we moved the modem they struggled on the wifi also
            We did the speed test the provider showed us and we are getting what we pay for, 50mb or something

            • 

              avoidfullprice on 14/01/2023 - 22:58

              @pvoss91: TV would struggle on 2.4GHz because it doesn’t have the bandwidth to stream HD

              Consider something like this

              https://www.momojuju.com.au/products/tp-link-archer-c7-wirel…

              Then make sure you configure all your mobile and laptop to use the 5GHz channel.

              Also make sure your TV supports 5GHz

              • 

                pvoss91 on 14/01/2023 - 23:04

                @avoidfullprice: so this will replace my modem or additional?
                Our tv can stay plugged in

                • 

                  avoidfullprice on 15/01/2023 - 10:04

                  @pvoss91: Replace or on top depends on your internet type. I’ve been assuming you’re on FTTP NBN?

            • 

              alexlim2000 on 14/01/2023 - 22:58

              @pvoss91: just to be sure, I think you need to understand if;

              a) That the issue is that the WiFi signal is weak, causing dropouts in your devices, or

              b) Your devices are actually connected to wifi, but some of your devices are using too much internet and thus saturating your 50mb link - think of someone torrenting, or potentially malware. - similar to how 5 people sharing one bathroom leads to long wait times.

              • 

                pvoss91 on 14/01/2023 - 23:05

                @alexlim2000: i think its just weak, the wifi symbol goes down to 1 bar and back to 3 or 4 in a few minutes, normally when nothing else is being used

                • 

                  Focus404 on 15/01/2023 - 11:40

                  @pvoss91: Sure, a new modem might assist, but it might not. There could be some other issues worth troubleshooting.

                  Is the Internet slow when you are working with a device connected via network cable to the modem? If the internet from the street is poor, upgrading the Wi-Fi wont do anything.

                  Wi-Fi being slow or dropping reception randomly could be due to a number of reasons
                  - interference from other items (eg, baby monitor, microwave, garage remote, etc)
                  - an old device on the network - the age of you modem means it doesn't have the 'MIMO' feature, so the Wi-Fi speed offered to all devices will be capped by the slowest device.

                  Have you tried changing your 2.4ghz to another channel? ie, 1, 6, or 11.

• 

  Muzeeb on 14/01/2023 - 23:22

  +2

  I can't fathom the patience that would be required to work on tech support for an ISP.

  My head would explode by the second customer.

  • 

    garetz on 15/01/2023 - 07:20

    +2

    I worked for tech support for close to a decade a long time ago, as stupid as you think people are, you really got no idea till you do tech support.

• 

  AngoraFish on 15/01/2023 - 02:11

  If you have weak wifi, 5G alone may make no difference to you. In fact, 5G drops off a lot quicker than 2.4G if there is any distance or interference. Yes, you could get a better modem, and it will make a difference around the edges, but the same walls and interference effecting your current internet speeds are likely to still be in play with a new modem.

  You may be better off buying a nest system to better spread your wifi around the house (you plug it into your existing modem, or it can be a stand-alone system if you are on full fiber). A nest system will add 5G and an extra transmission point for better coverage. Google Nest is going on sale a lot at the moment as a new version is about to be launched and is a great unit. https://www.mydeal.com.au/google-nest-mesh-wireless-router-a…

  Also consider changing providers and signing up to one with a free or discounted modem deal. Really, for most practical purposes you don't need the kind of modem that tech types geek out over, anything late model will have 5G and be just fine for most typical households.

  May also be worth investigating mobile 5G and dumping the wires altogether. Something like https://www.iinet.net.au/internet-product/broadband/5g-home-… And free modem if you stay with them for 36 months.

• 

  SBOB on 15/01/2023 - 08:37

  Keep your modem and add a mesh wifi system or a good quality wifi AP (like ubiquitu)

  Search ozb for either to get an idea on pricing