Rogers → Weird situation with CGN2-ROG

Your downstream signal power is high as your Upstream signal power, however, I don't think that they are so far out that it would cause problems. The target levels are 0 dBmV on the downstream with a signal to noise ratio usual in the 36 to 40 dBmV range. The signal level range is + / - 15 dBmV.

The upstream power level is normally in the 36 to 40 dBmV range with an operating range from 36 to 51 dBmV. Yours are a little unusual in that they are both high. Normally you would see the downstream numbers drop and the upstream number start to climb as the cabling and connectors starts to age. Are you in a single home or apartment building, or other? Also what exact model of the HP Pavilion g6 do you have, as it appears that there are a few models.

I would concentrate on the wired connection first for obtaining repeatable results, which allows you to ignore wifi issues, some of which you can and some such as interference which you cannot control.

I am in a single home, but previously, after months of problems with Bell, I called in a technician and he said there was something wrong with the lines or something (he had to go into a neighbours backyard to reach the telephone pole or something?). I wouldn't be surprised if there was another problem.

Do you know why my android phone is getting fine speeds on speedtest?
I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe, its using the mobile data instead of wifi even though mobile data is disabled?

Also I'm not sure what specific model my laptop is, theres no label on the side or anything.. I can hand you the specs if you would like

Thats a little strange to say the least. Just to check out your wifi environment you could install inSSIDer on a laptop and have a look at the network display to see where your network stacks up against other routers in the neighborhood. Here's the link to the last freebie version, which can do both 2.4 and 5 Ghz networks:

»www.techspot.com/downloa ··· der.html

Using that application will tell you what your network is doing in terms of transmitting data.

Do you happen to have a spare Cat5e or Cat6 ethernet cable around for testing? It might be worth checking out. Have you installed anything recently, like a new power bar to plug your computers into, or installed a surge arrester on the RG6 or ethernet cabling?

On your pc and laptops, you can check the connection rate, whether its wired or wireless by navigating to Control Panel.....Network and Sharing Center.....and selecting the Local Area Connection link at the middle right hand area of the page. That brings up the Connection Status Panel which shows the connection rate. That will let you know, in the case of a wired connection if you're getting 100 Mb/s or 1 Gb/s, and for the wireless rate, the connection rate will correspond to the connection rate applicable to a single or dual antenna device connection "normally at its max allowable rate". However, if there are interference problems, knowing what that rate should be as opposed to what you really see will let you know if you have interference issues or problems running dual antenna, dual stream data flow back and forth.

If you can, run a connected test with a laptop and see if you end up with unstable test results again. Run a test with the same ethernet cable, and then switch to another cable that you trust to determine if the cable is the problem or not. That would confirm that the issue is not with the pc and cable if the same results were obtained.

The next item to eliminate would be the CGN2. If there is any question as to the performance of the CGN2, trade it in, assuming that there is a Rogers Store nearby. That would at least confirm or eliminate your CGN2 as the source of the current problems.

I'm not really sure how to use inSSIDer, but I can see that theres two connections that are pretty much identical and overlapping each other in the 2.4GHz band, their MAC address is very, very similar (only the last number is different).

Attached is a picture of the graph (you can't see the first unnamed connection on the graph because its covered by the blue connection BRIAN-PC).

I'm seeing more and more of the situation where the modem is transmitting two networks, one intentional and one unintentional. For that reason alone, I would trade it in. Did you set up a guest wifi account at one time by any chance?

Run the same check with a new modem just to see if the same situation pops up. Have you used the setup key by any chance to set up the modem? That is usually the cause of the dual network broadcast. Don't use the setup key with the new modem. If you really need a guest network, buy a good third party modem that you will give you that, and with much better control over that and other functions.

No one has ever logged into the CGN2-ROG except for me and the Rogers tech, and I have never set up a guest wifi network, however there is evidence that it could have been set up during installation by the rogers tech (notice the greyed out network Roger######-guest)

I've googled up some similar topics:

»communityforums.rogers.c ··· -id/9764

»communityforums.rogers.c ··· id/12764

I think the router is broadcasting two SSIDs, sometimes (dissapears and reappears randomly) in list of networks I can connect to, theres one SSID at the bottom of the list with max signal strength named "Hidden network".

When I try to connect to it, it prompts for a password then dissapears (is this really a guest network?)

For some reason:
»www.speedtest.net/my-res ··· 02826686

My question is, how do I stop it from broadcasting this nameless signal?

Short answer is, you can't. I had the same thing happen with my CGN3 after experimenting with the USB Setup Key one day, and I've seen similar reports for other CNG3s and another CGN2. A factory reset had no effect, but just for the heck of it you could try that. If that doesn't solve it, save yourself a lot of aggravation and turn it back in. The problem with the second network is that is uses power that should be going into your network so you would probably see reduced ranges from the CGN2.

If you manage to eliminate your pc, ethernet cabling and the CGN2, in terms of wired performance, the only thing remaining is the external cabling, in which case its time for a tech visit.

In terms of wireless issues, from your screenshot, you should disable WPS as it is a security hazard and change your broadcast mode to 802.11n only unless you know that you absolutely need b or g modes for one of your devices. Depending on the age of your laptop for example, you could run a test in 802.11n mode only to see if that improves the wireless performance.

I have noticed that the range is smaller than my previously owned Sagemcom fast, but maybe the f@st was just better..

Alright, I'm going to try a factory reset when I get the ISP login credentials.

For the VCI its 0.35, and set it up in routed PPP correct?

Let's say the factory reset worked, the bottom line is, don't ever set up a wireless guest network right?

Right at least not using the USB Setup Key with any of the Rogers combo modem / routers. If you need one, use a good third party router and bridge the CGN2. The login credentials are normally
User: cusadmin
Password: password
login page: 192.168.0.1

You won't have a choice for connection types as you would with normal routers. I suspect, from what I have seen previously that you will see the same network name present after the factory reset. A check with inSSIDer will also confirm if its still broadcasting or not when the wireless is enabled.

If the factory reset doesn't work, I just hope they won't charge me for switching in the modem/router..

There should not be any charge. Just tell them that its broadcasting a noname uncontrolled network, which a transmitting device of any type should never do. When you bring home the next CGN2, set it up and check it with inSSIDer just to make sure that you are not inheriting someone else's problem.

Do they require the packaging for returns? I think I lost it :x

I wouldn't worry about the packaging...

Swap it out and don't use the USB setup key with the next one. Use the CGN2's browser interface pages to set everything up.

Sounds like a plan, I'll post my findings in a bit.

Thanks Datalink

The second network is likely the smart home ID. It can be disabled by calling Rogers tech support, however it isn't likely impacting anything.

47/+6 tells me you probably have an old Amp in the house somewhere feeding your Internet line. Or you have a wiring issue.
If the TX is 47, I'd expect the other to be -6.
Your levels are in spec, 47/+6, but it looks odd to me.

Amps are no good for internet. I'd think you'd need a tech, not a modem swap.

(maybe both actually.)

@cepnot4me, interesting comments as usual. Glad you're here. Smart Home Monitoring.....and now it makes sense. But, any modem / router has a maximum power level that it can't exceed, and putting logic to it, the more networks you transmit from any given modem, the less power is available for each network. However, one can't discount some wizard engineering when it comes to transmitting multiple networks from one router. Going to have to research this. This is not visible from all modems, and I would guess that its probably turned off in those cases?

I was wondering of the possibility of an amp on the line as I thought that it was unusual to have both sets of signal levels up above normal levels.

From what I gather, think of the SHM SSID as more of a heartbeat.
I think it comes on, waits for our touchpad to acknowledge it, then when it gets no signal, turns itself off.

The ID should be off by default, but I think they are all on by default since we need to turn them off when troubleshooting wireless interference with the router we install for SHM. (We don't tie direct to modems anymore).

The good news is tech support can shut it down. There isn't a reason for it to be on anymore, ever, SHM customer or not.

With the old amps, the only amped forward. (Downstream).

So if you had your signal levels of 40 and 0. And you put one of the old 4 port amps on the line.

It boosts the downstream putting it up by 7db.

But it impedes the upstream by 7db as well.

You'd end up with 47/+7.

The new bidirectional amp will amp both up/down. But the old ones typically fix problems by creating new ones.

If I used one on Internet it was in reverse slope plant.

So without the amp, I'd have a very low upstream reading, 32 for example.
And because reverse sloped plants have no line extenders (they work by starting the street with ridiculously high levels and let them fall with natural drop losses).
Since the downstream is low in the channel 1 range, and the upstream is up around channel 90. Channel 90 looses more per ft than channel 1.

So as you go down the street say we outputted 50/60 on those 2 channels, 500 meters down we have 40/40, another 500 is 30/20, another 500 20/0 and so on.

So we would run into homes where the modem would be 34/-11.

The TX is too low, the Rx is too low.

If we added a 3 dB attenuator we got 37/-14.
The TX is in spec, but the Rx is too low.

So I would use a 4 port amp.
I'd get 41/-4.

Both are now in spec.

Problem now is the old directional amps aren't really compatible with any equipment. Nextboxes hate them.

There is also a possibility that he's in a 42 build. Where if connected to the tap his modem is starting at 42/+10, factor in drop loss and a 2 way splitter. 47/+5.

Most of these homes in this type of build, are basically only bidirectional amps as the solution. Rogers won't rebuild these areas to be like everywhere else which with the same setup but different line extenders would get 36/+5 from the modem.

Keep in mind to, 47 is still "normal" anything in the 40's is good. In a lot of places, 45-49 is what we achieve doing everything absolutely perfect.

All those signals are just fine and the fact that you get normal speeds on at least your Android device is proof to that. This is clearly a wifi related issue.

And that explains why the pc, which is connected via ethernet tests with the same results?

Ooops misread! Still, with your stats, it isn't a line problem. It's something about the router in that gateway.