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andyross
MVM
join:2003-05-04
Aurora, IL

andyross

MVM

[Connectivity] 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

Saw this on the Comcast blog:
»corporate.comcast.com/co ··· i-signal

camper
just visiting this planet
Premium Member
join:2010-03-21
Bethel, CT

camper

Premium Member

[Connectivity] Re: 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal


 
#5 should also mention that the metal shelving is not helpful to good radio signals.

train_wreck
slow this bird down
join:2013-10-04
Antioch, TN

2 recommendations

train_wreck to andyross

Member

to andyross
And whatever you do, don't call in and have us disable the "xfinitywifi" open hotstpot, because that makes your modem sad
neufuse
join:2006-12-06
James Creek, PA

neufuse to andyross

Member

to andyross
#10? seriously they are using a gateway device and saying regularly reboot it? it has battery backup! using a timer won't reboot it!
Bink
Villains... knock off all that evil
join:2006-05-14
Colorado

2 recommendations

Bink

Member

said by neufuse:

#10? seriously they are using a gateway device and saying regularly reboot it?

LOL! I think all the tips are really great, but the one about daily reboots takes the cake! Got to love daily reboot recommendations for consumer-class networking gear!

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
Premium Member
join:2004-06-24
The Boro
Netgear CM500
Pace 5268AC
TRENDnet TEW-829DRU

1 recommendation

NetFixer to andyross

Premium Member

to andyross

3. Don't put your router here [next to windows]. You might as well throw half your signal out the window.

Unless of course, you might want your WiFi to cover your outdoor garden/patio/pool area. The WiFi gateway in my apartment complex's leasing office (I maintain their network) is right next to a window overlooking the patio/pool area because the apartment management wanted to offer WiFi access to pool users. My own WiFi router is also very near a window that has a view of my own patio area.
taoman
Premium Member
join:2013-09-13
Seattle, WA

taoman to neufuse

Premium Member

to neufuse
said by neufuse:

#10? seriously they are using a gateway device and saying regularly reboot it? it has battery backup! using a timer won't reboot it!

Comcast hasn't provided battery backup for any of their modems since March of 2013. You can buy one but it certainly isn't included. Heck, just pick up one of those gateway modems.....they're light as a feather.
The FCC doesn't require it so Comcast doesn't provide it (without you paying extra for it).

andyross
MVM
join:2003-05-04
Aurora, IL

andyross to camper

MVM

to camper
said by camper:

 
#5 should also mention that the metal shelving is not helpful to good radio signals.

I'm not sure if it would have much effect in the sample shown. It's a large mesh that the WiFi should generally be able to get through. Solid steel or something like a metal window screen would block it.

cHarley
join:2013-07-10
Boynton Beach, FL
Motorola MB8600
(Software) pfSense

1 recommendation

cHarley to Bink

Member

to Bink
said by Bink:

LOL! I think all the tips are really great, but the one about daily reboots takes the cake! Got to love daily reboot recommendations for consumer-class networking gear!

Doesn't the "reboot" fix come from every other line in the CC CSR script?

andyross
MVM
join:2003-05-04
Aurora, IL

andyross to neufuse

MVM

to neufuse
said by neufuse:

#10? seriously they are using a gateway device and saying regularly reboot it? it has battery backup! using a timer won't reboot it!

But, how many have a working battery? Comcast doesn't supply batteries anymore.

cHarley
join:2013-07-10
Boynton Beach, FL
Motorola MB8600
(Software) pfSense

3 recommendations

cHarley

Member

said by andyross:

But, how many have a working battery? Comcast doesn't supply batteries anymore.

But don't most (knowledgeable) people use a UPS on their network equipment anyway?

camper
just visiting this planet
Premium Member
join:2010-03-21
Bethel, CT

3 recommendations

camper to andyross

Premium Member

to andyross
said by andyross:

I'm not sure if it would have much effect in the sample shown.

 
I was thinking less of the penetrating aspect of the signal and more of the proximity to the antenna aspect.

If the metal shelf is close to the antenna, then it could couple with the antenna, change the EMF characteristics of the antenna, and subsequently alter the radiation pattern.

In general, it's good practice to keep metal away from antennas.
neufuse
join:2006-12-06
James Creek, PA

neufuse to andyross

Member

to andyross
they give a battery with their Arris eMTA they (Comcast) sells on amazon, and I thought they bugged you if your battery was missing or dead to replace it?
neufuse

neufuse to andyross

Member

to andyross

Re: [Connectivity] 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

And ontop of all that, doesn't Comcast automatically reboot their emta/modems/gateway devices when they do firmware / software updates? *scratches head* I thought it was part of their process... at some point it will reboot

gar187er
I DID this for a living
join:2006-06-24
Seattle, WA

gar187er to cHarley

Member

to cHarley

Re: [Connectivity] Re: 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

said by cHarley:

said by Bink:

LOL! I think all the tips are really great, but the one about daily reboots takes the cake! Got to love daily reboot recommendations for consumer-class networking gear!

Doesn't the "reboot" fix come from every other line in the CC CSR script?

also every electronic manufacturer.

Darknessfall
Premium Member
join:2012-08-17
Motorola MG8725
Asus RT-N66

Darknessfall to andyross

Premium Member

to andyross

Re: [Connectivity] 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

Click for full size
Seems like their gateways are so bad that even a laptop next to it doesn't even get a connection! Hehe
Jonasjlp
join:2011-06-22
Downingtown, PA

1 recommendation

Jonasjlp to Bink

Member

to Bink

Re: [Connectivity] Re: 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

If you're on comcast, you are already regularly rebooting your device.
LetterD
join:2002-05-03
East Lansing, MI

LetterD to andyross

Member

to andyross

Re: [Connectivity] 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

#10 must be some sort of joke.

train_wreck
slow this bird down
join:2013-10-04
Antioch, TN
Cisco ASA 5506
Cisco DPC3939

train_wreck to gar187er

Member

to gar187er

Re: [Connectivity] Re: 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

said by gar187er:

said by cHarley:

said by Bink:

LOL! I think all the tips are really great, but the one about daily reboots takes the cake! Got to love daily reboot recommendations for consumer-class networking gear!

Doesn't the "reboot" fix come from every other line in the CC CSR script?

also every electronic manufacturer.

hardly.... certainly not quality ones.

my ubiquiti edgerouter lite contains no such recommendation, for example.

any good networking kit should rarely, if ever, NEED rebooting.

Jim721
join:2014-07-31
Belleville, MI

5 recommendations

Jim721 to andyross

Member

to andyross

Re: [Connectivity] 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

The #1 reason you might be killing your home Wi-Fi signal.. Using a comcast supplied gateway.

cHarley
join:2013-07-10
Boynton Beach, FL
Motorola MB8600
(Software) pfSense

cHarley

Member

said by Jim721:

The #1 reason you might be killing your home Wi-Fi signal.. Using a comcast supplied gateway.

I believe we have a winner............

NetDog
Premium Member
join:2002-03-04
Hollywood, FL

8 recommendations

NetDog to andyross

Premium Member

to andyross

11# Take the applications that hog your speed off of your WiFi and connect it via Ethernet.. "Ethernet where you can and WiFi where you must"
DJboutit
join:2009-12-10
Columbia, MO

DJboutit to andyross

Member

to andyross
I have my wireless router like #5 it is next to a 32" screen tv about 36" to 40" off the floor. Signal is not affected much if any at most just a tiny bit

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

1 recommendation

telcodad to NetDog

MVM

to NetDog
said by NetDog:

11# Take the applications that hog your speed off of your WiFi and connect it via Ethernet..

That's what I thought #9 was going to end up recommending but never did.
ptb42
join:2002-09-30
USA

ptb42 to andyross

Member

to andyross

Re: [Connectivity] Re: 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

said by andyross:

I'm not sure if it would have much effect in the sample shown. It's a large mesh that the WiFi should generally be able to get through. Solid steel or something like a metal window screen would block it.

The mesh in question appears to be sufficiently large to allow 2.4 GHz WiFi to pass.

In general, a mesh size of 1/10th (or better yet, 1/20th) the wavelength will attenuate the signal to the point that it's typically unusable. The wavelength of 2.4GHz is 12 cm, so 1/10th is 1.2 cm (about 1/2 inch) and 1/20th is 0.6 cm (about 1/4 inch).
ptb42

ptb42 to neufuse

Member

to neufuse
said by neufuse:

#10? seriously they are using a gateway device and saying regularly reboot it? it has battery backup! using a timer won't reboot it!

Maybe the idea is to turn off the power long enough that the battery dies.

With that configuration, the timer looks like it is shutting off the power for about 6 hours (or maybe 18, depending on which is "on" and which is "off").

gar187er
I DID this for a living
join:2006-06-24
Seattle, WA

gar187er to train_wreck

Member

to train_wreck
i was commenting about the CSR script.

Streetlight
join:2005-11-07
Colorado Springs, CO

Streetlight to andyross

Member

to andyross

Re: [Connectivity] 10 Ways You Might Be Killing Your Home Wi-Fi Signal

Number 4 has a TV on top of a box that might be a DVD/BluRay player that's directly on top of a Motorola DVR. This configuration blocks the air vents on top of the DVR. These DVRs produce enormous amounts of heat particularly from the power supply on the left of the DVR. If I remember correctly, the manual for these DVRs require at least two inches of clearance all around and are not to be in a closed cabinet so as to dissipate the heat. I imagine the DVR, and maybe the box on top of it, will have short life spans.
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus to andyross

Premium Member

to andyross
Their wifi router sucks, while I don't have comcast I helped setup a friends, and a cheap linksys(cisco) router provided better range at the exact same location. It's a cheap pos, and you can't even access the administration on it.

If it wasn't for they screw you with the rental fee anyway there's no point in getting it, and it can even make it annoying for using wifi router that actually has some real range by trying to figure out how to turn it into a bridge instead of just using your good router to prevent a double nat. It might be fine for a small apartment, but for a house it sucks.

They didn't want to get wifi cards at this time for their desktops, run some new coax, and relocate the router. I'm also sure the tools at customer support will ask if they can connect to it via ethernet so moving it away from their desktops will just create more hassles.

Comcast isn't really doing their customers any real favors, but at least you no longer have to deal with resetting the registered mac address of the device connecting to their modem.

In the end they still had to use their old router, now placed in a different location to provide coverage to the part of the house the cheap comcast router can't. Yet comcast wants to blame the problem on everything else other than their pos.

train_wreck
slow this bird down
join:2013-10-04
Antioch, TN

train_wreck

Member

said by BlitzenZeus:

you can't even access the administration on it.

... what do you mean? not true.