# Home Modem/Router/Wifi/Network issues - help!!



## Proto (5 Dec 2020)

Hoping someone can help me understand my current home 4G broadband setup, and possibly improve it. I'm fairly techie but am now at (beyond?) the limit of my networking knowledge, help!

It's a bit of a saga .......

We live in the sticks on the Dorset/Devon border. Old cottage, thick stone walls. No possibility of fibre broadband in my area so when we bought the house I arranged for a local fellow to install a 4G system for me. Went with a EE contract, 4G, unlimited data, £34 per month. Wife works from home and needs good internet access, plus we want to stream Netlix, Prime, movies etc.

He installed a MicroTik combined directional antenna/modem on the gable end, pointed to the nearest mast, about 1.5 miles away. Coax cable from modem down to a MicroTik hAP ac Lite router in the sitting room, terminated with an RJ45 plug.

One of these: https://www.senetic.co.uk/product-rbd52g-5hacd2hnd...

Coax/RJ45 plug into Port 1 of the router which provides PoE to the modem on the gable end. Set up the router WiFi 2.4 and 5.0Ghz, renamed, changed passwords etc, all good. Speeds, download (Ookla test) vary, depending on time of day but 10mbps is unusual, 20mbps typical, 30mbs sometimes, and rarely 40mbps. Ping time (latency?) varies 23-30ms. Upload speeds always 20+mbps.

To improve WiFi throughout the house (250 year old cottage, some very chunky stone walls) I bought three Devolo power line WiFi adaptors. This sorted the distribution problem, good WiFi coverage, but this meant we now had three networks running. I made their names and password the same hoping that 'roaming' in the house ould be seamless but found that often the device in use didn't 'release' one network and log onto a better one with stronger signal. So there was an element of manually disconnecting from one and reconnecting.

This became tiresome, so I invested in a TP-Link Deco P9 Mesh system to replace my D-Link power line adaptors. One of these: https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/deco/de...

Ran a Cat5 cable from router to first Deco unit. The Deco P9 combines Powerline and Mesh technology and seemed the answer to a maiden's prayer. All worked well. I left the WiFi network from the MicroTik router alone, just don't log into it.


About a week ago we noticed that internet connections were getting slow, maybe 10 seconds to load a page, but this was intermittent, sometimes it was fine, others times it was slow. Sometimes page time out report. A page refresh usually sorts. Even when slow/hesitant, a speed test reported that speeds were very 'normal', which doesn't make much sense.

Any ideas why this might be?

Is it possible that the MicroTik router is playing up, I'll admit I've taken against it, looks cheap and nasty. Happy enough to go and get another (I gave a BT Home Hub 6 away last month!) but routers with PoE are few and far between. I can see plenty of PoE Switches and Access Points, but I don't think that's what I need. (or do I?)

Would I be able to use a router without PoE if I add a PoE Injector, like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-PoE150S-Inject...

Thoughts and suggestions gratefully received. Thanks.

PS have been trying to get to the router settings to switch off the WiFi but can't get past the Admin login page. Reluctant to do a factory reset until I have an escape route as my wife needs good internet access to work from home on Monday.

PPS Am I correct in thinking that I can't connect my Deco directly to the modem (even with a PoE injector) as it is not a router?


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## bruce1530 (5 Dec 2020)

Which external Mikrotik unit do you have? I doubt it’ll be a coax cable - it’ll be standard cat5e

The ones I’ve used will cope with both “real” PoE and passive injection. They came with a 24V injector, but were happy with up to 48V.

You can get some very detailed diagnostics off these units.


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## Proto (5 Dec 2020)

It's not a conventional Cat5 cable, it's possible an outdoor equivalent (very stiff/rigid). Dunno, but it's terminated at the sitting room end with a Rj45 plug.

Thinking back, the reason for the modem on the roof was to avoid the need for a coax to the antenna, so you're right, it's a cat5 of some sort.

The router is a MicroTik hAP ac.

Not certain of the modem/antenna but some flavour of MicroTik SXT.

Like this: https://mikrotik.com/product/sxt_lte6_kit


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## mistyoptic (5 Dec 2020)

Have you tried changing the mesh to a different channel?


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## Proto (5 Dec 2020)

No, Not sure I know how. I'll dive into the Deco app and take a look.


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## MrGrumpy (6 Dec 2020)

ive never played around with the Deco units,, I do rate them highly , sorted out wifi issues I had. Changing channel might work?


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## bruce1530 (6 Dec 2020)

The cable will be external grade cat5. It’s pretty much the same as standard stuff, but less flexible. The only real difference is that the jacket is UV-resistant - standard cables are usually PVC-jacketed and get brittle in sunlight after a while.

Without knowing the detail of your setup, and how the internal hAP is configured (is it routing or bridging to the uplink - the external box will be routing) - it’s difficult to give definitive advice. 

But I’d be starting from basics. Laptop, power injector (or simple POE switch) and the external router. Nothing else. Check the performance there. That’ll tell you whether the problem is on the uplink/4G side, or on the internal side. Then gradually add back bits of your internal network, testing at each change.


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## Proto (6 Dec 2020)

Thanks all.

Bruce,the antenna and modem are on the table end, combined MicroTik SXT, data cable from the modem through the wall of the house to a MicroTik hAP AC WiFi router. This was initial setup when first installed. The router is providing power to the modem via PoE.

After first playing with TP Link standard powerline I swapped them for the Deco P9 powerline/Mesh units. The first node is connected to the MicroTik router by ethernet cable. The Deco is still operating as a router, although I understand I could switch it to AP mode.

The MicroTik router is still broadcasting WiFi on two channels, as are the Devo units.

Could I remove the MicroTik router, connect the Deco to the roof mounted modem if I used a PoE injector? Care to recommend one?


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## Milkfloat (6 Dec 2020)

If it is a gradual slow down over time, I would suggest the obvious and ‘turn it off and on again’. Power the whole lot off wait a few minutes then bring it up again.


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## bruce1530 (6 Dec 2020)

So, simple test. disconnect (and power off) everything except the Mikrotik hAP and the external device. Connect to the hAP and do a performance test. If that’s good, then the issue is with the Deco or Power Line stuff. If it’s bad, then issue is with one of the Mikrotik boxes, or the external service.

And don’t diss the Mikrotik kit because of it’s looks. Yes, it’s an ugly child, but in terms of performance I cannot fault it. It’s got far more functionality, and much better diagnostics, than equipment ten times the price.


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## Proto (7 Dec 2020)

I’ve reset all the Deco nodes, can’t decide if it’s improved or not. Still can’t get to the router settings (need an Ethernet adaptor for my Windows laptop, then I’ll have another go). I’ll also switch the Deco over to AP mode and see what happens. What could possibly go wrong?!?!


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## yo vanilla (10 Dec 2020)

Have you considered a more powerful wifi router? I've got a long house, and a Netgear R8000P which might be a bit overkill. It is installed in the basement in the farthest corner of the house. I keep it turned down to 75% power on the 2.4 channel and 50% on the 5.0 (so we don't fry our brains  ) but I also use a Netgear wifi repeater (at 25% power) to help boost signal to the farthest 2nd story bedroom. That said, using a wifi signal analyzer app, I can see its signal at the end of the city block.


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## Proto (10 Dec 2020)

Thanks again. I reset both the router and the Deco units. I'm unconvinced this made any difference but performance has been better since Tuesday, so I'm now thinking that the problem was external, possibly mast related - 4G to 5G, removing Huawei kit, general upgrade, who knows - but it's definitely better. Yesterday I switched the Deco from router to AP mode, don't think that made any difference either!.
However I'm getting similar speeds throughout the house now, depending on time of day it varies between 10 and 40mbps, which is sufficient (just @ 10mbps)


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