Sketchy WiFi -outages in Edmonton area?

[PMacKay]

West Edmonton; Actiontec T2200H Wireless modem/router

Daily occurances - evenings; mid-day, morning, WiFi dies; trouble resetting and getting access restored on laptop and sometimes phone/tablet.

I keep a map of all the devices connected to my router - there is no unauthorized access.

Have followed all the steps in Telus Troubleshooting (checked cables, no interrupters, restarted, reset)

Have logged in to the router and double-checked all WiFi settings. I did try Channel 1, then Channel 11, then returned to Auto.

Internet is really spotty - many "Resolving" and "Waiting for..." messages in the browser status bar. Often, there is a long wait time after clicking a button on a web page.

So - am I special or is there a larger issue in my area...?

[Nighthawk · Accepted solution]

I have both Chromecast and Google Home, among other smart devices. No wireless issues for me. Though it looks like it is a more widespread issue:

https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/16/google-chromecast-messing-wifi-connections/

[NFtoBC]

What happens with Ethernet connected devices?

[PMacKay]

Good question - when I connect my laptop to ethernet, there is no problem.

Also, I've cleared my browser cache for all time and disabled any non-essential Chrome extensions. I just kept the ones that deal with Google Drive and editing Google Docs, etc.

Things are really slow on WiFi - if pages even load at all. The frustrating part is when the laptop won't even connect to the WiFi SSID.

[NFtoBC]

So, there is no problem with your connection to the Internet - the issue is with the connection between the T2200H and your devices. This means your time of day issues (Daily occurances - evenings; mid-day, morning, WiFi dies; trouble resetting and getting access restored on laptop and sometimes phone/tablet) are related to something happening in your immediate environment.

Are you in a multi-dwelling building, or a detached dwelling?

What distance are your devices from the T2200H?

What happened after you reset the T2200H?

Have you seen that happens in the early morning hours, before others are awake?

While it is possible the Wi-Fi radio or antenna is at fault, your description seems more like interference from adjacent users.

[PMacKay]

Single dwelling home; router is on my desk beside the laptop. There is another strong Telus router showing up - I wonder if a neighbour just signed up for Telus? Is there a way to find out?

When I reset the T2200H, most devices will reconnect but the laptop and a phone do not.

[NFtoBC]

There are 8 Wi-Fi networks visible from my desk (3 of them mine), so it is unlikely your neighbour's Wi-Fi causing the problem, especially if your Laptop is next to the router.

Is the laptop trying to connect to your SSID, or another (same for the phone)? What brands of devices are they?  It is strange that some of your devices connect without trouble, while others do not connect. Usually if one connects, any should.

[PMacKay]

They're all Apple devices - MacBook Pro (late 2016), iPhone 7, iPad 3rd gen.

In the Basic Settings for the router, there are two SSID's listed. Screenshot below:

 

[Nighthawk]

I have been having wireless issues on any device running iOS 11 and it appears others are as well. Hopefully Apple fixes that bug soon. I've usually got a minimum of 25 other wireless networks in range of my place at any given time. Some days the Mini will show upwards of 50 when scanning. So far most devices are problem free including the Mac Mini. What macOS version is your MacBook Pro running? Have you deleted the wireless network from your Mac and tried reconnecting that way?

[NFtoBC]

The two SSID allow you to create a guest network separate from your main network. You can choose the first.

[sonofrodrigo]

This has been happening to me as well. Do you have Google Chromecast or Home devices? There've been some recent reports that these are messing up a variety or routers...

[Nighthawk · Accepted solution]

I have both Chromecast and Google Home, among other smart devices. No wireless issues for me. Though it looks like it is a more widespread issue:

https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/16/google-chromecast-messing-wifi-connections/