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Discussion » Questions » Computers and the Internet » Why would a dual-band router occasionally drop a single connetion?
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Why would a dual-band router occasionally drop a single connetion?

My cable guy set up a fancy router for me several months back and it has a 3G and a 5G connection. For some reason, the 5G connection often disappears for hours or days at a time, but always comes back on its own. I would think if it was something I was doing or a setting, I'd loose all my connections, not just the 5G... so maybe it's a hardware issue? Any tech savvy folks know where I could possibly start troubleshooting this? 

Posted - December 9, 2016
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Responses


  • A5g router or wi-fi operates on the 5Ghz band ... The other channel on the 2.4 GHz band... Why this is important is because the 5g is quicker it has less range and is more easily blocked by solid walls ( bricks. Concrete etc) ...  Another effect is the highest the frequency, the more radio waves start acting like light ... That is it tends to be more "line of sight" reception ... Shadows form behind blockages (walls) ...
    And or it could be a hardware issue ... To use a technical expression ... It could be on the fritz!
    Hope this helps :)
      December 9, 2016 4:27 PM MST
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  • Ozgirl is correct.  5Ghz. has faster speeds but the signal is less robust. Higher frequencies of radio waves tend to bounce off of objects instead of penetrating them and more prone to interference degrading the signal.  ( Why Longwave is used for submarine communications).
      There's a couple of things you can try.  Try moving the router around as that might give you better signal propagation over your house.   Try messing with the antenna on your equipment.   The most probable solution is to try and mess around with channels.  You might be on a channel that has a lot of outside interference from other sources including nearby routers.  Look for a network channel with the least amount of activity on it.
    To be honest, it's been my experience 5Ghz. wi-fi is often more problems than it's worth.  It has advantages but the draw backs often over shadow them in the real world in many circumstances. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at December 9, 2016 7:00 PM MST
      December 9, 2016 4:37 PM MST
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  • Just to add to Glis's excellent answer .. you can get free apps on android that shows the signal strength of a WiFi signal ... Also what other routers are using that channel ( the 5 g band has around 11 different channels it can use)  if everyone is on the same channel then you have issues .. it's simple enough to change the channel your router is using to a less crowded one
      December 9, 2016 4:43 PM MST
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  • Thanks! ^_^
      December 9, 2016 4:50 PM MST
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  • Thank you .. you reminded me of channel congestion which I totally overlooked :)
      December 9, 2016 5:16 PM MST
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  • I kinda have low opinion about 5Ghz. wi-fi to be honest.   It's hyped up but doesn't deliver that much in my opinion.  Like you pointed out.  It's only slightly more than line of sight.  Thick walls or foil backed insulation makes it unreliable or useless.  So in my opinion if you want walk around the house connectivity go with 2.4Ghz.   If you want speed ( considering the limited range and line of sight nature) use an ethernet cable.  High frequencies can also create "echos" from their bouncing nature which can  cause  radio signals to create their own interference. Then again 2.4 Ghz. picks up interference from cordless phones, bluetooth and things like that. Many times 5Ghz. doesn't even translate to real or noticeable speed increases.   Wi-fi kind stinks to be honest.
      December 9, 2016 5:46 PM MST
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  • My understanding is that MIMO antennas and discrimination circuits helped with the echoes .. I've never looked into that aspect to deeply?
      December 9, 2016 6:59 PM MST
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  • That is true, yet it's another thing that can get wonky. Every addition of something is another possible failure or chance for  occasional hiccup.
      December 9, 2016 7:11 PM MST
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  • 7939

    Woah. Fantastic answers. Thank you- both of you. We've mostly been using the 5g for our phones and streaming. I thought it was supposed to be a super smart router that chose the best channel for me, but it could be a line of sight issue. It didn't even occur to me, but most of the problems began around the time I had a wall added to the interior of my house, so maybe that is it. I'll play around with the router and see if I can find it a happier home. Thanks again... very helpful stuff. 
      December 9, 2016 7:01 PM MST
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  • Appreciate the chance to have a nerdgasm.
      December 9, 2016 7:04 PM MST
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  • And Glis had already said it so ditto!
      December 9, 2016 8:27 PM MST
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