Device limits

[CanadianAME]

Good day all, 

I'm having problems with my router connection. I have set up my blue curve modem so that I have both 5 and 2.4 operating separately so I can connect my smart home devices. The problem I’m running into is that the router is very inconsistent and seems to be dropping connection regularly. No matter what band I am connected to, I seem to have poor connection. Would there be a maximum number of devices it can handle before overloading? I currently have about 8 devices all on the 2.4. Thanks. 

[shaw-tony]

@CanadianAME the maximum number of devices a router can handle is about 250. 8 devices connected should not be an issue. When you notice connection drops, is it only over WiFi or are direct ethernet connections affected as well?

If it is WiFi only, it may be caused by WiFi interference. I'd recommend ensuring your modem is in the most central location possible and to update the channel on the 2.4Ghz network to 1, 6 or 11 for the best experience.

[Mike1981]

I am also having this issue, we have 18 smart bulbs and 6 smarts speakers, each kids laptops and tablets so another 6 and we can not all connect at once,  no where near the 256 addresses it should be capable of handling.

[shaw-tony]

@Mike1981 what troubleshooting steps have you tried so far?

[touchdown]

There is a definite limit to the number of 2.4GHz Active Simultaneous Wifi Connections to the BlueCurve router. In the end, I had to buy wifi extenders to increase this limit. I would suggest that Shaw increase this limit if it is limited by the software. Or, at least have a warning in the BlueCurve app that the limit has been reached, or is near being reached. Shaw if you would like to reproduce this, nevermind connecting 250 devices - try connecting 80 2.4GHz smart bulbs/devices to your router - it does not work, less than 30 are "Actively Connected" at any given time. I work in IT, I can confirm this is a limitation of the router, and not a user configuration or setup problem. Side note: You can connect 250 devices over the wired ethernet port - which may lead to the misleading statement above. 

[rstra]

Do you have band steering turned on?

[mdk]

@touchdown -- I can confirm this is a limitation of the router, and not a user configuration or setup problem.

Inside your router, what settings do you have for the range of IP-addresses that its DHCP-server can hand out? Usually, it is a range spanning about 250 IP-addresses.

What settings do you have for the "netmask"? Usually, it is "255.255.255.0", which allows up to 256 devices. Configure it to "255.255.254.0" to allow 512 devices.  After changing this value, configure the DHCP-server to allow a range of about 500 devices, e.g., "192.168.0.10" through "192.168.1.250".

[PirateSwayze]

@shaw-tony and @mdk When using the Blue Curve Modem, I don't see the option to change the number of DHCP addresses. I can change the netmask and this increases the range of addresses given out, but I still get devices that won't connect to the 2.4 Ghz network once there are about 30 devices using it. I have a number of smart device (plugs, cameras, and bulbs), as well as Sonos speakers which all need 2.4G and can't use 5G. I have moved everything I can onto 5G and still can't get down below whatever the cap on concurrent 2.4G devices is.

[shaw-tony]

@PirateSwayze the options should be available via the Gateway admin tool and web/app with the steps here. Let me know if you notice the options greyed out or unaccessible.

[PirateSwayze]

Hi @shaw-tony I don't see any mention of DHCP addresses in that link you shared, it only shows the following:

• Modem set up
• Modem specifications
• How to configure modem settings
• How to change WiFi name and password
• How to restart the Gateway
• How to restore factory default settings

For "How to configure your modem settings" it doesn't show anything about DHCP:

How to configure modem settings

The best way to access your modem settings is with the BlueCurve Home app. You can change various settings on the modem, everything from WiFi passwords to parental controls, and more advanced settings—all from a convenient mobile app, or from your computer.

Mobile app

Download the free Shaw BlueCurve Home app (Apple App Store or Google Play) and sign in with your Shaw ID username and password.

Laptop or desktop

Visit internet.shaw.ca/ and sign in with your Shaw ID username and password.

Gateway Admin Tool

Alternatively, you can login to the Gateway via the Admin Tool to change settings that way. Note that some settings may not be available here, and must be changed in the BlueCurve Home app instead.

1. Enter 10.0.0.1 into the address bar of your Internet browser.
2. Log in to the modem with the following information:
   • Username: admin
   • Password: password
     (These are the default login credentials for the admin tool. If you have previously changed your password, use that instead).
3. Click Login.