Pod selection when using iPhone/iPad

[sungyle]

Question (1)

Do you need the Shaw Home App to be running so the iPhone/iPad can select the strongest signal as you move around the house?  Does the system work if I power off the iPhone/iPad then power up again without loading the Shaw Home App?

My Gateway speed is 637 (whatever that is) on my iMac, but only 172 for the iPhone even when the 2 of them are sitting side by side (no pods near by and Shaw Home said iPhone connected to Gateway)

However, when I go to the bed room or the kitchen, Shaw Home App reported that I am now connected to the kitchen pod, and the Shaw speed test showed only 60 (whatever that may be).

The problem is, at 60, I have trouble watching YouTube videos and/or FaceBook videos or Dropbox videos. 

Question (2)

If I buy more pods, and put them between my Gateway and my Kitchen, will that help increase the speed of the Kitchen pod and or the bed room pod?

Sorry to trouble you.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.  Thank you in advance.

Eddie

[mdk]

@sungyle -- Do you need the Shaw Home App to be running so the iPhone/iPad can select the strongest signal as you move around the house? 

No.

> Does the system work if I power off the iPhone/iPad then power up again without loading the Shaw Home App?

It should.

> My Gateway speed is 637 (whatever that is) on my iMac, but only 172 for the iPhone even when the 2 of them are sitting side by side

The WiFi adapter inside the iMac could be communicating on the faster 5 Ghz band, while the iPhone (which version?) could be communicating on the slower 2.4 Ghz band.  Also, if your devices show that there are many different WiFi networks in range, there could be "interference" on the networks, to impair the speed of your iPhone.

> However, when I go to the bed room or the kitchen, Shaw Home App reported that I am now connected to the kitchen pod, and the Shaw speed test showed only 60 (whatever that may be).

If you are "one-third" of the distance between the Gateway and the pod in the kitchen, what speed do you get?

If you are "two-thirds" of the distance between the Gateway and the pod in the kitchen, what speed do you get?

> The problem is, at 60, I have trouble watching YouTube videos and/or FaceBook videos or Dropbox videos. 

Strange. YouTube seems to only use up to 10 Megabits per second, not 60.

> If I buy more pods, and put them between my Gateway and my Kitchen, will that help increase the speed of the Kitchen pod

It should, if there are many walls/obstacles between the Gateway and the kitchen.

> and or the bedroom pod?

If your iPhone and the bedroom pod are side-by-side in the bedroom, both will receive the same signal-strength from the pod in the next room, meaning that putting a pod into your bedroom will not help. Instead, move the bedroom pod to be one room closer to the Gateway (or the kitchen pod).

In baseball, the shortstop rarely throws to 2nd baseman, for a "relay" to the 1st baseman, because the throw from short directly to 1st base is about the same distance as a throw from 2nd to 1st base.

[the_stig]

Those wifi extenders have terrible performance, mine are going back after a back to back speed test I could show that my network was actually worse than without them. Try unplugging all the pods you have installed and see if your speed increases. 

[mdk]

@the_stig -- see if your speed increases

Run a few Shaw Speed Tests:

• CAT-5E (or CAT-6) Ethernet cable connecting your cable-modem to a fast (3.0+ Ghz) computer;
• WiFi between the cable-modem and a fast (3.0+) computer in the same room as the cable-modem;
• WiFi between one pod and a fast (3.0+) computer in the same room as the pod;
• CAT-5E (or CAT-6) Ethernet cable connecting your computer to the Ethernet port on the pod, when the pod is temporarily in the room next the room where the cable-modem is;

and tell us the numbers from each test.

[the_stig]

Already sent them back. Don't need to do that kind of test to determine these are actually worse for my network. Did speed tests with iPhone and iPads connected to the pods as well and performance was worse. 

[sungyle]

Thank you.

I actually ordered 3 more pods and now the speed in the bed room 'improved' to 79.5!  But did get up to 120 in the kitchen and, yes, 160 in the bath room.

**bleep**, did I learn my lesson!  I am paying for 600 and is getting 60.

This very old man learned a new word... Mesh... I am now covering the whole house with a 'mesh'!!!  No wonder my kids do not respect me.

I think there should be a law that requires Shaw (or whoever providers there may be) to sell one single modem (that will wifi at 600 or 1000, whatever you pay for) and test/proof you are getting 600/1000, everywhere in the house.  It should be illegal to sell pods that actually reduce your speed and get away with murder.

I am telling all my friends who still come over for a drink.  I am controlling myself not to say a word on Facebook.  

Thank you again.  Hug.

[sungyle]

Thank you.  That sounds like a good idea.  I promise I will try that asap.

I learned my lesson.  Thank you for your confirmation.  I should try what you said: unplug everything... I'll let you know when I get to that.  This old man walks very slowly and have trouble bending down. 

[sungyle]

Are you serious?
I am sure I will get you 600 using the Ethernet cable.
I am sorry but my 27 inch iMac is hooked up to a dozen peripherals. I hired somebody to hook them up a couple of years ago and it is giving me 600 at 7 foot away from the ‘gateway’ via Wifi.
I am so old, I have so much trouble walking, I can't even carry the dog climbing upstairs.  I can’t even move the iMac to do dusting, let along take it up to the bed room and plug it into a cable.

And to plug it into a pod with a cable? Does that not defeat the purpose of having wifi?

My challenge is with the iPhone and the iPads. The wife will sit on the can and watch videos on Facebook. When all she gets is a spinning beach ball, it’s my balls that she comes after.

I am anti-Telus because I won’t allow myself to finance Huawei 5G.
I dream that Shaw will come up with a 1000 up, 1000 down modem that will give me a 1000 within a 50 feet radius.
They have that in Netflix movies… you know…
Do you think Shaw can do that?

Hug, thank you.

[rickatk]

A few things to think about:

The Shaw Blue Curve app is simply a utility that lets you look at the state of your home network.You can add devices manage your different bands and a few other processes. For the most part when your network is running your app can remain closed and shouldn’t have any impact on your device performance.

For the most part Shaw has done a good job to get this stuff simplified to the point users can self install theIt gear.

As a consumer The gear is designed to manage itself using machine learning and AI. These Shaw products (Gateway, Wireless TV Satellites and pods) are pretty smart and run well together.

Dont try to manipulate or otherwise outsmart the pods. Direct your energy to proper Gateway and Pod placement. They need a week or two to optimize so leave them be.

Once your Pods and Gateway are happy all your devices should connect with the best antenna. They really do!

Don't over do the pods, you will actually slow things down. This is not a case of more is better.

After much experimenting head scratching and troubleshooting I am pretty happy with my completely wireless network. One Gateway and Three pods support my numerous wireless TV players, wifi speakers, wifi sprinkler controller numerous Wemo lights and Gemstone Christmas  lights. Not to mention iPhones, iPads, iMacs and wifi printers. Everything works around my 3000sq rancher. 

BTW

iMac download 850Mbps

iPads and iPhones 450Mbps ish.

Uploads on all devices is 25Mbps.

[sungyle]

"iPads and iPhones 450Mbps ish" ????   With only 3 pods?  You don't have Fibre 1000 do you?

Thank you.  If I should live a few more years, I have you to thank for a new goal, a new challenge, a new game with new toys and new motivation to play with. 

Thank you for the encouragement.  Hug.