WIFI slow and drops out. Would AX Router improve things much over AC1900?

[Jim16]

I got Blue Curve several years ago and on Fiber 300.  I can get 47 mb download on speed test over wifi and 100 wired.  Lately its dropping out a lot and I can't even watch TV.  I've done all the turn it off/on stuff, had a tech remotely check the signal.  She said there was an 'issue' and a tech needed to come out.  I'm using a DLINK AC1900 router as the Blue Curve one sucked.  Would  getting a new AX router get me closer to the speed I need or is the fact I'm paying for 300 mb and only getting 100 the bigger issue?

Thanks.

[rstra]

@Jim16  I would take the BlueCurve out of bridge mode and run some speed tests on it.. Your current wifi router is more than capable of giving you the speeds you are subscribed to, is the network cable between the Dlink and the BlueCurve cat 5e or 6 at least?

[Jim16]

Checked the cable, it is a 5e.  Took it out of bridge mode and getting similar or slightly lower speeds about 38 d/l.  Paying for fiber  + 300.  The tech today on the online chat said there is something wrong with the signal.  Not sure what that means. They wanted to send a tech out. Thank you very much for taking the time out to offer some advice. 

[rstra]

@Jim16  It could definitely be a signal issue affecting the modem. I would hold off on the new modem and get Shaw to send out the technician. If you login to the modem and click on Gateway > Connection > Shaw Network and tell me the upstream and downstream power levels, I could confirm if the signal is poor.

[Jim16]

Sure.

Down Stream Power Level

9.8 dBmV

11.7 dBmV

11.6 dBmV

11.2 dBmV

9.9 dBmV

9.9 dBmV

10.0 dBmV

9.8 dBmV

9.9 dBmV

9.7 dBmV

Upstream Power Level

30.5 dBmV

30.8 dBmV

31.0 dBmV

31.0 dBmV

31.5 dBmV

31.8 dBmV

28.2 dBmV

How can someone coming to my house improve that signal?

Thank  you!

[rstra]

@Jim16 

A technician can reconfigure how the cabling is set up in your house to adjust those levels. 

Are you aware if there is a signal amplifier connected anywhere to the coax cable in your house? Those levels are quite high and indicate to me that there may be an amplifier installed and is likely not needed. Those levels could be causing your issues and you should have a technician take a look. 

The amp would look like this:

[Jim16]

Thanks again.  No there is nothing like that in my home, however when my internet was installed more than 10 years ago, I remember the technician saying the signal was strong and he installed two 'dampeners?' to the end of the coax to reduce it.  I can try to find them and put them back on.  I took them off at some point lol.  Can you give me an idea of what would be a good signal strength?

[Jim16]

I added 2 attenuators and now the upstream power has decreased quite a bit.

Power Level

4.6 dBmV

4.5 dBmV

4.2 dBmV

3.8 dBmV

3.6 dBmV

Those levels were between 9 and 11 or so before.

The upstream looks a little higher now. 

Power Level

36.3 dBmV

36.3 dBmV

36.5 dBmV

36.8 dBmV

37.3 dBmV

Before those were around 21 to 28. This did not seem to help my download speed.  Getting about 38 mbs on 2.5 ghz and 80 on 5ghz. We have most of the devices including two blue curve tv boxes  on the 2.5 to free up the 5ghz for a gaming pc.

[rstra · Accepted solution]

@Jim16  Those levels are much better, but I still think that a technician should try and determine what is going on there. Amplified signal can also amplify noise, but you are in the right track.

[Jim16]

Can you tell me the optimal signal level please?