Excellent WiFi Signal but Widely Variable Wifi Speed

[GJD1]

Hope someone can help.

I recently upgraded to Sky Ultrfast Plus - speeds are as expected (around 500mbs download) when checking with Ethernet cable into LAN port on SR203 hub - no issues.

My problem is Wi-Fi. I can do a speed test on iPhone on Wi-Fi and get 300mbs download, then do a test a few minutes later on same device, in same area of house and get 25mbs download.

My Wi-Fi signal strength when doing the checks is RSSI -40 dBm (very good).

I've tried all the usual things, like unplugging devices to try and identify if there is something using the bandwidth. 

I contacted Sky and got a new router (another SR203) but same issue.

All very strange - anyway, if someone has come across this before I'd be pleased to know if their is a solution.

Thanks

[TimmyBGood]

@GJD1 

Do you have any Sky boosters or Q television boxes at the address?

[GJD1]

I'm on Sky Stream - so no Q box, no mini boxes or booster.

I do have TP Link powerline Wi-Fi extender - that is using the same SSID as the Sky Wi-Fi

[TimmyBGood · Accepted solution]

---

@GJD1 wrote:

I do have TP Link powerline Wi-Fi extender - that is using the same SSID as the Sky Wi-Fi

---

That could be causing the phenomenon you are observing, as it will be somewhat random whether a client device is using WiFi from the Hub or the extender at any particular moment, and the extender WiFi will be stronger/faster within its own local coverage than the Hub at a distance.

[GJD1]

Many thanks @TimmyBGood 

Unplugged the tp-link devices and now consistently getting very good bandwidth throughout the house - a very easy fix.

What causes the issue - as I thought when the same SSID was used, both the Wi-Fi from the sky hub and the extenders were effectively the 'same' network?

[TimmyBGood]

---

@GJD1 wrote:

What causes the issue - as I thought when the same SSID was used, both the Wi-Fi from the sky hub and the extenders were effectively the 'same' network?

---

Kind of, but they could also be competing for airspace.  A 'real' mesh solution has quite a sophisticated management system running in the background to manage frequency, broadcast power and client device association with each node.