WiFi issue in a café location
WiFi issue in a café location
I’m working in a coffee shop in Argentina, and I’m responsible for troubleshooting network problems. The ISP provided us with a modem/router that previously worked fine, but now guests are experiencing slow Wi-Fi speeds and some can’t connect at all, getting error messages about IP acquisition. We purchased an AP from Unifi, but the issue persisted. When we contacted the ISP, they attributed it to a cable problem and changed the connection to external. That didn’t resolve the issue. I tested pinging from a computer connected via Ethernet to my phone on the new AP – it took a long time and lost some packets. I also tried using the modem’s Wi-Fi, but it was slower and no packets were lost. What should I do? Could switching to bridge mode help?
The router uses a DHCP setup that’s causing issues. It’s leasing IP addresses for extended periods, which means it keeps reserving addresses even after users leave. This leads to running out of available IPs for new clients. Consider shortening the lease duration to about an hour and expanding the pool of available addresses. The Ubiquiti Unifi AP should be configured in AP mode; most settings are fine unless you need to adjust the SSID or WPA2 password.
The modem is a vibrant DPC3848VE model. I switched the DHCP settings to 1 hour, and I ran another ping test from my computer to my phone—still the same results. Notably, changing the color of the Philips Hue lights works smoothly, but then it disconnects and reconnects intermittently, cycling through states.
These all-in-one modems and wireless devices from aggressive ISPs are known for being unreliable. It's safer to purchase a dedicated wireless AP from a trusted manufacturer, letting the ISP handle just the internet connection. Better yet, consider upgrading to a new modem altogether.
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