WiFi Issues - Advice
WiFi Issues - Advice
Hey everyone, I own a fairly big place (about 100 covers) and I’m facing serious Wi-Fi problems. Both guests and staff are affected. Since I work remotely from the premises, whether I’m using my laptop or phone, the connection is slow. Once connected to the access points, speed swings wildly—from around 800Mbits to under 20Mbits in a short time. It’s not like there’s any major interference with my BTNet line, which is a reliable fiber connection (1000/100). I’m also the first one in the morning, so conflicts are unlikely. Most devices on the network are hardwired except for three Ubiquity APs. One private AP covers the basement and shares an SSID with another on the floor. A third AP serves just guests and is also on the same floor. Any link to either guest or private AP causes the same sluggish behavior. My partners’ iPhones and Surface Pros are experiencing the same issues. The only stable Wi-Fi clients are the three Ubiquity APs, a few tablets for kitchen/delivery, an iPad at the front desk for bookings, and a couple of Rational Ovens. There’s a fourth AP installed by my EPos provider that only supports credit card terminals. A Casambi smart lighting system with 50 Bluetooth devices could be another source, but no IP conflicts were detected. All wired gear shows expected speeds. If we had to test it fully, disconnecting everything would reveal a culprit somewhere. I’ve heard of another restaurant nearby with the same setup and Ubiquity APs, but it uses no Casambi lights and seems to work perfectly. Any suggestions?
I’m checking the specific UBI APs involved. Have you confirmed they’re all up-to-date? Did you map your network using WiFi Man? Are these wireless access points? They can boost coverage but may cause congestion. We can tackle many issues, but if needed, we can reset everything from scratch. As long as the SSID and password match, devices should connect easily unless you make a simple typo slip.
These wireless APs are powered through PoE and connected to the main floor comms unit. That’s essentially what my security firm advised me to do. I’m really not keen on running cables around here, so I think it’s time to move forward and start working.
They seem to use wireless technology rather than wired connections. If it's integrated into a switch, there must be a reason for the wireless backhaul. Additionally, Wifi Man is an impressive utility for managing networks.
They are connected APs to a switch. I'll try it out today, thanks.
I interpret this as three strict Ubiquiti APs all connected to the same network. Are they truly distinct APs or is the private and guest networks shared on the same device? This suggests the issue lies between the router and the clients. It could stem from a faulty switch, damaged cable, defective AP, or heavy congestion. My impression leans toward congestion in the airspace. There are no nearby businesses or residences within 50 meters of the restaurant. BT operates on the 2.4GHz band, identical to Wi-Fi, meaning many devices may be constantly pinging. I’m not familiar with this brand, but many IoT BT setups fall short. Switching to 5GHz might help pinpoint the problem. I expect it won’t be practical, since most POS systems don’t support that frequency. Still, it could assist in identifying interference sources. If you try it, you might be able to manually adjust APs or lighting channels.