Why has my speed suddenly nosedived...?

I should start by stating that I don't actually know what package I'm on as I don't pay for it and I don't know who the account holder is (the situation I'm in at the moment is horribly complicated and my mental and physical health are a complete mess).

Having run the available packages checker on my postcode, I'm thinking it's likely VM's 516Mb (½Gb) offering, in which case my speed has never been brilliant (consistent Ookla down speeds of 320Mb/s) but right now it's absolutely DIRE (just 72Mb).

I wonder if I might have broken something when I was fiddling about with the router (Hub 3) settings...? My mum sent me a smart lamp which can only connect at 2.4G, so I separated the channels. The router is only in the room next door, so it's not a distance issue.

Like I said, I was downloading just yesterday at 40MB/s (which, if it is the ½Gb is still on the slow side, but it's the fastest download speed I've ever had) but today I'm averaging between 8 and 9 (upload speed 26Mb/s).

Would separating the channels kill the speed...? I'm practically in the centre of Bristol, so hardly in the middle of nowhere! I'd be perfectly satisfied with getting it back up to 320 (although the faster the better).

Any ideas what's going on...?

Are you testing via WiFi?

If your device is connecting only to the 2.4ghz band that would explain the slow speeds.

To be clear:

My Mac is connected via 5GHz
My iPad is connected via 2.4GHz

THE SPEED IS IDENTICAL FROM BOTH.

The speed from my Mac is 72Mb/s
The speed from my iPad is also 72Mb/s

The channel makes no difference to the speed

Upon further investigation, my iPad IS NOT one of the 4 devices listed as connected to the router. I can see the MAC address of my Mac and the MAC address of the lamp but, of the other two unknown devices (one on 5GHz the other 2.4) NEITHER matches the MAC of my iPad. I kept my iPad on 2.4 in case putting it back on 5 caused the lamp to sulk again. Would it actually make a difference...? It doesn't seem to want to communicate with its app if the iPad is on 5.

Why isn't my iPad listed as connected when it clearly is...?

Edited by CoPHostage (Fri 22-Dec-23 08:44:29)

My suggestion is to put it back as it was. If the smart bulb can only connect at 2.4GHz, it will be completely oblivious to the 5GHz band anyway.

By "separating the channels" do you mean giving them different SSIDs?

If in the process of this you accidentally changed any other wifi settings then that could have affected things.
- has the channel bandwidth changed?
- has wifi changed to a channel which has more interference?
- in some cases, if 5GHz wifi on the router has changed to a channel that your devices don't support, it may force those devices onto 2.4GHz

On a Mac, you can get more detailed info by option-clicking the wifi icon in the menu bar.

You really need to use ethernet cable between VM Hub and what ever using to test the speed. If this not geting the speed that expecting then there issue with connection from Hub to Internet in other words Virgin Media problem. Also an Broadband Quality Monitor good for working out if connection is oversubscribed in your area as such Virgin Media problem.

Would posiable it to rename the WiFi name (SSID) ie

For 2.4G set to CoPHostage-2
For 5G set to CoPHostage-5

Of couse dont have use these names but got make shore both SSID are different. If both using same SSID then they it (Mac) will connect to what ever it sees first 2.4G or 5G. I don't know if VM Hub3 can do this but most WiFi router can do this.

What must understand that WiFi is a shared resource. In that your WiFi can transmit when other local WiFi is not transmiting and same vice versa. Strange as it could sound reducing tranmistion power of WiFi can make it operate at faster speed, the only issue with this is most ISP routers don't allow to change the output power. The reasion is simple with reducing trasmistion power the broadcast range get reduced so less of chance transmiting when some else WiFi is transmiting.The other thing can do if router allows you to is increase minimum transmission bitrate to 11.

Which is problem for you as it with VM and have no choice but to use there Hub. But there is modem mode for VM Hub. This will not fix WiFi as when in modem mode as WiFi on VM Hub is disabled, but can then use own router. You are a long way from going down this route but it possible option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbR1lRhcuNs
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=virgin+...

Edited by amiga_dude (Fri 22-Dec-23 09:35:48)

In reply to a post by CoPHostage:

Why isn't my iPad listed as connected when it clearly is...?

On the iPad, go to Settings -> WiFi tap the small i icon. In the details for the WiFi connection look for Private Wi-Fi Address. If this is ON, you won't see your iPad on the router. If this is OFF you will see it on the router. Probably no need for "private" at home, but Apple assumes all networks are public for your privacy.

All Apple devices, Mac and iPad, iPhone etc, will be slower on 2.4 GHz as they are limited (by Apple) to using 20 MHz channels whatever the router/hub is set for. With broadband over 100 Mbps you will need to use 5 GHz with your iPad and Mac to get the higher speeds.

Maybe the smart bulb will just work if you leave it as one SSID for both bands, as Apple recommends:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202068

Edited by jchamier (Fri 22-Dec-23 09:52:02)

No, private wifi is definitely off. The 'smart' lamp WILL NOT communicate with the iPad if the channels are combined, it sulks. That's why I separated them in the first place.

My current speed is 60Mb/s on both iPad (2.4) and Mac (5). What I am NOT understanding is why they're both the same speed. That's what I'm attempting to find out. Obviously I can understand it being slower on the iPad, but surely it should be fast(er) on the Mac as that's set to 5GHz...? Why is Ookla telling me that the speed on both devices is IDENTICAL...? I'm using the Ookla apps, not the Speedtest on the website.

Like I said, I don't know what the package I'm on is supposed to be (because I don't pay the bill and I'm getting radio silence from the person who does when I ask) but, I'm assuming that, it's ½Gb. Obviously my ability to contact VM is somewhat stymied a) because I'm not the account holder and b) because I don't have a phone (if I did, I could connect the lamp to that and that would solve the problem (one assumes)), but it was stolen and I can't afford to replace it).

Just wish this forum didn't use such ancient software and I could upload images.

This is REALLY beginning to do my head in now. When it was initially installed the speed was around 280Mb/s (which, given that I reckon it's a ½Gb, still seems rather on the slow side...).

These are the speeds the router is stating:

There's an unknown device (no idea what that is): connected to 5GHz at 26.36Mb/s
My MBP is connected to 5GHz at 571.26Mb/s (I'm assuming that's down speed, yes...? So why is Ookla giving me a down speed of around a tenth of that...? What is throttling the speed...?)
The lamp is connected to 2.4GHz at 19.97Mb/s
My iPad is now showing connected to 2.4GHz at 31.33Mb/s (yet the download speed I'm seeing from Ookla on the iPad is the same as on the MBP, meaning it's almost DOUBLE what the router is stating).

I have rebooted the router (Hub 3) several times.

NOW do you understand why I'm somewhat perplexed...?

P.S. Before anyone asks, I'm NOT using a VPN.

Edited by CoPHostage (Mon 25-Dec-23 20:16:45)

I assume as you can get to the admin console to split the SSID, you can also get to the Configuration tab. What does the Primary download Max Traffic Rate show? This will be the download speed the Hub is configured for.

No such tab exists on the Hub 3 it would appear. The only 'wireless configuration settings' I can find allow me to change the network names and passwords.

There is nothing like what you're describing.