Constant wifi drops ....query smart meter

[iano11]

Hi,

I wanted to know if anyone else had had a similar experience to us.

We used to have a reliable DSL connection in a medium sized terraced house, the wifi covered the whole house, numerous devices all relatively stable.

The all of a sudden our wifi would drop connections randomly very frequently, teams calls for work became totally unusable.  Vodafone checked the router, did a hard reset, etc, couldn't find anything wrong.  It was the wifi not the internet connection.

At one point the misses resorted to working 1 meter from the routrer and it was still dropping, we resorted to trailing ethernet cables around the place for work.

Eventually I bit the bullet and bought a deco x73 and an additional x60, I set them up as a replacement for the VF router and it was flawless.  Even for a while i ditched using the x60 and just used the x73 router, still flawless.  We realised at some point that our issues started (we think) when we had a smart meter installed in the cupboard next to the VF router.

Skip forward a year we decided to renew for full fibre.  We were nervous because our mobile signal is woeful for VF so wanted to keep the landline.   We switched over back to the new VF router, and ditched the x73/x60 immediately the wifi drops repeatedly and is unusable.

So now we're back using the x73 (but this time as an access point as we can't do without the landline (more electricity spend!).  To my mind there must be something about the VF router not being able to cope next to the smart meter, but noone seems to have every heard of this issue before.

Has anyone ever seen this?

I'd love to remove the VF router and either plug the LL into to the x73 or have a reliable mobile signal but neither seems likely.

[daniel201]

Frequent WiFi drops querying a smart meter may stem from various factors like signal interference, network congestion, [Removed] or hardware/software issues. Troubleshoot by relocating the router, updating firmware, or adjusting channel settings. Verify compatibility between devices and ensure proper power supply to the smart meter. Consult with the internet service provider or smart meter manufacturer for further assistance in resolving connectivity issues effectively.

[MOD EDIT: This post has been edited to remove inappropriate content please see Community Guidelines]

[Ripshod]

We've frequently seen threads about wifi problems, but this is the first where the router was installed so close to a smart meter. Of course you're going to have problems with the WiFi. When that meter connects it'll wipe out any radios in the vicinity.

Is there not anywhere else you could site the router? The entry point for your fibre may be close to the meter, but there's no reason to not run a long screened cat6a cable to place the router elsewhere. 

[iano11]

Thanks, 

I think it's curious that the deco doesn't have the same issue given it's in exactly the same place as the VF router, but I do think this is wifi interference in some way.

I did try firmware, channel changes contacting VF etc.  But I didn't try running a long cable (doh!), I might give this a go one weekend and see if it makes much difference.

[daniel201]

  Constant Wi-Fi drops may be attributed to interference from smart meters. Smart meters, while efficient for utility monitoring,[Removed] operate on frequencies that can conflict with Wi-Fi signals, leading to disruptions. Solutions include relocating the router away from the smart meter, using Wi-Fi extenders, or investing in smart meters with improved interference mitigation features. Ensuring a stable Wi-Fi connection is vital for uninterrupted internet access and connectivity.  

[MOD EDIT: This post has been edited to remove advertising content please see Community Guidelines]

[Ripshod]

I think we can discount the last response anyway as it's a copy/paste generic ai response. 

[faret]

I would first get a better router. You are using an older router with old technology.

I got 50+ wifi devices in my apartment without a problem though a few years ago I added an extender because I had a couple of dead spots.

[Cynric]

@faret To which router are you referring to?

[Cynric]

Moderator notified. Urlvoid says it's an unsafe link.

[iano11]

Sorry realised that something I said wasn't clear...

"So now we're back using the x73 (but this time as an access point as we can't do without the landline (more electricity spend!).  To my mind there must be something about the VF router not being able to cope next to the smart meter, but noone seems to have every heard of this issue before."  means:  ONT -> VF router -> X73. 

The wifi iwas again stable on the x73 as pre full fibre, and the wifi on the VF router is flakey as before too.

Have now reconfigured to be wifi router and ditched the VF router from the setup, one less device to run, but with the loss of the phoneline alongside the patchy mobile signal.

Will look into whether there is anything that can boost the mobile signal beyond using standard wifi calling.