Vodafone Super WiFi booster second booster issue

[kelliott1]

I signed up to Pro broadband to make use of boosters as I have area of house with no WiFi coverage.

First booster added. All ok but still not providing full coverage.

Here I get a second booster and connected it to the first booster, was ok for few weeks but then the second booster started disconnecting, since this started it has been impossible to get stable connection from second booster. Reviewing the Super WiFi in the app I realise the second booster connects direct back to the router with an extremely weak connection rather than connect to the first booster as it should. Resetting, swapping boosters does nothing, adding booster does nothing. Seems impossible in the app to connect it back to first booster.

Called the apparent experts... After 2 hours, the expert just decided to send a new router.

New router installed, boosters reset and reconnected... 2 hours in and the second booster starts to disconnect and again it connects to the router directly.

It seems when this happens it is impossible to have the boosters connected to each other, they both just connect direct to the router..

Also booster 2 just shows greyed out in the app and not able to delete it..

So I'm left with booster 2 just disconnecting and causing my devices a poor connection.

Tried moving second booster around and no joy.

I'm at the conclusion:

1) Super WiFi may be ok with single booster but seriously flawed with a second booster, I've now switched it off

2) the super WiFi app is extremely basic, limited, slow and unable to delete old data

3) experts... Can't offer anything other than resetting the device...

4) once second booster drops connection impossible to get it back connected to first booster..

I'm at a loss....

[kelliott1]

Mine switched off too

[Tiggerfan]

We have solved it the old fashioned way.  Ran 2 cat5e cables diagonally across the house via the loft from the router to the furthest point (the office).  One for the main computer, the other feeds the "alexa" wifi booster.   So the alexa booster is so far utterly reliable,  and the intermediate booster on wifi cannot cause much trouble any more.

Overall cheaper and probably more reliable than an expensive mesh system.

[Gemma]

@gtawebb @kelliott1 @R1chy - thanks for taking your time to explain what’s happening with your connections. It sounds like you’re on one of our Pro plans, if this is the case then our Wi-Fi Xperts have advanced tools to help further. Please call them on 191 free from a Vodafone phone or 08080 034 515 from another network or landline.  

[kelliott1]

Spent too many hours on the phone to so called Xperts.  Wouldn't agree that they have advanced tools available.  Issue was never resolved. 

[Tiggerfan]

"Drops out when on MS Teams calls, doesn't seem to be enough CPU on the device to cope with the 2 way streaming traffic."

R1chy may be onto it - that matches our experience. It could not be trusted for the duration of a presentation to multiple person audience. Yet it did work for days on end under light loadings.

[R1chy]

Exactly that, would be fine but as soon as I screen shared during a multi person meeting it died.

I will at some point try and uplink the Booster with a CAT6 cable instead of wireless. 

[R1chy]

I'd be interested to know what these "Advanced tools" are but I have no interest in wasting hours on the phone trying to explain to someone.

[kelliott1]

Agree, my last call was a 1h 45m wait, then bounced around.  Further 1.5hrs and got nowhere

Shocking.  Not doing that again

[gtawebb]

Fortunately, I kept my old BT wifi router and extender discs, so I've set them up by connecting the BT router to the Vodafone router via ethernet and I've connected the BT wifi discs to the BT router. I've switched off wifi on the Vodafone router and at last, I now have a reliable wifi setup again! It's just annoying that I'm paying for the Vodafone Pro when the equipment they provided was useless.

[DAVEMATTEY]

Exactly the same issues and just skimmed though all these depressing replies - the boosters link to the router and will not daisy chain to the far end of the house.  Works for  a bit then becomes unstable and drops out.  I have wasted SO MUCH TIME trying to get this to work  There is no clear explanation as to the meaning for various light colours and flashing signals.  The app is slow and useless.  I have just ripped the whole thing out and used cat5 for the time being.  Vodafone ARE YOU LISTENING?????   (sorry, rant over