Problem connecting iMac to BTHomeHub5

[ozgreen7]

Hello, I'm hoping you can help with an issue I've been having since the turn of the year (roughly around the time I upgraded to Maverick).

Basically my connection to my BT wifi (Home Hub 5) regularly drops out, usually when I use my iMac after a period of inactivity. I didn't have this problem prior to installing Maverick - currently on version 10.9.2. My iMac is late 2012. I don't know why this occurs at the start of almost every session, but it does. It doesn't tend to happen when I'm up and running and using the iMac.

Sometimes I reconnect within seconds, sometimes it takes several minutes. I usually have to input my password, often several times over as it erroneously claims that I have inputted an "invalid password". It's frustrating when you want to get something done quickly or just use the iMac for a few minutes.

I'm technically challenged, so if anyone can help I'd be grateful for step by step guides to fix this issue. 🙂

 

[ozgreen7]

Help?

 

[Gloops]

Try changing the hub's wireless channel from automatic to manual and selecting another one. You may be getting interference from another nearby device. http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/...hange-the-wireless-channel-on-my-bt-home-hub?

 

[joe-h2o]

This could also be a key-rotation conflict. If changing the channel does not fix it, see what happens if you run with no encryption (just for a little while) to see if the problem persists. If no encryption causes the problem to go away then the issue is that either the router or the iMac is not rotating the key properly (or fast enough) and they're losing the handshake.

This used to happen with a particular model of Intel wifi card in some laptops (Lenovo usually) and the Airport Extreme that manifested in the wifi dropping for less than a second, but it was enough to disrupt VPN connectivity to the point of uselessness.

My bet is on a channel problem though. Try forcing the hub to be on one channel, and try and make it one that's nowhere near any of the other wifi channels you have in the area.

 

[ozgreen7]

Thank you both.

After a bit of messing (I really am a technophobe), I turned off the 5GHZ frequency and that seems to be working so far.

My only concern is whether this will now more generally effect my wifi access (strength and reliability of signal etc)?

Edit: I've just read up on this on the BT Customer Help website and it suggests changing the SSDD name of the 5GHz frequency? Is this a better bet? Would that not effectively create two separate wifi signals/names in my house?

Apologies if these are silly questions, but the terminology is lost on me a bit.

 

[joe-h2o]

Changing the 5GHz SSID will create two distinct Wifi names for your signals. If you are running the hub in dual band mode then you already have two networks running - the 5 and the 2.4 are separate, but often have the same names. BT's advice is that computers might be getting confused by two networks with the same name and changing the names might sort this.

The difference between the 2.4 and 5 GHz networks is generally this:

2.4 GHz band: longer range, lower bandwidth (but still faster than 90% of home broadband speeds), possible congestion (the band is crowded since wifi has always been at 2.4 GHz), and interference (either due to crowding, e.g. neighbour's wifi is on a channel close to yours, or from other radio equipment like cordless phones etc).

5 GHz band: shorter range, but vastly improved bandwidth if all your devices support it. Less crowded (there are comparatively few 5 GHz devices and routers out there).

If you aren't going to miss the higher data rates, assuming you have a set up that can take advantage of them (like a file server with gigabit serving your wireless clients) then if disabling 5 GHz works for you then go for it. Alternatively having it listed under a different SSID might also work.