Wireless broadband - connection quality varies

[AnnaLP]

I switched to TPG wireless broadband a couple of weeks ago, it's a 4g connection.  I have the modem set up on a shelf on an outside brick wall, about 2m from a window. 

Most of the time the 4g light on the modem is green and internet speed is good.  However sometimes the light is yellow for up to an hour or so with a marked decrease in speed, rarely the light is red at which point the internet connection is unusable.

The modem is in the same place througout.  To get it closer to the window I'd need to buy a longer ethernet cable because there's no room for my desktop pc immediately under the window so before I do that I'd like to know would moving the modem be likely to help?  Presumably the 4g tower it's connecting to isn't moving so the problem should be something other than signal strength.  

Can you suggest something else to try?

Thanks for your help.

[Anonymous]

Hi @AnnaLP,

Thanks for raising this to us, It is best to try relocate the modem/router to check if it will get stable signal from the 4G tower outside, I recommend to do this you may find a spot near the desktop on this case you no need to buy a longer ethernet cable.

Once the modem/router is relocated, I suggest to monitor the service for 12-24hrs if the issue still persists try to move it on a different location and do same things.

Let us know how it will go.

Cheers!

I switched to TPG wireless broadband a couple of weeks ago, it's a 4g connection.  I have the modem set up on a shelf on an outside brick wall, about 2m from a window. 

Most of the time the 4g light on the modem is green and internet speed is good.  However sometimes the light is yellow for up to an hour or so with a marked decrease in speed, rarely the light is red at which point the internet connection is unusable.

The modem is in the same place througout.  To get it closer to the window I'd need to buy a longer ethernet cable because there's no room for my desktop pc immediately under the window so before I do that I'd like to know would moving the modem be likely to help?  Presumably the 4g tower it's connecting to isn't moving so the problem should be something other than signal strength.  

Can you suggest something else to try?

Thanks for your help.

[AnnaLP]

Hi Shane, 

I tried the modem in a range of postions allowed by the length of the ethernet cable, that made no difference.

Today the person who uses the pc that needs an ethernet connection went away for a week so I disconnected the ethernet and tried the modem directly in front of the middle of the window (about 30cm away), that was worse (mostly yellow light, sometimes red, never greeen).  I then tried it in front of the window in every room in the house except the kitchen and bathroom, it's current position is at least as good as any of the others and better than close to the windows on the side walls.  

The fluctations in connection quality persist - most of the time the 4g light is green but it's sometimes yellow for up to 10-15 minutes and sometimes red for a minute or two.

It may not be relevant but the speed of our wired NBN connection varied a lot and sometimes it dropped out entirely for a minute or two, that was one reason we switched to Wireless Broadband.  Our connection was FTN and the telephone wiring in our area is old and dodgy.

Do you have any other suggestions as to how to improve our Wireless Broadband connection stability?

Thanks for your help,

Anna

[BasilDV]

Hi @AnnaLP

We'd like to arrange a call from our Tech team to check on this further.

Please send me a PM with your preferred time and best number to be contacted.

BasilDV