5g speed very slow and dropping connection

[lformela]

Hello, for quite a while my internet connection is utterly slow, and dropping frequently. Whenever I run speedtest I'm getting 5-15mbps on 5g, which is just not acceptable. The Zyxel NR5103E hub is on a window sill, I can see 5g mast from the window.

Interestingly when I switch to mobile data on any of our mobile phones, I'm getting 200mbps+ on speedtest, anywhere in the house.

It's really frustrating, as it's not the first issue and I still pay my monthly bills.

I tried every possible solution, including: setting bands to B1, B3, n77, n78, splitting connection into 2.4ghz and 5ghz, testing different channels manually, numerous factory resets, and even making sure the SIM card sits in tightly.

I'm out of ideas, and can't use my 5g hub really.

I've been on a chat with customer service just to get few copy/paste messages that lead to nowhere. Only my request for a replacement router has not been answered directly.

Please what else can I do?

[rubberduck88]

I have virtually same situation. I tested a NR5103E V1 hub at the end of 2022 and at that time I typically got 500-600 mbps. The only reason we returned it was because one of the gamers in family moaned about some lagging. Now fast forward to recent weeks when I noticed a new Hutchison mast installed just 150 metres from me which can be seen from upstairs window sill where previous 5G hub was situated. So I thought worth giving the Three 5G hub another go and see if performance had improved. So new hub ordered on monthly contract for testing again.

The hub supplied is the latest NR5103E V2 Firmware V1.00(AC1R.0)C0. It feels lighter and more cheaply made than V1 and the taller thinner shape makes it less stable when balancing on window sills etc. The first thing I noticed when starting to test was V2 unit is far more sensitive to where and in what orientation it is positioned as compared to V1 in order to get best signal.

Brief testing over last couple of days shows performance is completely useless. With 2 blue lights (full bars signal & 5G) I typically get about 20mbps download using a 5G phone connection to hub. The best speed I have seen is about 120 mbps (more on this later). Speed tests via etherent connection are slower - that is a problem I saw with V1. I have searched the many threads on this forum complaining of poor 5G hub performance and tried most of the suggested solutions. APN change makes no difference for me. According to Three service status there have been no problems while I have been testing.

It is hard to believe that performance can be so bad especially when you consider all the claims the Three marketing blurb makes! Possible reasons - 1. I have a faulty hub/firmware 2.Local Three network fault 3. Three network totally saturated in my area 4. Hub config error.

There are other threads on here which complain about Three throttling connection to 120mbps. In the few times I have got a decent download speed test running that indeed seems to be the case - it is far too much of a coincidence that speed tops out at almost exactly 120. At the moment though I cannot even get anywhere near that.

Bottom line is I have gone from 600mbps late 2022 with V1 hub to a totally unusable V2 hub in Q3 2024. Progress eh 😉

I cannot be bothered wasting time with the clueless Three support who just recite scripted responses so if anyone has got any suggestions to try let me know as I am out of ideas and loathe to waste more time on this. 

[JonathanB]

Hi @rubberduck88,

Sorry to hear this, it sounds like a really frustrating issue. In the case of the OP, the speeds over mobile data were drastically different. Are you able to confirm this from a Three mobile connection, or by testing the router SIM in a phone or other device?

This should hopefully help narrow down whether we're dealing with an issue with the router, or the local network. 

The issue you've mentioned around 120 Mbps connections should have been resolved already a few weeks ago. Just to understand this a bit better, are you persistently hitting 120 Mbps speeds, elsewhere you said you were typically only getting 20 Mbps?

Thanks,
Jonathan

[rubberduck88]

Hi Jonathan

Not had any time for any testing last few days. I did try hub sim in phone and got same speed result -approx 20mbps at the time. Today I notice it is very difficult to get a 5G signal (blue light) on hub whichever way I position it on window sill. As I said before it seems far more fussy than the previous V1 box I tested. Three service status checker shows no issues. I wondering if the new mast up the road has actually been commissioned yet ... I have walked right next to it and my phone (Smarty/Three network sim) does not show 5G signal. Also when I look at the Three coverage checker map for 5G I would expect to see top level coverage around the new mast location and I do not - maybe that coverage map is not updated very frequently? Is there an easy way to locate the mast(s) being used by hub - I remember doing this some time ago and seemed to have to rely on publicly contributed data.. Cell Mapper etc. as network operators do not disclose locations?

Just as I write this Hub connected on 5G  2blue light so ran a quick few speed checks via 5G phone - 24.6, 18.7, 27.0 downloads with uploads being about half those. We have tried different 5G phones also to eleiminate connection to hub - same results.

With regard the 120mbps you say it is now resolved. How exactly was it resolved? Is it only resolved when Three reset something on customers home boradband accounts?

[JonathanB]

Hi @rubberduck88,

I expect the mast won't be live yet then. They go through quite a bit of testing and benchmarking before they're fully online. 

If the performance on a different device is the same, I'd conclude this is coverage or capacity issues with the network.

I don't know the full technical details of this 120 Mbps issue, but to my understanding we identified some accounts had a settings profile which was outdated and intended for 4G connections rather than 5G.

The fix was automatically updated, so as long as you've rebooted in the last few days then you shouldn't be affected by this, assuming you were previously.

If you PM me your full postcode, I'll happily take a closer look into both the congestion, and the inactive mast. Hopefully I can get you a better idea of any timescales on improvements. You can privately message me from my profile page: @JonathanB 

Thanks,
Jonathan

[rubberduck88]

Hi

Hi JonathanB

I PM'd my post code as requested. Any update on network/mast status? 

Currently I am unable to get a usable 5G connection so unless there is a a fix coming very soon I see no option other than to raise complaint, return hub and get credit for payments to date. I was hoping to test latest V2 Three 5G hub as a possible replacement for my current fibre link (which is rock solid) but this looks completely unfeasible now.

[rubberduck88]

Update Fri 19/04/24

At the suggestion of @JonathanB via pm I have tried this week multiple times unsucessfully to contact/log problem with the enhanced support team. There seems to be some major problems with the web chat platform Three is using - including cutting connection claiming no input received for a while and not timestamping messages on transcript so impossible to see the huge delays.

Just now been on on normal support chat trying to log a cancel & return 5G V2 hub request. After 45 mins got to need to transfer you to relevant dept... and left hanging...... This web chat platform looks to have same issues as the enhance support chat (missing messages typed, replies, delays, incorrect timestamps...)

Even if I could get the 5G V2 hub working (as in solid 5G connection and decent speed - not capped) with this experience of Three support I would not be keeping it. The most useless and frustrating support I have come across in many years!

I ordered hub 23/03/24 so I hope I manage to log a return request before 30 days is up otherwise I foresee Three arguing about full refund.

[JonathanB]

Hi @rubberduck88,

I appreciate your frustration. I can only speculate but it sounds like you're dealing with the result of an unstable connection based on what you're describing in terms of the chats. Do you have any other connection you can use in order to get in touch with the teams, or are you only able to contact them from your Three Broadband?

If you're struggling to make contact via chat. there's also phone numbers for the Broadband team on our contact us page.

Thanks,
Jonathan

[rubberduck88]

Hi @JonathanB

All my attempted connections to Three support/chat are not via Three 5G hub but via my fibre 250 mbps link which has been super reliable for years. The problem is definitely with whatever chat patform Three are using or their infrastructure. I have no such problems with any other chat service. It is almost like the platform is completeley overloaded - it totally misses many messages the user sends (not echoed in chat window) - also messages sent from agent sometimes appear much later with a timestamp that is many minutes behind actual time. Three phone support is a waste of time in my experience and that of many others here.

I gave up with the 5G V2 hub a week ago - the hub and support are a complete non starter for me. The only use I did was to try and do some 5G speed tests which failed miserably as detailed previously.

I finally got thru chat dance yesterday to get 5G hub cancelled. It took over 1 hour on chat to achieve. I will PM you a copy of the chat transcript so you can see just how awful the support channels are. 

[Threlly]

Seems perfectly reasonable that enacting a random series of sim swaps would fix the issue.
Three all over...may as well cast bones on the floor...