Hi everyone,
Just wanted to give some common fixes for stability issues on our mesh systems (MW/MX/EX series), some that can be applied across the board on different mesh brands. This is based on feedback I've received from the lead technical team and my own experiences dealing with a handful of inquiries in the past few months.
There are several common adjustments and checks you can perform to improve performance. While our mesh systems are designed to provide seamless coverage, external factors can sometimes affect network stability. Please see some optimization steps below:
1. Check for Wireless Interference
Even if your nodes show strong signal strength, the environment around them could be affecting your performance. Wireless interference from thick walls, large metal objects, or household electronics (such as microwaves) can degrade signal quality.
Recommendation: Use a tool like WiFi Moho or inSSIDer to scan your environment for interference. These apps can measure signal strength (in dBm), giving you an idea of how well your system is performing:
- -40 to -50 dBm: Excellent (close to base station)
- -50 to -60 dBm: Very good
- -60 to -70 dBm: Good, but may start to see slight degradation. Anything below -70 dBm may suggest significant interference or poor placement of nodes.
2. Keep Firmware Updated
Regular firmware updates often include fixes for known stability issues and improvements for performance. Ensure your system is running the latest firmware by checking under the Firmware Upgrade option in the Tenda WiFi app.
3. Review QoS Settings
QoS can prioritize certain types of traffic on your network, but overly restrictive settings may negatively impact performance for other devices. Try checking your QoS configuration to see if adjusting or disabling it improves overall network speed and stability.
4. Adjust Fast Roaming
Fast Roaming allows devices to switch between nodes quickly, but depending on your environment, it can sometimes cause instability. Consider toggling Fast Roaming on or off in the Tenda WiFi app to see if that resolves any issues.
5. Monitor 5GHz Band Usage
The 5GHz band is used by our mesh systems to connect nodes to one another, which means if there are multiple nodes, the 5GHz bandwidth can become saturated. This reduces the available bandwidth for other devices using the same band.
Recommendation: Try reducing the number of devices connected to the 5GHz band. Prioritize devices on the 2.4GHz band where possible, as it’s more than enough for most tasks. In terms of optimal stability, wired ethernet connection between nodes > 5GHz> 2.4GHz.
6. Understand Secondary Node Speeds
It’s important to keep in mind that secondary nodes in a mesh network connected via wireless backhaul will often experience slower speeds than the primary node. This is a common limitation due to the nature of wireless mesh systems, especially as the distance between nodes increases or when physical obstructions are present.
Hope this helps!
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