Hi all,

Wonder if anyone can help.

I have a Draytek 2962ac Firmware 3.9.4.1_BT and a Draytek AP-903 Firmware 1.3.7.1 and am having intermittent Wi-Fi issues. The Wi-fi keeps dropping out and reconnecting on our devices, literally flick on, flick off. In some cases it then says incorrect password for SSID and we have to re-enter the password.

Anyone experienced anything similar / know how to troubleshoot this issue.

Any ideas help appreciated.
R

You're going to have to provide a lot more information, to get any meaningful help with this.

• Which RF band or bands does this apply to?.
• Are the 2962 and AP903 using the same SSIDs and channels or different?
• What is the connection between them - wired or wireless?
• Is 'Roaming Assist' configured on either AP?
• Any useful information from the Draytek end will be available via Syslog, so you need to configure that.


• What does a Wireless Survey reveal - what competition do these Access Points have on their chosen channels?
• What RSSI (signal levels) are the clients showing?
• What sort of performance are they achieving, before they disconnect?

Of course, if they're Iphones, that would be a whole separate can of worms...

hornbyp wrote:
You're going to have to provide a lot more information, to get any meaningful help with this.

• Which RF band or bands does this apply to?.
• Are the 2962 and AP903 using the same SSIDs and channels or different?
• What is the connection between them - wired or wireless?
• Is 'Roaming Assist' configured on either AP?
• Any useful information from the Draytek end will be available via Syslog, so you need to configure that.


• What does a Wireless Survey reveal - what competition do these Access Points have on their chosen channels?
• What RSSI (signal levels) are the clients showing?
• What sort of performance are they achieving, before they disconnect?

Of course, if they're Iphones, that would be a whole separate can of worms...

What can of worms would this open if its an Iphone because I am currently facing similar issues with a different setup (2927 Router + 2 x AP903 - 1 x AP900 and a AP802)?

I did turn on IOS Keep Alive and add the ipv4 address of my iphone onto the 802 but when I am in the range of it, the disconnecting issue still occurs it seems.

In terms of the wifi dropping I get, It seems like the device still has a strong connection 2/3 bars but the intnernet just wont load anything on the phone, I switch to 4g and everything instantly loads. I will then switch wifi back on and it works fine again. It's not a big big issue but its just an incovience for me to have to do this like 4-5 times a day.

Any further advice?

tazladd wrote:
What can of worms would this open if its an Iphone ...

I was being a touch facetious, but the iphone users do seem to have more unexplained Wifi problems than other people :wink:
I know very little about iphones - but I'm sure there's a forum or two, for like-minded individuals

I would say the first step, is to enable Syslog on all the Draytek kit. If there are going to be any diagnostic messages, that is where they will appear. Draytek have a dead easy to use Syslog server (may well be Windows only). Install it, and type the IP address of the machine it runs on , into each Router/AP.

Assuming that doesn't help, you're then heading into the realms of guesswork. Think of some scenarios - and try and prove them. Use some Wifi scanning software, to ascertain the presence or otherwise of competing networks, on the same channel (including other devices, such as DECT phones and Zigbee IOT devices). Try both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands - you'd surely have to be very unlucky for them both to misbehave in exactly the same way.

Try and get some actual signal strengths out of the devices in question - left to their own devices, Wifi clients will cling on to a weak AP for grim death (unless they decide they've had a better offer). You can help this process by 'twiddling' with the AP-assisted Roaming parameters (which forcibly eject them, at some pre-determined value). If you can get the 'cooperative' scheme to work (whereby all the Routers and APs agree), then so much the better.

Look for other clues: do other devices in the same location suffer the same problems - at the same time. If the device is still 'connected', can you 'ping' it - i.e. is it actually connected but suffering some other issue (my Android phone insists on using 8.8.8.8 as its DNS server, despite being told not to. 8.8.8.8 is blocked at the firewall, so it can't connect to anything by name. Toggling wifi on/off often clears this - straight forward - Android bug!)

In short it could be a lot of things - and you only have cunning and guile to help you find the problem

Wow, thanks for the info.

It happens on iPhones and laptops, the WiFi flashes on and off repeatedly. The only solution I have found is to disable both 2.4Ghz & 5GHz and enable again on main router and reboot AP903 then it works for a while.

I have syslog enabled but not sure what to look for. Saves to local USB. It’s mainly information about the VDSL line.

I have enabled roaming now, and DSSI 60db on 903 and 66db on 2962ac.

R

I don't think you mentioned it but are these configured as Mesh with the 2862ac as root ? If so, that may be your problem. I tried to get my 2862ac with two AP903 configured as Mesh and had all sorts of problems, some like you are describing. I never did get it working correctly and eventually bought another AP903 as Mesh root and it works just fine. I use the 2862ac wifi just for things that are static like the home heat hub etc, anything that moves / roams is on the AP903 Mesh.