Wi-Fi Pod Speed Tests

[Aptic]

Up until recently I was getting between 300-600 mbps on my POD and Hub over wifi. (I don't have wired connections) However, I am at best getting around 150-200 mbps on my POD now (no change with the Hub, and there was no change to my set up).  I rebooted everything to see if it would make a difference, but it remains the same.    This has been going on for about a week, and measured at different times throughout the day.

When I run the Bell wifi checkup, it is showing a download speed of 1.8 gbps on the hub, and 1.5 gbps on the POD - with a strong signal to all my devices.  That said, I see no difference in the performance of any of my devices. I also note that the Bell wifi app is showing my devices are getting 2-3x the speed that I see when I run Speedtest or Fast. 

I am curious as to why the POD speed connectivitiy has dropped in half, and why Bell keeps sending me promotions to upgrade my speed, when I can't even come close to getting the speed I pay for now. 

[Symple_Syrup]

Got a call from the Bell Technical support. They are still working on the plume/modem problem. I am in the loop for updates for them in the future. I will be away from Feb 23rd to Mar 6th. If I hear anything before I go I will update the thread. 

[Aptic]

@Symple_SyrupThank you for your update.  It is very much appreciated.  I do find it troubling that we keep getting the same tired response from Bell, especially after 3 price increases in 1.5 yrs. I won't be adding anything more to this thread as my promo ends in 2 months and if its not all sorted out I will accept Rogers winback offer.

Go figure. 

[ekstasis]

thanks for the update, @Symple_Syrup ! 

[LearningToKnow]

I add my appreciation for the persistence as well. Our two 6E pods connected to the Gigahub continue to be unstable. Have unplugged the pods, plugged them back in sequentially, seemed to help for a bit but the problems still resurfaced. Pod connection quality goes from excellent to fair to poor with zero changes to the physical environment. FWIW, when the pods are "working normally", i.e., steady state but nowhere near historic performance levels, download speeds are 140-160Mbps, upload speeds are 340-360. When they are struggling, download speeds are 10 Mbps (sometimes even high single digits) while upload speeds are in excess of 300. Tests are done on iPhone 12 pro max and ipad pro 5th gen multiple dates and times using the Ookla app and the first speed test that comes up on Google search. Users accessing the network for work switch to the guest network during these episodes but that's obviously sub-optimal at best.

[LearningToKnow]

[GS_5]

My configuration is 1.5G and 940M with a 6E pod use for wired network extension . The 6E PODs worked well from May 2023 to the end of October 2023. The connection was stable and efficient. The installed firmware was then 1.16.x. In mid-November 2023, firmware 1.19.x was installed, the problems appeared. The POD only connected on the 2.4Ghz network with poor speeds and perpetual reconfiguration that caused losses of communications and services while the connection was restored. Not acceptable. Complaints have been made to Bell and Plume on the subject without any real solutions being found other than to replace the POD or the modem without success. The conversation on this topic at the end of 2023 has been deleted since Another conversation was created in January 2024 Bell Bell Wifi 6E Pods - Bell without further solution. The switch last December to firmware 2.13 seems to have improved stability but not performance. I hope this time Bell and Plume will fix the problem for good.

[Aptic]

@BellPatricia   Could we please get an update.  Its been over two months.

[User719]

I’ve been struggling with speed issues on Bell’s pods for a while. I originally had the Hub 4000 with older pods, which started at 400Mbps but dropped to 200Mbps over time. After spending hours troubleshooting with tech support, the recommendation was to upgrade to the Gigahub with new pods. Initially, this seemed to fix the issue—speeds jumped to 700Mbps where I needed them. But after three weeks, they dropped again to 200Mbps and have stayed there (while upload remains at 900Mbps).

I’ve spent over 10 hours on the phone with tech support, receiving empty promises of follow-ups that never happened. Nobody has offered any compensation for the ongoing issues, and at this point, I feel like my time and efforts have been wasted. I just want some transparency and a real solution. Is there any way to resolve this, or at least be compensated for the frustration and lack of follow-through?

[dks]

Thank you for your questions. According to Plume's support documents, the maximum speed of the pods in a perfect environment is 350 Mbps. Maximum device WiFi speed is dependent on several factors such as:

• Internet connection speed
• Overall network traffic
• Number and type of hops to the gateway pod
• Type of network application
• Environmental radio interference and signal strength of the connections  
• WiFi capabilities of the client device and its distance from a pod

Are the speeds you are reporting from the WiFi ap or from a connected device? 

[ekstasis]

just letting everyone know I'm giving up on Bell for this issue.

To you folks, I say thank you for your efforts in attempting to get this resolved. But it's clear to me Bell simply couldn't care less about this issue.

I've decided to try out third party products since Bell has wasted immeasurable time on this. I have already purchased them and intend to set them up this weekend.

Online support also told me I would not be able to get a refund for my pod subscription until the issue is resolved by Bell. Insulting and pathetic! So I have to keep giving them money every month for a product that does not function to spec. Until a fix is issued. At which point I'll be using another product, and entirely uninterested in confirming whether the issue was indeed fixed. Trash!

When I find the time, I'm going to consider moving my internet plan entirely away from Bell. If you're able, I urge you to do the same.

[ADude2]

Thank you for your updates, they've been appreciated! Sad to hear there's been no progress or clarity on the issue.

[Aptic]

Unbelievable that Bell would tie up tech support for 10 hours, send out a new hub and pods, trying to fix a known issue with an upgrade to the Pods.  Waste of shareholders' money.

[Aptic]

@ekstasisThank you for the updates.  At the start of the year I had 5 Bell services, I now have 2.

[User719]

yea, new hub isnt free, but still. when i called again they offered to send new pods AGAIN

[PodsSlow]

Don't waste your time, they will just keep offering to send you a new batch of pods to get rid of you on the phone.

I'm going to be going for a third party solution. It angers me that my internet speeds improves when I disconnect the pods.