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Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

sfinn
Guide

X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

I've a C7800 provisioned by xfinity and an EX8000 extender (firmware v1.0.1.240) extender. They are (almost) line-of-sign through a doorway. The EX8000 disconnects from the C7800 at least once daily, and often more frequently. By disconnect I mean that devices connected to the EX8000, either by wire or wifi, are no longer connected to the network through the C7800. The C7800 doesn't show them as devices, and doesn't show the EX8000 as a device. BUTI can generally connect via web browser from my desktop, wired to the C7800, to the EX8000 and restart it remotely, after which it connects again to the C7800 and the devices connected to it come on-line. 

 

This has been going on for quite some time: over a year. It started happening maybe once a month. Over time that became once a week, then close to daily, and now daily or more often. 

 

Recommendations? 

Message 1 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

Did you set them up using wps? 

If so, factory reset the ex8000. Using the installation assistant to reinstall. during the install process, uncheck the "extend 2.4ghz" network. You'll still be able to use the 2.4ghz but it won't act as failover for the backhaul. You can also try changing which channel t he C7800 uses for the 5ghz in case theres issues/interference on it. 

Message 2 of 16
sfinn
Guide

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

Thanks - I'll give this a try and report back. 

Quick question: can you explain your thinking on the recommendation to disable the "extend 2.4 GHz network"? 

Message 3 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

Reason I say uncheck that is the EX can use the 2.4ghz as failover for the 5ghz. So if there's issues with the 5ghz, it'll use the 2.4ghz. Problem is that the 2.4ghz is incredibly slow and significantly increases ping times. In my experience, its better to disable the 2.4ghz failover and find a stable 5ghz channel for the backhaul and just stick with that. 

Message 4 of 16
sfinn
Guide

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

Regrettably I'm still getting the disconnects. There doesn't seem to be any change in frequency of occurrence or any other symptomology. Nothing is apparent in the router log files. (If there are log files on the extender I don't know how to access them.)

Message 5 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

Do you have a screen snip of the extenders status page? 

Message 6 of 16
sfinn
Guide

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

Screenshot of status page attached. 

 

Thanks much for your continued help with this: I do appreciate it. 

Message 7 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

Your status page looks pretty spot on. 

the only other thing I'd try would be to set the router with the lower 36-44 channels so the extender is using it as backhaul. 

 

Message 8 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

are you sure there isn't any issue when only the router is running? you've tested it with just the router? 

Message 9 of 16
sfinn
Guide

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

I've not had any router problems. Currently I have the extender set to provide its own network, and leave the router to provide its own wifi network. When the extender drops out I can still access the wifi provided by the router. 

 

Not sure whether it is relevant here, but - as mentioned earlier - when the extender "disconnects" its status lights don't reflect any problems: i.e., they are all bright white. The only way I've found to get the extender to reconnect to the router is to reboot/power-cycle the extender. 

Message 10 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

When it happens, are you able to log into the router and "see" the ex8000 still connected? And access it using its ip address? 
Just curious if its still connected but not getting its lease renewed by the c7800

Message 11 of 16
sfinn
Guide

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

Yes - most (but not all) of the time it still shows-up as a connected device on the router's admin page. In those cases I can ping and log-in to the  extender from my (wired to the router) desktop, and command it to restart (as opposed to walking over to it and power-cycling it). 

Message 12 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

Try going setting with it with a reserved ip address in the c7800. 

If that doesn't work, try setting it with a static ip address. 

Could be its lease time is expiring and not being renewed by the c7800 for some reason. 

Message 13 of 16
sfinn
Guide

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

I've been operating since day-one with a reserved IP set on the router. I will add the same as a static IP on the extender. [If, however, I can ping the extender after it has ceased extending, doesn't that mean it knows its IP?] Will report back. 

 

Thanks!

Message 14 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

You could also try it without a reserved/static ip address. Maybe its a bug in the c7800 that a reserved/static ip address isn't renewing its lease. 

Message 15 of 16
sfinn
Guide

Re: X6S Mesh Extender/C7800 keep disconnecting

No joy. 

 

Tried with

* static ip set on extender and reserved ip on router; 

* reserved ip on router, static ip >not< set on extender;

* static ip on extender, reserved ip >not< set on router. 

 

Also tried repositioning extender closer to router (20' with direct line of sight) and approximately two feet above router. 

 

Nothing shows up in the log files I can get from the router. Are there any log files that are accessible from the extender? 

 

 

Message 16 of 16
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