[FIXED] Wierd Behaviour on Wifi

[FujiwaraTofu]

Device Details: Airtel ZTE Router (IPv4/6 WAN Mode) with Archer C6 in AP Mode only.

Seeing some peculiar behavior on devices connected through wifi. Usual web browsing works fine but image loading (whatsapp and instagram among others), apps (such as Vi, Airtel app) take forever to load. This is more profound on my Galaxy M30 among other devices connected to the wifi.

I have been trying out the cloudfare wrap app on my phone and having it enabled pretty much solves these issues with my phone which led me to believe it must have been an issue with the Airtel DNS, but then again I see no such issues with my deskptop which is connected through ehternet.

• I have tried removing the Archer C6 and just using the Wifi on the ZTE router : No effect
• Changed DNS to google and cloudfare on the ZTE Router, though I do not know if Airtel hijacks the dns or not. Any way to check if the DNS change on router is applied or note? :

This is where I have changed the DNS settings in the ZTE router. Is this correct?

 

[john_dud]

This ONT is shit, get it replaced with Nokia.

 

[FujiwaraTofu]

Could you elaborate a bit more about why it sucks?

 

[JB701]

It could be packet loss? Try running ping 1.1.1.1 on your pc for a 15 mins over wifi.

Do you have same issues on wire?

Dns can be checked using dnsleaktest.com

 

[FujiwaraTofu]

Nope, no issues on wire.
I'll run a ping test to check for packet loss and report.

 

[FujiwaraTofu]

It could be packet loss? Try running ping 1.1.1.1 on your pc for a 15 mins over wifi.

Do you have same issues on wire?

Dns can be checked using dnsleaktest.com

Ran a ping test to both 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8 for around 10 mins from device connected to wifi, saw no packet loss.

According to dnsleaktest:

This was when I had configured 1.1.1.1 as DNS in router. Does that mean airtel is overriding the DNS set in router?

 

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[JB701]

it could be the browser if you are using chrome.

not sure why the wifi slow down is occuring as its there with both archer c6 and zte but not on wire.

 

[FujiwaraTofu]

The slowdown is across multiple apps so not just the browser. Yeah really weird as it's not on wired (or I just haven't noticed it yet? because it happens for some apps/ services while some work fine.)

Really frustrating to open apps to be greeted with such screens for a solid 5 min before assets realize they need to load.

Will call airtel CC let's see what their technical engg. has to say for this.

 

[chplff94]

disable IPv6 in WAN settings (set IP Mode/Protocol type to IPv4 only) and test?

 

[FujiwaraTofu]

Had a visit from Airtel engg. today. He just reset the Airtel router, the ticket is still open ,gonna observe for a day. Asked him about bridge mode on the ZTE router, he had no info. about that.

disable IPv6 in WAN settings (set IP Mode/Protocol type to IPv4 only) and test?

Yes will be doing that next.

 

[FujiwaraTofu]

So, observing for 24h after the router reset, the issue didn't go away. Even apps like Spotify and Hotstar on devices connected to WiFi were stuck on a black screen as they struggled to load anything. Switching to mobile data solved this issue immediately.

Moving on, I switched to IPv4 only mode on ZTE router from IPv4/6 Mode and right away I could feel the issue to be resolved on devices connected to this WiFi. So that seems to have been the cause of the problem.

Anyone can help me figure out how that could have been a cause? IPv6 was working as I was getting an IP through it as well. So why would it cause issues on selected services on devices connected through WiFi and not devices connected through Ethernet?

FIX:
Others who come across this thread:
Switching back to IPv4 mode only from IPv4/6 mode fixed the issues.

 

[Chip]

@FujiwaraTofu it could be because of IPv6 ICMP not being configured correctly on your TP-Link and/or Airtel supplied router. This is why it works well on IPv4. To use your TP Link make sure you switch off DHCP there and only use the Airtel router to perform this function. Best is to set the Airtel router to bridge mode (via the Airtel backend, raise a request by calling 121) and then use the TPLink to perform router/firewall functions.

Also check the signal strength for the optical RX signal in the module statistics. It should be less than -25 dB

 

[FujiwaraTofu]

@Chip, all the issues remained even after I had taken Archer C6 out of the equation. Even earlier it was just being used as a dumb AP for WiFi no DHCP, all the routing and heavy lifting was done by the ZTE router. I didn't get time earlier to contact Airtel CC for bridge mode but maybe now I will, to see if IPv4/v6 mode will work better when my C6 is the main router.

It hasn't crossed -25 dB as far as I remember.

 

[Chip]

to see if IPv4/v6 mode will work better when my C6 is the main router.

Your optical connection measurements are good enough. However, you will require reconfiguration of the Archer for IPv6+IPv4. Should be easy like the other home Wi-Fi routers. There are guys who have set up v6 on Airtel using 3rd party routers. You may want to check that thread too.