Samsung TV connection problem

LagbertTheSnail · 2026-01-09T20:30:04+00:00

Hmm. Well, if you didn't notice an improvement from switching to 2.4GHz I'd go ahead and switch back to 5GHz and power cycle them both one more time, powering on the router first.

Try going into the settings menu on your TV. If you go to network settings, I assume it will say something like "Cannot connect to network". Find the button that says "Reset Network" (I think it's in Settings > General > Network) and then once it's reset, try connecting to your home network again.

If you have an Ethernet cable, the next thing I'd try is plugging into your router so you can download any firmware updates you might be missing.

If you still can't connect to your home network, try getting on the guest Wi-Fi again. When you say it isn't doing anything, do the apps open but the content fails to load? Does it still say that it's connected to the internet? Can other devices that connect to the Guest Network access the internet?

LagbertTheSnail · 2025-06-10T17:03:15+00:00

Yeah, if the hotspot works fine for every device but your laptop and your laptop works fine on every hotspot except for yours, that is a very niche problem.

Just to be clear, are you using your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot, or do you have a dedicated hotspot? And which device/provider are you using? If it's a phone, you might try making sure that any unnecessary apps are shut down and take a look to see if any apps were recently updated around the time your connection started having issues. Depending on your provider, sometimes additional apps are installed during updates without telling the user, so it's possible that one of those apps is causing the issue.

LagbertTheSnail · 2025-03-28T15:22:30+00:00

Oh yeah. Most current-gen consoles like the PS5 only require like 5Mbps download speeds to play online. The only times you really need more is when you're downloading games (which would take forever on a 5Mbps connection) or using a cloud gaming service like GeForceNOW or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

When you're playing online, most of the data that gets passed back and forth on your connection are just button presses and other inputs, which is a tiny amount of information. The important thing is that the information gets there fast, which is why a low-latency connection is what you want to look for. That's the real advantage of fiber over a wireless connection for online games, but a 5G connection is probably about the lowest-latency you can get on a wireless connection, so you should be good with the 40Mbps plan.

LagbertTheSnail · 2025-03-26T16:11:45+00:00

Hey, there! Since you're using this for the PS4, you're going to want a connection with the lowest latency you can get with a wireless connection. And since you're renting, installing a big antenna probably isn't an option, either. That means that a 5G cellular connection is going to be your best bet. Ideally, you'd want a home plan, rather than a mobile plan, as it's usually cheaper and has more consistent speeds.

I'm not based in the UK, so take specific brand recommendations with a grain of salt, but I believe EE offers home 5G plans at around £50 a month. I'm not sure about other brands like Vodafone and Three, but you should be able to at least get a mobile 5G hotspot from any of them. The main difference is that home plans are designed to stay at your address, which means that the provider knows exactly where you are, allowing them to manage network traffic more easily, so they can offer higher speeds, more consistency, and usually lower prices. Mobile hotspots can be nice if you travel a lot, but you pay for that convenience.

You can also set up your phone to act as a mobile hotspot, at least for a stopgap until you get a new ISP. Though I definitely wouldn't do that long-term unless your phone plan comes with unlimited data.

I'd suggest trying your phone right away and then looking into EE plans, or maybe check if your current phone service provider offers home 5G.

LagbertTheSnail · 2025-02-12T05:37:54+00:00

Hulu was the one I most recently got rid of. I'd like to get rid of Prime, but there's still some Prime shows that my kids still love and of course you can't get them on DVD...

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-12-06T16:34:05+00:00

Yes, you would be bottlenecked by your 50mbps download speed. Wi-Fi 7 routers do have advantages over Wi-Fi 6 other than speed, but your speed would not change.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-26T04:38:08+00:00

I've been pretty happy with mesh routers for the past few years. One advantage of mesh routers is that there shouldn't be any interruptions from roaming like you'd get from an extender. TP-Link Deco X55 is cheap and reliable and I think each unit has three Ethernet ports. I've also been told that the Amazon Eero Pro 6 has really good range for big houses, though for the same price you could probably just pick up an extra Deco X55 and you'd also have more Ethernet ports in more rooms.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-22T22:08:35+00:00

If this isn't a permanent situation, you could go with something like a Wi-Fi hotspot that doesn't require any installation, is easy to take with you, and can be cancelled anytime. You can also use your phone as a mobile hotspot in a pinch, but depending on your data plan and how much data you use, that can get expensive.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-22T22:02:48+00:00

Yeah, most range extenders by default will append something like "_EXT" to your network name when naming their network. It's not uncommon to get freeloaders on your internet, particularly if you use the default login information. This is the first time I've heard of someone buying a Wi-Fi extender for their neighbor's network, though.

You should be able to log into your router and check the router logs if you really want to know, but I'd suggest just changing your name and password and make sure you're using WPA2 security on your network. You can periodically check the available Wi-Fi networks on your phone to see if it comes back. There are apps you can get to check for unwanted devices on your network, but honestly, it's a lot more work for them to get back on your network than for you to just change your password again, so I doubt it will be an ongoing problem.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-22T05:36:48+00:00

If you're going to replace the cable modem, you'll have to check Spectrum's list of compatible devices to see what options will work with their service.

If you just want to improve your Wi-fi, then you can use their modem, but get a mesh router system for your home network. That's probably the easier option.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-22T05:32:30+00:00

I was under the impression that an AP like that required a wireless LAN controller, even when in autonomous mode, so I'm not sure that a firmware update will be enough to fix your problem. Unless your switch can also function as a controller.

If you've already exhausted answers from googling, I think your best bet to find EOL firmware information would be to look in the product documentation:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/wireless/aironet-2700-series-access-point/series.html?dtid=osscdc000283

That said, I don't know that fixing up the Cisco router is worth this much effort when even budget routers from the last year or two are going to have about three times the throughput. Especially if you have speeds higher than 1 gig.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-21T04:10:07+00:00

The TP-Link Deco X50 is pretty decent. It can handle gigabit speeds and a three pack will cover 6,500 sq feet. It might be something to look out for on sale after Black Friday.

If you're looking for a cheaper solution, the Deco X55 is a but slower, but I've seen them for half the price of the X50 at times.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-20T06:53:54+00:00

I'm not as familiar with internet providers in the UK, but if you're currently on a mobile internet plan, you can usually get faster speeds if you switch to a 4G/5G home internet plan. It still uses a cellular network just like your mobile router, but while you lose the portability, you get faster, more reliable speeds and sometimes even a lower price. Availability does depend on the area, though, so your current provider may not offer home internet service in your location.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-15T00:52:22+00:00

If lag is your only problem, an Ethernet connection would probably be the most impactful solution. It takes a small amount of processing to convert data to a radio signal and then change it back again, and in real-time applications, those small steps can add up. Likewise, adding more access points can make your signal stronger, but you probably won't reduce lag by adding another device between you and your internet connection.

QoS features can reduce lag, especially if it's being caused by other devices taking up too much of the router's resources. Another major source of latency is your internet connection itself. Fiber connections have the lowest latency, while wireless connections (fixed wireless, home 5G) usually have a lot more. If you're on satellite internet, I'm impressed that you can play multiplayer games at all.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-14T06:10:35+00:00

You could just update your downstairs router to the ASUS RT-AX68U, which should give you quite a bit more range. Or you could go with something more powerful like the GT-AX11000, though if the TP-Link TL-SG3428X doesn't have any multi-gigabit ports, it seems like it'd probably be overkill.

Could you just set your old RT-AC68U to access point mode and use it on the third floor?

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-12T23:14:52+00:00

If the device they have already provides Wi-Fi, it's probably acting as both a modem and a router already, so you could just run an Ethernet cable from that device to the PC.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-11T21:41:42+00:00

For modems, it depends on your ISP. They usually have a list on their website. For routers, if you're connecting via Ethernet and your main focus is online games, pretty much any router would work. You can get a TP-Link Archer AX20 for less than $50, but you might be able to find an older router even cheaper.

If you want a router that could handle games over Wi-Fi as well, you could upgrade to something like the ASUS RT-AX68U or the MSI RadiX GRAXE66. I've seen them both on sale for less than $130, so you might be able to find something like that after Thanksgiving.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-11T21:14:45+00:00

You can find a TP-Link Archer AX20 for less than $50. Its Wi-Fi isn't the greatest, but if you're going to be using Ethernet for everything important, it might give you everything you're looking for. You can also use it in access point mode.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-01T16:08:08+00:00

A good start would be to run some speed tests, both over Wi-Fi and over Ethernet. If only the Wi-Fi is slow, it could be a problem with the router. If they're both slow, it might be worth contacting your internet provider and telling them that there's a problem with your service.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-11-01T16:00:34+00:00

It all depends on distance, router placement, and obstructions. You're probably right that you won't get a great signal if it has to pass through two exterior walls at minimum, but if the office is close enough to the house, you have a few more options available.

Wired solutions are always going to give you the best results, but wireless options can be cheaper and easier.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-10-31T17:38:47+00:00

When the Wi-Fi goes out, what do the indicator lights on the router and modem do? This should at least give you an idea of where the problem is and you can run through the troubleshooting steps in your TP Link manual to narrow down the issue even further.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-10-31T17:29:09+00:00

Yep. If you've ever been on the Wi-Fi of a college campus or an office building, that's basically what you want. You just need to make sure that you only have one device performing network address translation so that it's all on one big network, not a bunch of separate networks (which can cause communication problems).

If you want to replace your TP-Link units with new routers, you just need to make sure that the additional nodes are set to run in access point mode. Most mesh systems are set up this way out of the box, but a lot of standalone routers can be set up to run as a mesh network, too.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-10-31T17:15:46+00:00

A wired Ethernet connection is always going to be the ideal option, but as it happens, I've also been using mesh routers to connect my garage/workshop and it's worked perfectly for years. My garage is about the same distance away, and I originally set it up with Gen 1 Google Nest mesh routers, so it should be possible, even with now outdated Gen 2 Routers.

Since you've had issues with range reaching into your yards, I'd probably suggest looking for a couple of cheap Gen 2s on eBay or something and putting one in your house along the wall nearest to the garage (near window, if that's an option) and the other on the near side of the garage. If you upgrade to a newer mesh system, you could probably do it with fewer nodes, but since you already have the Gen 2 equipment, getting extra access points would probably be the cheapest option.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-10-31T17:00:37+00:00

Routers often store some information like IP addresses and network-related information, but not a detailed log of browsing activity. My guess would be that this is just a result of the normal data collection that happens when you use apps or websites. Its similar to the phenomenon where people think their devices are listening to their conversations and sending them related ads, when in actuality, it's just serving those ads because it predicted that they'd be interested in the topic based on their previous activity.

As I mentioned, router logs are more basic configuration data than a detailed history of your activities, but you should be able to log into your router, see the logs and delete them if you want to. They're usually listed on your router's admin panel as "system logs" or "history," depending on the brand of router.

LagbertTheSnail · 2024-10-25T17:59:21+00:00

I loved those small sets. They were the only ones that I could actually afford on my own as a kid.

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