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Over the past few weeks, my Wi-Fi signal has been getting progressively worse, to the point standing right next to the router (Draytek Vigor 2860n+) shows no SSID. I've now discovered that if I select any channel other than 1 to 4 (channel options are 1-13), the Wi-Fi works as usual with same range it used to have.

A few days ago, when the range was at its lowest, but still visible, I decided to take the router apart and inspect the PCB for any signs of damage. I noticed a few capacitors had leaked and/or were bulging, and I replaced them. There are two remaining original capacitors without any sign of damage, but I didn't have any replacements for them, so I have left them as is. I've also fitted a fan to the router to reduce the heat build up, but none of this has made any difference.

Interference wise, there is only another access point in the house that was on channel 12 which I have now changed to channel 1 which doesn't seem to have any issues on that channel. The neighbour's Wi-Fi AP is right on the edge of range, if visible at all, so interference from another AP seems unlikely to be the cause, and I can't think of anything else that might cause interference on just those channels.

Due to the bad capacitors, I was initially thinking it was a hardware issue, but now I've discovered the problems are only on channels 1 to 4, I don't really know what could be the cause.

It doesn't seem to be a client issue, as every Wi-Fi device that normally connects to it (6+ devices) can't connect to the router when it's on channels 1 to 4.

Peter Mortensen
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Snipzwolf
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1 Answers1

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This is almost certainly a hardware issue: Something in the wireless router, likely a radio or an antenna or an amplification or tuning system, is failing.

  • You've confirmed the issue is with the router itself by observing the same behavior on multiple client devices.
  • You've made sure the router has an optimal physical environment by confirming sufficient (excessive?) cooling.
  • You've confirmed other components on the router were failing (the capacitors) and replaced these, but damage or failure in one component often indicates damage or failure in others.

The one other thing you can try which I didn't see mentioned in your question or comments is to complete a full "factory reset" of the device and made sure it was updated to the most recent (or perhaps the next most recent, if possible) firmware. Given the symptoms I give this a low chance of fixing things, but when the final step is to spend money and replace the device, it is an easy and cheap thing to try.

music2myear
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