Smart meter and wifi interference
Discussion
So bear with me here
Last week I had two SMETSv1 smart meters installed, so I could go onto Octopus EV Go
When it was first installed and the power came back on, the wifi around the house (a Tenda MW3 mesh network) kept disconnecting and reconnecting over and over. Both Chromecasts keep resetting, no wifi device held onto connection for more than a few seconds. Later that day I factory reset the Tenda MW3s and reconnected, all seemed to work.
Fast forward to today - we have a power cut. Comes back, and yet again the MW3s are doing the same thing. It can't see the other nodes, even after trying to repair. So I unplugged them all and went back to the router's built in wifi - except it's doing exactly the same thing.
We haven't added any other wifi devices except for the smart meters, which as I understand have a GSM/UMTS etc connection for reporting and wlan for the local display.
Is it possible the meters are somehow interfering? Nothing else has changed in terms of the network.. :tinfoil:
Last week I had two SMETSv1 smart meters installed, so I could go onto Octopus EV Go
When it was first installed and the power came back on, the wifi around the house (a Tenda MW3 mesh network) kept disconnecting and reconnecting over and over. Both Chromecasts keep resetting, no wifi device held onto connection for more than a few seconds. Later that day I factory reset the Tenda MW3s and reconnected, all seemed to work.
Fast forward to today - we have a power cut. Comes back, and yet again the MW3s are doing the same thing. It can't see the other nodes, even after trying to repair. So I unplugged them all and went back to the router's built in wifi - except it's doing exactly the same thing.
We haven't added any other wifi devices except for the smart meters, which as I understand have a GSM/UMTS etc connection for reporting and wlan for the local display.
Is it possible the meters are somehow interfering? Nothing else has changed in terms of the network.. :tinfoil:
gottans said:
Does it do it on both wifi bands 2.4 and 5GHz?
You could also trying move to a different channel as they could be on the same 2.4GHz channel.
It seems that 5GHz is unaffected, although it seems to do something weird to the MW3 mesh as that is a 2.4/5GHz comboYou could also trying move to a different channel as they could be on the same 2.4GHz channel.
It's interfering with our baby monitor too
Inssider shows, roughly every minute, periods where the 2.4 network strength drops to -100dBm (normally -60ish)
I wonder whether it's related to the two smart meters communicating - the gas meter sends data to the electric about 4m away, and the wifi router is right in the middle of the two
Also the WAN light on the meter is flashing three times every few seconds, not two as it was before the power cut
Edited by essayer on Friday 15th February 19:22
Having the router in the middle isn't helping, I would suggest putting everything onto the 5GHz band to get some stability and functionality back.
Also get onto your supplier and complain about the problems as the new meters aren't compatible with your other devices. My suspicion is the transmitter power on the meters is much higher than needed so is blocking receivers in other devices, worth asking if the power can be reduced as they are causing harmful interference.
I would also ask if any neighbours are having problems with their wifi as it will help support the harmful interference complaint.
As a last resort you can complain to OFCOM if this is genuinely interference from the smart meters but go back to your energy company first.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/interference-enf...
Also get onto your supplier and complain about the problems as the new meters aren't compatible with your other devices. My suspicion is the transmitter power on the meters is much higher than needed so is blocking receivers in other devices, worth asking if the power can be reduced as they are causing harmful interference.
I would also ask if any neighbours are having problems with their wifi as it will help support the harmful interference complaint.
As a last resort you can complain to OFCOM if this is genuinely interference from the smart meters but go back to your energy company first.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/interference-enf...
A bit of googling yielded this which may be of interest.
https://www.smartdatacollective.com/smart-meters-k...
https://www.smartdatacollective.com/smart-meters-k...
Unfortunately I can’t turn it off .. and the Chromecasts only use 2.4GHz
I suspect something to do with ZigBee (2.4Ghz), perhaps it’s gone to some default high-power mode after being repowered. Have started the ball rolling with my electricity co.
Currently looking for a metal box to put round the meter
I suspect something to do with ZigBee (2.4Ghz), perhaps it’s gone to some default high-power mode after being repowered. Have started the ball rolling with my electricity co.
Currently looking for a metal box to put round the meter
Bacofoil certainly cuts off the gas meter .. electric is a bit harder as it's screwed onto the wooden board and i don't fancy trying to tuck the foil under the tails where a stray piece of live copper might be waiting to end me up as a humorous Darwin article somewhere
Realised that one of the Chromecasts can go onto 5g so that leaves one left, but annoyingly the mesh network gets knocked offline even though we only use 5g on it. Guess it controls itself over 2.4ghz. Let's wait to see if the electricity company or supplier say anything..
Realised that one of the Chromecasts can go onto 5g so that leaves one left, but annoyingly the mesh network gets knocked offline even though we only use 5g on it. Guess it controls itself over 2.4ghz. Let's wait to see if the electricity company or supplier say anything..
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