tech2 + MATE Case Study 2 – In-Home Wi-Fi Assessment

Home & Business Internet Blog | MATE | 2 June 2021

Introduction

MATE is partnering with tech2, a telecommunications specialist, to help our customers get the best results from their internet service.

To ensure our mates have a quality in-home Wi-Fi experience, selected MATE customers will receive an in-home internet assessment from tech2. An experienced tech2 telco technician will visit their home, perform an in-depth diagnosis, and will then aim to resolve any issues within their home network.

Technical information

nbn technology type: Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)

MATE nbn plan speed: Ripper 50/20 

Case background

The customer had previously contacted our support team to report slow internet speeds and dropouts at specific times of the day. The customer advised our team that his speed test results don’t match expectations based on the speeds of his plan. He also advised that he usually experiences poor speeds over Wi-Fi and dropouts in his home when using devices upstairs.

The customer had a double-story home and was using a MATE-supplied NetComm NF18AC modem/router which is a mid-range device. The modem/router was located in a Hills Home Hub Comms cabinet in the garage.

tech2 in-home internet assessment

During the visit, initial testing showed a download speed over Wi-Fi of just 3.62Mbps from the NetComm NF18AC modem/router in the problem area upstairs.

The tech2 technician checked all internal data ports in the customers home – firstly, the outlets upstairs were traced back to the comms cabinet and discovered that only one was data, the other was telephony. The pins in the connector were mismatched and also had missing pins. The CAT6 keystone was also faulty. The tech2 technician replaced the keystone and re-terminated the CAT6 cable to the comms cabinet.

The technician discovered the same problems with two other outlets in house – one upstairs in the living quarter, and the other downstairs in the living room. Both outlets were re-terminated back to the comms cabinet.

The technician then installed a patch lead into the NTD and outlet beneath, and patched through cables to both upstairs and downstairs outlets. The technician also moved the pre-installed, unused 8-port switch from the comms cabinet in the garage and moved it upstairs as there were multiple devices in the upstairs living room.  The TV and XBox gaming console were connected to the switch.

When we left, having installed the TP-Link Deco M5 Mesh system, the customer was achieving download speeds of 42.3Mbps in the upstairs entertaining area. We disabled the Wi-Fi from the modem/router and the customer is now using it simply as a hub.

We have eliminated any issues with Wi-Fi or in-home connectivity.