I am wondering if anyone has experienced slow internet speeds when using the Tablo and trying to work on another device simultaneously. I just started noticing this recently in the evenings when my wife is streaming live TV through the Roku and I am working on my desktop. It also seems to affect cell phone connection through WiFi, and it knocks my 25Mbps internet speed down to 0.2Mbps. Anyone else experienced this? I am wondering if this is the cause, because we just now started heavily using the Tablo after finally cutting out Dish. I am also getting a lot of browser errors having to do with my DNS when trying to open a page, and after 30 seconds the page reloads with the website.
Not sure if this is related to the Tablo, or just a coincidence of something else happening.
What kind of router do you have? Is everything using WiFi and if so, is it the 2.5 GHz or 5 GHz or mixed? I have my Tablo and Roku 3 and laptop all on the 5 Ghz WiFi and don’t notice any problem.
Who is your internet provider? Cable companies are notorious for having worse speeds at night when a lot of users are online at the same time.
I ran some speed tests over the last 10 minutes on my cell phone (Android - 2.4 Ghz N only), and while the speeds were worse while my Tablo was playing on my desktop computer (5.0 Ghz - AC), it wasn’t anywhere as bad as what you are seeing. The best I get is 30 Mpbs on my phone (75 is what I get on my directly wired PC upstairs), and I was getting between 14 and 25 Mpbs while the Tablo was running.
I have a TP-Link Archer C7 router. The Tablo and Roku are running on the 5GHz band. The internet slow down occurs on both 2.5 and 5 GHz and also if I run my desktop wired.
My cable internet provider is Comcast.
After I closed my Roku app and reset the Tablo device and stopped watching it, I noticed an improvement on my network.
I am just not sure what to make of this or how to pinpoint the issue, because several things have changed all at once. We started using the Tablo nightly this week and I also have a new desktop computer. It was slowing down my internet earlier in the week because it was trying to push Windows 10 updates and it was killing my speed… but, not sure if that was also because my wife was watching the Tablo downstairs! haha. But, last night there were no desktop updates running and I turned off automatic updates to prevent that, and still had slow downs with the Tablo running.
I am just wondering if it is the Tablo jamming up the traffic at the router level, or from the actual internet connection. If it’s at the router level, should I try buying a dedicated router for Tablo traffic?
The Tablo only uses the internet for guide data early in the morning, and for an initial connection to web devices (not the Roku).
Have you tried connecting your Tablo directly to your router? I know the Tablo documentation says that you can get 6 concurrent devices with a wired Tablo, while only 3 concurrent devices with a wireless Tablo. So a wireless setup will definitely use up more of your available internal network bandwidth.
You might consider getting a dedicated router for your Tablo, though I wouldn’t think it is necessary. I would do some testing this weekend during the day to see if you are having the same problems.
2.4 Ghz is slower but is more reliable at longer distances.
5 Ghz is faster than 2.4 Ghz but less reliable at long distances.
Also, there are many non networks devices out there that use 2.4 Ghz frequencies so there is already a lot of congestion on top of your “always-on” computers, smartphones and tablets. You have to take your neighbors wi-fi networks and devices into consideration as well.
Netgear has a wi-fi analytics app for smartphones that will show you how good the wireless connection is in each room of your house and also shows the channel being used by all the in range wireless networks in your area. It helps with router placement and channel selection so you can setup the optimum environment for your home.
If you find you have a solid 5 Ghz connection in the area of your device, I would choose 5 Ghz over 2.4 Ghz because it will be less congested. If your wireless router does not support 5 Ghz then it’s time to upgrade.
Tips:
Lets say you have a 3 story home. It is better to place the wireless router on the top floor to feed all the devices on lower floors than it is the place the wireless router on the first floor to feed the devices on the upper floors. Many homeowners make the mistake of placing their wireless router in the basement near where the cable line comes in.
Also, experiment with laying your wireless router down horizontally or standing it up vertically. Devices with an internal antenna always have a face. Where that face is pointing can make or break your connections.
Internet Service Providers
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) speeds should not come into play unless you are accessing your Tablo from outside your local network. Anyways, 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz speeds are far faster than any ISP provides anyways and the speed tests only test their connection to you, not your local network speeds.
Good Luck!