NetComm NF20 User manual

Wireless Reception & Dropout
Troubleshooting Guide
NF20 / NF20MESH
Wireless Reception & Dropout Troubleshooting Guide – NF20 / NF20MESH
FA01369 v. 1.0 August 2021
Wireless problems – Improve Reception
If you are experiencing wireless reception dropouts or disconnections, there are two basic reasons:
Interference from obstacles, location or other electromagnetic devices, or
Poor channel separation
This guide describes the solution to these problems.
Avoid obstacles and interference
Avoid placing your WiFi Gateway near devices that may emit radio “noise,” such as microwave ovens or
“dense” objects that can inhibit wireless communication.
Such devices and objects include:
Refrigerators
Washers and/or dryers
Metal cabinets
Large aquariums
Metallic-based, UV-tinted windows
If your wireless signal seems weak in some spots, make sure that objects such as those listed above
are not blocking the signal’s path (between your devices and the WiFi Gateway).
If you have a cordless phone and the performance of your wireless network continues to be impaired
after considering the above issues:
Try moving cordless phones away from your WiFi Gateway and your wireless-enabled
computers.

2 of 4
NF20 / NF20MESH – Wireless Reception & Dropout Troubleshooting Guide
FA01369 v. 1.0 August 2021
Unplug and remove the battery from any cordless phone that operates on the 2.4GHz or 5GHz
band (check manufacturer’s information). If this fixes the problem, your phone may be
interfering with the WiFi Gateway.
If your phone supports channel selection, change the channel on the phone to the farthest
channel from the channel be used by your wireless network. For example, change the phone to
channel 1 and move your WiFi Gateway to channel 11 for the 2.4GHz band. See your phone’s
user manual for detailed instructions.
If necessary, consider switching to a 900MHz or 1800MHz cordless phone.
For best performance, place the Gateway in a central location, somewhere one (1) meter above the
ground/floor and avoid any object that might block the signal (see above). Ideally place the Gateway on a
table or rack that stands alone in empty surroundings.
Choose the “Quietest” Channel for your Wireless
Network
In locations where homes, apartments or offices are close together, such as duplexes, town houses,
apartment buildings or office complexes, there may be wireless networks nearby that can interfere with your
wireless network.
Use the Site Survey capabilities found in the Wireless Utility of your wireless adapter to locate any other
wireless networks that are available (see your wireless adapter’s user manual), and switch the channel used
by your GATEWAY and computers to a channel as far away as possible from those used by the other
networks.
Manually Change Channel
Find the clearest connection and avoid interference from neighbouring cordless phones or other wireless
devices and manually change the channel in the Wi-Fi settings on your Gateway.
Experiment with more than one of the available channels.
By default, the Gateway will pick up a channel automatically when it starts. You may also select a channel
manually. The suggested way is to change the channel and keep using your devices. If improvement is
observed use that channel, otherwise manually select and test the reception on another.
Log in to the Web Interface
1Connect your computer to the Gateway using wired or wireless connection. A computer connected
using ethernet cable is strongly recommended.
2Open a web browser (such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Firefox), type
following address into the address bar and press Enter.
http://192.168.20.1

3 of 4
NF20 / NF20MESH – Wireless Reception & Dropout Troubleshooting Guide
FA01369 v. 1.0 August 2021
3Enter Gateway Login Username and Password printed on the label at the bottom of the Gateway and
press Login.
4Please select Wi-Fi 2.4GHz page and make sure Wireless is Enabled.
Note
– This is applicable for 2.4 GHz band only.

4 of 4
NF20 / NF20MESH – Wireless Reception & Dropout Troubleshooting Guide
FA01369 v. 1.0 August 2021
5Now select Advanced from the Wi-Fi/2.4 GHz submenu
The Wi-Fi – 2.4GHz -- Advanced page opens.
6From the Channel Specification drop down list select a numbered Channel (1thru 13) instead of the
default selection of: Auto
Check your current channel and try selecting channels at opposite ends of the scale from the channel
you are currently using. This allows you to avoid any interference you are experiencing on your
currently selected channel.
Recommended channels to use are 1, 3, 6or 9, but you may need to test all channels to find out what
is the best channel for your environment.
Click the Apply button every time you change the channel.
Every time you change any channel the wireless will get disconnected and connect back automatically.
7Test with the new channel for few hours or a day.
If it does not work better than before, change to a different channel and repeat the process.
Important
– An alternative way to find the best channel for your location is to use a free software such as “inSSIDer Home” for
windows and “Wi-Fi Analyzer” for android.
These software applications will show you the channels currently used at your location.
Choose a ‘least used’ channel for best reception.