Home Networking / Router / & WiFi Gateway Help

[GabbyCrab]

We just built a very sophisticated house and got Comcast everything.  Our main gateway was provided by Comcast which is an SMCD3GNV.  In addition, we have two other in ceiling wireless access points on other floors.  

We have Sonos on our system which periodically shuts down by itself or just loses various rooms.  Also, our wireless just goes down at times even though our laptops show as being connected.  We set the access points to channel 1 and channel 6 and the SMC gateway to channel 11 to see if that would help with the interference.  Still having the issue, although Sonos seems to be better. 

I've been reading about disabling channel bonding and/or going into bridge mode but I'm not sure if that would help us.  Any ideas? 

In addition, we have to spend yet another couple of hours on the phone holding for Comcast to pick up since everytime we try to activate a new TV cable box, it never works and they have to send out a rep (who, half the time still doesn't get it working and blames the wiring).

[Adrian-Florida]

I have clients with Sonos systems in the UK and I have to say I've not heard any of them complain about it when set up correctly (quite the opposite in fact).  It's important that the wireless is set up correctly and as I read your post I'm going to assume (as your reading about disabling channel bonding) that you're not a professional installer.  As a professional networking engineer my best suggestion would be to get a local professional to install and configure the Wi-Fi first, then set the Sonus up to it.  I personally would not have set the channels up so far apart (1, 6, 11).  Hope this gives you some idea of where to look next.

[GabbyCrab]

Hi.  Thanks for the feedback.  We did have the system installed by a professional.  He is as confused as I am though.  I am curious as to why you would you not set the channels up so far apart.  Everything I read says that if you are setting up muliple access points, they should be set up far apart to prevent interference.  Obviously that still hasn't helped.  So any light you could shed would be of interest.  Thanks.