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Resolved - Unstable wifi coverage with Quest 3 on some Router Brands.

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Update January 2024 - full post history below

Hi. Let me try to give a quick TLDR summery.

Since the launch of the Quest 3, numerous users have encountered difficulties with their Wi-Fi connections related to wireless PCVR. A notable bug affects certain mid-range AX and AXE routers, such as TP-Link's AXE75, leading to significant packet losses and varying negotiation rates. Consequently, connection speeds fluctuate between 480 and 1921 Mbps, occasionally reaching 2161 Mbps but rarely achieving the full 2401 Mbps speed.

In contrast, the Quest 2 maintains a stable 1200 Mbps on 5GHz dedicated networks. However, on release, the Quest 3 struggled to reach 720 Mbps, with speed fluctuations occurring every other second.

Meta was promptly notified of this issue on launch day and has been working on resolving it through build updates. Versions v.57 to v.60 have seen a dramatic reduction in negotiation rates, making wireless VR "usable" under certain conditions, particularly when in close proximity to the router and within the line of sight. Nevertheless, users still report random speed reductions to unusable levels (below 740 Mbps), even at close range.

TP-Link has been diligently working on resolving the issue since the initial launch. Unfortunately, their latest update indicates that they couldn't make a breakthrough on their end, and they believe the problem persists on the client side. They've conducted thorough tests with various chipsets, including MTK, BCM, and QCA routers, and it seems these routers are experiencing similar issues. Their focus shifted to Meta software updates, and their most recent test with the Quest3 V60 suggests that while the negotiation rate still varies, the occasional streaming lag seems to have disappeared.

A glance at this threads posts reveals that TP-Link is not the only affected brand; users with Asus and other AX and AXE routers also face similar challenges. The root cause seems to be linked to either Meta or Qualcomm. Users have noted similar issues with the Google Pixel 7, leading to speculation about problems with the XR2 Gen2/Snapdragon 8 Gen2 drivers. So in other words it's in Meta and Qualcomm's hands at the moment.

Please reply to this thread and post your information as per Metas instructions:

"December 14th Update from MetaStoreHelp

Hey everyone! I wanted to let you all know that I heard back from our engineering team. It looks like there might've been some changes with the recent v60 update. I recommend checking your headset to make sure that it is updated to the latest version, and then checking your Wi-Fi connection with your headset. If you're still having trouble after updating your headset, please let me know the below information and I'll pass it along to our engineering team so this can be looked into further.

1. Router make and model.

2. Router firmware.

3. Full Headset version. (59.0.0.##) Go to Settings > System > Software Update"

You can also make a video grab of your issue and send it to Meta over the "report a problem" option in the headset.

For video references on the issue here is a playlist in chronological order

NOTE: If you have a working setup with a different router and not experiencing any issues please post the details on this separate thread: https://communityforums.atmeta.com/t5/Get-Help/What-Wifi-6e-routers-currently-works-bug-free-with-the-Quest-3/td-p/1101778

Original post October 10th 2023

On my Quest 3 the WIFI signal is hopping from 720 - 864 - 960

But my Quest 2 ti stable at 1200 Mbps

I am sitting 1 m from the Ruter

Is my Quest 3 broken or is this a bug?

Edit FYI: This is a firmware bug with communication between some brand of routers. Please post your info here as a reply. (Se MetaQuestSupports reply)

The team has been made aware and is currently looking into the unstable connection reports.

Meta needs to know:

What version is your headset running? (Full number, i.e. 57.0.0.####)
- Quick Settings > System > Software Update
Which router do you currently have?
Tag MetaStoreHelp

Also.. Remember to send a bug report via Oculus apps or headset...

Here is how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i9Q_h_yeQQ

Edit 2, to be clear:

The issue is not dependent on AirLink or VirtualDesktop. It's a clear communication issue between the Quest 3 and certain routers in Quest build vertion 57. That effects both 5Ghz and 6Ghz. Quest 2 is unaffected.

Here is the issue we are facing demonstrated to TP-link:

https://youtu.be/JFrl9rTJH8E?si=2vBOI6E2PjGvPL_7

If you're r not experiencing any issues please post the details on this seperate thread: https://communityforums.atmeta.com/t5/Get-Help/What-Wifi-6e-routers-currently-works-bug-free-with-the-Quest-3/td-p/1101778

Edit 3 - Update:

Version 59 showed no improvement. TP-Link has received a unit and are experiencing the same negotiation rate problems. They are investigating the problem.

MetaStoreHelp has stated that they are working on the issue and it will be fixed in a future firmware update. https://communityforums.atmeta.com/t5/Get-Help/Unstable-wifi-covarage-with-Quest-3-on-some-Router-Brands-Known/m-p/1099915#M241197

Edit 4 - Update...
TP-Watched @VirtualOmnipresence 's video and confirmed:

Our Wireless RD found that it might be the case Quest3 are kind Quest3's wireless connection rate strategy is more aggressive in terms of speed reduction. Once it encounters wireless packet loss or interference, it will reduce the negotiation rate on a large scale, thus affecting the actual wireless performance.

In other words, it is actually unnecessarily overly sensitive... especially when interference is basically impossible at 6GHz.

We've tested the Quest3 v57(haven't got v59 yet) so far with almost all our routers from wifi6e to wifi7 with QCA/BCM chipest...

Also thanks a lot for your updates about that article, we will also notice to get the previous quest2 sample to check how it works with our router in old firmware, then upgrade it to newer one for checking.

We will also focus on this issue later quickly if there's new firmware released.

Edit 5 - November 20th 2023

Still no more contact with meta and the silence is deafening.

Though with the new update to v.59 it is actually a lot better on AXE75 for both 5g and 6g. It's fluxing, but not below 1200 in 6g and not below 720 in 5g. Making it... "usable"... if you are relatively close to your router.

Here is my video in my test with v. 59.

We still want to take advantage of the 2401 Mbps so that we are not reliant on no interference and being 2 to 3 meters from the access point.

Any working 6Ghz device connected to a 6 Ghz router, dedicated at close range should output a connection at 2401Mbps. If it doesn't it's simply not working correctly.

So I'm not giving you a pass just yet Meta. 😉

Edit 6 December 8th

A lot of new posts here and in my community on still experiencing this issue making their wireless experience unbearable. The uptick has been noticeable since the release of SteamLink bringing more people over to PC wireless.

I also go a new confirmation from MetaSupport over email:

Meta Store Support following up on your issue.

To clarify, the issue you are experiencing is most likely to be patched up with a new software update. I know how inconvenient this may be for you. We really appreciate your extended patience and utmost understanding regarding this matter. As much as I would like to give you an exact timeline, since this is still a known issue, I'm afraid we are still unable to provide an exact date for it.

This is also for our customers, as we don't want to set you an expectation that is vague. We value transparency here at Meta, and we can assure you that we will quickly contact you as soon as possible once the issue is resolved or workarounds are provided.

We're eager to have this one sorted out for you, so we'll keep an eye on this issue. Looking forward to solve this issue at your earliest convenience so you can proceed enjoying your VR experience.

----

later:

I can confirm that your issue regarding Wi-Fi connection has been coordinated with our engineering team; however, they didn't provide an exact time; maybe they are still figuring out the root cause of the issue. By the way, thank you for the clear explanation of your issue; that helps us a lot.

Edit December 14th Update from MetaStoreHelp

Hey everyone! I wanted to let you all know that I heard back from our engineering team. It looks like there might've been some changes with the recent v60 update. I recommend checking your headset to make sure that it is updated to the latest version, and then checking your Wi-Fi connection with your headset. If you're still having trouble after updating your headset, please let me know the below information and I'll pass it along to our engineering team so this can be looked into further.

Router make and model.
Router firmware.
Full Headset version. (59.0.0.##)
1. Settings > System > Software Update

---

Here is my video on testing version 60

tfosseliAnswer

Inspiring

EDIT May 21th 2024: The bug returned with build v.65. Lets hope its a hiccup.

...

Hey everyone! Build v62 has officially arrived, and I'm pleased to announce that my initial issues have been resolved. The speeds remain rock solid at 2401Mbps, even when I'm in a different room from the router. There was only one brief 5-second disconnect, which was swiftly resolved and did not reoccur during my session.

The issues concerning fluctuating speeds, packet losses, and random negotiation rates have all but disappeared.

However, I'm aware that some of you are still encountering difficulties connecting to the 6G network in general and are experiencing random disconnects. I'm unsure if these issues are related, especially as the problem doesn't seem to be consistent with router brands.

I recommend creating a separate forum thread on the matter so that those affected can voice their concerns and avoid being mixed up with the excitement in this thread.

Thank you to everyone who has engaged in civil discussions and shared their experiences and constructive feedback. And thank you to MetaStoreHelp and TheAntiSocializer for making sure our issues were heard by the Meta engineers.

Edit: if your experiencing micro studders in AirLink follow this thread: https://communityforums.atmeta.com/t5/Get-Help/Quest-3-Airlink-micro-lags-and-stutter-esp-when-moving-head/m-p/1150175/

When a "problems finding 6G Wi-Fi" thread is created, share it here, and I'll add a link to it.

(I can't stay as the OP of a post concerning problems connecting to a 6G network as I am not experiencing that particular problem and can't replicate it.)

Show previous replies

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darekd1977

Participant

Just wanted to update the status after some extended testing of the Beta V62 software. Namely, it's good, the connection is stable, it disconnects from the network a few times after starting the goggles, but then it doesn't. However, there are still some micro-cuts from time to time, but the connection speed does not drop during this time and is still 2400Mbit/s.
So there is still something to improve, but currently it is a very big step forward in how the WIFI network works, and not like before.

For example, a 120FPS recording of Beat Saber, it's really hard to notice any delays or micro-cuts here, and you can easily play even in expert mode.

Second example Beat Saber WIFI 6GHz, H264+, 460Mbit/s, 120FPS

This video is captured directly from quest 3 while I'm playing on Virtual Desktop. I had to significantly lower the FPS in it so as not to interfere with VD operation.

D

Digipro

Up and Coming

the security settings can make the quest 3 not find a WIFI signal. i originaly had wpa2+psk on wifi 6 i change it to wpa3 personal +wpa2+psk and i couldn't find my WIFI 6 and i changed security settings to WPA 3 personal only instead of wpa3 personal + wpa2+psk. but on WIFI 5 i could have wpa3 personal+wpa2+psk without problems. that was the solution for me

don't know why but it now picks WIFI 6 up every time even with extra features like OFDMA + MU-MIMO and since the update signal has been more stable but image is not any clearer sometimes it goes pixelated like someone else noticed it kept connection but just like intel cpus can run at 5800mhz but can internally down clock to lower speeds so could be clocked at 5800mhz but running the core liken to a 800mhz worse case scenario.

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poodude289

Up and Coming

Your image isn't going to be clearer unless you increase bitrate and resolution

G

GlooP

Inspiring

I can confirm as well that the v62 PTC update improved the WiFi signal strenght. Even in the room next to the room with the router the Quest 3 receices stable 2401 MBps now (before the update I had something between 1200 - 1700 MBps).

Even the micro stutters are gone with v62 entirely.

Big KUDOS to META!!!! Even though next time Meta should improve their communication with their customers.

R

Ruined

Inspiring

So I've participated in this thread and read a lot of things, and a few things I wanted to address.

1) "But Quest 2 worked fine!" Well, Quest 3 is not Quest 2. Quest 2 had like 2x the volume in the front of the headset, which made it feel a lot more front heavy. Quest 3 compresses all of that into a much smaller space. Odds are that is going to make antenna placement inside the placement less ideal than it was in Quest 2. That was not the entire root cause of the issue, but it contributed.

2) Not all routers are built the same just because they are labelled "6E"; there are tons of higher end "6" routers that absolutely destroy the performance of cheaper "6E" routers. While it seems like v62 greatly improves things, the reason some of the more expensive routers worked with the older firmwares is, IMO, because they are simply better in hardware/software and you get what you pay for. At the higher expense, manufacturers use larger antennas with more signal strength and lower latency/higher power processing units in the router itself, and often have more robust firmware/firmware options. All of these can contribute to lower lag. When I first started commenting on here that I had no problem for the most part with my ASUS high end Wifi6/6E gaming routers, it was not because I bought those for Quest 3. I bought them because they offer the best home networking experience and gateway to the internet - the most range, the most stability, the fastest speeds, the most customization options, security, etc. If you spend a little more its not just going to help your Quest 3, but literally everything that connects to the router.

Luckily, it seems that v62 greatly improves the situation. But one may still want to consider the more expensive router for a more robust home network not even counting Quest 3. And going back to Quest 2 is a fool's errand, given how poor that headset is all around compared to Quest 3.

Oh and while we are on the topic of routers, may want to read this 🙂 FBI: New cyberthreat from China targets home internet routers (msn.com)

Have to wonder if routers whose parent company are fully China-based like TP-Link, and all of what goes along with being a China-based company, may be more vulnerable to these sort of attacks. If you are going to spend $150+ on a new 6/6E router for Quest 3 you might want to include this in your calculus as well.

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darekd1977

Participant

I admit that you made a big impression on me with your conclusions and I completely agree with you.
Unfortunately, it is necessary to invest in a better router, although remember that my top Asus GT-AXE16000 showed its power only on V62, and earlier I complained about an unstable connection here.
In general, I have the impression that the entire 6e network was some not entirely successful experiment between the healthy WIFI 6 and WIFI 7 entering homes. But luckily it started working and if only Meta could polish it up, it would be great!

Tonight I started playing Demeo via VD because the graphics on PC compared to the version for Quest 3 are much better and to be honest, for the first time I forgot that I was connected wirelessly and about any technical problems, and I was completely absorbed in the game in the game.

S

saccosvd

Up and Coming

Given I can repeatedly connect to 6E with my phone with zero issues and test transfer speeds showed close to 1K Mbps tells me the issue is on the headset, most probably the FW.

I think is FW and not a hardware issue because the Quest 3 can connect without any issues to 5Ghz and transfer speeds are again around 1K Mbps.

Also, when the Quest 3 could (rarely) connect to the 6E network, transfer speeds were again around 1K Mbps.

The tests were all done using the Open Speed Test I mentioned in earlier replies.

It has to be some bug in the way the Quest 3 finds 6E networks. I believe v62 is not the answer, maybe they're working on it hence some people seem to have a better experience but doesn't work on all devices.

Right now I think is futile to test 6E and try to make sense of what happens because of its random behavior. If you have a 6E router it also has 5Ghz so I suggest to calm down and enjoy the Quest 3 with 5Ghz until the problem is resolved.

TPLink AXE75 here.

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darekd1977

Participant

Tonight there was another small V62 beta update, after which I recorded a video for you, unfortunately I had to lower its quality very much so that it would not disturb the real work of VD.

In this video, I turn in different directions while playing to show how WIFI 6e network on my GT-AXE16000 currently works.

FPS fluctuations occurring in the video are moments when entering a menu or entering a song and are normal game behavior.

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007x007

Up and Coming

Can You show me actual 6E settings? From "general tab and "proffesional".

I just installed V62 PTC and can confirm that 6E is working also for me, but I have sometimes stuttering once per 30 sec. in Beat Saber over VD.

Thanks

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darekd1977

Participant

I placed my settings in one of my previous entries. In general, there is nothing to set apart from my channel: channel 37 and only 160Hz. Proffesional, however, look earlier in this thread. Added only to test operation with beamforming enabled and disabled.

F

FigBird1992

New Participant

Came here to offer a potential solution as it may help someone 🙂

I've managed to remove my stuttering by doing a combination of things, although think that the main culprit was Beamforming being disabled on my router (Tenda RX9 AX3000)

Join PTC and update Quest 3 to v62
Make sure router is NOT in AP mode (beamforming cannot be accessed for some reason?)
This allowed me to ENABLE beamforming in router settings
Set WiFi to 5Gz only
Set network mode to 802.11ac
Set channel to 64
Set band to 160Hz

With the above settings, my Quest was able to lock in at 1733Mbps, and I could set Virtual Desktop Bitrate to 200Mbps, Resolution to Godlike, and fps to 120. I did try and change network band to 802.11ax, but noticed some SLIGHT stuttering chaning to WiFi 6 - not sure why though?

I hope this helps someone!

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darekd1977

Participant

I wrote about it earlier that it helps to change the settings related to beamforming, and there are several of them in the router settings, I even wrote about it again recently to turn off the one related to AC before V62 came on. However, I was ignored.

Y

yermolim

Participant

Tried V62. Didn't solve the issue for me.

As multiple people reported here, the connection speed in the overlay does not fluctuate anymore, but the real connection speed still drops constantly. Fast head movements still cause network delays and stutters. It seems that their "fix" was just to lock the visible connection speed to its maximum value instead of showing the real one, which is still unstable. 😞

M

MrRobotG

Participant

If you aren’t using VD, I suggest you use it, turn on the overlay and then capture a screenshot when the stutters happen. Stutters can happen for multiple reason. Any stutters I have had has been from my PC not the network, so it’s important to do some real testing if you haven’t already.

Y

yermolim

Participant

Thanks for the suggestion.

I use VD with the overlay on. I have my dedicated TP-Link AX53 router 1-1.5m away from me without any obstructions. When stutters happen (when I move my head fast or crouch), I see a spike in the network delay. It becomes yellow and the number goes up from 6ms I usually have to 20+. If I don't move my head abruptly, no stuttering takes place. I had the same behavior with v60. The only difference I see using v62 is that on v60 I could see the connection speed drop at the same moment stuttering happens. Now (v62), it's no longer the case: the connection speed value remains unchanged in the overlay, even when I go to another room. I've seen here a few comments seconding that.

That's why it seems to me as if they just made it show the dummy maximum speed value instead of the real one to mask those drops in the connection speed.

That's a shame as buying the router for at least half the price of the Quest itself doesn't sound like an acceptable option for me.

V

Vannor

Participant

Guys with Tp-Link axe75: do you have any particular setting in order to get the wifi 6E to be detected, or it's just a matter of luck? How to understand if my own headset is broken? Is it legit to expect some firmware solution or this problem affects only a minority?

H

H1N1Johnyboy

New Participant

Please need help I'm desperate,
Yesterday morning I played with my quest 3 and it was perfect
Came back the afternoon and it's unplayable with wifi, standalone or with cable still perfect, but as soon as I try Airlink, Steamlink or Virtual Desktop they all exibit the same behavior, cyclical latency spike every 4-5sec
I tried to reinstall windows 10 pro
Also made a factory reset on the Quest 3
Enabled Public channel test so I could update to Version 62 (from 60) but still same issue
Tested with my older wifi 5 router (now using Wifi 6 both from Proximus Belgium)

My setup:
Asus X570-E gaming
Amd 5800x watercooled
6900xt watercooled
Ripjaws 32go 4000mhz C16 DDR4
Samsung M2 1to + 2x SSd 1to
Antec 1300w PSU

So what could it be? To me it feels like either the Quest 3 antenna became defective (maybe overheated after my last Beat Saber session) or something new is interfering with my WIfi in the neighboorhood but I asked neighboor if they have new wifi or any new connected device and they said no

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DeKCoH

New Participant

I have the same thing. Everything was almost fine yesterday.
wifi works fine for me, the next day it's bad, stuttering every 15 seconds regardless of the settings.
What is the problem?

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