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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

E

ErikB007

New Participant

I hope that in v60, which is coming out at an unknown date, the wifi will work properly and not be broken completely.

M

MrRobotG

Participant

We know there is an issue, TP-Link have confirmed they are seeing unexpected behaviour from the quest 3. So whilst I’m happy people are having good experiences ( with routers that cost more than the quest 3 itself ) the only person I’m wanting an update from is TheAntiSocializer

R

Ruined

Inspiring

The router I got is $319 which is expensive-ish (tho a comparable wifi7 router is $699, which is what I'd classify as expensive), but hardly more than a quest 3.

Also yeah obviously TPLink + Meta need to fix some things, but for those who don't want to wait however long that takes, there are options that work right now

Also, more expensive routers will do more than just better quest 3 experience, but also often offer faster processing/lower latency, greater range, more bands, 2.5 & 10gbps ports, superior firewall, more features, etc. sometimes worth an extra $100-$120 to get a piece of hardware that will improve your entire home networking experience

tfosseliAuthor

Inspiring

I made a new thread that i think will prove useful for people who wants to invest in a premium router. Can you fill out the details of how you got to setup your working network there Ruined ?

https://communityforums.atmeta.com/t5/Get-Help/What-Wifi-6e-routers-currently-works-bug-free-with-the-Quest-3/td-p/1101778

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Flobud

Up and Coming

Guy Godin said that the issue was fixed with v59 which is completely false. I don't understand why the VD dev, who has thousand of customers, would make such a statement.
I sent my Quest 3 back since I reached the end of the return window. I'll keep following this thread in the hope that Meta will find a proper fix so I can buy it again!

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Ruined

Inspiring

You have to remember it may not be as simple as fixed or unfixed. Perhaps the developer for instance has less wifi interference in his area whether it be other access points, radar, etc, and as a result whatever was tweaked in v59 may have overcome the issue for him. In your case if there is a less stable connection than his for these or other reasons, said tweak may not have fixed the issue. I don't know for sure, but this could all go back to something as simple as the quest 3 having a lower power Wi-Fi receiver hardware, that demands a stronger & more stable Wi-Fi signal. Maybe this can be optimized better in firmware, or maybe it will require people tweak their own router settings and/or router hardware. VR wifi is about as demanding as it gets so it's hard to know for sure, and is something I don't take for granted will work with whatever my existing hardware & settings are, and may require experimentation

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Flobud

Up and Coming

"[...]it may not be as simple as fixed or unfixed."

Exactly. This is why I don't understand his statement. I mean, even his first statement on the issue was wrong. 🤷🏼‍:male_sign:

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VirtualOmnipresence

Up and Coming

MetaStoreHelp I did some intensive testing with a 1:1 comparison of Meta Quest 2 V56 vs. Meta Quest 2 V57 and Meta Quest 3 V59. All 3 devices are connected to the same WIFI and run the exact same game. I measure packet loss of all 3 devices and logged them on the game server. Notice how Meta Quest 2 V56 isn't loosing a single packet, while the other two device perform quite bad (especially when moving around).

I repeated this test with different router models and brands (all using 5GHz WiFi):
In the video: TP-Link Archer C7, Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500
Not in the video: TP-Link Archer AX55(eu), ASUS RT-AXE7800

I also tried different router settings like enabling/disabling beam forming etc. The problem is consistent among all routers. Quest 2 with V56 works flawlessly loosing not a single packet, while the others loose huge amounts of packets.

Edit: Explanation of the graphs shown in the video. The graphs show lost and duplicate packets between game server and a Quest device. When the WiFI is functioning correctly, the lines should be flat (0 lost packets, 0 duplicate packets). If you see a spike, that means packets have been lost and the server had to resend packets (which can also result in duplicate packets being received on the quest device if the packet transmission was just very slow).

As you can see this is a firmware bug that was introduced in V57 and it's not fixed in V59 yet. It also affects Quest 2 devices but it's a bit less dramatic as on Quest 3.

I think the reason why not all of you see the same results, is because this problem get's worse the more demanded the Wifi is. More participants in the network, greater distance from the router etc. Furthermore, measuring the Wifi performance simply by "how good streaming via VD" feels, might not be a reliable data source as well. These tools use various techniques to trying to hide/overcome packet loss as good as possible. Furthermore it might be very subjective from person to person what still feels good.

I'm really hoping Meta is going to fix this. Tried to send this video to Meta support but was told that they are not going to look into this as regular product support is not responsible for this?!? They hinted me to use the developer support but there is NO technical developer support (that's cleary stated on there developer support page)... That's insane...

J

john2910

Participant

Thx for the info,i realy hope meta gonne fix this issue... its need to be fixed..

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VirtualOmnipresence

Up and Coming

"This is not an issues with bad router signal but definitely an issue in the Quest. "

Yes, absolutely. That's what I was trying to proof with my video. If it would be a bad router signal, than packet loss would be similar across all 3 devices in my test. But as Quest 2 V56 drops not a single packet over the entirety of the test/video, it simply can't be a router issue but it really has to be an issue within the Quest 2/3 firmware.

"Somewhere I saw some numbers next to it. Is the the connection speed? something with 400?"I've updated my original post with a description of the graphs:
The graphs show lost and duplicate packets between game server and a Quest device. When the WiFI is functioning correctly, the lines should be flat (0 lost packets, 0 duplicate packets). If you see a spike, that means packets have been lost and the server had to resend packets (which can also result in duplicate packets being received on the quest device if the packet transmission was just very slow).

The number on the right side is the y axis of the chart (it indicates the number of lost packets). The chart has an adaptive y axis meaning that y axis is re-scaled so that values always fit into the available space.

"Yes, VD very likely has something implemented to cope with bad connections... but as a customer I would expect something similar coming out of the box from the company I bought the product."
Absolutely. I just wanted to explain why some users might not be noticing this issue as much as others. This IS a huge bug in the Meta firmware and they absolutely should fix this.

tfosseliAuthor

Inspiring

Yepp. Probably has nothing to do with routers, but still report the issue to the router company. That way the can identify the problem and pressure Meta to fix it. 😉

I got a hell of alot more response from TP-Link. Meta has not replied to any of my support mails sofare.

Something tells me they are swamped with tickets on this issue, failing battery straps, dead piksels, bad mics, grainy pass through and old software simply crashing.

It's supper obvious that this headset way hella rushed out the door way to early in fear of Apple and Pico.

F

Flobud

Up and Coming

A bit off-topic but I'm in contact with the support for my ASW issue with 4090, and wow... I think it's gonna take a while to get something out of them, they ask me to do things that make no sense at all and don't even understand what I'm talking about. The day my report will reach Meta devs/engineers, we'll get the Quest 5... 😂

So good luck to everyone in contact with Meta support, this is gonna be a loooooong journey.

T

TooOldForThisShot

New Participant

I have not done in depth testing but my Asus RT-AX55 that I bought so that I could have stable 1200 mbps to my Quest 2 is fluctuating below 900 mbps on Quest 3. The router Google Fiber gave me along with my internet is connecting at 1200 mbps to my Quest 3. It has mesh enabled and all kinds of devices connected to it and it is performing better. That router is model grax210t . I'm not sure who actually makes it.

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flyingmig

New Participant

And another confirmation from Meta support, contacted via Whatsapp:

"Thanks so much for that and for your patience, upon some investigation we have picked up some difficulties containing the Quest 3 and 6G network and our team are on this as we speak, hopefully this gets resolved soon than imagined ."

t3chnod3lic

Up and Coming

This is also a 5G issue as well. Ive tried both networks and they both perform the same. I also have the TP-Link AXE5400 and this severe lag I'm experiencing has really driven me a bit crazy. I do hope it gets fixed soon. My router only has until Nov 22nd to be returned. I really don't know what to do tbh.

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Raison75

Up and Coming

I have that same router and it's a pretty smooth experience for me. The connection speed goes up and down still but 6e speed is so fast that gameplay is rarely affected. I have it as a dedicated AP with nothing else on it except the Quest, connected to the PC via Ethernet at 100Mbs, medium settings.

I disabled the 2.4Ghz channel and these are my settings for the 6Ghz channel:

t3chnod3lic

Up and Coming

I see. Interesting stuff. Thanks for your help.

t3chnod3lic

Up and Coming

Ive had this TP-Link 5400 (AXE75) for a few weeks now and one thing that is really strange is I have actually used it with the Q3 and ive been able to play it for hours and it's been very stable the whole time. I did monitor it with VD and the networking was great. Then the next day I would fire it up and have sheer hell. I can't understand why Ive had a few good days and the rest terrible. If the router or the Q3 were at fault then why not have a consistant performance, whether good or bad. It can't make it's mind up some days. I can't suss out why. Is it the Q3 doing that or the router? Ive started my return with Amazon and sending back tomorrow and picking up the Asus GT-AX6000. I hope it works because Amazon are gonna go ape if I return it again.

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Ruined

Inspiring

just follow the 2 settings guides i put in the other thread for the GT-AX11000 PRO and you should be good to go with GT-AX6000, its a very similar router, just has only one 5ghz band instead of 2:

Re: What Wifi 6e routers currently works bug free ... - Meta Community Forums - 1101778 (atmeta.com)

Re: What Wifi 6e routers currently works bug free ... - Page 3 - Meta Community Forums - 1101778 (atmeta.com)

Once you get it, you can experiment and see if the first 160mhz block (control ch36) or second 160mhz block (control ch100) works better in your wifi environment

t3chnod3lic

Up and Coming

I wanted to ask. For about 3-4 days I got loads of Q3 updates. Not sure if other folk have as well. I'm sure you have, but for 3 days I had a new update everytime I was shutting down for the night. There doesnt ever seem to be any update notes and the only ones I could find online with Meta were weeks ago. They don't seem to give notes for these updates. It's impossible to know exactly what they're tweaking with.

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Ruined

Inspiring

I'm not sure that's actually an update you are receiving, but rather just a checkbox to update the headset if an update happens to be pushed to your account while its off - not necessarily that one *is* going to be pushed. The prompt is worded poorly IMO.

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