Erratic connection: Nob Hill SF, Fusion IP Broadband FX2, connected over wifi

[eapplegate]

I got "Fusion IP Broadband Residential FX2" installed by ATT since sonic fiber wasn't yet available.
Down/up speeds slow to a crawl every ten minutes, sometimes my connection drops completely and I have to cycle my macbook's wifi on/off to reconnect; the wifi signal remains strong throughout but the internet stops working.
Connecting over wifi either the supplied ATT BGW210 modem+router or a TP-Link AC1200 router yields the same issue, so I think the problem lies outside my home?

Anyone ever experience this?

[parker_day]

Do you experience the same problem on both 5Ghz wifi and 2.4Ghz wifi? If you're not sure, it could be helpful to force your Macbook onto just the 5Ghz wifi and see if the problem persists.

For diagnostic purposes, it could also be helpful to connect to the BGW210 via a wired connection to see if there is still a problem.

[ESinEC]

I have similar issues in the East Bay hills. Works fine, then it will hang... and then it works fine... and then it hangs.
It's like constipated broadband.
I got it because I had such troubles with Xfinity - it's fiber to the pole, not the home.
Unfortunately signed up for service just before shelter in place, so I am prepared to ascribe the piss-poor service to the backbone being overwhelmed.
But it's not the quality of connection I assumed I would have.

[evandapplegate]

Update:
No balky internet when connected over ethernet to ATT's ARRIS BGW210-700 modem (ethernet > thunderbolt adapter)
Maybe my wifi is congested with neighbor's networks? The router is 30ft away as the crow flies, through 2 walls and a cabinet, and the router says the wifi connection to my phone isn't great.
Maybe this is why sonic offers the eero?

[parker_day]

I think the fact it works okay on the wired connection is probably a good sign that it's just a wifi issue. I live in the Mission and no matter the distance, I don't have a consistently usable connection on 2.4Ghz wifi. Devices will report strong wifi signal but the air is so noisy that throughput is not stable or reliable.

You could try renaming your 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz wifi networks two different things, like "my-wifi" and "my-wifi-5G" and then have your computer forget the 2.4Ghz network. That way you can see if a 5Ghz connection is stable. 5Ghz does not travel very far so a lot of times devices will latch onto the stronger (but less stable) 2.4Ghz wifi. If you have a stable connection on 5Ghz, then you'll know that 2.4Ghz just isn't a great option for your apartment.

If 5Ghz from the BGW210 or TP-Link router doesn't give you enough range to cover your house, then you could get a third party distributed wifi system. Eero and Google wifi are both good options, and Eero can be leased from Sonic if you don't want to buy it.