This is simply advice to people thinking of migrating from Helix Fi to Fizz Internet
As a former Videotron customer that moved to Fizz there are some things Videotron customers need to accept and adjust to once they become Fizz customers.
The biggest mind adjustment is the gear... the modem you get from Fizz is not on the same level as your Helix Fi or Helix Fi 2 gear. The provided Hitron Coda 5610Q uses Intel Puma 7 hardware.
Not going to bore you with all the technical details (I wish I had this information on hand before I had to figure it out for myself), but here's the gist of it:
If you think of placing your Hitron Coda5610 behind or next to your TV, in a closet, inside a TV console or on your computer desk next to a monitor, FORGET IT... The CODA simply doesn't have the shielding to resist the emitted RFI from high powered, huge Mini LED, OLEDs or QLEDs. The Helix Fi were designed to be used in living room environments and they resist RFI quite well. The CODA5610q does not...
Even if you think of connecting your computer via Ethernet cable you will still be exposed to interference and your signal will degrade.
The solution is to use BRIDGE Mode (in CODA terms to disable the Residential Gateway), and to use a more robust Wireless router for the "heavy lifting" - routing packets, beamforming and saturating your space with a strong wifi signal, wifi6e or wifi7 if you can.
In my case it is a TP Link Archer AX80, but it can be any decent wireless router.
Connection: make sure to use a quality Coax cable, preferably shielded if it runs close to appliances. Make sure both ends are connected really tight, hand tight plus a quarter turn with a wrench on both ends.
From the CODA5610Q connect the LAN1 port (on the 5610Q that would be the top yellow port, sadly not the 2.5Gbps orange one) to the WAN port on your wireless router. If you need to connect a home switch or peripherals, do it by using the ports on the Wireless router, not the CODA
PLACEMENT: Probably the most crucial and least understood factor as a former HelixFi customer - The CODA modem has to be placed AWAY from computers, monitors, TVs, ideally over 5 feet away and above ground (on top of a floating shelf or on top of a bookshelf).
Similarly try to place the Wireless router above your TVs, ideally on a wall to the side of them, in as central location as possible to provide good coverage. If you have a multi-storey home, investing in a mesh configuration may be the difference between pockets with no signal.
You just have to understand... the quality of the components, circuitry, protection against RFI in your Helix Fi and his intended use in living rooms is just superior to the Hitron CODA5610q.
My advice to the FIZZ crew that provide customer and technical support via chat, just be open and explain that to your clients... It is OK that the gear offered by Fizz for now is not well suited for living room placements, but work with us, your clients.
I was too stubborn to accept the CODA would not work where my Helix Fi had worked fine before, and noone from the fine reps I talked to actually bothered explaining it in more detail, nor did they suggest I tried bridging... After doing research on my own I found that information and I fixed the issue that had plagued me for weeks. Hope this helps other new clients, and does not discourage Videotron's former clients from giving Fizz a shot
Answers
-
Thank you for sharing this detailed information. This will probably save others some frustrations.
0 -
Thank you for sharing your experience.
0 -
Thank you for sharing your expérience and giving us some tricks.
0 -
Thank you for sharing. But if the CODA5610Q is placed right next to a TV, are you saying it will still work fine as long as you add a router and set the CODA5610Q to bridge mode?
I am currently with Videotron and my Videotron modem is 2 feet away from my TV, all is working perfectly (regular Videotron modem, not Helix). My router is next to the modem and get great reception everywhere. Prior to reading your post, the plan was to install the CODA5610Q at the exact same place. And that is still the plan, as I can't play with my installation set-up, I have 3 Illico TVs also connected to the split cable wire. So would not completely modify my installation to go with Fizz as an internet provider if that will cause signal problems.
0 -
Thanks for sharing all this information.
0 -
Dear Mr. Fixit,
My old CODA-4680 is 2 feet away from a 59" plasma TV (the most power intensive kind of TV - constantly On and used as a computer monitor) yet I have no problem attaining +/- 930 Mbps from my current plan with an Ethernet cable. There goes the lack of shielding theory. Both modems are FCC certified and must accept normal surrounding RFI emissions. The effect on Wi-Fi signal is a different issue.
"make sure to use a quality Coax cable, preferably shielded" By definition ALL coax cables are shielded. There is no such thing as a coax cable that is not shielded.
0 -
Dear Mr. Mario,
All I can say for your particular scenario, glad that you did not experience the issues that I have (better said, HAD). And I did try to run off Ethernet, did not work any better in my location, nor could I run 30ft Ethernet cables to other rooms (renter's life)... I did have issues accessing the Internet both on WiFi and over Ethernet... Obviously if you have no issues with your FIZZ issued equipment, you can ignore my post completely... But if you DO experience signal and performance degradation on a regular basis, whereas before with different equipment you had none, my suggestion to try bridge mode is still valid.
As for shielding the coax cable, we can go into details and differences between 2-way and 4-way shielded coax cables, but this is not the point of my first post. It was to offer MY experience and a solution that worked in my case... before I tore the contract (because I did consider this as an end-game scenario as well, if things did not work out)1 -
> @Billy01 said:
> Thank you for sharing. But if the CODA5610Q is placed right next to a TV, are you saying it will still work fine as long as you add a router and set the CODA5610Q to bridge mode?
>
> I am currently with Videotron and my Videotron modem is 2 feet away from my TV, all is working perfectly (regular Videotron modem, not Helix). My router is next to the modem and get great reception everywhere. Prior to reading your post, the plan was to install the CODA5610Q at the exact same place. And that is still the plan, as I can't play with my installation set-up, I have 3 Illico TVs also connected to the split cable wire. So would not completely modify my installation to go with Fizz as an internet provider if that will cause signal problems.
Yes, the CODA will work fine next to a TV if you run it in bridged mode... When you switch a cable modem/router combo to bridge mode (also known as "modem mode"), you disable its routing and Wi-Fi capabilities, turning it into a simple pass-through device. It strips away extra features so your own third-party router can manage your home network without interference, which is the weak point of the CODA, when sitting next to a strong RFI emitter like a large TV and will just pass the signal to your dedicated and better shielded wireless router.1 -
ToBilly01
In short, yes, the CODA can be placed in the same location where you now have your Videotron modem, if it is bridged.
When you switch a cable modem/router combo to bridge mode (also known as "modem mode"), you disable its routing and Wi-Fi capabilities, turning it into a simple pass-through device. It strips away extra features so your own third-party router can manage your home network without interference, which is the weak point of the CODA.0 -
DarkBladeMtl, thank you for your response and details.
0
