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This has been a shitty night (router problems)
sonictk
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
OK.
So I have exams in 2 days and this happens.
My router is an ancient Linksys BEFW11S4 Ver 3. (It doesn't have WPA, for those of you wondering just how ancient it is)
It was working fine this afternoon, as the story always goes. While I was downloading stuff, however, I noticed my connection starting acting funny. Opened a statistic chart and noticed that there were several instances where my d/l speed and u/l would hit rock zero. My connection to websites also became somewhat erratic; at moments I would get timeout errors (the page is taking too long to respond), but then the site would load fine a refresh later.
Well.
At first I thought my ISP was hit by lightning or something (it was raining). So I pinged my router (192.168.1.1) and noticed that sometimes packets would drop (timeout), yet other times it would get sent through without any delay.
OK.
So I leave the ping running (-t parameter) and notice that it's progressively becoming worse. More and more packets are being dropped. So, not knowing how to perform CPR on a router, I try checking my internet outgoing connections using a packet sniffer to see if something is somehow chewing up my bandwidth (but even then I should be able to access 192.168.1.1 fine), but all I see is my torrent. I stop that too, and still packets sent to 192.168.1.1 are being dropped. I try tightening cables, checking connections, sometimes when I hold up the ethernet cable connected to the router port it gets better, sometimes it doesn't.
Fine.
So I shut down and restart everything, cable modem, router, and PC (in that order). Still no improvement, and the packets dropped are starting to increase in frequency. I do it again, and now I can't even access the router page. Plus the LED indicators on the router that show which ethernet ports on the router have activity keep blinking on, then off. And when I unplug and replug them in, it's the same thing, or the activity lights don't show up at all (means the router doesn't seem to notice the presence of the ethernet cables) Plus, the WiFi doesn't work anymore (tested it with a PSP and my laptop), even though the WiFi indicator says it's on, but the WiFi activity light is dark.
...
OK. One more time, and now my router has RRoDed of sorts. The diagnostic light is red, and the Link light is red, and no indicators for the ethernet ports are lit. Uhh, wtf?
I leave it for 2 hours (maybe it's overheating?) and try again. No change.
I resort to directly plugging my main PC to the cable modem, which is a bitch because I had a lot of custom network settings set up. Now I can connect to the net via my main rig, and so my post is this:
TL;DR: Linksys router died, any idea why?
And I'm actually really pissed that I (most likely) have to purchase a new router ON THE EVE of my exams. Ugh. Any recommendations? (I would enjoy having WPA finally, and Wireless G would be nice) I'm currently considering the WRT54G, but any other recommendations would be appreciated, as suggested solutions to my problem. Also, a few more questions:
Is Wireless-N worth it? (And more importantly do Wireless-N routers such as the WRT150N also broadcast WirelessG/B to ensure compatibility with devices like my PSP?)
Is getting the WRT54GS over the WRT54G worth it? Also, are the WRT54G routers compatible with Xlink Kai? (PSP networking/tunneling app)
Or should I be whacking my head because I missed something, and my router is actually totally fine?
So I have exams in 2 days and this happens.
My router is an ancient Linksys BEFW11S4 Ver 3. (It doesn't have WPA, for those of you wondering just how ancient it is)
It was working fine this afternoon, as the story always goes. While I was downloading stuff, however, I noticed my connection starting acting funny. Opened a statistic chart and noticed that there were several instances where my d/l speed and u/l would hit rock zero. My connection to websites also became somewhat erratic; at moments I would get timeout errors (the page is taking too long to respond), but then the site would load fine a refresh later.
Well.
At first I thought my ISP was hit by lightning or something (it was raining). So I pinged my router (192.168.1.1) and noticed that sometimes packets would drop (timeout), yet other times it would get sent through without any delay.
OK.
So I leave the ping running (-t parameter) and notice that it's progressively becoming worse. More and more packets are being dropped. So, not knowing how to perform CPR on a router, I try checking my internet outgoing connections using a packet sniffer to see if something is somehow chewing up my bandwidth (but even then I should be able to access 192.168.1.1 fine), but all I see is my torrent. I stop that too, and still packets sent to 192.168.1.1 are being dropped. I try tightening cables, checking connections, sometimes when I hold up the ethernet cable connected to the router port it gets better, sometimes it doesn't.
Fine.
So I shut down and restart everything, cable modem, router, and PC (in that order). Still no improvement, and the packets dropped are starting to increase in frequency. I do it again, and now I can't even access the router page. Plus the LED indicators on the router that show which ethernet ports on the router have activity keep blinking on, then off. And when I unplug and replug them in, it's the same thing, or the activity lights don't show up at all (means the router doesn't seem to notice the presence of the ethernet cables) Plus, the WiFi doesn't work anymore (tested it with a PSP and my laptop), even though the WiFi indicator says it's on, but the WiFi activity light is dark.
...
OK. One more time, and now my router has RRoDed of sorts. The diagnostic light is red, and the Link light is red, and no indicators for the ethernet ports are lit. Uhh, wtf?
I leave it for 2 hours (maybe it's overheating?) and try again. No change.
I resort to directly plugging my main PC to the cable modem, which is a bitch because I had a lot of custom network settings set up. Now I can connect to the net via my main rig, and so my post is this:
TL;DR: Linksys router died, any idea why?
And I'm actually really pissed that I (most likely) have to purchase a new router ON THE EVE of my exams. Ugh. Any recommendations? (I would enjoy having WPA finally, and Wireless G would be nice) I'm currently considering the WRT54G, but any other recommendations would be appreciated, as suggested solutions to my problem. Also, a few more questions:
Is Wireless-N worth it? (And more importantly do Wireless-N routers such as the WRT150N also broadcast WirelessG/B to ensure compatibility with devices like my PSP?)
Is getting the WRT54GS over the WRT54G worth it? Also, are the WRT54G routers compatible with Xlink Kai? (PSP networking/tunneling app)
Or should I be whacking my head because I missed something, and my router is actually totally fine?
sonictk on
0
Posts
Your router probably died from circuit meltdown (well, overheating). It happens, especially if you leave it on constantly.
Also, when you say 'hit or miss', uhh, what? Are you referring to different manufacturing batches, different firmware etc., or just pure dumb luck?
T-shirts | Last.fm | Flickr | dA
T-shirts | Last.fm | Flickr | dA
XLink is a bit dodgy with routers, it's most reliable with a WifiMAX adaptor (though I understand that costs yet more money). MastaBeta's experience with it is that on Monster Hunter Freedom 2 he cannot play with more than 2 others, if there are 4 people in the group he will always disconnect. He bought a WifiMax later and didn't have much problems afterwards. Basically XLink is extremely finicky with who it wants to connect to (sometimes the player status box in the GUI will constantly display "Establishing Link" with you, while that player is linked fine with others (and thus they can see him), and that is generally only fixed with a reboot of your PC.
Also - Wireless-N! Is it worth it? Does it have B/G compatibility modes or something?
About to leave for the stores in a few hours, thanks for the heads up about the 54G though. I think I'll probably still be getting that one because right now I can't see any other Linksys model that appears to suit my purposes.
T-shirts | Last.fm | Flickr | dA
EDIT: WTF my mom just called and told me she bought the WRT300N. I guess this is over, except for the fact that I've been reading around and apparently people are having problems with this model. Oops.
T-shirts | Last.fm | Flickr | dA
T-shirts | Last.fm | Flickr | dA
After doing so I have the greatest router in all the land (well, the land where you buy products from stores, there's that gateworks aguila or something that is hands down the greatest invention known to man)
T-shirts | Last.fm | Flickr | dA