Linksys Wireless cuts off

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ninjagirl

13 posts

Geek

#14075 13-Jun-2007 19:53

Hi, recentlyish I bought a Linksys wireless router WRT54G. After plugging it in and setting up it up it works fine and then within a day or less my connection just cuts off. It can still detect it but can't connect to the net. This is really annoying especially since the adsl modem is in someones bedroom and the only way I've found to fix this is by accessing the routers IP from their computer and just saving my settings and then it runs fine again...until again it will cut off. Most times it stops both me and the wired computer from connecting to the net and both him and I are getting pretty peeved off at it. So I've just unplugged the router to make him happy.

Is there anyway to fixing this?
Also if instead I upgrade to a wireless modem (which is a modem but with wireless too, right?) will it fix my problem?
Please help...I need my internet!!

MauriceWinn

141 posts

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#74756 15-Jun-2007 08:26

Hello Ninja.   I can't help with exactly what might be wrong for you, but Zenbu.net.nz uses Linksys WRT 54GL routers and I am told by the Linksys people that something like 8% of them fail.   We have successfully used them for a year without problems other than one which failed when we tried to install software [it partly ran]. I suppose the WRT 54G has a comparable failure rate.

We chose the Linksys WRT 54GL because they seemed a good product which should perform as we want.    In operation, they have been faultless.

The Linksys WRT 54GL isn't a modem/router combined, but you might like to consider the Zenbu system. You can share data caps, get automatic security, and even sell service, but users won't be able to use printers wirelessly [because of built in security to prevent users getting into each other's computers].

Sometimes the internet service providers give an intermittent service down the ADSL.   Maybe it's not a router problem and the internet is down.   Maybe it's a warranty problem you have and you can return the unit.

Mqurice

Maurice Winn

ninjagirl

13 posts

Geek

#74790 15-Jun-2007 13:16

Thanks for that. I've currently changed the security to WEP and am just running it now, Seems fine, only that it couldn't detect it again in the morning...which is where I had to yet again go and save the settings.

I've just looked that the model number you've given me and it seems similar to the one I've got, not too many differences. I definitely do lose faith in a brand if it fails me once, but I hear linksys is really good, so I might look into getting another/different one.

What do you mean by the isp gives a intermittent service down the adsl?
Either way, if it stops working again, which I guarantee it will, I'll return it.

MauriceWinn

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#74858 15-Jun-2007 19:57

By << isp gives an intermittent service down the adsl?>> I mean ADSL often doesn't work.   By often I mean if it works all day I'm surprised.   We use Slingshot and have used various internet service providers starting with Compuserve in 1993, to ihug in the early days when they were good blokes in a little building before the big building and they went wrong, to Xtra, and now Slingshot.   Internet access has always been delicate at best. I bought Woosh in the early days as a back up service when a daughter was busting my data caps with music downloads [managed Wi-Fi, like Zenbu, is good to avoid data cap sharing problems and bandwidth in many places including family homes] and so that even if one ISP was down, I'd have another way to cyberspace.

ADSL was really fast at the start.   Then it slowed over time to little better than dial-up. Starnet was good too, unless there were heavy clouds [satellite dish by ihug in the late 1990s].

I was surprised to hear that Linksys has a failure rate as high as they do, but the WRT 54GL routers are not exactly hardened mainframe machines.   I gather Linksys expects the failure rate to reduce.

When cyberspace doesn't work, for non-geeks it's pretty much impossible to tell where the problem is - somewhere between fingertips and some server in Siberia is about all we can guess.

In the oil industry, if an engine broke, the lubricant supplier would blame the fuel supplier who would blame the engine maker who would blame the operator who had blamed the lubricant supplier.    The operators would tear their hair out - all they wanted was a machine that works.   They can't figure out why a piston ring fails.

Similarly, maybe it is your router, but maybe the modem, but possibly Telecom's line, or could be the ISP, or something. I'm not a registered Geek so I'm not a lot of help sorry.    I was just pointing out that the WRTs can fail to work.

So far, our experience with the WRT 54GL is that they either work, or [in one case] don't.   From my limited experience, your problem seems like a software management issue of IP addresses between the machines [hopefully an actual Geek can put you on the right track] and maybe the router is okay. Some modems are dodgy too [one that Slingshot was using once had a high failure rate].

Mqurice

Maurice Winn

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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#74860 15-Jun-2007 20:37

I think you might just find that someone nearby is using a wireless router in the same channel and causing interference. Check this other discussion for more information and read this blog post.

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ictgeeknz

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#74886 16-Jun-2007 08:25

My tip would be to see if your router requires a Firmware upgrade
www.linksys.co.nz > Support > Downloads

Product: WRT54GL V1.0
Classification: Firmware Release History
Firmware Date: 11/01/2006
Release Date: 01/30/2007
Last Firmware Version: 4.30.9

You may want to read the Known Issues section on this Wikipedia page too.