Ready for a change...

[Lalato]

This Buffalo WHR-HP-300N is working my last nerve. It dies more often than a red shirt on Star Trek.

I'm not looking for the fastest router... I just want reliability. Does that even exist in a Wireless-N router? If so, who is making that router?

I'm ready to drop kick this thing.
--sam

 

[thiggins]

What is dying? Wireless connection? Internet connection?
If you are running DD-WRT firmware, try Buffalo's version. I found the DD-WRT firmware to be buggy.

I have had no problems with my NETGEAR WNDR3700v1.

I'd try one of the refurb'd (or new) Cisco Linksys E series direct from the Cisco store. 30 days moneyback and free shipping. So you can try and return if it doesn't work.

 

[Lalato]

I'm using the BT firmware. I tried DD-WRT and I didn't much care for it.

It drops the internet connection regularly. I have about 4-5 laptops and a NAS running off of it. Yes, we stream quite a bit of stuff on it (don't have cable tv even though the internet is from the cable company), but it even goes out in the middle of the workday when only one person is using it.

I'll see if I can find the WNDR3700v1 or one of the linksys routers. I saw that the refurb E4200 was on sale for $100 on the cisco site. That seems like a pretty good deal. If I can find the WNDR for significantly less I'll jump on it.

After this experience, I doubt I'll ever buy another BT device.

 

[stevech]

What kind of modem ? DSL? Cable Modem?
It could be intermittent failure to renew the DHCP lease on the router's WAN port, esp. if it's DSL with PPPoE

 

[Lalato]

It's cable. Motorola SB6121. The modem does not appear to be losing connection or dropping at all. A hard reset of the router usually clears things up.

 

[claykin]

What happens if you use the latest Buffalo firmware?

Can you identify a wireless client that always causes the router to fail? Could be that this client needs a driver update....

Try using OPENDNS instead of ISP DNS servers. Set 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 and see if that helps. Disable any DNS caching feature in the router.

 

[Lalato]

Thanks for the tips.

I'm on the latest firmware. I already use OpenDNS.

I have not been able to identify a specific client that causes the problem. Up until yesterday when one of the neighbors moved I had three Macbook Pros, two Windows laptops, and the QNAP NAS. The move means I just lost one of the Windows laptops. The Macbooks are as up to date as Macs get. The Windows machines were both running Win7, and were definitely updated regularly.

From everything I've been able to deduce, it's the router. Your mention of disabling DNS caching, however, makes me want to double check all the settings on the router again just in case I missed something.