Wireless connections dropping - troubleshoot router or simply replace it?

[grizfan]

Hi,

My wireless network at home has been really stable for about a year, then starting about 2 months ago, we started to see more frequent problems with the wireless networking dropping out. Wired devices still work, but anything in the house connecting by wireless loses access, and the network SSID disappears from the list of available wireless networks, then shows up again a minute or two later, though we often can't join the network. Powering the router off/on again fixes things. This happens 4 or 5 times a week, sometimes even more. When things are working, we have no real complaints about speed (mostly web surfing, Netflix through the Wii, online gaming, and Apple TV).

Here's what we have on the network:

CenturyLink 12Mb/s DSL through a Actiontec M1000 Modem running in bridge mode
current router: WHR-HP-G300N with stock firmware

devices:

Wireless:

• 2011 iMac
• 2011 MacBook Pro
• 6th gen iPod touch
• 2 iPhone 4s phones
• iPad 2
• Kindle Fire
• Nintendo Wii
• Nintendo DSi
• Playstation Vita
• Dell XPS M1330
• Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (1012)
• Older Gateway notebook (802.11G)

Wired:

• Asus desktop PC (10/100)
• Canon Pixma MX-700 all-in-one printer
• 5-port 10/100 switch with:
  
  • Dish Hopper DVR
  • Playstation 3
  • Apple TV

We're in two story, 2700 square foot house, with lots of other networks nearby.

While I'm pretty technical, I'm also very busy, so the thought of long troubleshooting sessions doesn't really appeal to me If the problem proves difficult to solve, I would seriously consider simply swapping out the router with something more stable, such as an Apple Airport Extreme.

But, if there's something I can do in a few hours over the weekend, I'd prefer that.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and if I need to provide more information, please let me know.

thanks!

 

[thiggins]

Your problem could be due to a failing router. Or a neighbor who got a new router, or other neighbors who have discovered the joys of streaming or Torrents.

Do you force the router to a particular channel, or is it set to auto-select? If auto, could be the reboot just causes it to come up in a different channel.

I think you're going to do at least some troubleshooting. But if you want to shotgun it, go out and get another single band N router and swap it in.

 

[grizfan]

right now, I have it forced to a single channel. A couple of weeks ago, I changed the channel, and that seemed to have helped at first, but now the problem is returning. Should I leave it on auto?

Is there a list of some standard troubleshooting steps I could follow?

thanks!

 

[thiggins]

Could be your network is just getting too busy. You could try changing to Auto. But most routers do auto channel selection only when they boot.

Is there a list of some standard troubleshooting steps I could follow?

Try How To Fix Your Wireless Network - Part 1 and How To Fix Your Wireless Network - Part 2: Site Surveying

 

[grizfan]

Thanks Tim - I'll try a few things this week to see if it helps.

Would a more capable router help? I've been considering an Airport Extreme. From what I've heard, they lack some features, but seem to have a good reputation for stability and reliability.

 

[thiggins]

Another router helps only if the problem is router-based. If there is too much interference from nearby networks, the problem is on the client side and a router won't help.

Look for patterns. Are all clients really disconnecting at once? If so, that points to the router. But if some clients disconnect more often than others, will moving them closer to the router make them more stable?

To see if the router is really dropping signal, use inSSIDer and set it up to log. That way, when you have an outage, you can see if the signal really dropped.

 

[grizfan]

Thanks for the tips - I can't wait for the next problem

I'll definitely keep an eye on the patterns. I seem to recall that things fail all at once, with lots of complaints from the kids, and it even seems to cause problems for our iMac in the same room as the router. That inSSIDer program looks very useful, too.

I'll report back with what I find.

 

[grizfan]

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...6-it-takes-a-neighborhood-to-fix-bad-wireless - I've been following the advice from this article. Many of the things the article recommends avoiding apply to my network. So, I've started there. Its now day 1 after making these changes, time will tell if they help or not. If not, I think I'm router shopping...

 

[stevech]

Be sure to fault-isolate between client (laptops) and router....assuming more than one laptop on your network has the same problem.
And someone else's laptop that works OK elsewhere.
Or vice-versa- yours.

 

[sfx2000]

Download either inSSIDer or iStumbler on one of the laptops and take a site survey... you might have a neighbor that has lit up a new AP on the same channel...

Check the AC Adapter on the router - many times I've seen these go soft under load, and it usually shows up on WiFi first with the radio popping in and out.

You have 13 devices on WiFi, assuming they are not all on at the same time - only within the last 18 months or so, I've seen consumer grade home routers handle more than about 10 devices on WiFi, and maybe 20 total - much comes down to memory for the NAT tables and STA lists for the WiFi side. Newer gear is better about this, as OEM's have realized that more consumer devices have wifi and network connectivity.

 

[tipstir]

These routers are not like they use to be.. Heavy duty usage looking at 7 to 1 year of usage. Medium Duty should get you 2 years. Lite Duty more than that.

 

[stevech]

Download either inSSIDer or iStumbler on one of the laptops and take a site survey... you might have a neighbor that has lit up a new AP on the same channel...

This won't cause a problem unless neighbor frequently streams video or does a lot of downloads]

 

[stevech]

These routers are not like they use to be.. Heavy duty usage looking at 7 to 1 year of usage. Medium Duty should get you 2 years. Lite Duty more than that.

I respectfully semi-disagree... and offer that router life (excluding obsolescence due to standards changing)... is mostly the average temperature internally, due to obstructed air flow (stacking or placement) or higher than normal room temperatures. Secondarily, cheaped-out quality can shorten life, e.g., too-cheap electrolytic capacitors in the power supply are infamous.