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proux · Nov 17, 2002, 11:47 AM

Hi,

my setup is fairly traditionnal:

SMC wireless router (the new 4 port)

2 ibooks with aiport cards
2 ethernet conected macs

cable modem internet access DHCP
128 bit encription enabled.

The problem is that once and a while the internet connection doesn't work on any of the computers. I can get it back logging in the router, then releasing and renewing the internet connection in the status page of the router.

Any ideas or anyone having the same problem?

Tom N · Nov 18, 2002, 09:30 AM

First, SMC has a few "new" routers, so a model number would be helpful.

In general, some SMC routers have a problem with loosing the wireless connection. One problem has to do with the "Automatic" channel assignment feature. The work around is to set the channel manually. Choose either channel 6 or 11 in the router set up instead of the automatic configuration. Don't worry about having to change anything on your wireless computers, they will be able to discover which channel the router is using.

Also be sure and check that you are using the latest firmware for your router. There have been recent firmware updates by SMC and of the newer routers were ship with beta versions of firmware installed.

Tom N.

proux · Nov 18, 2002, 08:14 PM

Thanks for the reply.
The model number is SMC7004VWBR, no new firmware (too recent model).
The problem is not loss of the wireless part, that still works. It is loss of internet connection on all the computers, file sharing still works.

ghporter · Nov 18, 2002, 08:55 PM

When you've lost the Internet, what does your setup/configuration say about your WAN connection? Do you still have an IP? Does it say you're connected?

proux · Nov 18, 2002, 09:23 PM

Still an IP, says connected in the status page of the router...

ghporter · Nov 19, 2002, 07:19 AM

If you still have an IP and the router still thinks it's connected, then you haven't "lost your Internet connection." What's happening is something else.

You say that your wireless net still works between computers. Check the wireless computers' IPs while you can surf, then right away after you lose it. If they changed, that could indicate something wrong with the router. Also, is the router still under warranty? You might want to contact SMC's tech support for some help with this.

Tom N · Nov 19, 2002, 09:41 AM

I have the VWBR as well and find many of the "features" still problematic and am hoping for a firmware update to correct the issues. When I received the router it had old beta firmware installed, version .6 I think. When I had the old firmware I had problems with the connection as well. Updating to the released version 1.0 helped a great deal. There is new beta firmware available that is said to fix a few more problems and get some of the features working correctly, but it hasn't been released yet, though you can find it at:

http://www.dslreports.com/forums/18

This is a forum for SMC users. Lots of great info.

Tom N.

proux · Nov 19, 2002, 11:52 AM

Thanks, looks like I will wait for an official release of a new firmware and see from there. Overall I am very happy with the router though.

Eug Wanker · Jul 27, 2003, 04:59 PM

Originally posted by Tom N:
First, SMC has a few "new" routers, so a model number would be helpful.

In general, some SMC routers have a problem with loosing the wireless connection. One problem has to do with the "Automatic" channel assignment feature. The work around is to set the channel manually. Choose either channel 6 or 11 in the router set up instead of the automatic configuration. Don't worry about having to change anything on your wireless computers, they will be able to discover which channel the router is using.

Also be sure and check that you are using the latest firmware for your router. There have been recent firmware updates by SMC and of the newer routers were ship with beta versions of firmware installed.

Tom N.

I have this exact problem. I have tried setting it manually now to 6. Hopefully this works.

By the way, why 6 or 11 specifically? What about the speeds? Right now I have it set at 11 Mbps always, but maybe I'll set that back to auto. I have the SMC7004VWBR by the way.

ghporter · Jul 27, 2003, 08:36 PM

Set your transmission rate to "Auto." If you have it set for "11Mbps Only," it will NOT maintain a connection that drops below the 11Mbps quality threshold, but is still above the 5Mbps threshold. "Auto" lets the device gracefully handle interruptions and interference, while a fixed rate does not.

This could be the cause of other people's "dropout" problems, too. Give the equipment all the flexibility they can use, and your connections will remain more dependable. Limit them, and you wind up with situations where they CAN'T maintain a good connection.

Eug · Jul 28, 2003, 08:14 AM

Originally posted by GHPorter:
Set your transmission rate to "Auto." If you have it set for "11Mbps Only," it will NOT maintain a connection that drops below the 11Mbps quality threshold, but is still above the 5Mbps threshold. "Auto" lets the device gracefully handle interruptions and interference, while a fixed rate does not.

This could be the cause of other people's "dropout" problems, too. Give the equipment all the flexibility they can use, and your connections will remain more dependable. Limit them, and you wind up with situations where they CAN'T maintain a good connection.

It was on Auto for speed fallback (with auto use of all channels) when I started getting the problems. I now have it on Auto fallback of speeds with just channel 11, and it's still giving me the same problem even right next to the router. It seems that this router simply has problems and shuts off wireless. I have never had this problem with the Netgear access point I had, nor with my friend's D-Link.

I'm going to change it to 11 Mbps only (despite your advice) and channel 11 only and see if that works. If it doesn't work, I'm considering just turning off wireless completely using my old access point with this router.

My old router didn't have MAC address filtering or URL blocking, but this one does. So I'd essentially be paying $35 for a wired router upgrade.

Or maybe I'll just throw it out the window...

Eug · Jul 28, 2003, 09:48 AM

This is what SMC told me:

Channel: fix it at Channel 6
Transmission rate: fix it at 11 Mbps
Basic rate: Do not use the ALL feature (which is 1, 2, 5.5, 11). Use 2 Mbps for the 9821 (?) units or 1,2 for the others like 720 etc.
(The number is on the back of the unit.)

I will try that. I'm a little confused though as to what it means to set a basic rate of 1,2 when the rate is fixed at 11. There is info in this FAQ. Is it suggesting that older cards will still log on at 11 Mbps, but will have problems recognizes the router if the unit advertises a 1, 2, 5.5, 11 basic rate? My wireless card is the Airport card for the TiBook. I think it was rev. C when I bought it, and it has the latest firmware.

So it seems they are well aware there is a wireless problem with their units.

ghporter · Jul 28, 2003, 09:55 AM

It sounds very much like you should get an RMA and return the SMC wireless router for a refund. I'm surprised and disappointed with SMC for giving you such a bad time, and such confusing advice.

Eug · 10:12 AM

Originally posted by GHPorter:
It sounds very much like you should get an RMA and return the SMC wireless router for a refund. I'm surprised and disappointed with SMC for giving you such a bad time, and such confusing advice.

Well, to give them credit I only just called them now, and they were specific with what to do, and quite polite about it. (That they were specific suggests to me that it's a known issue.)

Now obviously, setting a fixed rate of 11 Mbps is not ideal, but I'm not giving up yet, because the thing only cost me 35 bucks and I've already configured my network around it.

If it works at 11 I'll just leave it at that. In my small house, signal strength is not an issue. Indeed, I'd almost prefer if it was weak, because I live in a townhouse complex with a lot of wireless users. (I can see my neighbours' wireless networks, up to three at the same time sometimes. Some are sometimes not even WEP'd and don't use MAC address filtering either... tsk tsk.)

mattmarshall · Jul 28, 2003, 12:26 PM

this same thing happens to me with my airport base station. my to laptops get dropped connections, which are only fixed by putting the machine to sleep and waking it up. my imac, which is closest to the base station, never has this problem.

whent he connection drops, airport is still connected, according to the menu indicator. but i can't access anything on the web.

any ideas on how to fix it?

- matt

Eug · Jul 28, 2003, 12:33 PM

My problem is a little different. Even if the laptop is right next to the router, the signal drops if the computer is idle/asleep for any length of time. It doesn't seem to drop if the computer is actually being used.

Sometimes it says it's still connected but if I check again, the option for that router completely disappears in the drop down list for Airport - no signal at all. And again, this is right beside the router. If I reactivate the wireless part again in the router's admin page, using my desktop (which is physically attached to the routers via Ethernet), then the router automatically senses the laptop and the wireless connection is reestablished automagically.

aaanorton · Jul 28, 2003, 01:23 PM

Originally posted by Eug:
My problem is a little different. Even if the laptop is right next to the router, the signal drops if the computer is idle/asleep for any length of time. It doesn't seem to drop if the computer is actually being used.

In the Network pref pane, click on the Airport tab and select the option to "Join most recently used available network".I've had this kind of trouble with the other two options.

Eug · Jul 28, 2003, 02:35 PM

Originally posted by aaanorton:
In the Network pref pane, click on the Airport tab and select the option to "Join most recently used available network".I've had this kind of trouble with the other two options.

Hmmm... I guess I'll try it, but the problem seems to be the router's side.

The network completely disappears and I can't join it even if I manually type in the SSID and password. It's just not there.

Eug · Jul 29, 2003, 08:10 AM

So it seems to maintain the connection with the router set at a fixed transmission rate of 11 Mbps.