WiFi in the House - What's Next - Oct 2009

[Infobahn]

Okay, I have had the same Belkin Pre N wireless router for about three if not four years.

It not has started to periodically go missing/stop broadcasting in the house, and dropping the signal.

I am thinking it is dying, if that really makes sense at this point.  Why could it be doing this?  I don't think there is any interference happening, and I can see other Wifi signals from around the neighborhood when this thing goes down.  I reboot the router, and the thing will generally come back up.

Any thoughts on why (if it really matters in the first place) it is dropping off, and should I pitch it and buy another?  If so, what should I get?

kthanks,

[BigDun]

We did a lot of research before buying our most recent (I think this is number 5) wireless B/G/N router. We got the DIR-825 from D-Link because it has two radios built into it. Most B/G/N use the same radio for all bandwidths. With the DIR 825 you actually have settings for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. I can have one broadcast SSID and the other not, or have the 2.4 use WEP and the 5 use WEPA, etc. The signal strength isn't amazing, but you can buy an external, wall-mount antenna for it.

The one thing I don't like about it is that it is limited to 24 MAC addresses if you lock it down by MAC address.

[meredith]

you're unlikely to see interference causing trouble unless you're in an apartment where everyone nearby has a network.  the other possibility is that someone is self-sterilizing by running a microwave with the door open nearby.  check neighborhood for crazies.  nothing in the sky should interfere with WiFi and the only other strong microwave signals are going to be between the rooftops of office buildings.

it's hard to guess what could be causing failures without actually inspecting it - it could be something very small after three years of use, like cracks in traces or solder points from mechanical stress or thermal cycling.  half of consumer routers are built to be junk, so it's probably just time for your forced upgrade

[ReBurn]

it's hard to guess what could be causing failures without actually inspecting it - it could be something very small after three years of use, like cracks in traces or solder points from mechanical stress or thermal cycling.  half of consumer routers are built to be junk, so it's probably just time for your forced upgrade

That's pretty much what I was going to say. A lot of times these things quit because some types of lead-free solder that is mandated these days isn't all that durable over time and ends up becoming brittle due to the heat generated by normal usage. If it cracks at the right (or wrong, I guess) solder point contact connections can cut in and out at different parts of the thermal cycle as circuit boards flex from heat.

[Infobahn]

Wow.   Okay, I will be buying new once I get to AZ.  I have a Verizon USB Key (as does Renae) from work to hold us over.

[Bennyhana]

it's hard to guess what could be causing failures without actually inspecting it - it could be something very small after three years of use, like cracks in traces or solder points from mechanical stress or thermal cycling.  half of consumer routers are built to be junk, so it's probably just time for your forced upgrade

That's pretty much what I was going to say. A lot of times these things quit because some types of lead-free solder that is mandated these days isn't all that durable over time and ends up becoming brittle due to the heat generated by normal usage. If it cracks at the right (or wrong, I guess) solder point contact connections can cut in and out at different parts of the thermal cycle as circuit boards flex from heat.

Dude, I fixed a speaker (a big JBL with two 10" drivers and a horn) the other day that had a tone control on it (which is odd for a speaker, but I digress).  The thing had been dropped so hard that the WIRES between the giant pot and the crossover board had snapped-ALL THREE of them.  I couldn't believe it.  The solder joints on two of them remained intact.  It was an easy fix, though, all I had to do was remove the old wires and replace them with new ones.  I used stranded where they used solid to hopefully avoid a repeat.  Of course, the easiest way to avoid a repeat is not throwing the damn thing around so hard in the first place.

[pumpkineye]

it's hard to guess what could be causing failures without actually inspecting it - it could be something very small after three years of use, like cracks in traces or solder points from mechanical stress or thermal cycling.  half of consumer routers are built to be junk, so it's probably just time for your forced upgrade

That's pretty much what I was going to say. A lot of times these things quit because some types of lead-free solder that is mandated these days isn't all that durable over time and ends up becoming brittle due to the heat generated by normal usage. If it cracks at the right (or wrong, I guess) solder point contact connections can cut in and out at different parts of the thermal cycle as circuit boards flex from heat.

Dude, I fixed a speaker (a big JBL with two 10" drivers and a horn) the other day that had a tone control on it (which is odd for a speaker, but I digress).  The thing had been dropped so hard that the WIRES between the giant pot and the crossover board had snapped-ALL THREE of them.  I couldn't believe it.  The solder joints on two of them remained intact.  It was an easy fix, though, all I had to do was remove the old wires and replace them with new ones.  I used stranded where they used solid to hopefully avoid a repeat.  Of course, the easiest way to avoid a repeat is not throwing the damn thing around so hard in the first place.

I fixed my audio jack cord the other day, because I had tripped over it, and after cutting it open saw a break in all three wires, way below the solder joints.  I went to work soldering it all back together after removing the old stuff, then wrapped it in electrical tape, and it didn't work.  After unwrapping, I found that I had wrapped the exposed copper wire right over the solder joints of the other two, encased wires.  now it works fine, but what a silly mistake that caused me so much frustration.

[CreepyMonkey]

I totally read this topic title as, "WIFE in the House - What's Next."

I came up with all sorts of funny ass comments, then experienced complete let down when I realized that it was WiFi. 

[Infobahn]

Reading, it's FUNdamental!

[ReBurn]

This reminds me that I need to order a new router.

[meredith]

anyone else like the new burger king ad where the king breaks into mcdonalds hq? it's a great way to own up to having the same dull crap as everyone else but still advertise it well.

[sapphirehart]

anyone else like the new burger king ad where the king breaks into mcdonalds hq? it's a great way to own up to having the same dull crap as everyone else but still advertise it well.

the Burger King man really creeps me out