Home DSL\Cable Routers

[bustr]

Here is something to think about that I just went through.

I just replaced a Netgear FVS114 router. It finally experienced the dreaded wan port lockup. Supposedly this router has a problem with vpn connections that netgear never really fixed. You only find out about it on blogs like DSL Reports. Netgear only tells you to update the firmware which I had done before the lockup. After the lockup its overall performance started to suffer and it would drop firewall rules without warning along with repeated connection drops to the ISP. The replacement router is a Lynksis BEFSR41.

Now with the Lynksis my wife can download hundreds of pictures and profiles from the SPCA and animal rescue sites with no LONG strange delays. When I trace route to the game server with pingplotter my lost packets and round trip time has improved considerably. I performed a speed test of my netgear router just before I replaced it. Uploads in the 1200's and download around 400. With my new router my uploads are in the 1600's and downloads mid to high 400's.

I'm wondering about several things from this.

1. When I performed the auto setup with the new router it received DNS server addresses that were different from those given to me in my SBCGlobal starter kit. This can be part of what  has improved my wife's browsing experience. I would conjecture its a good idea to occasionally see if your ISP over time updates it's DNS servers lists that you can use in your router setup.

2. My speed tests on the two routers can indicate over time you might want to perform regular speed tests to see if you are getting slower results as the router ages. Keep in mind a trend of ruduced speed can be from many sources other than your router. Skuzzy would have better insight to this than myself. In my case I now see improved speed and results from pingplotter. My last month of continuous AH play with my netgear router seemed to me like a rubber bullet convention. This adds an item to look at with the question that only the player can research: What is the real source of my perceived rubber bullets? Maybe Skuzzy can suggest ways to test your home router to eliminate it as a problem.

From different home router blogs I got the impression that home routers have a life span of dead on arrival to about 5 years now that most of them are being produced in China. Also if you don't change your default password there are many sites that publish lists of ID and passwords for most home routers.

Please do not look at what I've written here as an encouragement to replace your router to get better performance. This is just information to help you if you are currently looking into connection problems.

[Fulmar]

I don't think I'll ever go back to use just a off the shelf router again.  For the last 4 years I've used a mix of Monowall, IPCop, and currently ClarkConnect on old PC machines to handle all my firewall and routing needs.  I do use a D-LINK wireless router, but its configured to be a wireless access point.

The customization is far greater than what you can do with a off the shelf one, plus frequent firmware and snort list updates can far out due normal security.  But there are draw backs to these linux firewalls.  You're using an old PC for these setups, so the risk of hardware failure is much more so if you're using old parts, especially PSU's and hard drives.  Power draw is greater.  ClarkConnect requires at least a 500mhz PC and 512mb of RAM (though IPCop and monowall can be run on 386's IIRC).  My current box is an XP 2000+, 1gb RAM, 2 20gb and 2 40gb HD's.  At idle she draws about 100-110 watts (CPU usage rarely go past 5%), compare that to a 10-15 watt linkysys box.

[llama]

If you're even just a little technical, then I would wholeheartedly recommend any of the wireless routers that can have their firmware flashed to the Linux-based, open-sourced DDWRT software.

I'm still using a 2 or 3 year old Linksys WRT54G here in my home office, where it not only provides wireless access for my wireless notebooks and about 10 desktop PCs, but it also firewalls, allows passthrough for my internet-facing server (which handles http, https, imap, pop3, SMTP, ftp, and about 10 other unusual ports for things like P2P and such), handles VPN, and works as an SSL-encrypted proxy server for providing me with an unmonitorable link for websurfing from offices and such.

It consumes about 10 watts, has no moving parts, and since they're so cheap, I can keep a spare on hand if it ever breaks (I got a few factory refirbs at fry's for $30 last year), or I can get new ones for under $100.

According my my router's status page, it has been on without a reboot for 289 days.

When I have a client with spotty broadband or wireless connections, these days I do the following: get a UPS to provide power to the modem and router, and swap the router with one that runs DDWRT. The problems generally disappear after this.

Food for thought...

-Llama

[TheZohan]

i dont know about you but i tend to flood out alot of the routers i have used. instead i have always used the dual nic's and a hub setup to share my connection to a network. if i need wireless i just throw a access point on the hub.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I've had major trouble with consumer level routers too. Linksys for example crashed whenever I pinged any site and sometimes during gaming. Telewell requires constant booting or dhcp malfunctions / connection speed drops etc etc.

Situation has been a bit better after I got a HP small office gigabit switch on the side but the telewell is still the only box that has been able to provide a stable wireless network to my house. I've tried 4 other devices and even boosting directional antennas to no avail. So either I have to live without wireless or keep rebooting the TW-510.

[llama]

I've had major trouble with consumer level routers too. Linksys for example crashed whenever I pinged any site and sometimes during gaming. Telewell requires constant booting or dhcp malfunctions / connection speed drops etc etc.

Situation has been a bit better after I got a HP small office gigabit switch on the side but the telewell is still the only box that has been able to provide a stable wireless network to my house. I've tried 4 other devices and even boosting directional antennas to no avail. So either I have to live without wireless or keep rebooting the TW-510.

Try a router that's compatible with DDWRT and give it a try.

-Llama

[bustr]

If you're even just a little technical, then I would wholeheartedly recommend any of the wireless routers that can have their firmware flashed to the Linux-based, open-sourced DDWRT software.

I'm still using a 2 or 3 year old Linksys WRT54G here in my home office, where it not only provides wireless access for my wireless notebooks and about 10 desktop PCs, but it also firewalls, allows passthrough for my internet-facing server (which handles http, https, imap, pop3, SMTP, ftp, and about 10 other unusual ports for things like P2P and such), handles VPN, and works as an SSL-encrypted proxy server for providing me with an unmonitorable link for websurfing from offices and such.

It consumes about 10 watts, has no moving parts, and since they're so cheap, I can keep a spare on hand if it ever breaks (I got a few factory refirbs at fry's for $30 last year), or I can get new ones for under $100.

According my my router's status page, it has been on without a reboot for 289 days.

When I have a client with spotty broadband or wireless connections, these days I do the following: get a UPS to provide power to the modem and router, and swap the router with one that runs DDWRT. The problems generally disappear after this.

Food for thought...

-Llama

I thought about a wirless router. But then my router and DSL modem sits next to my PC just above my monitor. If my wife starts working from home though, I think I'll evict her from my computer room to the dineing room and get something that is DDWRT compatable. Right now I just want the cons to hold steady while I shoot them.....