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The Graveyard - Products No Longer Supported => Routers / COVR => DIR-868L => Topic started by: jlajkosz on September 05, 2014, 02:52:11 PM

Title: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on September 05, 2014, 02:52:11 PM
Hey guys,

I have a problem with two devices in my home connecting to the router. When I reboot the router, I can connect to it with my Samsung Galaxy S3 OS version 4.4.2, as well as the ecobee thermostat that we have in our home, but eventually after some amount of time, both devices stop connecting.

I get two different errors on my phone:

1) Authentication error (bogus, I double and triple checked the code and it's correct)
2) "Network connection disabled. Internet connection is slow." I have the option to retry, and it just goes through the same cycle of "Obtaining IP address..", failing that until it eventually does 1).

The ecobee thermostat says that it successfully communicated with the router, but it is unable to access the internet.

As I indicated above, restarting the router temporarily fixes all these issues. For what it's worth, I had to set the router to "Always Broadcast" mode just for the ecobee thermostat to connect to it at all (among other devices, namely a Sony TV, a wireless printer and my brother's Nintendo 3DS).
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on September 05, 2014, 02:59:27 PM
Link>Welcome! (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=48135.0)


Wireless Configurations
Links>Wireless Installation Considerations (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=48327.0) and Managing Signal Congestion (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=53228.0) and Good Neighbour Policy (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=10634.0)



Router Placement
Forum User - "Well I feel really dumb. After moving the router away from other electronic devices my speeds are back to normal. Just a heads up for anyone experiencing slow speeds, you might want to move it away from other electronics and see if that helps."
3-6' feet minimum safe distance between devices.
Placement on main level floor and central in the building and WELL ventilated is preferred. Not in basements or closets as building materials, or near by electronics devices could interfere or hinder good signal propagation.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on September 05, 2014, 06:41:33 PM
Link>Welcome! (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=48135.0)

  • What Hardware version is your router? Look at sticker under router.
  • Link>What Firmware (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=47512.0) version is currently loaded? Found on the routers web page under status.
  • What region are you located?

Wireless Configurations
Links>Wireless Installation Considerations (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=48327.0) and Managing Signal Congestion (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=53228.0) and Good Neighbour Policy (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=10634.0)
  • Ensure the default (dlink) SSID name is changed. Can be anything and not something that's already in use by any neighboring WiFi routers. Under Setup/Wireless/Manual.
  • What wireless modes are you using?
  • 2.4Ghz Routers only: Try single mode G or N or mixed G and N?
  • Channel Width set for Auto 20/40Mhz or try 20Mhz only.
  • Try setting a manual Channel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_channels) to a open or unused channel. 1, 6 or 11. 11 for single mode N if the channel is clear. 13 for EU regions. Try channel 48 or 149 on 5Ghz.
  • What security mode are you using? Preferred security is WPA-Personal. WPA2/AES Only. Try WPS only. Some WiFi adapters don't support AES (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Encryption_Standard), so you might want to try TPIK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporal_Key_Integrity_Protocol) only or Auto TPIK and AES.
  • Any 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz cordless house phones or WiFi APs near by?
  • Any other WiFi routers in the area? Link> Use InSSIDer (http://www.metageek.net/support/metageek-software-archives/) to find out. How many? Use v3, its free.



Router Placement
Forum User - "Well I feel really dumb. After moving the router away from other electronic devices my speeds are back to normal. Just a heads up for anyone experiencing slow speeds, you might want to move it away from other electronics and see if that helps."
3-6' feet minimum safe distance between devices.
Placement on main level floor and central in the building and WELL ventilated is preferred. Not in basements or closets as building materials, or near by electronics devices could interfere or hinder good signal propagation.

Thanks for the reply. Here is the requested information:

H/W version is A1.
F/W version is 1.04.
I live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
SSID has been changed, and unused by anyone else in the area as far as I am aware.
Wireless modes: Mixed ngb.
Width set at 20/40(auto).
Channel is set to auto.
Security is set to WPA-Personal, with TKIP and AES encryption.
There are no cordless phones in the area.

As far as your last 3 points, the cable modem I have has a built-in wireless router that I have set to bridged mode, and disabled the DHCP on it as well. The router itself is located beside the modem, as well as near 2 computer monitors and 2 computer speakers. I am unsure if any of that would cause signal interference.

For what it's worth, the EXACT same setup I have with respect to the hardware positioning worked perfectly for my old router, a DLink DGL-4500 (had no issues connecting anything to it at any time, replaced it only because it was starting to drop signals a lot due to age). Also checked into InSSIDer, but can't seem to find the free version.

What I don't understand is why my mom's computer, located 2 levels below, my brother's computer, located in the room next to mine, my Sony TV, located in the same room as my mom's computer, my brother's 3DS, located wherever he happens to play it at the time, and virtually every other device in my house has no issues whatsoever accessing the internet.. except for these two. I suspect the issue lies in some sort of compatibility problem between the phone/thermostat and the router itself, but I'm no expert so.. dunno.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on September 05, 2014, 07:02:30 PM

Thanks for the reply. Here is the requested information:

H/W version is A1.
F/W version is 1.04. There is more recent FW however lets see if the suggestions below help any before updating FW.
I live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
SSID has been changed, and unused by anyone else in the area as far as I am aware.
Wireless modes: Mixed ngb. Try Mixed G and N.
Width set at 20/40(auto).
Channel is set to auto.
Security is set to WPA-Personal, with TKIP and AES encryption. Try WPA/TKIP only as a test. Then try WPA2 only and TKIP only.
There are no cordless phones in the area.

As far as your last 3 points, the cable modem I have has a built-in wireless router that I have set to bridged mode, and disabled the DHCP on it as well. The router itself is located beside the modem, as well as near 2 computer monitors and 2 computer speakers. I am unsure if any of that would cause signal interference.

For what it's worth, the EXACT same setup I have with respect to the hardware positioning worked perfectly for my old router, a DLink DGL-4500 (had no issues connecting anything to it at any time, replaced it only because it was starting to drop signals a lot due to age). Also checked into InSSIDer, but can't seem to find the free version. Use v3, it's free.

What I don't understand is why my mom's computer, located 2 levels below, my brother's computer, located in the room next to mine, my Sony TV, located in the same room as my mom's computer, my brother's 3DS, located wherever he happens to play it at the time, and virtually every other device in my house has no issues whatsoever accessing the internet.. except for these two. I suspect the issue lies in some sort of compatibility problem between the phone/thermostat and the router itself, but I'm no expert so.. dunno. How old are these units? Possible could be a wireless incompatibility issue.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on September 05, 2014, 07:20:54 PM
Thanks for the reply. Here is the requested information:

H/W version is A1.
F/W version is 1.04. There is more recent FW however lets see if the suggestions below help any before updating FW.
I live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
SSID has been changed, and unused by anyone else in the area as far as I am aware.
Wireless modes: Mixed ngb. Try Mixed G and N.
Width set at 20/40(auto).
Channel is set to auto.
Security is set to WPA-Personal, with TKIP and AES encryption. Try WPA/TKIP only as a test. Then try WPA2 only and TKIP only.
There are no cordless phones in the area.

As far as your last 3 points, the cable modem I have has a built-in wireless router that I have set to bridged mode, and disabled the DHCP on it as well. The router itself is located beside the modem, as well as near 2 computer monitors and 2 computer speakers. I am unsure if any of that would cause signal interference.

For what it's worth, the EXACT same setup I have with respect to the hardware positioning worked perfectly for my old router, a DLink DGL-4500 (had no issues connecting anything to it at any time, replaced it only because it was starting to drop signals a lot due to age). Also checked into InSSIDer, but can't seem to find the free version. Use v3, it's free.

What I don't understand is why my mom's computer, located 2 levels below, my brother's computer, located in the room next to mine, my Sony TV, located in the same room as my mom's computer, my brother's 3DS, located wherever he happens to play it at the time, and virtually every other device in my house has no issues whatsoever accessing the internet.. except for these two. I suspect the issue lies in some sort of compatibility problem between the phone/thermostat and the router itself, but I'm no expert so.. dunno. How old are these units? Possible could be a wireless incompatibility issue.


The first thing I tried was changing the 2.4 GHz band (the problem band) to mixed ng, and that seemed to solve it. My phone was able to reconnect immediately without issues. Still waiting to see if the thermostat is OK, but I imagine it is. It remains to be seen if the problem will persist, as rebooting the router solves the issue for a time as well.

What's interesting is that if anything in this house should have compatibility issues due to being outdated, it should be the printer (>5 years old), the TV (>3), and my mom's laptop (>3). The thermostat was installed last year, and the phone is about 2 years old with the most up to date firmware.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on September 05, 2014, 07:23:08 PM
Seen issues with Samsung phones before. I have never see an Ecobee thermostat before so I don't know it's properties.

Give it a day or two them come back and let us know...
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on September 05, 2014, 07:27:53 PM
Seen issues with Samsung phones before. I have never see an Ecobee thermostat before so I don't know it's properties.

Give it a day or two them come back and let us know...

Will do. Thanks! :)
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on September 05, 2014, 07:32:33 PM
Have a great weekend.  ;D
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on September 10, 2014, 03:23:07 PM
Have a great weekend.  ;D

It's been a few days and this fix seems to be holding up. I've had a couple instances of my phone dropping the signal, but I blame that on the phone's really crappy wifi adapter more than anything else - in some cases, even with different routers, I'll get 2-3 bars or less, even if the phone is right beside the router!

Regardless, thanks a lot for your help! :)
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting. (RESOLVED)
Post by: FurryNutz on September 10, 2014, 04:08:17 PM
Glad it' working better now.

Enjoy.  ;)
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting. (RESOLVED)
Post by: jlajkosz on September 15, 2014, 09:48:32 AM
Glad it' working better now.

Enjoy.  ;)

Well, it WAS, but it stopped working again yesterday. Any other suggestions at this point?
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on September 15, 2014, 09:55:02 AM
Dang,

Lets do this, download the most recent version of FW from here:
http://support.dlink.ca/ProductInfo.aspx?m=DIR-868L (http://support.dlink.ca/ProductInfo.aspx?m=DIR-868L)

Do a factory reset with one wired LAN PC under Tools/System. Turn OFF all other devices, including Wifi devices. After the reset, skip the setup wizard and go directly to Tools/Firmware. Send the FW .bin file to the router using IE or FF with out any browser add-ons please. After the router processes the file, log in and go to Tools/System and do one more factory reset.
FW Update Process (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=42457.0)

After the router comes back to ready, either use the set up wizard or manually set up the router from scratch...
Let us know if this helps any...
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on September 15, 2014, 03:28:46 PM
Dang,

Lets do this, download the most recent version of FW from here:
http://support.dlink.ca/ProductInfo.aspx?m=DIR-868L (http://support.dlink.ca/ProductInfo.aspx?m=DIR-868L)

Do a factory reset with one wired LAN PC under Tools/System. Turn OFF all other devices, including Wifi devices. After the reset, skip the setup wizard and go directly to Tools/Firmware. Send the FW .bin file to the router using IE or FF with out any browser add-ons please. After the router processes the file, log in and go to Tools/System and do one more factory reset.
FW Update Process (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=42457.0)

After the router comes back to ready, either use the set up wizard or manually set up the router from scratch...
Let us know if this helps any...

I'll try this tomorrow, when I'm home by myself. :) Thanks for the tips.

EDIT: So I went ahead and did this, and even changed the network IP as well as the WPA passphrase. I'm sure it'll work for the short term, but I suspect that I may need to send the router in for service or replacement.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on September 15, 2014, 06:07:53 PM
Let us know how it goes...
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on September 15, 2014, 08:42:57 PM
Let us know how it goes...

Thanks, I will.

Regardless of how this turns out, you've been a HUGE help and I really appreciate the time you've taken to give me a hand! Kudos to you.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on September 16, 2014, 07:18:46 AM
Here to help and hope we can get it working for you.  ;)
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on October 05, 2014, 10:27:22 AM
Here to help and hope we can get it working for you.  ;)

OK so, I think I may have identified the issue. My mom's laptop's internet was barely working at all while on the 2.4 GHz band, but the 5 GHz band worked almost immediately. Same thing with my phone.

It seems there's some kind of issue with the 2.4 GHz band. Any ideas?
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on October 06, 2014, 07:32:16 AM
Do all devices have problems connecting to the 2.4Ghz radio?
What wireless modes and settings are you currently using on the 2.4Ghz radio?
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on October 06, 2014, 04:27:41 PM
Do all devices have problems connecting to the 2.4Ghz radio?
What wireless modes and settings are you currently using on the 2.4Ghz radio?

Yep, every single device in the house has issues with the 2.4 GHz band. Whenever I change a setting on it, it works fine for a bit, but then it slowly starts to degrade. I don't even have that many devices connected to it, up until now it was only 2 that actually used it on a regular basis.

Settings:

Wireless is always enabled
Mixed 802.11n and g
Auto Channel Scan enabled
Transmission rate set at best (auto)
Channel width set at 20/40 (auto)
Status is visible
Uses auto (WPA/WPA-2) and TKP/AES
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on October 06, 2014, 04:31:41 PM
Yep, every single device in the house has issues with the 2.4 GHz band. Whenever I change a setting on it, it works fine for a bit, but then it slowly starts to degrade. I don't even have that many devices connected to it, up until now it was only 2 that actually used it on a regular basis.

Settings:

Wireless is always enabled
Mixed 802.11n and g
Auto Channel Scan enabled
Transmission rate set at best (auto)
Channel width set at 20/40 (auto)
Status is visible
Uses auto (WPA/WPA-2) and TKP/AES Can you try WPA2 Only? Then try WPA2 and AES only? Then try WPA only with Mixed TPIK only?
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on October 06, 2014, 06:51:12 PM
Yep, every single device in the house has issues with the 2.4 GHz band. Whenever I change a setting on it, it works fine for a bit, but then it slowly starts to degrade. I don't even have that many devices connected to it, up until now it was only 2 that actually used it on a regular basis.

Settings:

Wireless is always enabled
Mixed 802.11n and g
Auto Channel Scan enabled
Transmission rate set at best (auto)
Channel width set at 20/40 (auto)
Status is visible
Uses auto (WPA/WPA-2) and TKP/AES Can you try WPA2 Only? Then try WPA2 and AES only? Then try WPA only with Mixed TPIK only?

All 3 of them? It might take me a couple weeks to get back to you with the results, because like I said, when I change settings, it seems to fix it for a bit, then slowly degrades again.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on October 06, 2014, 07:01:49 PM
Sounds like either might be some sort of interference or compatibility issue. Possibly a HW issue with the router which may need to be RMAd.  :-\

Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on October 12, 2014, 07:46:14 PM
Sounds like either might be some sort of interference or compatibility issue. Possibly a HW issue with the router which may need to be RMAd.  :-\

We shall see. I changed to WPA2 only with AES and it fixed the band almost immediately. We'll see if it does the same thing again.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on October 19, 2014, 11:57:53 AM
Keep us posted...
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on November 18, 2014, 08:43:43 AM
FYI: http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=61064.0 (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=61064.0)
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on November 30, 2014, 05:15:00 PM
FYI: http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=61064.0 (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=61064.0)

Sorry for not responding for so long! Been so busy!

I will try updating the FW again and see if that helps at all. Nothing else I have tried up to this point has resolved the issue.

For my reference, how can I begin the RMA process? If this FW update does not resolve the issue, I believe that will be the next step for me.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on November 30, 2014, 05:20:41 PM
Yes. Keep us posted.
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: jlajkosz on December 11, 2014, 05:15:52 PM
Yes. Keep us posted.

Well it's been nearly two weeks and the router is still working. I don't want to jinx myself or anything but it looks like the FW update may have done the trick.. hopefully. :)
Title: Re: Trouble with devices connecting.
Post by: FurryNutz on December 12, 2014, 07:19:00 AM
Glad it's working better. Let us know if you have any more problems.

 ;)