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[Psychonaut]

Greetings.

I have a D-Link DIR-600 router, running the latest firmware (Hardware Version: Bx; Firmware Version: 2.18).  I'm having a strange problem with wireless connectivity which happens with several different devices.

After the router has been turned on or rebooted, I can use a wireless device to connect to the router's WiFi.  The connection will work normally for some time -- this could be anywhere from several minutes to several hours.  During this period I can even disconnect and successfully reconnect the device from the WiFi network.

However, at some point the connection will stop working properly.  Both the client device and the router continue to show an active WiFi connection. (For example, on GNU/Linux devices, ifconfig confirms that the device is still connected and that it has a valid IP address from the router.  And if I log into the router's web interface from another device, I can see the first device and its IP in the list of active wireless connections.)  However, the router ceases to respond to any network traffic from the device.  I cannot even ping any other device on the local network, nor even the router itself.  If I disconnect the device, I am able to reconnect -- the router gives it its usual IP address via DHCP -- but the router still won't respond to any further network traffic from the device.

The problem happens only with wireless connections, not wired ones.  If a device's wireless connection goes dead, I can always plug it in with a physical cable and there will be network traffic over the wired connection.

Once a wireless connection goes dead in this manner, the only way of fixing it is to reboot the router (by logging into the web interface from another device) or by turning the router off and then on again.

I am pretty sure this is a problem with the router rather than with the client devices I am using.  I can reproduce it consistently with three different laptops, all using different operating systems and network cards.  However, I have several other wireless devices which have never experienced this problem with this router.

The router's wireless settings have always been as follows:

Enable Wireless: checked / Always
Enable Auto Channel Selection: checked
Transmission Rate: Best (automatic)
Wireless Mode: 802.11 Mixed(n/g/b)
Band Width: 20/40 MHz (auto)
Enable Hidden Wireless: unchecked

All devices connecting to the router have IPs reserved via DHCP.

Does anyone know what the problem might be or how to fix it?

[FurryNutz]

Link>Welcome!

• What region are you located?
• Has a Factory Reset been performed?
• Was a Factory Reset performed before and after any firmware updates then set up from scratch?

  Link> >FW Update Process

• Was the router working before any firmware updates?

Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

• What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?
• What ISP Modem Mfr. and model # do you have?

Wireless Configurations
Links>Wireless Installation Considerations and Managing Signal Congestion and Good Neighbour Policy

• Ensure the default (dlink) SSID name is changed. Can be anything and not something that's already in use by any neighbouring WiFi routers. Under Setup/Wireless/Manual.
• 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 to a open or unused channel. 1, 6 or 11. 11 for single mode N if the channel is clear. 13 for EU regions.
• What security mode are you using? Preferred security is WPA-Personal. WPA2/AES Only. Some WiFi adapters don't support AES, so you might want to try TPIK only or Auto TPIK and AES.
• What wireless devices do you have connected?
• Ensure any devices with WiFi adapter drivers are updated.
• Any 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz cordless house phones or WiFi APs near by that maybe causing interferences?
• Any other WiFi routers in the area that maybe causing interferences? Link> Use InSSIDer to find out. How many? Use v3, its free.
• If you have any of these options, Try turning OFF or ON Short GI, WLAN Partition, Extra Wireless Protection and HT 20/40 Co-existence for single mode N, if you have it. Also testing with HT20/40Mhz Co-existence enabled will impact results as well. I prefer to use this option OFF. Recommended settings are default. Under Advanced/Advanced Wireless.

• Turn off WISH, and WPS under Advanced if these are seen.

[Psychonaut]

Thanks for your message.  I can respond to your queries as follows:

Link>Welcome!

• What region are you located?

Germany.

• Has a Factory Reset been performed?

No.

• Was a Factory Reset performed before and after any firmware updates then set up from scratch?

No.

• Was the router working before any firmware updates?

No, it has always been like this.

Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

• What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?

Cable through UnityMedia.

• What ISP Modem Mfr. and model # do you have?

Cisco EPC3212.

Wireless Configurations
Links>Wireless Installation Considerations and Managing Signal Congestion and Good Neighbour Policy

• Ensure the default (dlink) SSID name is changed. Can be anything and not something that's already in use by any neighbouring WiFi routers. Under Setup/Wireless/Manual.

Yes, it's been changed.

• 2.4Ghz Routers only: Try single mode G or N or mixed G and N?

I've tried only Mixed N/G/B mode.

• Channel Width set for Auto 20/40Mhz or try 20Mhz only.

I haven't tried 20 MHz only but can test this.

• Try setting a manual Channel to a open or unused channel. 1, 6 or 11. 11 for single mode N if the channel is clear. 13 for EU regions.

Already tried changing the channel.

• What security mode are you using? Preferred security is WPA-Personal. WPA2/AES Only. Some WiFi adapters don't support AES, so you might want to try TPIK only or Auto TPIK and AES.

WPA/WPA2 Wireless Security (mixed mode).

• What wireless devices do you have connected?

The problem always occurs with the following wireless devices, even when they are the only wireless device connected to the router:

• Intel PRO/Wireless 220BG
• AR9462 Wireless Network Adapter
• Realtek WLAN controller

The problem never occurs with the following wireless devices:

• RaLink RT2860
• Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
• various handheld devices (smartphones and tablets)

• Ensure any devices with WiFi adapter drivers are updated.

Yes, all affected devices are running the latest available drivers.

• Any 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz cordless house phones or WiFi APs near by that maybe causing interferences?

No.

• Any other WiFi routers in the area that maybe causing interferences? Link> Use InSSIDer to find out. How many? Use v3, its free.

That tool is proprietary and is not available for my operating system.

• If you have any of these options, Try turning OFF or ON Short GI, WLAN Partition, Extra Wireless Protection and HT 20/40 Co-existence for single mode N, if you have it. Also testing with HT20/40Mhz Co-existence enabled will impact results as well. I prefer to use this option OFF. Recommended settings are default. Under Advanced/Advanced Wireless.

• Turn off WISH, and WPS under Advanced if these are seen.

Haven't tried any of these.  I have settings for Short GI and HT 20/40 Coexistence so I could test changing these.


You've given me several settings to try, and it may be several days before I can test all of them.  (Often my connection problems happen only after several hours of use.)  In the meantime, do my answers to your questions help narrow down the possible causes of the problem?

[FurryNutz]

A factory reset is recommended and set up from scratch and try the suggestions.

Let us know how it goes when you can.

[Psychonaut]

A factory reset is recommended and set up from scratch and try the suggestions.

Let us know how it goes when you can.

OK, I've performed a factory reset and re-entered all my settings manually.  I'll see whether the problem is still reproducible.  If so, I'll try changing the settings one at a time to see if any of them help, and will report back here.

[FurryNutz]

Give Mixed G and N mode a try.
Can you use any wif analyzer to see who's near by and what channels are being used?
Go head and set channel 13 if you have it.

[Psychonaut]

OK, after using the router for a while after the factory reset and manual reconfiguration to my original settings, the connection is still going dead.

Give Mixed G and N mode a try.

I don't have that option.  I have only the following:

• 802.11n only
• 802.11 Mixed(g/b)
• 802.11 Mixed(n/g/b)

Go head and set channel 13 if you have it.

OK, I'm trying this now.  We'll see if it works any better.

Can you use any wif analyzer to see who's near by and what channels are being used?

LinSSID detects 17 other networks.  Mine is the strongest, with a signal of -25; the next strongest is at -72.  There are three networks using channel 1, one using channel 3, one using channel 4, five using channel 6, one using channel 8, one using channel 10, three using channel 11, and two using channel 12.  I am the only one on channel 13.

[FurryNutz]

Ok, try single mode N, WPA2/AES only. Channel width to Auto. Might try 20Mhz only. Your in a wifi congested area so it maybe that the router is stopping due to this.

[Psychonaut]

Ok, try single mode N, WPA2/AES only. Channel width to Auto. Might try 20Mhz only. Your in a wifi congested area so it maybe that the router is stopping due to this.

I haven't been using my wireless devices so much lately, but so far this seems to be working.  Haven't had any unexpected disconnections yet.  Thanks for your help.

[FurryNutz]

Glad it's working better. Enjoy.