Do Routers Just Go Bad?

About 10 weeks ago, we got a linksys wrt54gs v6 router. We hooked it up to our cable wireless modem, set up wep secutrity and everything was great. In more than two months, I didn't have to reset the router once.

Starting last week, it seems that the router is constantly locking up. I have a dell runninig Vista and my roommate has an apple ibook g4. Nothing has changed on either of our systems.

Symptoms: After rebooting the router, I can connect both systems and have a strong internet connection. For some amount of time, they will both work fine, but several times a day the router will lock up. It will show up a wireless network, but it ends the connection and will not reconnect with any machine until it is rebooted.

There seem to be two things that can cause the router to lock up:
1) When one of the systems goes off the network (goes to sleep or leaves range).

2) Using any bittorrent client (azureus)

Trouble shooting:
- I tried doing a full hard reset of the router.
- I upgraded the firmware

As I mentioned, nothing changed in either one of our systems before we started having this problem. It just seems like the router isn't able to maintain a conistent connection. Is it possible that it is just going bad?

 

It's locking up because you're using azureus. Make sure that you're not using UPnP and setting things up yourself might help.

You may fine installing 3rd party firmware a good fix. Just make sure you get the correct one since you have v6.

http://www.azureuswiki.com/index.php/Bad_routers

I have a wrt54gl, with hyperwrt running. I don't have problems at all. I know DD-WRT will go on yours...

http://www.bitsum.com/openwiking/owbase/ow.asp?WRT54G5%5FCFE

 

Thanks for the quick reply.

I'm not sure if I can totally blame this on azureus. Up until a week ago, I didn't have a single lock-up while I was using azureus.

I find that if I only have one machine connected, then I don't have any problems. The problems only start when both of our computers connect (and then later disconnect). Azureus seems to make the problem a little worse, but I had NO problems with any of this just last week.

I was using UPnP when the problem first surfaced. I have tried both with and without UPnP enabled and it makes no difference.

 

use dd-wrt if you can.

i would also recommend WPA instead of WEP - WEP is unsafe and will be supported less and less as it becomes less important.

as for why it suddenly went bad - I don't know but I do know that yes, it is possible that it suddenly went bad. I had loads of intermittent crashes of my routers in a 4 router wide area wlan setup. different issues from yours for sure, but what i have learned is that in wireless, there's a lot of unpredictability built in.

 

HI guys,
Can somebody please explain why using WEP is unsafe? and how WPA or
WPA2 for that matter is safer. I am new to using wireless routers. I just bought a Netgear router (WGR614 version 7). The Best Buy guy told me it has a "Double Firewall", NAT & SPI. Can u please comment on that.

 

The encryption used for each protocol is different. WEP is notorious for being very easy to crack. In fact, I read a interesting article on WEP encryption today, about how they can now crack a WEP password in less than 2 minutes.

All someone needs to crack a WEP password is to grab packets being sent to and from a router and a laptop that is communicating with it.

 

Can someone (or spaceman2004) explain this? How would UPnP cause a router to need resetting?

 

WEP code has been broken and on the internet, Open not even the under ground. I just read that there is now a complete software package available, free. All you have to do is push the go button. After collecting 50k packets it has a 50% chance of finding the key (less than 1 min). If you collect 85k you chance of getting the key is 95% time less than 2 min. MAC filtering as security is a joke if some on wants in. It is broadcasted in the clear so any scanner can pick them up. WPA uses a different encryption process and most routers have a time base that the key is constantly changing. As with most encryption process the key is the weak link. If you only use 6-8 chr that is a word in a dictionary, you are subjected to brute force attack. I always recommend using All Printable chr Max length allowed. I know if you have at least 20 chr length using all print chr, the crack time @ 100k/sec is 23+yrs. I use to be the cracker had to generate the key. Now with these massive HD a cracker and pre-generate the key then use a data base to fine the needed key. I use to have a web site that calculated cracking time. With WPA changing on a set number the odds of cracking goes way down. WP2 is the second generation of WPA, more secure yet.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2111962,00.asp

NAT :Basicly NAT is a network address translater, meaning that it allows 1 IP to share over multiple ports. This is your router function.

The SPI is Safe Packet Inspection FW, meaning it compares the packet request to the packets received. So if you did not request a packet it will be dropped. Keeps things from being piggy backed to requested packets. SPI is very good firewalls in it self. This does not stop a pc that is infected for accessing the web. Good Software Firewall can stop this if you do no do a system scan and allow everything that is installed free access. This is where a normal users does not know what needs access and what the bad guys are.

I hope this answer you questions. You can google and get more info.

 

Thanks for all of the info. Over the past couple of days, I've found that I can either use azureus one one machine OR connect both machines, but not both at the same time. I really haven't solved the problem, but at least I know how to avoid it. I've read that lots of people have similar problems with this router.

It seems that my problems stem from the fact that linksys chose to downgrade the hardware in versions 5 and 6 of the wrt54gs. I find it to be disingenuous of linksys to substantially downgrade the functiontlity in progressive versions of a product without any explicit statement to the consumer. Next time I'll know to not trust the folks at linksys.

I've also learned that my security is woefully inadequate. I'll defintely be redoing my encryption and passwords this weekend.

Thanks to everyone for their input.

 

If that is the case your router can not support the simotanious connections. Either due to heat or firmware limitations. Call and talk to a Linksys support agent. They may think you have bad hardware or give you a newer firmware to correct the problem. Ever since Linksys moved away from the Linux firmware they can not support multiple/simotanious threads. This guide/chart will help you know why/what to look for next time. Linksys v5 is toward the bottom. V4 test good if you can find them.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/component/option,com_chart/Itemid,189/chart,121/

 

And for your encryption key this is a great generator:
www.grc.com/passwords
It will generate a new set of keys every time you refresh the page. You can use all of the key or part of it.