linksys WRT610N & intel 4965 issues

I have a m1330 wit the intel 4965 and I i just bought the WRT610N I am having alot of issues wit the 5ghz part. And just wanted to know if its a faulty router or its this model. i have to other laptops running on the G side at 2.4GHz and my laptop running on the N on 5ghz. I have the router right outside my bedroom in the hallway and i drop from 270mbps to 243mbps. Also under high loads it contantly disconnects. Like if I am downloading torrents and I go to browse the web it disconnects. I have the dlink dir-655 for about a wk and didnt have this problem even though it only connected at 130mbps it never dropped connection. But i returned it to get this router thinking I would have alot better distance and connection wit the dual mode but the 5GHz side is horrible is anyone else having issues with this. I am thinking if should keep this and hold out for a fix since i got this on sale for $150 or go back to the dlink that only cost $100

 

View my reply to this thread. I suggest you try another brand, i had the same issue and it would appear that Lynksys are just not man enough

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=284266

 

Yea because I bought this router thinking it was future proof, and i cant even do anything serious with it besides browse the web. I think I might have to go back to my dir-655 because does anyone know how often linksys usually brings out firmware or fixes?

 

Before Cisco bought Linksys out, I used to have fairly good service from them.

Afterwards it's always been a disaster whenever I have a problem. The tech support people I've talked to don't know their own products half of the time, the updates are excruciatingly slow to show, and they drop support for it like a hot rock once a NEW product comes along, whether they've fixed the (sometimes serious) bugs or not. Can you tell I have a bad taste in my mouth?

That's just my experience... other people I've talked to rave about 'em. Maybe they've lucked out and not bought the (whacked out) products I have.

BTW, I'm an old EE with a long history of networking experience, so I frequently understand the issues better than some wet-behind-the-ears tech support kid.

 

FYI - I've had that router well over a year now. On 24/7 and NEVER an issue!

Initially setting up the parameters in the router was touchy. Just go slow,
use AES, download the latest INTEL drivers and let WINDOWS manage your wifi.

Don't bother with that Linksys CD software at all. Best router I ever had. Consistent 290 mbps and through walls.

IBM T61p Vista 64

 

I thought the 610N had just come out? Yeah I just checked cNet and it was released on 07/02//2008 so I'm guessing you're talking about another router.

Anyways I'm really interested in it. It's gonna replace my Netgear which only broadcast g signals...and the reviews have mostly been positive. Plus I'm sure that the inevitable firmware update will make it an even BETTER router in the future.

 

well I returned the wrt610n couldn't take anymore of the drop connection I played around with it more thinking maybe I was getting interference on the 5GHz radio but still after downloading some torrents after about 15 mins it disconnects and I go check the routher and the wireless icon wasnt lighting up. also i only got 270mbps right next 2 the router if i went in my room on the same floor it dropped to 216-243mbps and when i went 1 floor down dropped to 130mbps and was horriable outside. Went back to the dir-665 and hasnt had a dropped connection yet and getting 130mbps on any floor i am on. I just went wish the dir-855 wasn't so expensive I would buy that 1 instead. Also is there a limit on average of how many computers can be on a standard router before the signal starts getting weaker. Because I am running 4-5 laptops all on wireless and only 2 have the N cards.

 

My apologies!! I have the wrt600N . The one that looks like a mini radar station. Works fine.

 

just to let u know, the 5ghz channel does not penetrate thru walls as well as the 2.4ghz channel.

lol @ mini radar station.

alot of people see my wrt350n and go, "wtf is that thing???"

 

Do you use the USB drive functionality on it?

 

If the issue is the 5GHz, then just don't use that option. Regarding torrents is concerned, I would not blame the router for that, perhaps you need to fine tune the router, read the manual, but your WRT610N is certainly an excellent router.

 

Honestly i think its was just the router but, hey its news bugs probably have to be worked out of it. Because I have the dir-655 and havent had a dropped connection since. and get the full 130mbps throughout my 3 floor house. I know i don't have the 5ghz radio now. but on the wrt610n i had issues with the 2.4ghz radio also with lots of dropped connection on heavy loads. On the dlink i am getting 300-700mbps and no drops where with the linksys it would dropout after around 400mbps for any period of time and even then wireless icon on the router would be out. Ill give it a couple of months and sell my dlink if i findout there isnt any issues with the linksys

 

I just picked up the WRT610N last week. One of the first ones in Canada! Terrific router overall and I do use the NAS part of it too. It's a bit cumbersome as far as storage setup goes but seems to be working well so far. The weird things about this particular NAS are:

• Default 'Admin' user name and p/w has to be used to access the drive even if the password for the router has been changed by the user.
• Password always has too be re-entered in order to access drive if computer is rebooted.
• FAT32 is the only format supported???

There is actually very little info about the 610 on the 'net, even on the Linksys forums. I've sent an email to Linksys/Cisco about the NAS issues and some other quirks such as the useless Setup Wizard utility. Hopefully they'll respond and eventually provide firmware updates soon.

 

hey,

congrats on yur purchase. i was wonderin how yur connections speeds were lookin, when the router was workin properly? i also had similar problems, as u, with my WRT350n. i just hated the OEM firmware that came with it. hope they come out with a firmware update that will remedy those problems.

 

I have done a lot of diagnosis on the wrt610n and concluded that when you have both 5GHz (N mode) and 2.4GHz (mixed, G, etc.) on, the 5GHz band will drop when you initiate large file transfers. This can probably be fixed with a new firmware, but I don't know if Linksys is even aware of it. I know that the folks at dd-wrt are working on the router so hopefully we can use that instead.

My solution is to disable the 2.4Ghz band completely on the wrt610n, and use an old G router as a bridge to connect the G clients. It has been working fine for me ever since.

 

I cannot help you with the distance problem, but I had the same problem with periodic disconnects and disconnects with high traffic (streaming with a Media Center). Linksys replace the router, but I still had problems. I found a blog from a Tech type that told me the problem was the device overheating - a problem with poor design. This tech and several other people on the thread suggests placing the device on a laptop "chill pad. I purchased a Targus AWE23US Stow-N-Go Chill Mat™ for Laptops. It is powered by any USB port. Runs silent and fits the WRT610 PERFECTLY - not oversized. As a result the WRT610M runs cool at all times... I've tried to replicate the original problem streaming movies and using the internet running some large downloads. So far no problems and it has been 6-weeks now. Hope this helps.

 

What firmware is your WRT610N running?

Anyways, the WRT610N has always been stable for me, on both radio bands. I have a Gateway with that Intel 4965 card, and it never gave me any connection issues with the WRT610N. Are your wifi drivers up to date?

One thing I know is that the wireless range on the 5ghz band is a lot less than the 2.4, something about not passing through walls as easily.

 

Hey all...I've posted regarding this router before and I just randomly searched to see if there was any update on it...

I currently have my HP Laptop setup and connected to the Linksys WRT610N.
using a Wireless N adapter (Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN). Anyways I just wanted to see if there was anyone who could help me with getting my connection speed up. It's connected at the 5.0 GHz bandwidth (or is frequency)?

Anyways I used to only get 130 Mbps with it. After just recently upgrading the firmware on the router I NOW get 150...which is improvement although a small one.

However I've seen posts (including several within this thread) where people are getting up to 270 Mbps....and I would REALLY like to be able to get that kinda of super fast connection. So I was wondering what special settings do you guys have for your router and if there is anything I can do to get my speed up?

 

By the looks of it, you should just have to enable AES/WPA2-AES security in your router's security settings and then connect using AES with your network card. The bottom line is you have to enable AES of some sort to get the max throughput.

However, you probably won't notice a speed difference unless you are transfering files within your own network, even though the connection speed will show an increased number (usually 270-300Mbps).

 

I'm sorry but I'm confused. I looked at my settings and I thought I have what you're saying but I just want to make sure....

Here are the choices......

Security Mode:
1) WPA2-Personal
2) WPA2-Enterprise

Encryption:
1) AES
2) WPA-TKP OR WPA2-AES

The choices in Italics are MY CURRENT settings....

What are the settings you recommend?

Thanks for the clarification....

One last thing: For Channel Width I have it set to 40 MHz only...is that good or bad? The other choices are

1) 20MHz only
2) Auto (20MHz or 40MHz)

 

On the router, choose 1 and 1 from above for both 2.4 and 5 GHz. Your channel width is fine.

On you card's wireless settings, choose WPA-2 Personal and AES.

Give each band a separate ID, and make sure you are connecting to the 5 GHz band.

This should get it done for you.

 

I had 1 and 1 for the 5GHz...

I'm not sure how to get to my card's wireless settings in Vista...I've tried going into the Network & Sharing Center and then clicking on "Manage Network Connections". I see the wireless adapter and then I right click and hit properties. Which brings up another page but I don't see anything that allows me to see if I have WPA2-Personal and AES selected for the card....

 

I'm at work, using XP at the moment...god I hate it. Anyway, if i remember correctly in Vista, in Network and Sharing center, it's easier to click on the current connection(roughly in the middle on far right of that screen). It should bring up a details page, that then lets you got to properties and security.

If that doesn't get you where you want, I'll check when I get home from work this afternoon.

 

Lol thanks....

One other note. I went to Intel's website and I downloaded the latest driver for the Intel WiFi Link 5100 and after I had done it I noticed something.

Now when I go to Wireless Network Connection Status after clicking on "View Status" in the N&S Center my speed now seems to switch between

150 Mbps --- 216 Mbps --- 243 Mbps

So hopefully that's a step in the right direction. Although it seems to stay on 150 most of the time...

 

If that is the case, then all your settings are correct or you wouldn't be getting above 130-150. Go back into the router and change the 5GHz channel settings, experimenting for best results. I think there are 4, with subchannels(actual broadcast frequency) under each. Think I have mine set on the 40 or 50 something channel. I'll let you know when I get home.

Distance from router and interference on channels poses similar problems on these as older G routers. Different frequencies will more than likely provide better results than others.

I have the 610N BTW, so I'm not sending you on a wild goose chase. I'm no expert, but have played with it enough to know how to get it working right.

 

home now: wide channel 46, standard channel 48-5.240 GHz...try that and see how that works. BTW, how far are you from the router?

 

It's in the very next room. A wall is inbetween.

 

There are several things you need to do - one is set your 4965 to N Enabled (Assuming you're using all N or Dual-Band N devices) and set your Channels and Mode settings properly. If it's taken 3 pages, you're not getting it done or your not getting the right info. Sorry people - I deal with this a lot and I've got both a 600N and a 4965.

Settings between your Router and the Adapter are absolutely critical for both signal and speed - the wrong setting can have a difference of as much as 100mbps.

If you haven't yet done so, go to the Linksys Support site and download the current firmware update for your Router. Even if you already have the current revision, download it anyway. Linksys Support standard procedure is to flash the firmware on any Linksys device if there's a problem. You should know that there's currently a Beta test going on for the next firmware update for the 610 also. It just started, so it should be ready within several weeks.

Before beginning, go to the Administration Panel of your Router, save your Configuration settings to your HD, then go through the Firmware Flash (update) utility, using the update/revision you downloaded from Linksys. If you don't save your settings, you could lose them in the Flash. It usually keeps them, but sometimes some get "lost".

Once complete, do a Restore Configurations just to make sure, then go through the settings below.

Keep in mind that the 4965 will only access the 5ghz band at A speeds - it's not setup to utilize Dual-Band functions like the newer Intel units are.

Encrypted Security and Wireless N do not work well together - they never have. Yes, I'm sure there are a lot of arguments to the contrary, but I'm telling you what my experience has been with Wireless N Linksys Routers since they came out. I also do a lot of online gaming, and it's well known that WPA causes a lot of gaming server drops. Instead, turn it off and use MAC Address Filtering, unless you do a lot of banking or send a lot of personal information regularly over your connection. MAC filtering works by access only - only those devices on the filter list will be granted access to the Router and your network.

INTEL 4965AGN ADAPTER SETTINGS
Set your 4965 settings to these first (access through Device Manager, Properties, Advanced tab)

1. 802.11N Channel Width - Auto
2. 802.11N Mode - Enabled (this assumes all your network devices are N or Dual-Band N - if not, you'll need to set it to Disabled and set your Router's Wireles Mode to Mixed. I cover that below.)
3. Ad Hoc Channel 802.11b/g - If N is enabled, this doesn't matter as the B/G bands aren't utilized. Set to 11 if you're going to use Mixed.
4. Ad Hoc Power Management - Disabled (this will keep your system from turning off your adapter to save power, or for anything else)
5. Ad Hoc QoS - If you're like me and use Quality of Service settings on your Router, set this to WMM Enabled. Do the same on your Router's QoS panel. If you're not using QoS (or anyone else) you should be.
6. Fat Channel Intolerant - Enabled.
7. Mixed Mode - CTS-to-Self Enabled
8. Roaming Aggressiveness - Highest
9. Throughput Enhancement - Enabled
10. Transmit Power - Highest
11. Wireless Mode - 802.11b/g (Note: again, this will only work if you've got 802.11N disabled in step 2. If you're using N enabled, this doesn't matter, nor does step 3.

Switch to the Adapter's Power Management Tab next.

1. Uncheck "Allow the Computer to turn this Device off". If you don't, your system can turn it off at any time.


ROUTER SETTINGS - WIRELESS N ONLY (ALL DEVICES ARE N OR DBN)
Note: If you're wondering, you always use 40mhz Channel when using Wireless N or Dual-Band N only. You only use 20mhz for Mixed Mode and B/G network devices present.

Wireless Mode - 5ghz

Network Mode: Wireless N Only
Network Name(SSID): Your SSID
Radio Band: Wide 40mhz Channel
Wide Channel: Auto (DFS)
Standard Channel: N/A (grayed out)

SSID Broadcast: Enabled (always use and broadcast a unique SSID - never use the default, Linksys. You can wind up connecting to a neigboring network without realizing it)

Wireless Mode - 2.4ghz

Network Mode: Wireless N Only
Network Name(SSID): Your SSID
Radio Band: Wide 40mhz Channel
Wide Channel: Auto
Standard Channel: N/A (grayed out)

SSID Broadcast: Enabled


SETTINGS FOR MIXED MODE

If you've got mixed network devices (N, G, B, A, etc.) then you'll need to change your Wireless Mode settings. Remember what you set your Adapter to, channel 11 and B/G.

This only applies to the 2.4ghz band, since there is no separate band access for B/G devices.

Wireless Mode - 2.4ghz

Network Mode: Mixed
Network Name(SSID): Your SSID
Radio Band: Standard 20mhz Channel
Wide Channel: N/A (grayed out)
Standard Channel: Auto or Channel 11, if you set your Adapter to Channel 11. The reason I use 11 (2.462ghz) is that it's the furthest from the base frequency, and gives you the best chance to avoid interference from devices in the home using a base frequency of 2.4ghz.


ADVANCED WIRELESS SETTINGS

In the Advanced Wireless panel, all settings should be set to default, except if you have a lot of network devices you might want to AP Isolation Enabled. Since I do, I have mine enabled - it prevents them from talking to each other, or more succinctly, from interfering with each other. AP Isolation forces them to communicate only with the Router.

SETUP PANEL
Click on the Setup Panel, and make sure that Network Address Translation (NAT) is Enabled. If you have a PS3, this is essential, but it's also required for a lot of other functions.

MAC ADDRESS FILTER

In the Wireless Panel you'll find the MAC filter setup. You can get your MAC addresses from devices like your 4965 from accessing Vista's System Information / Advanced System Details window, which gives you everything about each component and program in your system. It's a very handy little feature.

1. Control Panel - Performance Information - Advanced Tools
2. Click on View Advanced System Details in System Information
3. Click to open out the menu tree
4. Click on Components, then Network, then Adapter. Go through and you'll find the MAC address for every adapter currently connected to your system.
The Intel Adapter Name will look like this:
Name [00000008] Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN

When you've got all of the MAC Addresses (don't forget any other network devices or systems on your network) enter them into the filter. Make sure you save your settings before you change to a different panel, or you'll lose any changes you make.

Something else to consider, as both an alternative and a backup, and a better adapter for use with your Router - I also use a Linksys WUSB600N USB adapter in addition to my Intel Adapter. The USB is Dual-Band capable, and can better utilize the DBN capability of the 610N. Linksys recently came out with a CardExpress Adapter that's DBN capable as well, but I've yet to get one, though I plan to. For no other reason, it's always good to have a backup adapter, but your Intel can be the backup just as well as anything else.

As I said before, with Dual-Band N and Single Band N, setting matchups are everything, and even one wrong setting can screw you. You might need to mess around with yours - I can only tell you what works great for me and gives me the best speeds. With the USB I always see higher speeds, averaging 270mbps. The Intel is always slower, between 130 and 230mbps (Hover, if you're wondering, I found a setting that was wrong and corrected it) depending on traffic levels. I use my 5ghz band specifically for gaming data, and anything else that needs priority access to the Router, which is why I use QoS so much, as you should too.

If you want screen shots of my Router setups, I have them along with a more detailed setup procedure for Port Setups and QoS for Gaming that I've done for others as well as some game publishers. Gamers always blame their hardware, and not the idiot in the mirror that doesn't take the time to setup the Router ports correctly. Anyway, if you want more, PM me and I'll give you more. The Router Admin Panels are identical.

 

You are a show-off bro. Just kiddin, very nice and detailed post. Only problem is the post you replied to is like a year old. The guy I was replying to just happened to stumble across it and resurrect it.

 

And that "AP Isolation" is not a good thing if you have a 360 that you want to be connected to your computer as an Windows Media Player Extender. It prevented me from doing that and frustrated me for weeks....

But the info about the Wireless N was helpful. I'm gonna try a few more things to see what I can do....

I just wish there was a way I could tell if my laptop is connected on the 5.0GHz level as opposed to the 2.4...

 

I set my 2.4ghz band to be G/B only, and the 5ghz band to be N only. The Intel 4965 in my Gateway P-6860fx is perfectly able to see and connect to my 5ghz N network, provided I'm in range. This is because I have older devices that don't support WPA2, so I have my 2.4ghz network using WPA-PSK AES and that allows me to set my 5ghz network to WPA2-PSK AES, and I have no problems on either band with disconnects or bandwidth issues. I love dual-band simultaneous routers.

For my 5ghz N settings, I left it at "Auto 20/40mhz" and auto channels. Don't think any people around me are using 5ghz wifi networks, yet.

As for the throughput speed, the number that Windows reports is always fluctuating up and down randomly. I've just decided to stop caring about whether I'm actually getting 270/300 mbps. I'm guessing its because the N specs aren't finalized yet. Newer N routers are starting to say "draft-N 2.0 specifications", whatever the heck that means.

 

I never said the 4965 couldn't connect at 5ghz - since it'll detect Wireless A networks, of course it will. What I said was that it cannot access the Dual-Band functions of a Dual-Band N Router -you need a DBN Adapter for that ability.

 

I can see where that would be an issue. AP Isolation isolates all network devices and prevents them from communicating with anything other than the Router itself, so in cases where you need devices to speak to each other, then of course AP Isolation shouldn't be used. Note that I have only ever advocated its use when users are like myself and have many network devices, and you want to avoid any crosstalk or interference.

 

Dual-band just means 2.4 or 5ghz, right? And Simultaneous dual-band means two independent wifi networks, one at 2.4ghz and another on 5ghz. At least that's how I understand it.

What do you mean when you say that it cannot "access dual-band functions"? What are dual-band functions?