DIR-615 fluctuating wireless speeds on PC in next room? [Archive]

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dogsiwoo

14-10-2009, 00:50

Hi all,

Router: DIR-615 (FW = 1.00VG??)
Adapter: DLink N (supplied by VM)
OS: XP SP3

Last few days I've had to restart the router every now and then cos speed has dropped and/or the connection has failed totally.

This happened before on 20Mb and our old WRT54G, could it be a Modem/Web problem causing the Router to have a fit? Or is the Router dying??

Thanks :)

Radeon

14-10-2009, 11:12

Try upgrading the firmware, I used the firmware update on the Dlink website, works great on mine and may help with your problem.

Even though the hardware revision on the Virgin router is D2 and the latest hardware revision on the Dlink website is D1 I am guessing Virgin just uploaded their customer firmware and rebadged it.

http://www.dlink.co.uk/cs/Satellite?c=TechSupport_C&childpagename=DLinkEurope-GB%2FDLTechProduct&cid=1197319391320&p=1197318962293&packedargs=OuickLinksParentID%3D1197319391320%26lo cale%3D1195806691854%26productParentId%3D119737159 0595&pagename=DLinkEurope-GB%2FDLWrapper

Acathla

14-10-2009, 11:34

Can anyone else confirm that this works? Not that I don't believe you Radeon but would like another confirmed success before doing it myself. May help with the problems the router was causing me.

It could be that v1 on the D2 is the same as v4.11 on the D1. No idea how to know!

cllp1975

14-10-2009, 16:52

Mine was the same - part of my ongoing saga... think it could be a faulty batch

Sephiroth

14-10-2009, 18:42

Matt-08

14-10-2009, 19:22

Does your telephone system use the same wireless channel? i.e. interference.

Also, a neighbouring wireless point could be using the same channel. First move the router away from sources of interference, like metal objects, wireless phones and wireless doorbells. Try a different channel on your router, and download Vistumbler to see what channels other networks are using. You ideally want to set your channel to be as far away as possible from the others.

As you said this was happening with your old router, it could be interference or a fault with your modem. Do any of the lights go out and flash when you lose connection?

Does this occur on other computers or it is just the one using the dongle? Could just be a faulty dongle.

Do you lose connection when you attach the modem direct to a PC with an Ethernet cable, taking the router out? If so, it's a fault with your internet service.

Most likely, you will need a technician to visit but we will see where we go from here. Sorry for chucking a large post at you OP, but there are quite a few possibilities. We need to rule them out one by one.

Sephiroth

14-10-2009, 19:46

Also, a neighbouring wireless point could be using the same channel. First move the router away from sources of interference, like metal objects, wireless phones and wireless doorbells. Try a different channel on your router, and download Vistumbler to see what channels other networks are using. You ideally want to set your channel to be as far away as possible from the others.

As you said this was happening with your old router, it could be interference or a fault with your modem. Do any of the lights go out and flash when you lose connection?

Does this occur on other computers or it is just the one using the dongle? Could just be a faulty dongle.

Do you lose connection when you attach the modem direct to a PC with an Ethernet cable, taking the router out? If so, it's a fault with your internet service.

Most likely, you will need a technician to visit but we will see where we go from here. Sorry for chucking a large post at you OP, but there are quite a few possibilities. We need to rule them out one by one.

That's well covered.

Lukea

14-10-2009, 20:18

mijilea

14-10-2009, 21:27

I can also confirm I am using 4.11 from the d-link site. Newer firmware does not make any difference for me

Acathla

14-10-2009, 21:46

Thanks guys.

Think I will hold off updating though since 4.11 is dated 14/04/09 and 1.00VG is dated 05/05/09.

Lukea

14-10-2009, 21:46

The only difference I found was that menus talking to the router (192.168.0.1) are alot quicker.

dogsiwoo

14-10-2009, 23:44

Does your telephone system use the same wireless channel? i.e. interference.

Funnily enough, we changed our Cordless phones today (Old set was BT Quartet 1500 - I googled but couldn't find the frequency they use) for a Siemens model that the specs say runs at 1800-1900MHz.

Thing is however we had the old set for years and the old WRT54G didn't always screw up, it was only recently before we switched to 50Mb that it started messing about, but at the same time the modem power levels were also ditzy so it seemed to have gone hand-in-hand with it being a Modem fault causing the drops on the old router.

I am watching the signal speed and level closely, it has dropped speed-wise once or twice, and signal strength has fallen once or twice too, but it hasn't required a reset of the Router.

Also, a neighbouring wireless point could be using the same channel. First move the router away from sources of interference, like metal objects, wireless phones and wireless doorbells. Try a different channel on your router, and download Vistumbler to see what channels other networks are using. You ideally want to set your channel to be as far away as possible from the others.

As you said this was happening with your old router, it could be interference or a fault with your modem. Do any of the lights go out and flash when you lose connection?

Does this occur on other computers or it is just the one using the dongle? Could just be a faulty dongle.

Do you lose connection when you attach the modem direct to a PC with an Ethernet cable, taking the router out? If so, it's a fault with your internet service.

Most likely, you will need a technician to visit but we will see where we go from here. Sorry for chucking a large post at you OP, but there are quite a few possibilities. We need to rule them out one by one.

Our Router is Channel 11 I think. I am going to run Vistumbler and see if it picks anything up in the vicinity.

As we are now on 50Mb, we have a new modem. It has two 6db attenuators on it as DS Power was around 15dB, it is now around 5-6dB - the tech said it was due to network faults locally - that was almost 3 weeks back.

When connected by ethernet to the router, the systems are fine. When connected directly to the modem, the system seems OK - the bonus being that downloads shoot up to 48-50Mb instead of 30Mb when going via the Router, both wired and wireless.

I have also found that speed and signal is terrible when I am downstairs - a task that the old WRT54G had no problem with. I am talking as low as 1mb and "Low" on the DLink and a minimum of 36Mb and "Good" on the WRT54G.

I'll hold off on the FW update just yet.

Many thanks so far all :)

EDIT: Just tried ViStumbler, shows 3 other networks. Coupled with WiFiFoFum on my phone to show the channels (for some reason, VS didn't show this), we are on 6 with a signal strength of 80-90%, as is one other Network with a strength of 20-30%. The other network is on 11, with a strength of 20-30%.

Which channel could we change to if both 6 and 11 are taken? The DLink lists 1-13 but I have read that there are specifics for UK and other countries etc?

Lukea

15-10-2009, 08:20

If 6 and 11 were taken I'd try it on channel 1. Less lightly of channel overlap.

BTW if you do change the firmware, you can switch back. VM firmware is on the D-link site in the FTP section.

dogsiwoo

16-10-2009, 13:40

Thanks Lukea, I'll try changing the channels. I also found the VM v1.00VG FW on Dlinks site as you said :)

Further Q: Has anyone updated from FW 1.00VG to 4.11 from DLink? I looked at the release notes for it and noticed in bugfixes:

Bug Fix:
1. Fix the PPTP reconnection issue.
2. Improve the wireless throughput performance.
3. Fix bug that GUI doesn’t contain the help information for QoS.

I think this could be something of a step forward for those of us having Wireless speed issues, but has anyone updated abnd tested who can confirm? I would try it myself however my Dad is a teleworker from home and so if it bricks the Router, he is grounded for working...

cllp1975

16-10-2009, 19:58

I confirmed today that the DIR-615 that I had with this exact problem, has been diagnosed faulty. Though that's not the word they used.

dogsiwoo

17-10-2009, 13:08

I confirmed today that the DIR-615 that I had with this exact problem, has been diagnosed faulty. Though that's not the word they used.

I assume they are sending a replacement out? If so, please update on whether things change :)

gobbledigook

17-10-2009, 13:24

Thanks guys.

Think I will hold off updating though since 4.11 is dated 14/04/09 and 1.00VG is dated 05/05/09.

i think you will find that the VM firmware is just a d-link firmware repackaged with virgin branding - also some features are not available either like WDS? or at least this was the case on my virgin router.

Matt-08

17-10-2009, 20:29

Have they fixed that bug in the new firmware where the login button actually says "Login In" on http://192.168.0.1?

Sephiroth

17-10-2009, 21:41

i think you will find that the VM firmware is just a d-link firmware repackaged with virgin branding - also some features are not available either like WDS? or at least this was the case on my virgin router.
Now isn't that just sh*tty?

WDS is the last hope of many people in W-Fi unfriendly houses.

Lukea

22-10-2009, 19:01

using 4.11 just did a test:

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/10/24.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

Peter_

22-10-2009, 19:06

i think you will find that the VM firmware is just a d-link firmware repackaged with virgin branding - also some features are not available either like WDS? or at least this was the case on my virgin router.
Only the Netgear WGR614 has Virgin supplied software, and all the Netgear WNR2000 and D Link DIR 615 routers come only with vendor supplied software and are much easier and quicker to set up manually anyway.

dogsiwoo

22-10-2009, 20:05

using 4.11 just did a test:

Intresting - is that by wireless?

What speeds were you seeing before on the VM firmware Luke?

Lukea

22-10-2009, 21:17

Intresting - is that by wireless?

What speeds were you seeing before on the VM firmware Luke?

Yes, that is by wireless. Through two brick walls, using a DIR-615 and DWA-140 wireless adaptor.

This is about the average:

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/10/23.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

dogsiwoo

22-10-2009, 21:22

Thats positive looking from my result:

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/10/22.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

However I find the Maidenhead server to be quirky - the London Namesco server tends to always give above 45Mb.

The ThinkBroadband test on the other hand gets bwteeen 10-16Mb...

dogsiwoo

12-11-2009, 00:05

Hi guys,

Just to say that we have changed the channel on the router from 6 to 1 and the wireless range problem is no longer there - 54Mbps on my laptop downstairs and 135 on my network - much better than 1-6mbps!