Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with wifi and dsl

In search of a lasting wireless network solution

Rhaomi — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:12:09 -0800

After wasting two different off-days trying to get my damnable modem+router working, I want to return them both and get something entirely new. Any good recommendations for a solid, reliable DSL modem and wireless router set-up with decent NAS support? THE STORY SO FAR:

- had an ISP-supplied hybrid modem/router for a few years that worked fine
- bought a new laptop last year and swapped the hard drive for an SSD
- decided to use the spare hard drive as an external drive for storing large media files and performing automatic backups
- bought an Apricorn USB hard drive enclosure designed to support NAS stuff
- bought a Western Digital My Net N600 router with a USB port designed to support NAS stuff (the old modem had no USB ports)
- ran into endless bizarre problems trying to get the N600 maintaining a connection to the old modem in bridge mode
- discovered plugging in and using the external drive was crashing the router firmware
- exchanged N600 for a better-spec'd N750
- more bizarre problems; dropped connections; router web interface sluggish
- tried installing a firmware upgrade from the official website
- now the router won't even boot up, *not even after a paperclip factory reset*

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

There are just too many potential glitches and conflicts here for me to deal with any more -- the fact that the modem is old (and in bridge mode), the general bugginess of Western Digital's routers, the fact that I'm using a laptop hard drive instead of one purpose-built for NAS work.

So I want to start from scratch. New DSL modem. New router. Maybe even a new hard drive and/or hard drive enclosure if that might help.

What I need to know:

- What's the best option for a reliable dedicated DSL modem? No-frills is fine as long as it's reasonably fast and can support a PPPoE connection type.

- What's the best option for a reliable wireless router with support for an external USB hard drive? I'm willing to spend more if it can buy me quality, dependability, and a no-hassle set-up with a decent web interface. I'm seriously tired of troubleshooting unaccountable wifi problems via unhelpful router settings pages that crash often and don't tell me anything useful.

- What's the best option for a reliable external hard drive set-up? I'm not doing enterprise-level stuff here -- I just want it to store my iTunes, my movies, and have some space left over to automatically back up a ~256GB SSD. I already have a laptop hard drive in the Apricorn enclosure I mentioned, and it did allow me to (temporarily) access my files wirelessly. But I'm not sure if the crashes I mentioned were due to the Western Digital router being shoddy or the hard drive/enclosure set-up being inappropriate for that purpose. Should I maybe reformat the hard drive for use as a NAS? Or would it be better to just get a purpose-built USB NAS drive?

I'd also be interested in a decent combination DSL modem/router with NAS support if that would be easier to set up. My current, years-old modem/router hybrid works flawlessly, but just doesn't have any USB ports to plug a drive into (only a USB B port, which apparently can't support that kind of thing).

Any recommendations -- especially based on personal experience with the device -- very much appreciated!

Why is my Verizon DSL so slow?

mnemonic — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:46:20 -0800

My Verizon DSL is peaking at about 1 mbit/s. Our plan should be providing 1.1-15. Why is my internet so much slower than expected? Given that youtube.com/my_speed shows many people on my ISP are getting much higher speeds. I'm wondering if it's due to my setup: Linksys WRT54G running the latest Tomato firmware, while I'm on a MacBook Air using wifi. The (WPA protected) wifi is shared with my roommate, and I administrate the router/AP and can view any clients connected to the network and the bandwidth usage. It's just me on there usually, and it's always this slow. Sooo what could it be?

Internet, you're being weird. Stop it.

Rhaomi — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:01:41 -0800

Trying to set up a new wireless network and running into all kinds of strange problems. Connections dropped every few hours! Some machines work, some don't! Can connect to internet, can't connect to router! DOGS AND CATS LIVING TOGETHER (literally). Please help. The set-up is a little convoluted, but does work (until it doesn't).

The original router is an ISP-provided 2wire HomePortal 1700HW, a combination DSL modem/router that plugs directly into a phone jack and broadcasts it as a WiFi network. It's a few years old but has worked decently on its own up to this point, so I don't think the problem lies there.

The newcomer is a brand-new Western Digital My Net N600 router, acquired both to improve on the range of the old one and to provide networked storage capability for shared music and such.

Configuring the two of them to work properly was a bit of a dog, but I finally did get it working. The phone jack plugs into the old 2wire, now set to bridge mode to disable its built-in wireless capability. The 2wire plugs into the N600 via Ethernet. And the N600, armed with all the correct PPPoE login information from the ISP, correctly connects to and interprets the DSL coming in from the 2wire and broadcasts it out. Even the network storage works!

Problem is, every couple of hours this connection fails, and in the weirdest way possible.

Right now, I'm typing this on an old 'n' busted laptop running Windows XP. It's currently connected to the N600's wireless network and can browse the web no problem. All the status lights on the routers are green, running an ipconfig command returns normal IP address information (including the router's IP), I can ping the router at that location fine.

But I can't connect to the router's settings page (192.168.1.1). WTF?

Also, a visiting Chromebook can connect to the network but can't load any websites... except for AOL webmail, of all things. A test email sent from a phone showed up in the inbox fine, while Google, Facebook, etc. look dead. Not even Gmail, mail.live.com, or even just plain old aol.com work -- just mail.aol.com. This Chromebook doesn't have a data connection, btw, just WiFi. I say again: WTF?

Meanwhile, a newer Windows 7 laptop can't connect to the N600 network at all ("Unable to connect..."), and even plugging directly into the N600 router via Ethernet won't work -- I can ping it fine, but neither websites nor the router settings page itself will load.

Various mobile devices are likewise denied -- various iPhones and iPads can't connect to the network at all.

Power-cycling the N600 router solves all these problems and things work alright for all devices... for a few hours. Until everything craps out again, for no apparent reason.

What could be triggering this issue, and how do I fix it? I've dealt with wonky router stuff before, but it seems totally bizarre to me that:

- the status lights on both routers are fine, including the N600's "internet connection OK" light
- ONE laptop can connect to the router's WiFi and browse the web, and can ping the router, but can't access the router itself
- the other laptop can ping the router through a wired connection, but can't access the router settings or browse the web that way
- a Chromebook can connect to the network and can load *one* website (mail.aol.com), but nothing else
- no other device (apart from that first laptop that mysteriously works fine) can connect to the WiFi network at all

Any thoughts or advice appreciated; I'd love to get this problem fixed rather than have to venture back to Best Buy and try to find a replacement (maybe an N900? who knows).

Confused about Internet access

trillian — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:17:05 -0800

In two weeks, I start a new telecommuting job, and I need to set up my home office. I'm totally confused about Internet access, though, and I have some questions... So, my new employer told me I need to get a work landline and Internet access. We currently have a personal landline and DSL (Frontier) and a wireless router. I have no idea what to get for my work stuff. (They're sending me a laptop, if it matters.) I want to have some better idea of my options before I call the phone company or whoever I'm going to call.

Here are my questions: (please bear with me -- I am kind of clueless with this stuff)

1. With DSL, we often lose Internet access during rainstorms... which is pretty sad for 2012. That would be really annoying if I'm depending on Internet access to do my job. Does that mean I should get cable?

2. And what if I get cable Internet (Time Warner in our area) -- I don't know if anyone in this house (1940s house) has ever had cable. How can I tell? If no one ever has, what does cable installation entail? Lots of drilling and wires? And does it mean that we have to get cable TV? We don't really need cable TV -- we're pretty set with Netflix...

3. If we stick with DSL, is it even possible to get a separate bill for my DSL work usage, since I could potentially just connect to our WiFi with my new work computer? I think that for tax purposes (or something), my new employer wants me to have a tangible "home office," and separate bills/accounts would probably support this. Is it even possible to get an additional DSL account if you already have one?

4. I should probably try to get some bundled service with phone/Internet, right? What does "digital home phone" from the cable company mean?

5. How do I fend off pushy salespeople if I don't really know what I'm talking about with this stuff?

New wireless internet

kjl291 — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:01:59 -0800

Wi-fi filter: can you help me decide how to find the best broadband connection? BTW - Houston area. I used to really be up on all of the latest in tech news although in recent year I haven't kept up as well. I currently have a DSL connection via AT&T. It is just fine, and the speed is OK and the stability is very good (stability/reliability is as or more important than speed, but of course I want it all). I've had cable in the past, and it was pretty decent, although I had more reliability issues, and the speed was compromised during peak hours (presumably because there are mutiple people on the same pipe as opposed to dedicated DSL). The DSL is OK for my present uses, but would like to find out if there is anything better. I've heard of Clear, I've heard of Fiber. What the fastest thing out there that is reliable that doesn't break the bank? I'd be willing to pay more than I currently do for DSL, but perhaps slightly less than an arm and a leg. Suggestions?

my wifi is unreliable and I don't know why. (os x, dsl)

krautland — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:11:02 -0800

my two year-old macbook pro recently got a new cousin: a new mbp. both are running 10.6.4. my old mbp never had any problems establishing a wifi connection to my dsl modem, which is protected using wpa2. my new mbp sometimes can't connect via wifi/airport to said dsl modem. I usually get "connection timeout" errors displayed if I manually select the network. this is at the same time as my old mbp sitting right next to it is connected. I have to send the new mbp to sleep, wake it up again and after doing that two, three times, the connection usually works again. you can imagine how frustrating that is. to top it off, I have the same issue with a brand-new 27" imac that I got my dad last month: his pc sits next to it connecting happily to his (non-apple) dsl modem while the imac frequently requires being sent to sleep and woken up again.

what's going on here? any thoughts on what I might try?

caveats:
-software update says everything is up to date.
-I've spotted many "me, too" problem descriptions on the apple.com discussions site but no solution. it might have evaded me.
-can't leave my network wide open. the kids next door are massive filesharers and they don't exactly hide their activities.
-I can't replace the dsl modems.

Mac laptop fried, now DSL WiFi not functioning for other computers in the house.

cahlers — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 05:47:55 -0800

Mac laptop fried, now DSL WiFi not functioning for other computers in the house. The battery in my Mac Powerbook G4 was very hot and smoking yesterday. At the same time, we noticed our DSL WiFi was not functioning for other mobile devices in the house, including another Mac Powerbook, and two windows netbooks.

My question: how can I restore WiFi service to the functioning computers in my house (without fixing the broken laptop - I am currently traveling and not actually in the house, but others are), and why is functioning WiFi dependent on whether one particular laptop is working?

Lousy connectivity on my new DSL

soviet sleepover — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:13:50 -0800

Diagnose my wifi difficulties, please! New DSL installation with intermittent, slow connectivity and occasional weird pings/notifications. I'm somewhat computer savvy, but I'm definitely missing something basic, so assume I'm a beginner with all this!

I just got DSL (with SBC Global) and an inherited modem and linksys router. I followed the instructions on the SBC Global installation cd, installed the phone filters, etc. Connectivity is intermittent (and extremely slow), even though the signal always appears strong, and roommates also have the same problems. I'm usually able to connect to the router (though not reliably). Pings return occasionally weird results (posted below), and every once in a while this error will pop up:
"192.168.1.64 in use by 00:90:4b:b4:ef:dc, DHCP Server 192.168.1.254"

The intermittent connection also seems to happen when I'm connected directly to the modem via an ethernet cable, but I don't think it's a problem with the physical lines: I've already checked the phone box outdoors, and there's no corrosion (plus, I'm pretty sure the previous tenants have had wireless here without complaint).

Here's the last minute-or-so of a ping:

64 bytes from 69.13.72.249: icmp_seq=8227 ttl=55 time=64.149 ms
64 bytes from 69.13.72.249: icmp_seq=8228 ttl=55 time=72.922 ms
64 bytes from 69.13.72.249: icmp_seq=8230 ttl=55 time=72.530 ms
64 bytes from 69.13.72.249: icmp_seq=8233 ttl=55 time=62.075 ms
60 bytes from se5-l0.pltnca.sbcglobal.net (151.164.186.133): Communication prohibited by filter
Vr HL TOS Len ID Flg off TTL Pro cks Src Dst
4 5 00 0054 2cc6 0 0000 3e 01 fff4 192.168.1.64 69.13.72.249

64 bytes from 69.13.72.249: icmp_seq=8612 ttl=55 time=81.776 ms
64 bytes from 69.13.72.249: icmp_seq=8613 ttl=55 time=61.918 ms
64 bytes from 69.13.72.249: icmp_seq=8614 ttl=55 time=61.946 ms

I don't think I've left anything important out, but I'm not sure what to do and ordinary fiddling hasn't seemed to fix anything. Help, metafilter! You're my only hope!

Can I use my DSL modem/router to act only as a wireless router?

ocha-no-mizu — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:04:33 -0800

Can I use my DSL modem/router to act only as a wireless router? I'm replacing my DSL service with cable internet. Instead of paying for the cable company's wireless router, I'd rather use my existing DSL modem/router if I can. Is it as simple as plugging the cable modem into the DSL modem/router?

For what it's worth, my DSL modem/router is a 2wire 2700HG-B.

DSL troubles

Beaufort — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:07:16 -0800

I have an Embarq DSL 660 modem (bridged) connected to a Dynex DX-WGRTR Wireless-G Broadband Router. The computer connected directly to the router can access the internet, but not my wireless laptop. What do I need to change to get my wireless to connect to the internet through my router and the DSL modem? Do I need to clone the connected pc’s MAC address, or just connect with PPPoE, or a stactic IP or something else with Embarq? I have never set up a router with DSL only with a cable modem. Thanks.

Home internet networks over large distances?

zaebiz — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:48:45 -0800

I have a wireless router in my house. 150 metres away I have a shed where I want to be able to use the internet on my laptop. There are electricity outlets in the house and in the shed but not in between. How do I get the signal from the house to my shed? For example are there battery-powered boosters that I could lay between the two places and recharge them at night? Can I buy a more powerful router? Can I buy some sort of signal magnifier to attach to the router? Or .... is it crazy to run a telephone cable all the way from the ADSL port in my house to the router in my shed? Any other ideas?

What's the Latvian for "is this DSL and if it is can we do the whole wifi thing, and oh yes, what's in that locked box?"

mdonley — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 02:59:59 -0800

How, exactly, am I connected to the Internet? This is in Latvia, by the way. Here's what I can tell you. Today a tech from Balticom Internet (which you can examine at balticom.lv if you feel up to deciphering some Latvian and Russian) stopped by after someone at work ordered a connection for my apartment. He worked for about an hour - I'm not sure if all of that was work, or work and cigarette breaks - in a little box just outside the the front door that I can't open that looked like it contained some sort of connection to something; I didn't get a good look when he was in there, though I did see a largish gray box emblazoned with the Lattelcom symbol, which I presume is for landline phones, which we don't have.

From my computer, a standard-looking Cat-5 cable goes out a hole in the concrete wall next to my front door (things are a little homebrew in my charmingly post-Soviet apartment) and into the box. I didn't see if the Cat-5 cable went into the Lattelecom box or somewhere else. There were a variety of cables running to this box from the other apartments on our landing, I think.

The ad for the service we purchased said we'd get speeds of up to 10 MB/sec; it seems at least as speedy as my cable internet back in the States, which was advertised as 3 MB/sec.

This would all be fine, but my housemate and I both have laptops and we'd like to be able to use the connection simultaneously and via wifi. We don't have a modem or anything in the apartment - just the end of the network cable and the configured settings on my computer (which the tech wrote down - things like IP addresses and DNS servers).

So:

- Is this DSL or something else?
- What is at the other end of the cable running from my computer and into the box?
- Can we plug a wifi router into the end of the cable and both be on that network, or do we need the modem itself - which we don't have - to connect the router to?

If it matters, he's got a Dell Inspiron 8600 running XP and I've got a Macbook running OS X 10.4.10. I'll try to answer any questions you have.

Paldies!

Wireless-less

Packy_1962 — Fri, 26 May 2006 13:57:04 -0800

Can I connect to my wireless internet? I live in an apartment with wireless DSL already set up and used by a mac, but I started trying to use my Windows machine with it, and it's not working. It's a wanadoo thingy with the service provided through France telecom. The signal is perfect, but everytime I try to connect I get the limited/no connectivity message. A physical address, IP address, subnet mask value are all assigned, but it gets held up at the default gateway. I don't know what a default gateway is. Our mac laptop is at the shop so I can't tell if the wireless network is working period. I don't know anything about networking, and all the manuals are in a foreign language. Please help!

Secure WiFi from 1 miles away?

BrodieShadeTree — Thu, 24 Jun 2004 14:02:53 -0800

Wifi networking question. My brother lives 1 mile away, nearly direct line of sight as I am up on a hill. I can get DSL, but his house cannot. Is there a cheap-ish way to get hi-speed into my house and create a secure wifi network to span to his house as well? (MI)