New Router - Dlink is evil. Linksys? Asus?

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Raedwulf

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I've had about as much as I can stand with my Dlink DSL 2500U. If I could remember where I bought it I'd demand a refund.

So instead it's heading for the bin and it's time to order a replacement.

I'm never getting another Dlink. No more broken or russian websites.

I don't need more than one rj45, got plenty of switches, and wireless would be good, would allow me to get rid of my Dlink AP too, which would be a bonus. Definitely needs to be ADSL2+.

I might also consider supplementing my existing uncapped account with a capped unshaped account a bit later to use for gaming. Not sure how I'm going to go about that yet, but any features the router might offer that would make that easier would be a bonus too. At minimum being able to save details for more than one ISP would be needed. At most though it would be nice to keep both ISPs active at the same time and set only specific programs to use the second connection. So in general all traffic goes through ISP 1, but when I start up GameX it automatically makes use of ISP 2.

Don't really want to spend more than a grand, options seem to be mainly Linksys and Asus.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.
 
I'm never getting another Dlink. No more broken or russian websites.
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To what are you referring ?
Software upgrades ?

Just phone their support in PTA I think it is, and ask them to e-mail the latest file, if that's what you're on about.
 
The general opinion on the forum seems to favour the 2500 at the moment so I'm keen to see what other will say.

I doubt you'll find a router that can save 2x details. It would have to be some type of splitting solution, which won't be built in.
 
@w!shfulth!nk!ng It keeps dropping connection, tried to see if a firmware update would help, since mine is 2009. The version recommended on the ru site for my D3 hw revision is actually one earlier than the version printed on the router. I don't care if they can email me the file, I've had enough of their ridiculous support & their unstable hardware.

@HavocXphere Not entirely sure if routers that allow you to save multiple isp profiles exists, but it doesn't seem like much of a stretch. I picked the below comment out of a thread on multiple ISPs earlier, if I understood him right, seems he's seen it before.

bwana said:
Does your router not allow you to save configurations?
Click to expand...
 
MickZA said:
Checking the OPs posts in this other thread http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/376814-Openweb-uncapped-ADSL-feedback?p=8603827&viewfull=1#post8603827 suggests that it's not the modem at fault (assuming it isn't now bricked with a bad firmware update).

Cheapest solution would be to replace the 2500U with another (+/- R200) and if his hassles persist getting to the root of the actual problem.
Click to expand...

I most probably do have some line issues, but I am certain that I have a problem with the router. It's been giving me problems since before I had the connection dropping issue mentioned in that thread.

Either way, could someone please recommend me a router based on the requirement's I listed in the original post.
 
@Raedwulf. I have had a similar problem with Dlink dropping the connection. Updating the firmware and even swopping out the router for a new one did not help. Putting in a router of a different brand solved the problem and I was therefore convinced that the problem lay with the Dlink. A discussion with a senior tech at Telkom brought to light that it could be a Telkom problem. I supplied him with the telephone numbers of the affected customers and after doing whatever he had in mind the problem went away and all three customers are still happily using their Dlink routers. The symptom we had was that when the connection was dropped the Internet light on the router would still be on and when the router was restarted the connection would work again until the next time it was dropped. Hope this helps.
 
CA195 said:
@Raedwulf. I have had a similar problem with Dlink dropping the connection. Updating the firmware and even swopping out the router for a new one did not help. Putting in a router of a different brand solved the problem and I was therefore convinced that the problem lay with the Dlink. A discussion with a senior tech at Telkom brought to light that it could be a Telkom problem. I supplied him with the telephone numbers of the affected customers and after doing whatever he had in mind the problem went away and all three customers are still happily using their Dlink routers. The symptom we had was that when the connection was dropped the Internet light on the router would still be on and when the router was restarted the connection would work again until the next time it was dropped. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks CA195, that is helpful. That exactly matches one of the issues I've been having. The other is a more standard version of dropping the connection, DSL and Internet light both go off, and after a while of flashing it eventually comes back. Sometimes the Internet light just goes red before coming back. Then I've got a further problem with restarting the router. Used to be I could simply put it off, wait 10 seconds, start it up and everything would be fine. Now it makes me jump through hoops to get connectivity after a restart, otherwise it doesn't get past where the Internet light lights up red. I either have to restart it twice to get it running, or put the switch off/unplug the lan cable from the router while I restart the router, or unplug the AP while I restart the router, or some combination of all the above. Sometimes I maintain connectivity but browsing get's so slow I can't even get a page to fully load, stays that way until I manage to restart the router.
 
@Raedwulf, in all honesty sound like something on your connection is faulty. Either your modem, the physical local lead or the DSLAM port/card.

None of the ADSL chipsets used in consumer router/modems are that bad they would cause your symptoms on a decent connection. That said, the Broadcom chipset in your 2500U is in my experience the most robust available with marginal lines. TrendChip and Conexant are a decent 2nd/3rd, while STmicro & Ti are best to be avoided.
 
@Roman @CA195 Thanks for the advice. Looks like this is going to be one those complicated nightmare three-way Telkom/ISP/Hardware battles. I did call Telkom, and the most I could get out of them was a port recreate. They didn't see anything wrong from their side except that the connection does keep dropping. Port recreate did of course have no impact at all. While speaking with the technician I had a look at the stats on my router and saw a few odd things. First of which is for quite a while the router picked up my default gateway (itself), as the dns server ip. Not sure if this is default when it's still trying to make a connection or not. Then on my stats page I get the following:

Statistics -- ADSL

Mode: ADSL2+
Line Coding: Trellis On
Status: No Defect
Link Power State: L0

Downstream Upstream
SNR Margin (dB): 19.6 17.3
Attenuation (dB): 35.0 13.8
Output Power (dBm): -1.7 0.0
Attainable Rate (Kbps): 17280 1200
Rate (Kbps): 4096 507
MSGc (number of bytes in overhead channel message): 59 12
B (number of bytes in Mux Data Frame): 128 15
M (number of Mux Data Frames in FEC Data Frame): 1 1
T (Mux Data Frames over sync bytes): 1 4
R (number of check bytes in FEC Data Frame): 0 0
S (ratio of FEC over PMD Data Frame length): 1.0000 0.9922
L (number of bits in PMD Data Frame): 1032 129
D (interleaver depth): 1 1
Delay (msec): 0 0

Super Frames: 108077 103245
Super Frame Errors: 5 0
RS Words: 0 0
RS Correctable Errors: 0 0
RS Uncorrectable Errors: 0 N/A

HEC Errors: 2 0
OCD Errors: 0 0
LCD Errors: 0 0
Total Cells: 16964483 212024
Data Cells: 3040697 20392
Bit Errors: 0 0

Total ES: 5 0
Total SES: 0 0
Total UAS: 31 0

I'm fairly sure Output Power shouldn't be negative, and my attainable rate seems incredibly optimistic. The figures also fluctuate quite a bit, particularly the attainable rate, the SNR and the Attenuation.
 
Your stats are brilliant compared to mine. For instance my line runs constant ~5% Super Frame Errors, luckily the vast majority are HEC (correctable), and yet its rock solid from a sync perspective. I get 3.3-3.6Mbps over 58-59db attenuation and this only fluctuates on manual disconnect/reset.

Raedwulf said:
I'm fairly sure Output Power shouldn't be negative
Click to expand...
Not sure, could be that your signal is so strong that the modem thinks it can reduce power from normal?

Raedwulf said:
The figures also fluctuate quite a bit, particularly the attainable rate, the SNR and the Attenuation.
Click to expand...
How wildly? Maybe there is some type of cyclic interference on your cable path. Do you have any periodic clicking/buzzing on your voice line?

The stats posted certainly don't indicate a problem (for 4Mbps). Two further things you can try ...

1. Try force your modem down to ADSL1 by unticking all protocols except G.DMT
2. Buy another el-cheapo modem with different chipset e.g. Billion 5200S (Trendchip) to eliminate any chance that your router is partially faulty or the Broadcom chipset is having compatibility issues with your DSLAM (both pretty unlikely).

Otherwise you got to keep bugging Telkom till they do something.
 
Last edited:
Downstream Upstream
SNR Margin (dB): 10.8 12.0
Attenuation (dB): 43.5 20.8
Output Power (dBm): 13.0 0.0
Attainable Rate (Kbps): 9212 748
Rate (Kbps): 4096 507


I think this counts as quite wildly. I'm not at all convinced the router is reporting anything correctly, so not sure this is a usable indication of my line quality.

I don't use the voice line very often, so not sure about periodic, but there is some noise, a bit of crackle.

G.DMT on it's own did not work. After setting it I had to restart the router twice to get all the lights on again, and when they did come on, I still had no connection.

I've had my fair share of battles with Telkom, probably part of someone else's share too. If I'm going to have to go to war with them over an intermittent fault I definitely want to get the router out of the way as a possible cause.

If I am going to get another router anyway though, I'd like a bit of an upgrade. Something with wireless built in, and if possible anything that would make it easier to use two connections, an uncapped for general use, and an unshaped for gaming. Do you know of anything like that without a broadcom chipset?
 
Raedwulf said:
Do you know of anything like that without a broadcom chipset?
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As mentioned above, Trendchip is probably your next best choice.

Unfortunately mostly only used on low-end modem/routers e.g. Billion 5200(S) or TP-Link 8840T. Not an issue for me as I like to keep modem & router separate e.g. use Mikrotik RB750G for router and TP-Link 8840 (non T) as my modem (have a DLink 2500U as backup too).
 
Fair enough, it would seem then that it all comes down to how I go about routing traffic with two ISPs. I've had a look around and it would seem that with most methods I'd be better off with a separate router and a modem in bridge. So I suppose I should get something simple, like the Billion 5200S. If once my problem is resolved I discover the 5200U is fine, I've got a backup.

Think I better start another thread to try and find a solution for routing traffic with the two ISPs, so in the meantime just one question left.

Billion or TPlink? I can't see the 5200S anymore, but 5210S is available. 8840T costs about the same. Few other options, what would be the most robust?

http://www.findprice.co.za/category/ADSL-Modems/?order=price
 
Raedwulf said:
I can't see the 5200S anymore, but 5210S is available. 8840T costs about the same.
Click to expand...
Seems like the 5210S is Broadcom. Go for the 8840T if you want to make sure its a Trendchip.

Raedwulf said:
Few other options, what would be the most robust?
Click to expand...
These low end modems using the the same chipset are literally same hw/sw, but with different case, PSU, UI colour scheme & logos.
 
Just my 2c here, I had a whole heap of problems when I first bought the D-Link 2500u, including line dropping.

I quickly came to the conclusion that it had to be a firmware issue, checked my hardware version, downloaded the latest firmware, did the whole hard reset process before and after flashing, and it's been quite stable since.

http://ftp.dlink.ru/pub/ADSL/

Just make sure that you're flashing it with the correct hardware version to avoid bricking it. Mine is BRU_D running RU_1.58 firmware.
 
Dont worry i have also lost faith in Dlink.

On our ADSL router, i can access the Dlink's config Web Gui via the internet dyn DNS even though its been disabled.
I only want to be able to log into it from the LAN, So the feature does not work it ignores my config.

So i had to enable it and only allow a specific IP, I figured Google wont hack me so i set it to only google may access it :-)
Luckily we are getting our IS Fiber tomorrow then i can chuck both Telkom and Dlink
 
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