Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have this router (I can later-on state its make etc) that is practically brand-new and works fine except at least once, if not twice, a day, you MUST unplug to do a power cycle else any Wi-Fi connected devices won't work. They time-out trying to do anything, and until you unplug the router & plug it back in, it's nothing doing.
It only takes 5 seconds, but I find it extremely annoying. It seems to always happen when I'm in another room and I have to get up and go all the way to where the router is and do this. Besides, I philosophically just can't stand something that works that way. I like to set it up and then NEVER AGAIN have to touch it. EVER.
Are certain brands of routers or certain ways of configuring routers available which can prevent this problem, or is it a common thing? I hope it's fixable, because even though it only takes 4-7 seconds, it still plum drives me crazy.
I have the same problem with an older Linksys router but only when a computer is windows Vista, yet it works fine with Windows 7 laptops. I am not sure why it happens and do not know if possibly your issue could also be related to the version of windows you are using? Hope someone comes up with an actual answer for you but if you are using newer laptops, then my suggestion would be to try to update the software in the router to see if that helps.
OP, I had the same problem with a Linksys router that I had for many years. Firmware upgrade, blowing any dust out, cleaning connections, etc did not solve the problem. A new router did. I guess it just got flaky.
OP, I had the same problem with a Linksys router that I had for many years. Firmware upgrade, blowing any dust out, cleaning connections, etc did not solve the problem. A new router did. I guess it just got flaky.
my Linksys occasionally does this - the routers is 4 yrs old now ----in general, how often should you replace the router. I stream a lot of stuff to a variety of devices and things seem to be working fine otherwise......if the router market making leaps and bound improvements like the variety of computer devices seem to be? I have a couple of computers working with Windows 7 and 8, so is it time to upgrade the router to maximize use of the computers' OS?
Are certain brands of routers or certain ways of configuring routers available which can prevent this problem, or is it a common thing? I hope it's fixable, because even though it only takes 4-7 seconds, it still plum drives me crazy.
LRH
I had no problem with my netgear for years. I now have to power cycle it every so often. I get weird stuff like IP conflicts even though I have a pool of 100 ip for DHCP. It is an old router with no more firmware updates. I've used Apple Airport Express for Wifi and connected them to a router and go for months without having to touch them,some years.
I had a similar problem. What you might want to check is to see if your router support 802.11 g/b/n. I disabled "n" and only allowed 802.11 g/b. Since then I've never had to power cycle my home network. Not sure why it works, just does for me.
You never said exactly what kind of router you have, but I am willing to bet it is a lower end router. My first question, besides the exact type of router, would be when do the lockups happen? Is it random, as in no one is doing anything and then you go to use it and it's locked up? Or, is it more of a thing where you are watching a video while someone else is playing a game and someone else is browsing the web and then it locks up?
Routers can generate a ridiculous amount of heat when they are being heavily used and the first thing that will often be knocked out is the wi-fi component. Despite the fact that even really cheap routers claim that they can handle tons of devices and network traffic the simple reality is that they can't. Even something as simple as person A playing an online game or watching a movie may be enough to cause a cheap router to overheat when person B tries to do something as simple as do a google search.
I would start by doing a couple of things:
1. Check that the router is running the latest firmware. If it isn't, update it. Many weird issues can be fixed by this.
2. Assuming the firmware is the latest and/or the issue persists after an update, feel to see if the router is hot to the touch. If it is, trying placing it somewhere where there is better ventilation and then try to cool the router. Most routers have no active cooling, so introduce some. If you have a laptop cooling pad, sit the router on it. If not, aim a fan directly at the router. Then test and see if the issue goes away. If it does you then have a choice between exchanging the router for a better one or figuring out an active cooling setup.
3. If none of the above help and the problem is still happening then you will need to exchange the router. Some lower end routers simply cannot handle the amount of data and traffic people push through them. Research some different higher end routers and pick one that will work for you. In all honesty a good router will easily cost upwards of $150.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
