Maybe a new router?

[MindoverMaster]

I currently have a Netgear WNDR3700.

I noticed in the last few months, I have gotten very low speeds, considering our 7Mbs cable internet from RoadRunner.

We would be fine for a day, then when I wake up the next morning it is slooooooow. So I reset the cable modem. No change. Then I reset the router. WOW! We're back up to speed! Then that night or next morning, it sometimes would happen again, same scenario. Once, we had no internet connection, period. I hooked the computer onto the modem. I got fast speeds. Our modem was working fine, so I turn back to the router. I reset it. It's back fine again. Odd...

So, I remember, when this started happening, there was a firmware update. So I go to Netgear's site, and download the next down firmware, install it. It seemed to have been fine for awhile, but now this is happening again.

We have 3-4 computers on the network at a time throughout the day. Half wireless, half wired. I use all default settings, other than the wireless settings.

At fast speeds, I get 7Mbps+ in SpeedTest. When slow, I get below 1Mbps.
At fast speeds, TF forum home would load in ~4 seconds. When slow, It'd take ~10-14 seconds.

I know you often get the needle in the haystack. It happens. Should I just get a new one, RMA this Netgear and have it as a backup? If so, what? ~$100 would be my budget, I guess. If I can have it close to the specs of the Netgear, that would be great.

If not, what's the problem? If I left anything out, please ask!

Edit:

Yep, it happened again.. Was going slow, reset router, high speeds again. If it isn't the router, I don't know what is.

 

[Win2kpatcher]

Hello! Yes this is certainly signs of a router on its way out and it should be replaced. Not to long ago I was doing some tests with a wifi router in place of my simple linksys wired router and was noticing huge improvements in speed (oddly enough this was not the test..I was working on cracking WEP/WPA/WPA2) so did a bunch of speed tests...started with just the modem and was getting 27Mbps, plugged in the wired router and was getting 5Mbps!, plugged in the wifi router and was getting 26Mbps....needless to say I left the wifi router in place and it is screaming...it also does could handling lots and lots and lots of connections at once and never drops. Take that for what you will. The model I am using is a Linksys WRT54G.

 

[MindoverMaster]

I previously had a Linksys WRT54GL with DD-WRT. Toward the end of its life, It was amazingly slow. I found out it was the Ethernet ports that were bad. The wireless worked fine. After I got my Netgear, I opened my Linksys up, and didn't find any problems on the board.

Any suggestions of a new router?

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

I think you should look for a new router, it's possible the memory in it isn't clearing out properly, thus getting "stuck" and slowing you down as it has nothing to cache everything for processing. I have been using a Netgear WNR834Bv2 for about two years now, and no problems other than an occasional slowdown, but it usually resolves it self.

But, what you are describing is the classic failure of a router, had 3 of them do that to customers/friends, would start out doing it at random intervals, then it got to the point it would do it every few hours, the LAN side would work perfectly fine, but when trying to go out onto the WAN side, it would just fizzle out.

Or, the switch on your router is just going bad, you gotta think, these newer routers are really 3 in one, the router portion it self, then a built in switch, and most of the time, a built in access point, the board on my netgear on the back actually outlines the separate portions of it, not sure why, but it does label each portion of the motherboard.

BTW, my WNR834Bv2 from Netgear, used to handle a 30/30 connection, almost always maxed out, and has some very very nice QoS controls built in.

I only had to reset it ONCE the entire time I had that connection, and it's because it wasn't getting an IP address from my ISP after the DHCP release expired.

 

[MindoverMaster]

Thanks c0rr0sive. I expected as that. Just a few minutes ago, I bought a router off Newegg.

Newegg.com - D-Link DGL-4500 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4/5GHz Simultaneous Dual Band Xtreme N Gigabit Gaming Router up to 300Mbps/ USB x1

Excellent price, specs and good reviews from elsewhere. We'll see what happens.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

I have had great luck with D-Link gigabit switchs, never played with the router line, let us know if it's worth it.

EDIT: After looking at those specs, I am highly jealous, though a gigabit wan is absolute over kill.

 

[MindoverMaster]

Will do!

 

[MindoverMaster]

Getting back to y'all, I have had the new D-Link up for 2 days now.

Compared to the problems I had with the Netgear router, it is running great. I downloaded several things over night, just to stress it a little. It runs great the next morning.

The D-Link's firmware is a bit behind the times. With the current being 1.21NA, 2009/07/09. I'll look into that. Other than that, it's straight forward.

I'll RMA the Netgear and possibly use it as a backup.

edit: I found new upgrade to my DLink, dated 8/10/2010

 

[ET/IT]

IMHO, Linksys and CISCO products are the way to go with ANYTHING related to computer networking. In troubleshooting issues between my own home, and family/friends. Netgear, as well as Belkin and Buffalo brand Network Devices, from Routers to switches to Hubs, don't work all that great. Linksys and CISCO so far, are the best brands. (Linksys is a branch of CISCO as well...) Just in my experience, however, I can't speak for others. The Linksys WRT54G is the specific model used almost like standard equipment (regardless of internet provider) in my neighborhood. Out of 45 houses on the block, only 11 I'm aware of don't have CISCO or Linksys products in some way/shape/form that work their SOHOs. If you have the reciept etc. I'd look into exchanging the router for a WRT54G (Linksys) It doesn't look very slick, but so far, it's amongst the most reliable I've come across. next to a CISCO 836 Router. Best router I've ever used before going to a built in Modem/router supplied by Verizon, was a CISCO 836 Router, with Linksys WRT54G coming in second place. Cisco 836 Router, is incredibly easy to get the hang of. It's VERY secure, and if you understand CISCO Command Lines, completely customizable on how you want it to do things. (and easy to troubleshoot/fix up yourself software wise) Just my experience.

 

[MindoverMaster]

I understand that, man. A lot of people do stand by Linksys. I had a WRT54GL before my Netgear. The WRT54GL Ethernet ports failed. After many diagnostics, I just was, the heck with it. It was a long way out of warranty. I sort of shied away from Linksys at that point. I had no knowledge on the Cisco Command Line.

I bought the Netgear WNDR3700 because several of my friends used it and liked it. Also, there were good reviews on it. It was a good buy IMO.

I am not going to return the DLink. I am having no problems with it. I am happy with it.