help pls! radio doesn't work in 1.9.7.5 firmware

[anpspb]

Problem is that after 3 days of settting the device it refuses connect via radio:

29-dec was brought from the shop;

31-dec settings started!

Simple aim: 2 notebooks (WinXP SP2) with 811g and 1 desktop (Vista premium, 811g also) should be connected in the home network using ADSL-modem-based Internet access via ISP Avangard, SPb, Russia.

ICSharing using one of notebooks as Internet-server worked well, but the wireless router was dreamed to free notebook of server functions.

Netstumbler utility doesn't show any radio activity of wl500gP, in spite of much efforts have done. Utility shows only other AP work (in other appartments!).

Can I download firmware 1.9.7.5 (and how) to save it before other experiments and other trials

OR maybe the better way to return this bad China toy directly to the shop?

Thanks in advance!

[newbiefan]

This is a typical warranty - I would bring him back.

You can't do nothing except playing with settings - and I'm guessing - you have done it for hours........or you will loose your warranty.

[anpspb]

Thanks! If no signal at all is emited - the only way is to claim for warranty...

I guess that in ANY case of settings if "radio" was turned on in "wireless" tab - the signal must be seen with netstumbler utility. Is it true?

If I knew how to download firmware from device to a file in my computer - I could continue experiments or send the file to this forum's masters to disclose...

thanks!

[newbiefan]

Yes it's true, when radio is on, you must see any signal - even a regular wireless device should have a "site survey" where you can see any signal.

A normal download of files to your pc is usually done with winscp (or copy & paste), but you would need olegs fw.

In your case it would not make any sense to flash olegs firmware - I would bring him back asap. Usually a store will change a brand-new device just to a new one.

Before, you can do (try) a reset as a last try.

[anpspb]

It appears the wl500gp works another way I supposed

I found that wl500 emits radio signal first ~10 secs when the power it turned on! This time netstumbler was not usually active - I used it later to check for connection after completing wireless clients settings. This detail is not described in a manual and I suspict there are a lot of such ones we need discover ourselves! (

I've look through article HOW-TO about settings WL-500 (http://www.wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=3171) in Russian forum but:
1) it is about DELUXE ver., not my Premium;
2) it's recommended to use Oleg's firmware but without original firmware file v.1975 I am afraid to reprograme device and loose warranty (unabling to restore firmware back) but I don't know how to get v1975 from device;
3) the article describes more difficult (IMHO) cases but I need only to get Inet from WAN (ADSL) and route it to 3 Wireless clients without any BT, HDD, USB and so on; is it so difficult? Why EZsetup doesn't work and interrupts after 1-st step?
Why I cannot see wl500 AP-signal in active Wireless nets in Window's window on clients PCs in spite SSID is not hide? Why I cannot ping to another wireless IPs?

---flame on---
This time I'm a univ. teacher, not sysadmin as 5 years ago, I have not time for simpliest (as it must be) settings!

With GREAT interest I knew about Oleg, his firmware, this forum of very experienced masters and GREAT regards I feel to all the people mentioned; and as a programmer I would like to be the same master, if I have a time! I've read many Inet pages about wl500 settings and nowhere I saw the obstascles I came to while settings!
---flame off---

Dear friend Newbiefan, thanks for your attention and kind answers!! I'll be VERY grateful if you could give me some links or material or advice how to set up the wl-500gP "from zero" in my case.

Thanks in advance,
you can write me directly (pan@yandex.ru; rus, eng) if it's more convinient for you.

[newbiefan]

Well my friend, I understand - it's very annoying when a brand new device doesn't work as expected.

Anyhow, I know it takes a way too much time to get a regular function of a silly router, but at the other hand it's always good to understand the way it works.
As you are in desperate need of time, I send you the link below, where you can find much more hints for the origin asus fw - hopefully this can shorten your search time to an acceptable amount.
Feel free to ask when you need more hints.
http://vip.asus.com/forum/topic.aspx...Language=en-us

Have fun

[anpspb]

Thank you for the link, I started reading, hope that can find a lot of useful matter...

Last info:
(plus device works and emits signal just after it is turned on and as long as 6 minutes (I saw it in netstumbler); during this time I could connect 2 clients - Victory?

no, because of
(minus it stops AIR-lamp light after this 6 mins and doesn't allow connect a client once more! (at first by mistake I used IP=192.168.0.2 instead of 192.168.2.2). But I'm sure that after 10-15 mins of rest it will be ready to work 6 mins again! All my previous efforts were in vain because I never gave it 10 mins for rest!

I suspict firmware/factory fault, maybe ask for warranty anyway?

Thanks for your answer once more and permission of further consultations!

[anpspb]

Well dear newbiefan, thank to your help and link I got Asus's email reply that device should be returned to dealer. I did it, but now the next step is to choose other device: AP+wireless router(+firewall)+(!)USB port for HDD. I was told about LevelOne and Linksys devices, my own pre-view is Zyxel. Nowhere I could find USB-port for HDD ! Have you used something of mentioned above, what's your advice?

Thanks in advance!

[newbiefan]

Now, I'm a bit confused! I suggest to use asus!
To be honest, all wlan-routers I've tested and/or use(d) are:

1.) Linksys are the best routers, stable and continuous fw updates, service is good (and now it's cisco owned).
I use several Linksys routers since years without any probs.
In 2003 I bought one BFWS11 @ Fry's electronic, this router is still working (11b) - still used as backup router! Further, I own a WRT54GL V1.1 with ddwrt fw as WDS bridge with high gain antennas (HGA7)
2.) My Main router is an Asus WL500gP with samba (file server) and some other stuff. I've to note, that I'm using 2 of them, one as main router and one as mobile wireless access point with huawei e220 usb modem in my car.
The routers are usually stable in hard and software. An advantage is the wireless card (mini pci) in an asus, with a bit reading (learning) you are able to use the router with (for instance) an atheros card. I like asus routers, because 2xusb fast cpu (266mhz) more flash and ram (8/32MB) for such a price is more as you can usually expect.
3.) Belkin F5D3230-4 Routers are stable and cheap.
4.) Netgear wgr614V3 stable
5.) D-Link is just crap. I tried several D-Link routers, none of them was able to run without problems. (I've thrown several d-Link, for me D-Link devices are garbage, nothing else)

Believe me, there is a reason, why I use 2 asus-routers!

Edit: to be totally honest, I'm a bit pissed off about my main router right now - after several weeks working very stable with olegs fw, all settings are lost when power is off. When I flash back the settings everything is fine (even reboot), but when I unplug the router all settings are lost - it drives me crazy!
I changed power supply (happily had a second..), same story - have tested with laboratory power supply (up to 20A), same story. Maybe, warranty - but I bricked already one - when I would have an explanation for such a strange behavior. If nothing helps, I'll change to Linksys.......

[anpspb]

Of course, newbiefan, I believe you 100%! But let me give you some links and if you have time let's discuss the situation.

All last days i'm living in Inet and searching all the info that I can collect to choose wireless router for my homework as a univ. lecturer.

This time I have 2 bad evaluations (about D-link DI-624S router):
- first from you and
- second from web-page of a programmer from my city who tried to set up home network too (see "Glitches in a network" on english page at http://softbird.net/?act=articles&id=2&lang=en)

AND 2 good ones:

- first from pen-friend from Riga (Lithuania; who reported that from some hundreds routers that a shop sold - and where he got his own device - only 2 were returned to the shop because of problems) and
- second from my friend and college - programmer and teacher at the University too - who got D-link 634M router and is satisfied too.

Moreover, in russian translation of PC magazine on page "Quality and Services 2007: reader's choice" (at http://www.pcmag.ru/reviews/slidesho...E=83&p=Y#start)
you can see reader's evaluation in section "network equipment" of D-link brand on 3 criteria (Quality, Services and Advice to buy) rated in average as 3.9, 3.8 and 3.5 using five-point preference scale while LinkSys stands as 3.6, 3.4 and 3.0 ( press ">" from prev. page or click http://www.pcmag.ru/reviews/slidesho...SLIDE=84#start)
.
In all diagrams list at http://www.pcmag.ru/reviews/slidesho...EVIEW_ID=11149 Asus is seen as notebook producer only.

Of course, I'd be glad to see other ratings anywhere maybe in english version of some magazines, but this is the only source I've found,

So, if summing it up we have to conclude that statistics says other than we can see on concrete samples.

PLEASE, please, don't consider my investigation results as not-believing your experience! But I guess that different equipment is being sold in different countries, e.g China's goods for Russia and for USA are totally of different quality, it is well-known fact (my ASUS router was made in China).

Among other producers I couldn't find routers with USB for HDD. Maybe I need not use HDD at all and should look at NAS-systems. But I suppose that for home network I'd choose simple and cheap devices.

Thank you once more for your information, tomorrow I'll try to find info about all the devices you've mentioned.

SY

[newbiefan]

Just a good overview:
http://wiki.openwrt.org/TableOfHardw...w&redirect=toh

I go along with you, that in a regular home-network any router will work.
But my experience with dlink is really more as bad - when I would count the endless hours just for trying to get a running system, then I have to declare my house as a nuthouse

I have to consider that I download monthly about => 50 GB with 3MBit access - thats one of the reasons for using an asus (or at least an usb router with open source fw)
An other reason is the easy implementation of an usb umts/gprs modem, because I'm often on the road and sometimes far away from inet - then I've a wireless internet access, even in hotels where no internet connection is possible (as long as my car is not too far away)
And the last reason is samba, it allows me to store everything on the hdd.
Further there is a full automatic backup implemented (with rsync) - everything is stored daily to my nas. Therefore it was necessary to install olegs fw.

[anpspb]

Dear newbiefan, the problem is solved using Linksys 350N (http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...=4351239789B01). I decided to follow your advice and to get more expensive but more capable device with USB and even 1Gb port. Of course, I don't need it just now, but hope soon it will be.

After 2 weeks troubles with ASUS this Linksys I have installed and adjusted for about 1 hour even when it demonstrated some problems with CD-based autosetup program. I made it work using web-based interface without any desire to go into deep of its autosetup problems. Router gets WAN, transfers it to all wifi devices (PC,NB), keeps firewall activity, OK!

The only thing I've met is that it works with FAT32 filesystem USB-disk only. So I have had to copy about 40 Gb of data (from 120 GB USB-HDD) to temp PC disk and tomorrow I'm going to clear USB-disk and to format it under FAT32. (I suspict that as in ASUS it is so because of *nix-based firmware that doesn't support NTFS.)

Linksys's wifi module works 2 days already, it is stable and I forgot where the device was put It seems BTW, that I need check its communication speed as I have still time to apply for moneyback (if any).

Have you tried to do it, what soft did you use, what advices about the correct procedure of speed testing would you tell me?

Thanks once more for your help! It appears that my problems with wifi router ended and ... shall we switch to any other forum named "Linksys problems"? Hope no!

Good luck!

Alex

[newbiefan]

It seems BTW, that I need check its communication speed as I have still time to apply for moneyback (if any).
Have you tried to do it, what soft did you use, what advices about the correct procedure of speed testing would you tell me?

Well Alex, I own a NAS with FAT32 hdd - I've to say the NAS was a cheap one and I never experienced problems. The only problems with FAT32 is the fragmentation. Anyhow, it is an advantage to keep it clean (files) and to run unfragmentation from time to time.
You asked for a prog to measure network speed: I use a windows program called iperf. Just open a dos-windows and start with iperf -s and at the second machine with iperf -c, thats it. The big advantage is, that iperf doesn't need any installation. I guess you know how many garbage is stored into your registry, it is always growing - I hate this property as it needs every year a complete new installation.
Helmut