Bekijk de volledige versie : WL500gP vs D-Link DI-624 scandal
Hello all.
After having the WL500gP for about a week I got a feeling that it is not working how it is supposed to, so I tested it against my old D-Link DI-624 router.
TEST GEAR:
- DESKTOP1 - Hard wired to the router
- DESKTOP2 - USR PCI WiFi Card (g)
- LAPTOP - Intel microPCI Card (g)
SCENARIO:
The WiFi DESKTOP2 and LAPTOP were in room1, the two routers and DESKTOP1 were in room 2. Between rooms was another room, so the signal passed 2 concrete walls, around 8m of air line (30 feet).
Both routers had the same settings and same WPA security key enabled. The WL500gP had the "Frame Bursting" and "Afterburner" set to ON. The WiFi cards detected the signal strenght around 70% on both routers.
TASK:
I copied a single 400MB file between computers
RESULTS:
DESKTOP1 --wired--> DI-624 --wired--> LAPTOP1 = 0min 56sec
DESKTOP1 --wired--> WL500gP --wired--> LAPTOP1 = 0min 53sec
Here the WL500gP was 3sec faster
DESKTOP2 --WiFi--> DI-624 --wired--> DESKTOP1 = 2min 47sec
DESKTOP2 --WiFi--> WL500gP --wired--> DESKTOP1 = 8min 31sec
WL500gP was slower for almost 6 minutes! Without "Frame Bursting" and "Afterburner" the time was above 20 minutes!
DESKTOP2 --WiFi--> DI-624 --WiFi--> LAPTOP1 = 6min 53sec
DESKTOP2 --WiFi--> WL500gP --WiFi--> LAPTOP1 = 31min 27sec
WL500gP was slower for almost 25 minutes!!! On a 400MB file!!!
CONCLUSION:
The WL500gP surely has way to go to become a serious WiFi router. With times 4x slower than the D-Link it shurely can't compete not even with routers half its price. And taking a look in this forum many people are complaining about it's bad functionality.
Tomorrow I'm going to return the WL500gP router back to shop and change it for a D-Link, Netgear, Belkin or Linksys.
Gerry Boland
29-09-2006, 21:54
I don't know about your USI PCI wifi card, but your Intel PIC card is the culprit for the last statistic. Whether Intel isn't applying the 802.11 specifications correctly, or the Asus simply isn't as forgiving as your old D-Link is (well why should it be forgiving?), it's not a fair comparison.
Check out Oleg's posts on this thread:
http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=6231
-Ger
Gerry:
This about Intel is not a good apology. If my card works well with all other router brands the thing is just one: ASUS just didn't do their homework. And blaming it on another product is just closing your eyes in front of the truth. Is like having a Ferrari with 10 horse power engine and then blame it on the rough road because of it's slow speed.
I completely agree with Sebastian78 from the other thread. A product should work as stated on the box. Even Oleg said that ASUS's firmware is crap. But you know what, I bought the router from ASUS, not from Oleg so I don't expect him to fix my problems.
And to support my statement from the first post - I borrowed an old Linksys WiFi router today from my friend. After setting it up WOILA! My WiFi speeds are again high and stable. On both Intel and USR cards.
Gerry Boland
30-09-2006, 23:37
You've a fair point cupax, and I'm certainly not apologising on Asus' behalf! However it is my opinion that if standards are independently defined, then they should be followed.
I consider CSS and DHTML to be a good example; in order for a webmaster to get their page displaying correctly in Internet Explorer 4,5 and 6, they'd to use loads of nasty bodges and tricks to fool each version into doing something correctly, all because IE wasn't fully standards compliant. Because IE held over 90% of the market, webmasters had to spend time finding these tricks, testing them, and then ended up displaying a notice to all other browser users that "this site only viewable in IE"
Now with Firefox becoming more prevalant, webmasters are more concerned with standards compliance, and IE is now following suit.
In my opinion, a perfect world would have manufacturers following standards (not wasting time on propietry hacks), and focusing their efforts on features.
And finally, a disclaimer: I'm no expert in the IEEE802.11 standards so I've no idea if either Asus or Intel is following them! But if you've this problem, then one of them mustn't. By Oleg's admission, it probably is Asus' fault, but then why only with Intel (and actually USR)? Either way, it's a shame you're disappointed. Bad luck.
-Ger
Today I returned the WL500gP to the shop and replaced it with a new Linksys router. From the first minute it is working flawlesly, excellent signal range, strenght and speed with both USR and Intel cards. I even saved 30$.
Can non-official firmware (such as Oleg's or OpenWRT) help with the Intel issue? I've been thinking about buying a WL500g, but unfortunately my laptop (made by Asus btw) is equipped with an Intel 3945 WiFi adapter. Any chance that new firmware could provide me constant and fast WLAN connection, assuming mentioned hardware as the second party?
Edit: by "new" I meant modified, third-party firmware.
itoxauen
04-10-2006, 19:53
Hello to all:
I don't know if my comment will be important.
I have an ASUS WL-500gP.
I have connected my portable computer to my fixed pc. I have connected it through the router (without cables).
I have sent a file of 1gb from the pc toward the portable computer. The total time has been of 5 minutes.
I apologize for my English.
Thank you and greetings.
I have sent a file of 1gb from the pc toward the portable computer. The total time has been of 5 minutes.
I guess this is about two times slower than it should be (assuming 54 Mbps transfer rate). What kind of wireless hardware do you have in your laptop? Have you replaced router's default firmware?
itoxauen
04-10-2006, 22:18
I guess this is about two times slower than it should be (assuming 54 Mbps transfer rate). What kind of wireless hardware do you have in your laptop? Have you replaced router's default firmware?
The hardware of my laptop is: Intel(R) PRO/wireless 3945ABG Network connecction
I have not replaced the original firmware of the router
Thank you
I would appreciate if someone who uses custom firmware and owns an Intel WiFi adapter could make similar perfomance test and post the results here.
Sebastian78
09-10-2006, 10:16
It's not nice to kick a dead horse, but this is what I initially experienced. There are some people here who doesn't "like" me or what I wrote, but at least I had a point (even if I didn't have tact while posting it)......(BTW: my original post has been locked....didn't really see a need for that though : http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=6231
Do you want to sell 1 million units of a product to everyone, or do you want to sell 100 000 to users who can "tinker" with the software? The development and production costs are the same, so....
The route is not the best I have owned....
It's not nice to kick a dead horse, but this is what I initially experienced. There are some people here who doesn't "like" me or what I wrote, but at least I had a point (even if I didn't have tact while posting it)......(BTW: my original post has been locked....didn't really see a need for that though : http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=6231
Do you want to sell 1 million units of a product to everyone, or do you want to sell 100 000 to users who can "tinker" with the software? The development and production costs are the same, so....
The route is not the best I have owned....
They don't like you because of the way you carried on in that other thread. You didn't ask for help. You complained. And guess what? It didn't solve your problem, and you were frowned upon others in this forum. A "Lose-lose" situation. (Hell, the Moderator had to close the damn thread because you cause such a $hit storm!)
All you had to do was ask for help in a polite manner. Be as detailed as possible about your problem. How was your network set up? What were your settings? etc. I guarantee you would've got a completely different response from the audience.
This ASUS solution is a Linux-based product. A common theme among most (but not all) Linux based solutions, is that they allowed you to tinker if the manufacturer isn't up to scratch on the software side. You took matters into your own hands, because you aren't satisfied with the original solution.
That's the point of Linux itself. It gives you the freedom to choose what YOU want to do. You no longer relied on the manufacturer, but yourself. (This is great when the manufacturer stops supporting the router with firmware updates, as there will be third-parties willing to do a much better job).
How you acted was no different to many others who started using Linux on the desktop in recent times. (I've been to many threads around the world, and the general attitude is the same)...Comments like: Things should 'Just work'. Or Why isn't like Windows or Apple? Etc, etc.
Why? Because Linux IS NOT Windows or Apple. Things don't "Just Work". You need to get a rough idea of what's going on to fully exploit the solution to your benefit.
Linux was not developed by a Multi-Billion dollar empire who's hell bent on dominating the entire technology industry by any means. It was created by a bunch of volunteers in their spare time. So, of course its not as polished as desktop GUI'ed OSs, but its getting there (See Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, Fedora, etc)...The amazing thing about the chaotic development model of Linux, is that, when set up right, its frightfully stable.
Although I own a Linksys WRT54G, its the same concept as the ASUS Linux-based products been mentioned here...That is, you can easily modify it.
I've NEVER had an issue once I installed a third-party firmware. This little thing has been up for over 1 yr without turning off or restarting! (I'm using DD-WRT...And I know that also works on these ASUS routers, because they basically use the same hardware).
Its really simple.
If you aren't looking to tinker or replace the original firmware, you shouldn't bother investing in a cheap Linux-based router. You should get something else that is mostly polished and working "out of the box". (There are expensive ones based on Linux, like the Snapgear business routers from Cyberguard.)
But know that if there is a firmware related issue, you will have to go through all that "red tape" nonsense with the manufacturer, just to get them to look at your issue. (Last time I checked, neither ASUS or Linksys had good tech support, and you have to contact them several times to escalate your issue for them to eventually solve it).
If you're willing to live through that, fine. Its your choice.
But venting your fustration of how one shouldn't buy an ASUS product (and that "IT SUCKS"), in a forum that is dedicated to such products isn't gonna win you friends. Remember, just because the Internet feels anonymous, doesn't mean the people responding to you don't have feelings.
Basically, think about how people will react BEFORE you post. If you're angry or fustrated, go for a walk or use a punching bag.
Venting in a forum isn't gonna solve your problems. It never has, and never will. The sooner people realise that, the more pleasant things will get. Sadly, given the pace of human evolution, I suspect this is gonna take a VERY long time.
So far, itoxauen and cas has the right approach. There's a problem. Its related to such and such hardware. Eventually, they will work together to solve the issue and update the custom third-party firmware in response to the issue.
Can you see the difference?
Your approach resulted in you not solving the problem, and returning the product, (as well as people not liking you). While itoxauen's approach will eventually attack and solve the problem, such that all will eventually benefit.
This is the same fundamental scenario that results in open-source solutions evolving quickly. Bugs are quashed alot quicker.
Can non-official firmware (such as Oleg's or OpenWRT) help with the Intel issue?
No, as wi-fi stuff is provided in binary form by Broadcom. Ghmm... Well perhaps except experimental OpenWRT branch, which is utilizing reverse engineered driver (don't know if it supports BCM4318E chip)...
Sebastian78
12-10-2006, 07:58
Ah, that is totally besides the point. I had no intention to "tinker" with the damn box, I just wanted a router that worked, I could hook up a printer and an external disc.
Another thing, if you used the search function, I did ask politely for help, I did explain my problem.
If it's Linux or not has nothing to do with the point that it does not work (all of the times) out of the box, which it should. If it doesn't and you have to install someone else's firmware, then ASUS should be selling it as an "For Experienced Users Only".
Not only has this experience as a consumer put me off Asus, but I feel an unfriendly tone in this forum. This forum shouldn't be open to everybody, but be a "closed community" for people who know what they are talking about and have proven themselves. That way, you wouldn't be hassled be people like me.
BTW : The way you describe Linux, makes me think that it was "built" so that IT-Personnel was needed more than with MS systems, making it even more expensive to run, rather then cheaper.
I still see the WL500GP as a "Hassle Box"....Sorry people, but I do...
Ah, that is totally besides the point. I had no intention to "tinker" with the damn box, I just wanted a router that worked, I could hook up a printer and an external disc.
Another thing, if you used the search function, I did ask politely for help, I did explain my problem.
If it's Linux or not has nothing to do with the point that it does not work (all of the times) out of the box, which it should. If it doesn't and you have to install someone else's firmware, then ASUS should be selling it as an "For Experienced Users Only".
Not only has this experience as a consumer put me off Asus, but I feel an unfriendly tone in this forum. This forum shouldn't be open to everybody, but be a "closed community" for people who know what they are talking about and have proven themselves. That way, you wouldn't be hassled be people like me.
*Sigh* :rolleyes:
You're still persistant about your attitude and trying to justify it with excuses.
So far, you've made 15 posts in this forum. (including this one I've just quoted).
Just look at the first post you made in that other thread.
http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=6231
Do you really think this is an appropriate approach to asking for help?
With a title like this: Do Not Buy Wl500gp!!!!!
If you're asking for help, you don't go on the offensive.
Stuff like this...
=> ...piece of JUNK...
=> I'm starting to really REALLY HATE ASUS.
=> Basically, IT SUCKS...
You then pull out this one...
http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?p=35557#post35557
...And you still wonder why people don't like you? :rolleyes:
See the above comments you've made? This is NOT polite!
Asking for help means asking for help. Not blow and vent your fustration.
The title should be something like: "Help! Having Problems"
And then describe your problems, show diagrams or whatever you need to get the message across.
Look at the other threads. Do you see others do the same thing as you did?
I'm actually surprised that Oleg has had enough patience to tolerate it.
And you're right btw, this isn't a Linux problem. Its an ASUS problem.
You should be contacting ASUS tech support and escalate your problems with them. So they can bring in an update to their official firmware. But from all the posts you've made so far, you've made NO indication you've tried that. So ASUS doesn't know about the issues, and you aren't getting your problems solved.
The unfriendly tone is actually of your doing. If you asked for help without delibrately going on the offensive (and persist justifying your attitude), your experience would be very different.
At this time, it doesn't seem like you have solved your issue, and you're just lingering around, spreading your dislike for the product. (Which will further drive the unfriendly tone against you).
BTW : The way you describe Linux, makes me think that it was "built" so that IT-Personnel was needed more than with MS systems, making it even more expensive to run, rather then cheaper.
That's your opinion. But it doesn't reflect what's happening in reality.
You clearly have not used a modern day distribution of Linux. Have a look at Ubuntu or OpenSUSE. You'd be very surprised how fast the open-source community has progressed.
Windows requires constant attention to remain safe. From the need to install all this third-party security products, to the cost of subscription services for updates and signatures. Its frequency of downtime is higher than Linux. When a system goes down, its not doing work and thus not making money...Its costing your business money. (This is why network admins and managers do NOT like when a system is down!)
In Linux, you can set it up such that the box looks after itself, and can call or message you (mobile phone, beeper, etc) if anything goes wrong. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you can add this capability in third-party firmware for these kinds of ASUS, Linksys, etc routers.
License costs? Linux costs nothing to acquire. Windows costs you at least US$50 with a PC that comes with it. (NO! Windows is NOT free, despite what you are led to believe!)...And then, its NOT even yours! The price you pay is actually for the right to use it! That's a fact.
With Linux, you download it, you use it, you modify it, etc...The only rules you need to follow are governed by the General Public License (GPL). That's it. Its yours.
And what about those anti-piracy measures like "Windows Geniune Advantage"? They ain't foolproof, and its a known fact that innocent people have been accused of pirating Windows as a result. There's no way to solve this unless you PAY for another copy of Windows! What a wonderful way to squeeze more money out of people!
This gets worse if you have a business! If Microsoft sees some inconsistencies with your Windows systems, (such as more copies used than you have PCs), they will insist on sending one of their people over to audit. If they find their suspicions true, you will be punished and fined...Then forced to pay for the extra licenses you need. Meanwhile, all this has disrupted productivity of your business and cost you money.
So how does MS know about these "inconsistencies"? Its because the bloody thing dials home back to Microsoft! Or someone in your company dobbed on you! (Microsoft rewards those people btw).
What about if you want to modify it to match you or your business's needs? You have to contact Microsoft, negotiate some deal with them, sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, pay them a fee for this deal, etc. Go through all this nonsense. With Linux, as long as you abide by the GPL, no one cares what you do. There's no cost for the right to modify.
And what about the End-User License Agreement (EULA) that comes with every copy of Windows? Did you know that when you agree to their EULA, you agree to let them install anything on YOUR system without your consent? What about you agreeing them to let them disable parts of your system because Content Providers (like the Recording or Movie Industries) request it?
You may think your lives are easier with Windows, but you have to understand the time you saved comes with its own problems (restrictions and issues).