Giving the WL500g a second chance. Please help me.

[Thorz]

I am giving my router a second chance. I have loaded Oleg's 1.7.5.9-(3) firmware and have fiollowed Antiloop's guide to set up my network with WEP128 (I will try WPA after I am totally sure that everything is working on WEP).

I have:
1 wired machine (NIC: 3Com LOM integrated in the Asus P4C800 deluxe). Heavy IN/OUT traffic here, bittorrent, surfing, email, ICQ, MSN, buddyphone, file sharing in the LAN.
1 wireless: Intel Pro Integrated Centrino 54G laptop (Acer Travelmte 8006LMi). Surfing, email, ICQ, MSN
1 Wireless: Asus WL100g on an Acer Travelmate 630 laptop @ 54G. Surfing, email, ICQ, MSN.

I need some light here:

1. Is channel 11 the best to have? I have seen that Antiloop was using it and I have set it like this too but I would like to know if it is better to use ch. 11 than AUTO and why?

2. Is Frame Bursting any good or will it bring me more problems than benefits?

3. How reliable is UPnP on the WL500g? My bittorrent client can use UPnP to pass through the NAT without I needing to make any virtual servers, but I have noticed that after some hours the UPnP icon in Windows "Network Connections" was unresponsive, it even dissapeared from there and Azureus (BT client) was reporting me NAT errors after this. Powercycling the router cured this.

Thank you.

[Styno]

Using UPnP is not recommended on most networks as it (Like most other MS software solutions) makes your network vulnerable to attacks originating from WAN.

[Thorz]

Using UPnP is not recommended on most networks as it (Like most other MS software solutions) makes your network vulnerable to attacks originating from WAN.

I agree, but unfortunally it looks to be the only way to use MSN. Is there another known way to use MSN messenger through the NAT without using UPnP?

I have been experimenting with 1.7.5.9-3 firmware from Oleg. The problem of the WAN port dying due to auto-negotiation of speeds appears to have been cured in my case . My connection has been up for more than 30 hours with Azureus on and it was not killed, nice. BUT: The UPnP service of the router gets killed after 20 hours or so of heavy download via Azureus, JUST THE UPNP, not the connection, I can still surf the net and send email, I know the UPnP gets killed because when I go to "Network Configuration" and try to see the status of the UPnP gateway (as default its name is "Internet Connection") I cannot get trough and its immposible to see the status page, it simply blinks the screen and doesn't show you anything. The solution that I am testing for now is to not use UPnP in Azureus and just open the needed ports in the virtual server page. I will post after a time to see if this worked.

[Styno]

I agree, but unfortunally it looks to be the only way to use MSN.

Strange, I use MSN all the time behind the WL500g without UPnP and I never experienced any problems. Filetransfer and audio/video chats working just fine. I use MSN Messenger 6.1

[smallkeung]

Strange, I use MSN all the time behind the WL500g without UPnP and I never experienced any problems. Filetransfer and audio/video chats working just fine. I use MSN Messenger 6.1

Actually, I have a problem on using ICQ and MSN to transfer file? I don't know how to set up the router and make it works. Can you tell me?
(Now I'm using 1.8.1.3 and i also tried to use 1.7.1.9 (cr-3) or below. but i still can't send file through the WL500g)

Thank you

[Antiloop]

Actually, I have a problem on using ICQ and MSN to transfer file? I don't know how to set up the router and make it works. Can you tell me?
(Now I'm using 1.8.1.3 and i also tried to use 1.7.1.9 (cr-3) or below. but i still can't send file through the WL500g)

Thank you

when using UPnP it works out of the box, if not: then there is something with your PC or with your ISP
without UPnP it should also work out of box AFAIK

[monnier]

1. Is channel 11 the best to have? I have seen that Antiloop was using it and I have set it like this too but I would like to know if it is better to use ch. 11 than AUTO and why?

I don't think it makes much different which channel you use as long as you don't get too much interference, so it depends on which other channels are used by other devices (like bluetooth, cordless phones, ...).
As for whether it's better to set the channel by hand or let it be chosen by the router, I tend to prefer the manual setting because I don't want the router ro use channel N at boot time and then get interference when the phone rings because it so happens that channel N is also used by the phone (but only when in use).
I the auto-channel selection was completely dynamic, it would be sweet, but I don't think that's how it works. Does anybody know how the auto-choice works?

[Thorz]

To the ones that are saying that MSN Messenger doesn't care if UPnP is ON or OFF I recommend you to check this: (I have the LAST MSN messenger version 6.2):

1. Log you into MSN
2. Go to TOOLS /OPTIONS...
3. Go to the CONNECTIONS tab
4. Look down in "Advanced Connection Information". If you have UPnP turned OFF in the router it will say "You are connected to the Internet using a non UPnP NAT device... (Administrator)", if you have it ennabled it shoud say "You are connected to the Internet using a direct connection (Administrator)"

Things that may not work if you don't have UPnP ennabled and you are using MSN:

- Audio / Video conversations
- Problems been contacted by a person from the internet side (for conversation)
- File transfers

The stupid folks at M$ don't let you assign some static ports to MSN and this make difficult (at least I have not found how to) to just open the appropiate ones in the router. AFAIK ICQ lets you configure some static ports, read the help (ICQ complete, I don't know if the light version lets you).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Speaking about other things, I have said victory too soon The WL-500g is again with its old habits. The problems started with the UPnP service as I sayed in the last post, after turning it off I suddenly have started to notice dead valleys in the internet activity logs. Intermitent dead spots that let you totally blocked! My thinkings are that this can be again the auto-sensing problems. I don't have a 10Mbit hub for putting between the router and the ADSL modem (Zixel Prestige 600). I will have to try again with setting the connection speed manually as I was trying before, but I don't know if I like to. I am really dissapointed already. I have installed 3Com routers to some customers and have not seen so bad troubles with them.
The only thing that I ask is a wireless router that complies these 3 conditions:

1. Without disconnection issues!
2. That can manage WEP128 and WPA with passaphrase (or key) without problems.
3. That doesn't get locked and that works OK with UPnP.

Is this immposible to find, is this too much to ask?

Thank you.

[Styno]

Well, its a pity you're having so much problems with this router. But, you must remember this is a consumer product at a 1/4 of the price of a 3Com router. I don't think Belkin, Edimax, Sitecom, etc. routers, which are in the same price range, are problem free too (My old Edimax hung every 3 days, so I sold it to someone else ). But on the other hand, which router has more functionality then the WL500g? Barely none. The WL500g may not be problem free, but it has its advantages too. On top of this, MSN is known to be a difficult application, but he! its full featured M$ stuff, so...

So, if you don't need the unique features of the WL500g and you have serious problems with it, go back to the shop where you bought this one and try to exchange it with another brand. Maybe this will work out for you.

[Thorz]

Well, its a pity you're having so much problems with this router. But, you must remember this is a consumer product at a 1/4 of the price of a 3Com router. I don't think Belkin, Edimax, Sitecom, etc. routers, which are in the same price range, are problem free too (My old Edimax hung every 3 days, so I sold it to someone else ). But on the other hand, which router has more functionality then the WL500g? Barely none. The WL500g may not be problem free, but it has its advantages too. On top of this, MSN is known to be a difficult application, but he! its full featured M$ stuff, so...

So, if you don't need the unique features of the WL500g and you have serious problems with it, go back to the shop where you bought this one and try to exchange it with another brand. Maybe this will work out for you.

I am sorry to tell you m8 that the 3Com routers that I am speaking about are at the same price level as the Asus, if not cheaper. Consumer product doesn't mean that it has to be as buggy as the Asus is. When I buy something that suposse to support these 3 basic features, the must logical thing is that it should deliver. I understand that there is very difficult to find a bug free product, but I am not giving the Asus any unusual work, what I do is the basic surfing, email, wireless (2 clients), MSN and P2P. If you read in Asus webpage it says clearly that this router "SUPPORTS UPnP for making easy your experience with programs that use it like MSN", and it is not only MSN, for me it is important to use other functions that need UPnP support, like Windows Remote Desktop and Remote Assistence that I use with some people for helping them via internet. It is maybe possible to make this things work without UPnP but the thing is there for making the process easy. I just say this: If it doesn't work please don't advertise it.

The reason that I have bought the Asus was precisely the ammount of nice features that it offers and that you can not find in another router, but I have not even had a chance to try them because the basic functions doesn't work as they should. Look for example the auto-negotiation issues, there is a lot of people having this problem and the solution is "put a 10Mbps hub between router and ADSL/cable modem, and if you don't have one go out and get one, it doesn't matter that they are almost immposible to find (at least here) because almost all the products out there are auto-sensing".

I am upset with Asus support because they don't care a @#%$ about the people that bought this router. I have had very little problems with their motherboards, but I have not had a single momment of peace with the router, and support just write emails telling "we have fixed these issues in the next firmware that is going to be out on JUNE", maybe they mean JUNE / 2005?

The worst thing is that I really like the damn router, I like to have the features that make it unique (external HD / FTP / printer support). I have already tried other routers before this one. I have tried 2 SMC barricade ones and they were no better. What I am doing now is changing this Zyxel modem, I have already called my ISP and they will send a new one. I don't know of this will help but it is the only thing that I have not tried. The fact is that when I connect my machine (3Com gigabit LOM integrated NIC Asus P4C800 Deluze board) directly to the modem there is no problem at all.

I like to thank you all for the help given, if it was not for this forum there would have not been any live in this router. The people that work with the firmwares make an amazing job, it doesn't matter if this customized releases have not helped me either.

[Thorz]

Update:

Router is still pressenting disconnetion issues. It happens after let's say 20 hours of use. I guess is has something to do with the router trying to renew its IP address with my ISP. Maybe if I could have a fixed IP this issue could be solved, but I can not, my IP is pretty stable but they use to change it every 15-20 days. Connection comes to live after clicking "renew" in the router status page.

I have turned off UPnP and now I am only using port forwarding.
I have only 1 wireless client ATM, a Dlink 54g card. All the machines have SP2 now, but this has anything to do with the issues, they were pressent before. I have ordered a new ADSL modem, let's see how it goes with it. I will also try again to fix the WAN link to 10Mbps full again to see if it helps.

I am still with the same Oleg's 1.7.5.9-(3) firmware.

[Antiloop]

Update:

Router is still pressenting disconnetion issues. It happens after let's say 20 hours of use. I guess is has something to do with the router trying to renew its IP address with my ISP. Maybe if I could have a fixed IP this issue could be solved, but I can not, my IP is pretty stable but they use to change it every 15-20 days. Connection comes to live after clicking "renew" in the router status page.

I have turned off UPnP and now I am only using port forwarding.
I have only 1 wireless client ATM, a Dlink 54g card. All the machines have SP2 now, but this has anything to do with the issues, they were pressent before. I have ordered a new ADSL modem, let's see how it goes with it. I will also try again to fix the WAN link to 10Mbps full again to see if it helps.

I am still with the same Oleg's 1.7.5.9-(3) firmware.

I'm strongly suggesting you to set your WAN port to a FIXED speed, if you have a auto-negotiating device at the other side of your WAN port this WILL cause a lockup of the WAN port.

See below how my configuration was at time of testing
when setting speed to auto it locked up with heavy traffic (this especially happends a lot when it's incoming)
when setting speed fixed to 100Mbps FULL duplex it did NOT hang!

https://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=624