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The Graveyard - Products No Longer Supported => Routers / COVR => DGL-4500 => Topic started by: benbelly on December 04, 2012, 06:23:22 PM

Title: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: benbelly on December 04, 2012, 06:23:22 PM: I've had my DGL-4500 for a few years now, and I have been very happy. I currently have about 15 or 16 devices on my network. Seven wired and the rest wireless. We do a lot of network streaming in my house, and it seems that as I have added a few wireless devices I have started encountering problems.

I am periodically dropping connections or needing to pause for buffering a lot. I don't just see problems from my wireless devices, but from wired devices as well. I assumed that it was my cable modem, but have found that rebooting the 4500 is always necessary to clean things up a bit. Also, if I disable a wireless device matters improve.

Am I at capacity? Should I expect to be able to stream to two different devices while playing Xbox Live and using a tablet, or is that too much to ask of this router? (Clearly I am not doing all of these things myself - there are six people in the house :) ) My speed tests (from speedtest.net, mostly) return > 24Mbps down. About 1-1.5 up.

Oh, one of the devices is an old laptop that only supports 802.11g, so I believe I am stuck in 2.4GHz land. Does that make a difference? I am running firmware version 1.22NA

Can anyone offer any suggestions? Or, if my demands are too high for this hard-working device, what should I look at instead?

Thanks,
-Ben
Title: Re: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: FurryNutz on December 04, 2012, 06:29:32 PM: You could be running at capacity.
What ISP service do you have? Cable or DSL
What make and model ISP modem do you have?

What wireless security are you using? Mixed TPIK or AES? Try AES only.
Also are there any other WiFi routers near by? Use InSSIDer application to find out. How many?

You might use Gamefuel to set up some rules to maybe help you prioritized whats streaming and gaming:
DGL-4500 Gaming and Gamefuel for XBL (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=10435.0)
Title: Re: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: benbelly on December 05, 2012, 02:43:17 PM: Thank you for the quick response.

We are using Time Warner's Road Runner Cable based internet. The ISP modem does not have a brand or name label anywhere. There is a model number: U10C018 Oh, and a little tag that says 'Made in China'. :) The only other information on the modem is the MAC address. I'm not gonna publish that here ;)

I did have TKIP/AES mixed mode running, so I'll switch that over.
There are other networks in my neighborhood, but they are weak, and on other channels. I can only see one or two others, depending on when I'm looking.

I'll give gamefuel a try and see if it helps.

Thanks for the tips.
-Ben
Title: Re: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: FurryNutz on December 05, 2012, 02:48:39 PM: Maybe an AMbit modem:
http://broadband.modemhelp.net/cable_modem_info/ambit/U10C018.shtml (http://broadband.modemhelp.net/cable_modem_info/ambit/U10C018.shtml)
Which seem to have been bought by UBEE.

You may want upgrade to a newer modem for good measure at some point. I recommend Motorola SB 6 series modems. Very good.

Keep us posted on the WiFi.
Title: Re: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: XS on December 14, 2012, 03:07:58 PM: Quote from: FurryNutz on December 05, 2012, 02:48:39 PM
Maybe an AMbit modem:
http://broadband.modemhelp.net/cable_modem_info/ambit/U10C018.shtml (http://broadband.modemhelp.net/cable_modem_info/ambit/U10C018.shtml)
Which seem to have been bought by UBEE.

You may want upgrade to a newer modem for good measure at some point. I recommend Motorola SB 6 series modems. Very good.

Keep us posted on the WiFi.
Good call Fur, I agree I think the modem is the problem, need that DOCSIS 3.0!!!
Title: Re: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: benbelly on December 14, 2012, 06:16:53 PM: I verified with Time Warner that my modem was a DOCSIS 2.0, so I argued them into sending me an upgrade. I installed that tonight and will see if that makes a difference.

Thanks,
-Ben
Title: Re: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: FurryNutz on December 15, 2012, 08:06:36 AM: Keep us posted. What model did they send you this time?
Title: Re: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: benbelly on December 15, 2012, 08:38:38 AM: They sent me an Ubee DDW3610. I looked at getting the Motorola, but Time Warner restricts third party devices to just a couple models. They allow the Motorola two or three models up from the suggested one ($130). I figured I'd try Time Warner's before investing more.

It's about the ugliest piece of electronic equipment I've seen since the '80s. (http://www.ubeeinteractive.com/products/cable/ddw3610)
Title: Re: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: FurryNutz on December 15, 2012, 08:43:24 AM: Wow, thats stylin on the blue and bulky. How awesome for you man. hehe.

Ok, keep us posted on how it goes.
Let us know if your need someone to check the 4500's settings.
Title: Re: Router is getting 'droppy' - too many devices?
Post by: Hard Harry on January 12, 2013, 04:50:04 PM: They sent you a wireless gateway. Thats going to cause you all kinds of problems. Looking at this page (http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/residential-home/support/topics/internet/buy-your-modem.html) I suggest the SB6121.

Also I would say your upload is your limiting factor. 1.5Mb result direct to cable modem or with router in place? Turbo or Extreme? If Extreme you should be getting 5Mb up. Also I would try to disable Gamefuel on the router. I think it might be having problems managing so many devices with limited upload.