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[Rick76]

I notice that in many replies from FuzzyNutz, he recommends setting the DHCP reserved IP address for each device connecting to your home network. And making sure the DNS IP address is filled in. I do not recall doing this during the initial setup a couple of months ago, in which I used the basic default setup (only setting my security encryption level).

Just wondering if this would account for an ongoing issue I am having where various devices keep getting kicked off my network. Currently connecting 2 x Win 7 laptops and 2 x wireless printers on a daily basis, a couple of netbooks intermittently, 2 x iPhones, 2 x BlackBerry's, a Samsung Android tablet, a no-name Android tablet and a PS3 several times per week.

Of all the above devices only the 2 laptops and the wireless printers seem to hold a consistent connection (perhaps because they are very seldom turned off). All the others will work for a few hours or a day or two then the next time you go to use them, they will not connect again until I reboot the router. This is driving me crazy as I did NOT have this issue with my old Linksys 54G router, also running in default mode.

[FurryNutz]

How are the devices connected? Wired or Wireless?
If wireless, it's possible some external interferences are the cause of disconnections as the router might be having problems maintaining the WiFi if being interfered with.

Having reserved IP addresses is preferred as each device will always get there own IP address every time they are connected and helps in trouble shooting. It's what routers are designed for.

What Hardware version is your router? Look at sticker under router.
What Firmware version is currently loaded? Found on routers web page under status.

What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?
What ISP Modem do you have? Stand Alone or built in router?
What ISP Modem make and model do you have?
If this modem has a built in router, it's best to bridge the modem. Having 2 routers on the same line can cause connection problems.

Some things to try:
Ensure DNS IP addresses are being filled in under Setup/Internet/Manual? You can find these under Status/Device Info/Wan section.
Turn off ALL QoS (DIR only) GameFuel (DGL only and if ON.) options. Advanced/QoS or Gamefuel.
Turn off Advanced DNS Services if you have this option under Setup/Internet/Manual.
Turn on DNS Relay under Setup/Networking.
Setup DHCP reserved IP addresses for all devices on the router. Setup/Networking
Ensure devices are set to auto obtain an IP address.
Set Firewall settings to Endpoint Independent for TCP and UDP.

What wireless modes are you using?
Try single mode G or mixed G and N?
What security mode are you using? Preferred security is WPA-Personal. WPA2/Auto TPIK and AES.
What wireless devices do you have connected?
Any cordless house phones?
Any other WiFi routers in the area? Use InSSIDer to find out.
Turn off Short GI and Extra Wireless Protection if you have it. Under Advanced/Advanced Wireless.

Turn off all anti virus and firewall programs on PC while testing. 3rd party firewalls are not generally needed when using routers as they are effective on blocking malicious inbound traffic.
Turn off all devices accept for one wired PC while testing.

Check cable between Modem and Router, swap out to be sure. Cat6 is recommended.

Maybe someone can review your router settings with you using teamviewer.

[Rick76]

Thank you for your quick reply Furry. I will try to work through your suggestions over the next couple of days as work keeps getting in the way (lol). Will report back with results and answers to all setup/equipment questions at this time.

In reading many of your other replies, I think it may be most related to the issue of reserving IP addresses for each device. This is something that I am sure I did NOT do at initial setup, assuming that the router would handle all of the traffic automatically because this is what my old Linksys router did.

[FurryNutz]

Keep us posted.

[Mike_Bishop]

I use the dhcp reserved IP addresses for my network. Because I need my desktop to get the same ip from the dhcp. I run a camfrog room server and need a few ports open to it for the room to work right. That way when someone on the web clicks to come in to the room the router knows where to send the request.

[Rick76]

@ FurryNutz: In answer to your questions:

Hardware Version B1, S/W Version 2.02 NA
Provider - Rogers Cable, Modem - Stand-alone, Model - Motorola SB5101 SURFBoard Modem
Cordless Phones - DECT 6.0 (4 handsets) and 5.8 GHz (2 handsets)
Other WiFi Routers - Next door (signal is one bar less than my router)
Connecting Wireless Devices - 4 x Windows 7 Laptops, 3 x Widows XP Netbooks, 2 x Android Tablets, 2 x Brother Printers, 2 x BlackBerry Phones, 2 x iPhones, 1 x Android Phone, 1 x Windows Phone 7 Phone, 1 x Sony PS3.
When my son is home from College, there is also 1 x xBox connected by ethernet cable.

All router settings are set to the original default settings, except security is set to WPA Personal. I had absolutely none of these issues with my previous Linksys G router. The only difference between my previous setup and now is the actual router.

Also in doing some more reading, in the event that setting IP addresses is the way to go, would it not be preferable to to use DHCP Reservation over manually setting individual IP addresses?

Oh, and by the way, Happy New Year to all.

[FurryNutz]

It's highly recommended to reserve the IP addresses for ALL devices you connected to the router under Setup/Networking. This helps ensure each device gets it's own IP addresses every time, and that they don't conflict with any other address, helps ensure the other options set by you in the router are maintained and not broke should the IP address change by accident and helps in troubleshooting. Ensure the devices are set up for Auto Obtain or Automatic IP addressing.

[Rick76]

Ok, it has been one heck of a year so far and among other things, I still have not got around to fixing this problem. So here goes.....starting holidays and I am bound and determined to get these issues sorted out.

The first thing I have discovered is that I don't have enough DHCP addresses available. Under Setup/Networking it is showing that I only have 11 addresses available (192.168.0.10 - 192.168.0.20). I currently have 17 devices trying to connect at one point or another.

So the first hurdle.....how do I add/open up more IP addresses? And is there a maximum I can have? I'm thinking I would like to have about 25 in total so when guests come over, they can have network access if I allow it.

Thanks.

[FurryNutz]

Do a factory reset of the router.
Reserve IP addresses for each device you connect ON the router.

The default address pool id from 192.68.0.100 to 102.169.0.199.

[Rick76]

Thank you for your quick reply FN. I believe I read in one of your other posts here somewhere that you recommend reserving each device, one at a time and rebooting the router after each reservation. Is that correct?

And, any idea why my list of available addresses shrank from the default you are noting to a measly 11?

[FurryNutz]

Yes.

Not sure why you pool shrank. Did you happen to change the subnet mask?

[Rick76]

No, I haven't changed anything but then perhaps I am misstating "available ip addresses". The information I am referring to is listed under the heading "Number of Dynamic DHCP Clients 11".

I am assuming this is how many I have access to. Perhaps I am wrong and it means this is how many devices have connected to my router. However, if it is the latter, then therein lies my quandary. Why are devices "fighting" for address allocations? Why doesn't the router just automatically assign an address that is not in/has not been used?

Sorry for all the newbie questions.

[FurryNutz]

Yes if your seeing a listing of clients, this means you have 11 connected at the time you viewed that page and are online at that time.

[PacketTracer]

Hi Rick,

please tell us from your NETWORK SETTINGS page of your DIR-825 the following configuration settings:

Router IP Address :    ?
Subnet Mask :    ?
DHCP IP Address Range :    ?    to    ?

If your configured range is really 11 addresses only, you can't use more than 11 clients simultaneously. To solve the problem, you just have to configure a smaller start address and/or a greater end address of the DHCP IP Address Range. But in order to see, which minimum and maximum values are allowed, we must also see the Router IP Address and the Subnet Mask. May be, you also have to reduce the Subnet Mask to allow a greater DHCP Range.

PT

[FurryNutz]

Any status on this?