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[terminlman]

After having problems with another router I had been using, I pulled the DIR-651 off the shelf.  It was still mostly configured from the last time I used it, so with a few changes, it started working well for me.  However, I have been having some transient connection problems, so I started hunting through the configuration screens to see if I could find anything that might help me troubleshoot.  (I'll get back to that in a different post later.)
When I got to the time configuration, I saw the router was an hour off.  I found a few other posts with similar issues, so I started changing the daylight savings and ntp server settings.  (timezone was correct as EST)  At some point, when I logged back in to the router after saving settings, it let me log in, but as soon as I select a different page, it went back to the login page.  Sometimes I can get a page (tools, status, a manual setup page) but either after a few seconds just sitting, or if I select a different page, it takes me right back to the login page.

I hit the reset button on the back, and it was stable enough to do a factory reset.  However, now as soon as I change anything on the time page, it goes back to logging me out. 

This is a DIR-651 (not a 655) hardware A2, firmware 1.10NA.  I'm on AT&T DSL with a Speeedstream 5100 (although I also have a Westell 6100 available.)  I have PCs with both wired and wireless connections (and the wireless connections seem fine.)

I'll go through the full cycle one or two more times - but is there something I'm missing?  Should I try the emergency reset/reload firmware (link found on another thread here)?  If so - which firmware.  I know searching on the DLink site shows 1.10NA as the latest, but at one point, I checked through the router's firmware page, and it shows a 1.11, which I have downloaded, but not done anything with yet.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jack

[FurryNutz]

Link>Welcome!

• What region are you located?
• Are you wired or wireless connected to the router?
• Has a Factory Reset been performed?
• Was a Factory Reset performed before and after any firmware updates then set up from scratch?

FW Update Process

• Was the router working before any firmware updates?

Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

• Is ISP Modem/Service using Dynamic or Static WAN IP addressing?
• What ISP Modem service link speeds UP and Down do you have?
• Check cable between Modem and Router, swap out to be sure. Link> Cat6 is recommended.
• If the ISP modem has a built in router, it's best to bridge the modem. Having 2 routers on the same line can cause connection problems: Link>Double NAT and How NAT Works. To tell if the modem is bridged or not, look at the routers web page, Status/Device Info/Wan Section, if there is a 192.168.0.# address in the WAN IP address field, then the modem is not bridged. If the modem can't be bridged then see if the modem has a DMZ option and input the IP address the router gets from the modem and put that into the modems DMZ. Also check the routers DHCP IP address maybe conflicting with the ISP modems IP address of 192.168.0.1. Check to see if this is the same on the ISP modem, and if modem can't be bridged, change the DIR router to 192.168.1.1 or .0.254.
  Example of a D-Link router configured for PPPoE with ISP Modem bridged: PPPoE Configuration on Router
• Check ISP MTU requirements, Cable is usually 1500, DSL is around 1492 down to 1472. Call the ISP and ask. Link>Checking MTU Values
• For DSL/PPPoE connections on the router, ensure that "Always ON" option is enabled.

Router and Wired Configurations
Some things to try: - Log into the routers web page at 192.168.0.1. Use IE, Opera or FF to manage the router. Besure to log into the Admin account on the router.

• Turn off ALL QoS
• Turn off Advanced DNS Services if you have this option under Setup/Internet/Manual or under Setup/PARENTAL CONTROL/Set to>None: Static IP or Obtain Automatically From ISP.
• Enable Use Unicasting (compatibility for some ISP DHCP Servers) under Setup/Internet/Manual.
• Turn off DNS Relay  under Setup/Networking. Link>Finding Faster DNS Addresses using Name Bench and input new DNS addresses under Setup/Internet/Manual.
• Setup DHCP reserved IP addresses for all devices ON the router. Setup/Networking. This ensures each devices gets its own IP address when turned on and connected, eliminates IP address conflicts and helps in troubleshooting and maintain consistency for applications that need to connect as well as mapped drives.
• Ensure devices are set to auto obtain an IP address.
• Set Firewall settings to Endpoint Independent for TCP and UDP under Advanced/Firewall. Enable or Disable SPI to test.
• Enable uPnP and Multi-cast Streaming under Advanced/Networking.
• Turn off WISH, and WPS under Advanced.
• WAN Port Speed set to Auto or specific speed? Some newer ISP modems support 1000Mb so manually setting to Gb speeds can be supported by the router. Advanced/Advanced Networking/WAN Port Speed
• Set current Time Zone, Date and Time. Use an NTP Server feature. Tools/Time.

Router Placement
Forum User - "Well I feel really dumb. After moving the router away from other electronic devices my speeds are back to normal. Just a heads up for anyone experiencing slow speeds, you might want to move it away from other electronics and see if that helps."
6" minimum safe distance between devices.

3rd Party Security Software Configurations

• 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 LAN PC while testing.

Web Browser Configurations
What browser are you using?
Try Opera or FF? If IE 8, 9, 10 or 11, set compatibility mode and test again.
Disable any security browser Add-ons like No Script and Ad-Block or configure them to allow All Pages when connected to the router.
Clear all browser caches.
Be sure to log into the Admin account on the router.
Try turning off these features in Chrome:
Top right corner, little bars for options > Settings > Settings (on left) > Show advanced settings.
Uncheck these:
Use a web service to help resolve navigation errors
Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar
Predict network actions to improve page load performance
Enable phishing and malware protection

[terminlman]

I already answered several of the questions, and I don't see the relevance of many of them.  However:

I am in southeast Connecticut - old SBC territory, now AT&T.
I have both wired and wireless connections to the router, and the problems are identical wired or wireless.
I did a factory reset after the push button reset.
I did not update any firmware.  (I still have questions about the 1.11, mentioned in my first post.)
The router seems to be working fine, except for the overzealous return to login screen.  It has remained connected through all of this - and I am posting this with the router in place.

ISP is pppoe with dynamic IP address
I get pretty consistent around 1.3Mb down and .6Mb up (that's from memory so could be off a bit) which I think is what I'm supposed to get.  Speed issues have not been my problem.
I'm pretty sure I only have Cat5 available, I'll start a hunt for a short Cat6 cable.
Pretty sure the Speedstream does not have router.  When the Westell was installed, it was definitely in bridge mode.
MTU is 1492.
I'm pretty sure it used to be "Always on" but found it was now at "On demand."  It took me about ten tries to change it - it kept bringing me to the login screen as soon as I hit "save settings."  So far, it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Router configurations - I can't seriously try any of these if the router logs me off just trying to get to those pages.  Also, I think many of them are already set as suggested.  Note specifically for the last one, it seems to be the time settings that were the last thing changed before this problem started.  It is the page I'm checking most now, and something seems inconsistent.  I was away for a few hours, and the first time I checked now, the date was correct, but the hour was way off.  I managed to turn savings time on, and the time went "accurate" but one hour off.  Turning savings time off again did not change the time.  There have also been times when the date and time were both off, and toggling savings time brought it back to one hour off.  However, changing these settings are difficult if it logs me off over half the time I select the time page or hit save settings.  (more on time below)

The only other equipment really close to the router is the DSL modem.  There are a printer, PC tower, and LCD monitor a few feet away.  Actually - having the modem up on the shelf or sitting directly on top of the printer didn't seem to make any notable difference.  My plan is actually to mount it on the wall close to the ceiling.

I have no PC firewalls.  Although Microsoft Security Essentials is running on the Windows machines (one wired Vista, one wireless XP) there is no anti virus on the wired Linux box.

I primarily use Firefox, but have only IE available on the XP box.  I haven't detected any consistent difference between browsers, and I have also tried Chromium, and have available Opera and a few others, if it is really likely to matter.

Oddly, right now, it seems pretty stable, although I have no idea what made the difference, although other than turning 'always on' back on, I've only been changing the time settings today.

New time settings question:  if I have ntp server enabled, does it matter whether daylight savings is on or off?  Right now, it's off, and the time is actually correct.

Anyway - if the router remains stable, so I can actually get to all the config pages, I'll open a separate thread for the issues I was working on in the first place.

If nothing else, thanks for letting me vent.

[FurryNutz]

Thanks for posting the details it helps sometimes to have additional information regardless of the situation. Helps us out. Thank you for taking the time to post.

How long does it take for the router to take you back from where your at to the log in page if you log in and go to a section, start a timer and time the transition?

If your any where in the U.S. that observed DST, I recommend enabling it to help the router keep the time when DST occurs.

[terminlman]

OK - I think I spaced out a minute.  NTP gets you the absolute time - but it knows nothing about DST, so that is still needed for the adjustment.  However, I just tried turning DST on and then off, and both show the same (correct) time.  However, that was with it set to start the first Sunday in March.  I just changed it to the second Sunday, and now I'm getting the logouts again  End is set to first Sunday in November.

Regarding the logouts, there are two scenarios.  In some cases, simply clicking on a page link or on the save settings button goes straight to a white screen and then immediately to the login page.  In some other cases, it displays the page for up to a second or two, never longer, and then goes to the login page.

As I started typing this reply, I was going to say fortunately, it's not happening any more, but unfortunately, that means we can't figure out why.  Now it started again, so I need to reverse that.

[FurryNutz]

What version of FF are you using?
What OS platform?

You might go back and install a older version of FF as a test, say something around the same time frame is this FW version and see if that version of FF behaves the same way.

Does the XP box do the same thing?


Unfortunately, it maybe a FW issue and if it is, you maybbe at the end of the road...unless you give v1.11 a try.

If you choose to update and if you do have the file, follow this please:
FW Update Process

[terminlman]

It seems pretty much the same on all the browsers and OS I have tried.  My main box is FF 27 on Gentoo Linux, and changing version is a real pain.  Chromium 33.1.1750.152 behaves the same.  IE 8 on XP.  IE 9 on Vista and FF 28 on Vista laptop.  No consistent difference between any of them.  I'm not close enough to the Vista desktop to check versions, but I think it's the same as the Vista laptop.  (If I'm really perverse, I suppose I can also try Safari on a borrowed iPad)

Really strange - the past few times I can get to either the main status or time page, the time keeps changing.  At first, it was two hours later then  now on Sunday (two days later).  Then it was April 1 but jumped to login page before I could read the time.  I just tried again, and it was about a week into the future.  Note that ntp is ON as far as I can tell, although I thought I saw in another post that the ntp time is only checked on reboot and not on any ongoing basis?

I'm willing to try the flash, but not quite yet, as the underlying network connection seems reasonably stable.

(I started this whole thing because of some inconsistent/transient packet/connection loss - which I'm trying to  prove is caused by something outside my house, so I can go back and yell at AT&T again.  However, until I have stable equipment, I'm not going there.  Also however, I'm getting fewer of those drops right now, so I'm more willing to wait.)

If I do decide to flash, can I find the difference between 1.10 and 1.11?  I found the latter by following the link from the router's firmware page, but could not find it by directly searching the dlink site.  Also, is 1.10 to 1.11 close enough to trust reloading the configuration, or is it safer to reconfigure from scratch?

One more thing I'm going to try first - I do have AdAware installed in FF (but not in IE) so I'm going to create a new user on the box and try using a fresh profile in FF, just in case.

[FurryNutz]

The only thing that I found was the WPS PIN security issue a few years back was fixed in v1.11 is all.
You can get the FW file here if you like:
http://tsd.dlink.com.tw/downloads2008detailgo.asp

I recommend that when you update, don't load the config file after the last factory reset. Test the router our and log out after you reconfigure from scratch and see what happens before loading the saved config from file...

Yes, disable any browser add-ons and security SW and test. These can interfere with browser interactions and FW updates.

[terminlman]

Thanks for that link.  It's an odd page, in that there are no obvious links, but if you click on each item, it will download it.  I'm particularly interested in looking through the open source of the 1.10 FW. 

I did reflash 1.10, and it behaves exactly the same as before.  I'm now convinced that it is turning on the DST that causes the logouts, so I'll live with the router time being one hour off half the year.  With ntp turned off, however, it looked like the time was advancing by several hours or even days each time I looked at it again.  I don't know if the internal clock is off - or something is advancing or resetting it.  At least with ntp on it seems stable - although it's odd that it only actually checks with the ntp server on startup.  (Hopefully I'll be able to confirm that by looking at the source code.)  However, since this model is post EOL, I assume DLink will not be interested in any of this.

By the way - disabling all FF brower add-ons didn't change anything.

I'm going to wait to see that things are stable for a day or two before I go back to addressing my other original problems.....

Thanks for the support.

[FurryNutz]

Let us know how it goes.

Enjoy. 

[terminlman]

Well, leaving DST off, the router itself seems to have been stable for the past few days.  However, I'm still getting occasional disconnects/logoffs.  (That's logging off from the ISP, not from the router.)  I'm doing various tests from dslreports.  I finally just added a hub between the modem and router so I can get the modem line stats saved.  Right now, the router says it's been connect for only 45 minutes, but the system was unused since last night except for some light browsing by the iPad.   I have a suspicion I'm going to have to connect the modem directly to the test jack in the box on the side of the house before I can convince AT&T that the problem is not internal wiring, and that is going to take some serious rearranging of stuff.

By the way - I finally got the open source code downloaded and  unpacked, but because of how its set up, I think I'll install it in a virtual environment.  If I manage that, I'll discuss it in a new thread.  I think it might also take some effort to set up because of the age.  Do you know if DLink provides any support for the source they have released like this?  I don't suspect so, but one can always hope.

The next thing I'd like to configure is the emailing of the log.  I tried it once and couldn't get it to work.  However, unless you disagree, I'll start a new topic for that.

[FurryNutz]

I recommend that you have your ISP check the cabling going to the ISP modem, check signal levels going to the ISP modem. For cable Internet, RG-6 coaxial cable is needed, not RG-59. Check for t.v. line splitters and remove them as they can introduce noise on the line and lower the signal going to the ISP modem. Connecting to the ISP modem could result in a false positive as the signal to the modem could be just enough to that point then adding on a router, could see problems. The router operation is dependent upon getting good data flow from the ISP modem and the modem is dependent upon getting good signal from the ISP Service.

You can find GPL code here for the 651:
http://tsd.dlink.com.tw/downloads2008detail.asp

[terminlman]

As I said above, I'm on DSL, not cable.  Looking at the modem stats (to the small extent I can understand them) attenuation is good, but signal/noise ratio is extremely variable.  About a year ago, I was having more serious disconnection issues, and a tech helped me change the wiring inside the house, and also (as far as I can tell) made some changes between the house and the DSLAM.  Things did get much better after that, but my suspicion now is that either there is a branch intermittently pressing on a wire or some sort of water/humidity sensitivity.  Also, I do have a DSL splitter on the one phone on the line with the DSL.  All other phones in the house are on a different line.

Also as I said, I did download the GPL code from the link you provided earlier - I think it's going to take me some time to get the build environment set up.  I need to use a virtual install as there are some requirements I'm not willing to set up on my main PC.  Interestingly, the released GPL code looks like it is for 1.10, not 1.11, although it shouldn't make any difference for me.

I'll definitely let you know how things go.

[FurryNutz]

I'd check the phone lines then...same thing for phone lines..make sure the lines are good and the signal is good on the phone. Use filters where needed. Ask the ISP to check the phone lines or the phone company to check to be sure.

You can de-compile the FWs versions and use the v1.11 files when you recompile the GPL into something new. You can follow a thread over on the DIR-857 forum if you like...

Keep us posted on the GPL stuff.