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[MartinZ]

I have Hardware Version: A1 - was running with what came on it (I think 1.x), I just purchased this unit.  It locked up on me, so I thought I would come get the latest firmware.  v1.04 worked but things got slow after a day (even on the wired ports - seemed very strange to me).  I did do a complete reset to factory after the firmware upgrade to 1.04 and reloaded my settings.  So I dropped back to firmware version 1.03.  Everything seemed fine but after about 4 days, it got slow again.  So I just rebooted and all was good.  Then a few days later, same thing - the 826L web interface is slow to respond and speed tests over the unit are showing drop outs and doing about 50% of normal bandwidth.  So I rebooted the 826L again and all is back to normal, getting 50M throughput over the wireless (matching the internet pipe), web interface responsive...etc.  My guess is this is going to happen again (and it is not isolated to either band, both react the same) and since it also affects the web interface (responsiveness of the unit), I believe this is related to the OS/Unit and not the Wireless only. 

Any ideas?  Do I drop to 1.02?  Do I have a defective unit (maybe it is heating up or something) ??

[FurryNutz]

Link>Welcome!

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

Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

• What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?
• What ISP Modem Mfr. and model # do you have?
• What ISP Modem service link speeds UP and Down do you have?
• 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.

• Turn off ALL QoS or Disable Traffic Shaping (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 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 on DNS Relay under Setup/Networking. Link>Finding Faster DNS Addresses using Name Bench
• 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.
• Ensure devices are set to auto obtain an IP address.
• If IPv6 is an option on the router, select Local Connection Only or Disable IPv6 options under Setup/IPv6.
• 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. Disable uPnP for testing Port Forwarding rules. Enable IPv6 Multi-cast Streaming for routers that have a Media Server option. Disable IPv6 Multi-cast Streaming if IPv6 or Media Server is not being used.
• 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.
• Check cable between Modem and Router, swap out to be sure. Link> Cat6 is recommended.

My 826L is a rock solid router here for me. Been a great follow on router to the DIR-825.

I have Hardware Version: A1 - was running with what came on it (I think 1.x), I just purchased this unit.  It locked up on me, so I thought I would come get the latest firmware.  v1.04 worked but things got slow after a day (even on the wired ports - seemed very strange to me).  I did do a complete reset to factory after the firmware upgrade to 1.04 and reloaded my settings.  So I dropped back to firmware version 1.03.  Everything seemed fine but after about 4 days, it got slow again.  So I just rebooted and all was good.  Then a few days later, same thing - the 826L web interface is slow to respond and speed tests over the unit are showing drop outs and doing about 50% of normal bandwidth.  So I rebooted the 826L again and all is back to normal, getting 50M throughput over the wireless (matching the internet pipe), web interface responsive...etc.  My guess is this is going to happen again (and it is not isolated to either band, both react the same) and since it also affects the web interface (responsiveness of the unit), I believe this is related to the OS/Unit and not the Wireless only.  

Any ideas?  Do I drop to 1.02?  Do I have a defective unit (maybe it is heating up or something) ??

[MartinZ]

FN - thanks for the reply and common items to review.  So far after the last reboot, things have been OK.  You say yours is rock solid - what version hardware and firmware are you running (v1.04) ??

[FurryNutz]

Yes...

[MartinZ]

Well I don't know is special about me - BUT it just happened again.  This morning everything was slow and I couldn't even get the DIR-826L web login.  Power cycled the unit and all if fine again.  So I'm not sure what I am doing to a unit that works just fine when I power it up and a few days later I can't even login to it; power cycle the unit and all is good again...

[FurryNutz]

So wifi clients still have access to router and internet however LAN wired doesnt...I would turn OFF ALL LAN wired clients and test with just one client at a time or gradate them...

You don't have any filters set or anything to prohibit LAN computers from connecting do you?

Swap LAN cables to be sure between router and clients.
Ensure LAN NIC drivers are up to date on each client.
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.
• Disable any downloading client software managers, i.e. Torrents or similar.

Please answer all of the questions presented so we can get a better idea if your system and situation. The more we know the better we can help you and provide better feedback and suggestions.

[MartinZ]

FN - I'm not sure where the WiFi clients have access and LAN don't came from, that is not the case.  I'll detail the items below so there will be no confusion:

• All connections exhibit the same behavior - both wired and wireless
• Running v1.03 after approximately 3-4 days the Internet traffic will get slow
• When this happens, the DIR-826L interactive menu is also slow, both from a WiFi or Wired connection
• When in this condition speed tests are slow and tend to drop traffic - both from Wired and Wifi
• Power off the DIR-826L and back on and everything is fine - nothing changed - just a power cycle
• This pattern has happened since I've owned the unit - about 4 weeks now
• Based on FN's feedback about 1.04 working perfect - I upgraded my unit
• Yes - doing the upgrade I reset everything to factory!
• This morning I turned on my main PC - connected directly to the unit via Cat5 and no Internet
• The PC is not pulling any IP - so I screw with it for 15 minutes, release/renew and reboot - nothing
• The PC does have a reserve address - please don't get sidetracked on this item - it has been that way for 10 years and every WAP I've ever owned
• After a reboot - still nothing - so I think, Damn must be the DIR-826L again!
• I power off and on the DIR-826L - computer instantly pulls an IP and has Internet!

I have owned at least 4 different WAP's over the years, including the last one which was running Tomato aftermarket firmware on a Linksys unit - no problem at all!  So I am both perplexed and at this point a bit frustrated (sorry if it sounds that way).  So I've run 1.03 and 1.04 - both exhibit the same behavior, after a few days the unit goes south, to include slow interaction, slow performance and this morning - not even handing out an IP address.  In every case, power cycle the unit and bingo - everything is fine.  And the power cycle is a quick 10 second off then on.  I'm at a loss....

So when trying to find the magical fix - please keep in mind after a power cycle everything is just fine - working perfect.  So if it is some strange setting or some cable issue....blah blah.. why does work after a power cycle and one of such short duration (which would even exclude heat because it didn't have time to cool down).  And yes - I've left it off for longer periods too, always the same issue - give it a few days and it runs slow - restart and it is fine.

(I'm thinking of turning off the mydlink cloud settings next to see if that helps.) I'm lost, this is crazy.... any help appreciated!!

[FurryNutz]

Let us know if disabling Mydlink helps. It shouldn't effect the router.

How old is the ISP modem?
I recommend that you have your ISP check the cabling going to the ISP modem, check signal levels going to the ISP modem. 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.

Try a different ISP modem or take to a different location like a friends or families place as a test suggestion. If problem doesn't follow then something else with ISP could be effecting the router.

Only other thing I suggest is to get a new replacement or contact D-Link for RMA. It seems localized to your unit as nobody else has reported this kind of problem.

Keep us posted.

[MartinZ]

Thanks FN - I think since my Tomato/Linksys was working fine, it probably isn't the ISP (same modem/same ISP).  If the MyDlink doesn't stop this from happening (or even if it does) - sounds like it is time to contact D-Link.

[FurryNutz]

OK, keep us posted. Hope you find something or get it replaced. 

[MartinZ]

FN - Tech Support said I have a bad unit and to return it (which I will be doing).  In case someone else has this issue - I did some research and this is happening to lots of others too:

" The main problem with the router is that it needs to be reset ever 2-3 days. After 2-3 days the router starts dropping the internet connection at random times. "

"This DIR-826L would periodically drop the network connection and I would reset it. The drops have continued to get more frequent such that I had to reset it almost daily."

"I have it for more than 2 years and this router has to be started every day."

"Worked fine for the first few months, then, like other reviewers, the router started lagging; video started stuttering; downloads started pausing on both wired and wireless connections. Then it started becoming completely unresponsive - only coming to life after hard resets to factory settings. "

"When it works, it works great but that is only for a short amount of time. I have not had a stretch of more than 3 days with out rebooting the router."

"The router just hangs randomly every few days even with limited or no network activity. The only way to get the router back is to reboot it from the power button. "

"The router still switches off randomly after a few hours, I have to unplug and plug it back to get it to work"

Lots more here.... 

http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-Wireless-App-Enabled-Dual-Band-DIR-826L/product-reviews/B0081TXJ28/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt_sr_1?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

[FurryNutz]

Your next one should be good to go. I've had mine for about a year now and haven't notice anything...I'll keep an eye on it. Good little router though.

Reviews need to be taken with a grain of salt, we don't know what the other reviews setup or environment is like and how they have it configured. Could be anything that is effecting there experiences or like you, just HW failure. Why I'm glad we at least did some troubleshooting to help narrow it down.

Let us know how the new router works for you.

[MartinZ]

I do hope the next one works OK.  I like the features, and while I agree on taking reviews with a grain of salt - I just pulled all those that seem to be having the "need to reset every few days" - which is what I am experiencing.  I do think this is a "known" or "should be known" issue.  Too much of a coincidence that this many people have the same issue where a power cycle fixes it for a few days.  And yesterday I came into my office and it smelled like some electronics was overheating (that hot plastic smell).  I did the sniff test all over the room and sure enough - the 826L was the source.  I have no doubt in my mind there is an issue with either this model unit or the unit batch.  Based on your experience, hopefully it is just localized to a batch run or two.

[FurryNutz]

I'm in the process of cracking mine open and checking the heat sink on the chip...I found a composite heat sink which after I get it open fully and put it online and check the temp of it...will see if any mods need to be done. We've found that sometimes these composite heat sinks do not work as well as metal sinks:
http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=56608.0
and
http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=56166.0

[MartinZ]

That will be interesting to see.  I'm pretty sure this unit has those same type of heat-sinks or doesn't have large enough ones.  Looking at the unit, there is almost no airflow - OK bottom vents but those vents on the top are really small.  The rest of the unit is totally enclosed.