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[dikafe]

Region: Sofia, Bulgaria
Hardware version A1
Had the recently bought DIR-657 to the local service center and they upgraded the firmware to version 1.02.
Service provider http://www.tbc.bg

Hello,
For starters, there is this bug with the date/time not displaying correctly in the router's web page. I had this problem both before and after I took the rooter to the service (not for the time/date issue, but for wireless connectivity misbehavior, which is still present by the way). The specific problem is that date/time information is not displaying correctly when NTP server is enabled and the ntp.dlink.com.tw, ntp1.dlink.com or other time servers are used. It is written in a related to this issue thread that the DIR-657 is not affected, but it seems to be otherwise. What would you recommend?

[FurryNutz]

Link>Welcome!

• Was a Factory Reset performed before and after any firmware updates then set up from scratch?

FW Update Process


Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

• What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?
• What ISP Modem Mfr. and model # do you have?
• 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.
• Check ISP MTU requirements, Cable is usually 1500, DSL is around 1492 down to 1472. Call the ISP and ask. Link>Checking MTU Values

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."
3-6' feet minimum safe distance between devices.

PC 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.

PC 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

Does this happen if you take the router to a different location, say a friend, family or neighbors place and test?

[dikafe]

• Was a Factory Reset performed before and after any firmware updates then set up from scratch?

FW Update Process
After some days of use, I returned the router to the shop I bought it and they forwarded it to a service center, where they upgraded to the 1.02 , 29, Mar, 2013 version. I assume they did it properly.


Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

• What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?
• What ISP Modem Mfr. and model # do you have?

The ISP is the Traffic Broadband Communications, link. I am not sure about the internet service here in Bulgaria. Maybe it's cable. As far as I can say, an Ethernet cable arrives at home, which connects to a TPLink switcher, provided by the ISP company, because the current service offers two IP addresses, and finally on the switcher I connect the DIR-657 from which the rest networked devices (computers, phones(Android and iPhone) are receiving. 

• Is ISP Modem/Service using Dynamic or Static WAN IP addressing?

Dynamic

• What ISP Modem service link speeds UP and Down do you have?

70 Mpbs Down, around 30 Mbps UP (from speedtest.net)

• Check ISP MTU requirements, Cable is usually 1500, DSL is around 1492 down to 1472. Call the ISP and ask. Link>Checking MTU Values

MTU is set at 1500 and I had no problems, when the connection is proper.

Does this happen if you take the router to a different location, say a friend, family or neighbors place and test?
[/quote]
I haven't tested it personally in some other place yet, I hope though, it was done so in the service center, where the router had been some days ago.

Although, as I am mentioning, there are some problems with the wireless connection, I would like to focus on the time/date issue with this post. Could someone provide any suggestions or insight about this issue? Thank you in advance.

[FurryNutz]

Well I can test my 657 out maybe this weekend...I don't remember seeing any time and date issues the last time I had it one and I had been running v1.02 however when mines connected, it's to a stand alone cable modem only so the router gets all the internet with out any switches being involved. I'm not sure if the problem is really the router or something preventing the NTP request on the router from being correctly responded to. I would test it at a different location to see if the problem follows.

Does the router keep track of the time if you sync it to your manging PC?

[dikafe]

Thank you so much for the direct response. I will try some more tests (also without connecting to the switcher) and let you know. Thanks again!

[FurryNutz]

I'll load mine up and see what I find and report back. 

[dikafe]

Thank you for the support! I have to add that I was testing the time settings from a wireless connected computer this morning, when the time/date info was wrong. I now set the NTP server from a LAN connected computer and appears correct. I will wait some more time and report back. I also left the Enable Daylight Saving unchecked this time, in case it interferes, too.

However I guess, by writing "Does the router keep track of the time if you sync it to your manging PC?" you mean if I synchronized the time/date with the computer's time/date. Well, I had done so during this day for the last 10 hours or so and time was displaying properly. I did it with the wireless connected computer, if it matters.

If this issue is anyhow fixed or will not reappear, I will make then a new post about the troubles with the wireless connection we're experiencing (in case they persist). One step each time. Once again, thank you very much!

[FurryNutz]

Good...Ya, DST isn't needed for EU regions I believe. Hope this helps.

 

[dikafe]

I am sorry to bear unfortunate news. It seams that after synchronizing the router's time with the computer's one and then reenable the NTP option, although time/date appear accurate in the beginning (thus the phenomenally correct indication I mentioned yesterday), after some period, the displayed time starts deviating from the true one. If, moreover, I define a new time server, time indication jumps ahead after saving/rebooting. A small detail here: the date is not messed up in comparison to yesterday's indications (before synchronizing with the computer's values), when the date was totally inaccurate, displaying some completely off date somewhere in 2013 (meaning inaccurate day, month, year altogether). I am looking forward to your test results and wish you a nice weekend.

[FurryNutz]

Ok my 657 just went online...using NTP server and DST since I'm in a DST zone here..
It's displaying correct time after I configured the router and rebooted when connected to the modem:

I'm leaving for the weekend and will let it run and check it when I come back tomorrow.

[dikafe]

Thank you for the update, I appreciate it. I was out earlier and just came home, checked back and time is off, lacking of any obvious offset pattern of the correct time. In case we find out that your machine keeps displaying the NTP time correctly, on one hand is a useful indication that the the problem is most probably limited in my part only. On the other hand, however, this problem doesn't seem to be the occasion, where any possible contribution of my local environment would affect it. It seems like a more straightforward problem. Therefore, I would like to ask the following:
• Which firmware version is installed in your device? I noticed that in the US web page the v1.02b07beta is provided (which I assume is installed on mine, I can't find more specific reference other than 1.02 , 29, Mar, 2013), but in the UK page they provide the v1.01b15 as the latest one. Do you happen to know if there's a difference between the devices sold in Europe and America that makes it significant to have installed one or the other firmware?
• According to your experience, do you believe it makes sense that the time issue is a straightforward problem, as I wrote, or do you think it could be subjected to the local conditions? Would you suspect, for example, that the ISP could affect the time configuration? Any similar cases?
• By curiosity, which time server do you use?
•Any suggestions in general?

At the first chance, I will run the router to some other location (friend's house in the city soon, even other country in some days probably and report back with my new observations.
Thank you for any help.

[FurryNutz]

Thank you for the update, I appreciate it. I was out earlier and just came home, checked back and time is off, lacking of any obvious offset pattern of the correct time. In case we find out that your machine keeps displaying the NTP time correctly, on one hand is a useful indication that the the problem is most probably limited in my part only. On the other hand, however, this problem doesn't seem to be the occasion, where any possible contribution of my local environment would affect it. It seems like a more straightforward problem. Therefore, I would like to ask the following:
• Which firmware version is installed in your device? I noticed that in the US web page the v1.02b07beta is provided (which I assume is installed on mine, I can't find more specific reference other than 1.02 , 29, Mar, 2013), but in the UK page they provide the v1.01b15 as the latest one. Do you happen to know if there's a difference between the devices sold in Europe and America that makes it significant to have installed one or the other firmware?
I just checked my router from a remote side location and time is still correct- Time :     Saturday April 05, 15:54:53 GMT-0600 2014
Firmware Version :     1.02 , 29, Mar, 2013 Yes. There are WiFi differences and EU region routers should be using EU region FW, and not NA region FW.

• According to your experience, do you believe it makes sense that the time issue is a straightforward problem, as I wrote, or do you think it could be subjected to the local conditions? Would you suspect, for example, that the ISP could affect the time configuration? Any similar cases?
Yes, I feel this is a problem localized to your router and maybe the ISP service or a connection with the router is not set right. You'll be able to tell if you take the router to a alternate location to test.

• By curiosity, which time server do you use?
ntp.dlink.com

•Any suggestions in general?

At the first chance, I will run the router to some other location (friend's house in the city soon, even other country in some days probably and report back with my new observations.
Thank you for any help.

[dikafe]

I really appreciate your detailed reply. Based on your information we took some further actions/tests.

First we downgraded the firmware to the latest version recommended on the UK web page. Although as I mentioned already, the 1.02 version was installed by the the technical support of the retailer we bought the router. I wouldn't expect that they had to consider every small detail about any router model, but it seems like a loose job to install a not recommended firmware (which after all hasn't solved anything of the former issues).

The time issue has not been fixed after the downgrade though. Anyway, if I recall it correctly the current 1.01 version was installed, when we first bought the router and the time problem was there.

However, we noticed something, which actually explains the bizarre behavior of the wrong time indication. With NTP enabled, and both when DST is enabled or not, the current router time will show the inactive date and time settings of the manually settings fields, which when is offset, the router current time will be wrong, too. It seems that when I login into the router's settings page, the router current time will be synchronized with manual settings no matter if the NTP is enabled. It just ignores it for some reason. The thing is that if I disable NTP in order to be able to edit the manual settings and press the button to synchronize the time with computer's time (the correct current one), then reenable the NTP and reboot the router, when I login back after the reboot, the (deactivated) manual settings are wrong again (the router current time is synchronized with them, so also wrong). Although the wrong manual settings indications keep track of the previously wrong time (which cannot figure out from where is defined) and is not some random wrong one. I hope I haven't confused you with my description.

Therefore, I assume the possibility that in your case the router current time indication is correct because, even if you don't have them activated, your manual settings are correct. It is then worth the test to set them wrong on purpose enable back NTP, and if they'll be kept wrong after rebooting, to check if your router current time is now wrong and synchronized to the wrong (anymore) values of your manual settings. Could you please try this, if possible?

Any speculations on why NTP is ignored, at least when we login into the router's web page, despite if the manual settings are deactivated and NTP enabled, or where does the (wrong) manual settings time is provided from, since it is not for sure informed from the (correct) computer's time after rebooting the router.

Note: When I changed the NTP server (from the one you use) to time.euro.apple.com the manual settings values changed (though into wrong ones again), I tried different time zones without any effect, but when changed again the NTP server into the ntp.dlink.com, the manual settings haven't changed as well (like before, when I changed from ntp.dlink.com to time.euro.apple.com). Every time I reboot I have NTP enabled.

[FurryNutz]

So far rebooting the router with NTP Disabled, Manual sync, with and with out DST is keeping the correct time for me here...

[dikafe]

I apologize! I managed to confuse both you and myself. I wish I had told you earlier to ignore and not waste time to read the previous lengthy post of mine. The conclusion is simple and all in all is that the NTP service is not working in my case. The manual setting sets the correct time and keeps track of it properly, as long as the router is not rebooted. I guess this is normal of course for the manual configuration, but it's not convenient for the user to remember, after each time he reboots the router, to update the time, since, otherwise, it will diverge progressively from the real one. Specially during such a troubleshooting period, because there are more issues than the time one. Issues which i can't say, if at any extend they would be related to the time issue. I just wish I could fix the latter, but for the moment I really can't figure out what prevents the NTP server to provide time information...
We also called the ISP to ask if they particularly know something that is probably related to this issue, but we didn't have an answer yet. I will look also for the chance to try it in some other house during the following days. That's all for now, I guess, and thank you so much for your help!