Buying Advice - ADSL Router, Ethernet, Wireless, Modem, Firewall Gateway

I am currently using a 3Com Office Connect 3CRWE754G72-A which has every
feature you could ask for bar one, its completely unstable. I run the
router 24/7 and the internet connection is used by various family members.
The router keeps stopping responding and has to be restarted, about three
times per day. At other times it will only connect to the Internet when you
log onto the router and press the connect button. This is causing friction
with the rest of the family who are not very computer literate. The ISP is
not to blame as the connection works fine through my old Alcatel SpeedTouch
modem. I am under pressure to replace the router with one that is reliable.
I need an objective review and comparison of equivalent products from other
manufactures and haven't had much success with Google which only seems to
find reviews for individual products. I would like a router with all the
features of the 3Com without the reliability issues.
Thanks.

M wrote:

> I am currently using a 3Com Office Connect 3CRWE754G72-A which has every
> feature you could ask for bar one, its completely unstable. I run the
> router 24/7 and the internet connection is used by various family members.
> The router keeps stopping responding and has to be restarted, about three
> times per day. At other times it will only connect to the Internet when
> you
> log onto the router and press the connect button. This is causing
> friction


Just buy another one - 20 quid from www.ebuyer.com for cheap skate stuff.
It might be a security / hacking issue. Are you sure you
turned off WAN side log in / remote admistration etc off?

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
M <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I am currently using a 3Com Office Connect 3CRWE754G72-A which has
> every feature you could ask for bar one, its completely unstable. I
> run the router 24/7 and the internet connection is used by various
> family members. The router keeps stopping responding and has to be
> restarted, about three times per day. At other times it will only
> connect to the Internet when you log onto the router and press the
> connect button. This is causing friction with the rest of the family
> who are not very computer literate. The ISP is not to blame as the
> connection works fine through my old Alcatel SpeedTouch modem. I am
> under pressure to replace the router with one that is reliable. I
> need an objective review and comparison of equivalent products from
> other manufactures and haven't had much success with Google which
> only seems to find reviews for individual products. I would like a
> router with all the features of the 3Com without the reliability
> issues.
> Thanks.

Before you junk your 3Com router, try to find an alternative way of powering
it. I had all sorts of problems with mine when using the switched-mode
supply provided by 3Com. I even had the router (but not the power supply)
replaced under warranty - but it made no difference. Then I dug out an old
universal power supply from my bits drawer, configured it to the right
voltage and polarity, and tried that. The router has worked perfectly ever
since! My impression is that the 3Com power supplies generate a lot of
electrical noise - which confuses the router.
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

I can confirm that mains adapters are a BIG problem with routers in general,
even the non-switched mode ones can generate a lot of noisy crap. I
wouldn't use a switched mode one at all, it's asking for trouble. Winding
4 or more turns of the DC lead through a ferrite ring can work wonders, you
find them in old PC power supplies, TV's etc. Routers can even be affected
by nearby mains adapters, not just the one powering it.

I have bought a replacement power supply in Maplin and my router is running
again. It is too early to say if this has fixed the reliability problem but
everything is OK as of now.
The Maplin sales assistant told me that if you use a power supply of too
lower wattage it will burn the router out but with a more powerful one it
will take only what it needs. Not being able to get an exact match I have
replaced the original 1.25A with a 2A. I thought that the salesman was
talking rubbish but since I have been using the router it has only got warm
whereas before I could almost have cooked my dinner on it!
"SteveB" <sbrads@nildramDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I can confirm that mains adapters are a BIG problem with routers in
>general, even the non-switched mode ones can generate a lot of noisy crap.
>I wouldn't use a switched mode one at all, it's asking for trouble.
>Winding 4 or more turns of the DC lead through a ferrite ring can work
>wonders, you find them in old PC power supplies, TV's etc. Routers can
>even be affected by nearby mains adapters, not just the one powering it.
>

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 16:31:45 +0100, "M" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> I thought that the salesman was
>talking rubbish

not necessarily, if the PSU is inadequate its voltage may drop and the
router will pull more amps to get the watts it needs - at some point
the extra current breaks something (ideally a fuse).

Same thing can happen if you get a brown out on the mains.

Phil
--
Tiscali - dialup speeds at Broadband prices, see
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/postlist...&Board=tiscali

AOL - the unlimited ISP of choice for heavy downloaders.

M wrote:
> I am currently using a 3Com Office Connect 3CRWE754G72-A which has every
> feature you could ask for bar one, its completely unstable. I run the
> router 24/7 and the internet connection is used by various family members.
> The router keeps stopping responding and has to be restarted, about three
> times per day. At other times it will only connect to the Internet when
> you
> log onto the router and press the connect button. This is causing
> friction
> with the rest of the family who are not very computer literate. The ISP
> is
> not to blame as the connection works fine through my old Alcatel
> SpeedTouch
> modem. I am under pressure to replace the router with one that is
> reliable.
> I need an objective review and comparison of equivalent products from
> other
> manufactures and haven't had much success with Google which only seems to
> find reviews for individual products. I would like a router with all the
> features of the 3Com without the reliability issues.
> Thanks.

the replacement to the model you have (i have had both, and had same
problems as you with the first) 3CRWDR100A-72 is very stable. It still
throws the odd wobbly, but I ahve yet to come across a mid range router that
doesnt. It even had a new firmware released a few days ago.

Gaz

M Wrote:
> The ISP is not to blame as the connection works fine through my ol
> Alcatel SpeedTouch modem.

Ahhhh the Alcatel Speedtouch much loved by BT engineers to prov
customers wrong when thier BB doesn't work.
Turn up at house - plug in Speedtouch - connects.
The speedtouch will connect to BB through a piece of string

--
toonarmybarmy

toonarmybarmy wrote:
> M Wrote:
>> The ISP is not to blame as the connection works fine through my old
>> Alcatel SpeedTouch modem.
>
> Ahhhh the Alcatel Speedtouch much loved by BT engineers to prove
> customers wrong when thier BB doesn't work.
> Turn up at house - plug in Speedtouch - connects.
> The speedtouch will connect to BB through a piece of string.

Think you're getting confused, the Alcatel Speedtouch was the one which
caused all the USB problems (mind you mine never did) it's the Voyager
105 which is used for testing & yes it can connect where many don't but
using the software which the BT person has got on his laptop they can
often pinpoint the problem with reasonably good accuracy...

toonarmybarmy wrote:

> Ahhhh the Alcatel Speedtouch much loved by BT engineers to prove
> customers wrong when thier BB doesn't work.
> Turn up at house - plug in Speedtouch - connects.
> The speedtouch will connect to BB through a piece of string.

Be a bit bloody silly to turn up with one that was only ever able to
connect on a perfect line wouldn't it - what would that ever prove.

--
Ian

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