Linksys BEFW11S4 Needs to be Periodically Reset

I have run a home network flawlessly for several months wiht a Linksys
BEFW11S4 Router/Switch and several desktop and laptop computers running
Windows 98 or Windows XP. I have never needed to reset the router even once
in that time.

All of a sudden this week I would have periods of time once or twice daily
for 20-30 minutes where I could not access the Internet for an hour or two.
Finally I realized when this occurs I can just power down or Reset the
router and then Internet access returns. During the time when Internet
access is unavailable, the wireless network still remains active for the
purpose of file sharing.

Any ideas why the router would all of a sudden change from being so reliable
to so unreliable?

--
Richard Kaplan, CFII
(E-Mail Removed)
www.flyimc.com

"Richard Kaplan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed) s.com:

> I have run a home network flawlessly for several months wiht a Linksys
> BEFW11S4 Router/Switch and several desktop and laptop computers
> running Windows 98 or Windows XP. I have never needed to reset the
> router even once in that time.
>
> All of a sudden this week I would have periods of time once or twice
> daily for 20-30 minutes where I could not access the Internet for an
> hour or two. Finally I realized when this occurs I can just power down
> or Reset the router and then Internet access returns. During the time
> when Internet access is unavailable, the wireless network still
> remains active for the purpose of file sharing.
>
> Any ideas why the router would all of a sudden change from being so
> reliable to so unreliable?
>

Are you using a UPS with the equipment?

Duane

--
The protection of the machine is a process and not a given!

"Duane Arnold" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns93EAE7184EFEAnotmenotmecom@63.240.76.16...

> Are you using a UPS with the equipment?

No, I am not. But why would that become a factor all of a sudden after
months of working well?\\


--
Richard Kaplan, CFII
(E-Mail Removed)
www.flyimc.com

"Richard Kaplan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) s.com
>
> Any ideas why the router would all of a sudden change from being so
> reliable to so unreliable?

What cured those symptoms for me was to have my ISP change my incoming
Ethernet connection from an "auto-speed, auto sense" mode to "10Mbit,
half-duplex" mode. Once that was done, my connection problems went away.

Unfortunately, there is not way that I have found to force most consumer
grade routers to enforce that mode from your side. It has be done from the
ISP's side.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/tknoFlyer
_______________

On some Linksys routers you can set the connection speed on the undocumented settings page http://192.168.1.1/auto_nego.htm This is assuming you haven't changed the default LAN address for the router. Try turning off auto negotiating and setting 10Mbit and half-duplex and see if it helps.

Kevin

"John T" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed) ws.com...
> "Richard Kaplan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) s.com
> >
> > Any ideas why the router would all of a sudden change from being so
> > reliable to so unreliable?
>
> What cured those symptoms for me was to have my ISP change my incoming
> Ethernet connection from an "auto-speed, auto sense" mode to "10Mbit,
> half-duplex" mode. Once that was done, my connection problems went away.
>
> Unfortunately, there is not way that I have found to force most consumer
> grade routers to enforce that mode from your side. It has be done from the
> ISP's side.
>
> --
> John T
> http://tknowlogy.com/tknoFlyer
> _______________
>
>
>

Richard Kaplan wrote:
> I have run a home network flawlessly for several months wiht a Linksys
> BEFW11S4 Router/Switch and several desktop and laptop computers
> running Windows 98 or Windows XP. I have never needed to reset the
> router even once in that time.
>
> All of a sudden this week I would have periods of time once or twice
> daily for 20-30 minutes where I could not access the Internet for an
> hour or two. Finally I realized when this occurs I can just power
> down or Reset the router and then Internet access returns. During
> the time when Internet access is unavailable, the wireless network
> still remains active for the purpose of file sharing.
>
> Any ideas why the router would all of a sudden change from being so
> reliable to so unreliable?

I have also had episodes of recurrent disconnects at the modem. In each
case, the disconnects occurred during the last two weeks of August and
the first week in September. Turns out that with the local university
starting classes, comcast (attbi) was modifying the local network for
the influx of students initiating service. This year, the glitches are
very infrequent.

Q

"Richard Kaplan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed) s.com:

>
> "Duane Arnold" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:Xns93EAE7184EFEAnotmenotmecom@63.240.76.16...
>
>> Are you using a UPS with the equipment?
>
> No, I am not. But why would that become a factor all of a sudden after
> months of working well?\\
>
>

IMHO, this kind of equipment is sensitive to electrical spikes on the line
from house hold appliances and brownouts created by the power company. So
it's best to keep the power to these devices clean of electrical spikes and
brownouts and keep it constant, to reduce the risk. I have had my 11S4 V1
router going on 3 years with no issues. I think part of the reason is
because of the UPS that I have protecting the router and other devices I
have connected to it. These devices would be connected to a UPS in a
business environment.

Duane

I actually had that same problem a couple of months ago. My BEFW11S4 was in
a west-facing window, and I finally relized that it would stop routing in
the heat of the afternoon. Since then, I have moved it out of the window
and the heat of the afternoon sun, and I haven't had a problem since. That
may not necessarily be the case with yours, but I hope it helps.

"Richard Kaplan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) s.com...
> I have run a home network flawlessly for several months wiht a Linksys
> BEFW11S4 Router/Switch and several desktop and laptop computers running
> Windows 98 or Windows XP. I have never needed to reset the router even
once
> in that time.
>
> All of a sudden this week I would have periods of time once or twice daily
> for 20-30 minutes where I could not access the Internet for an hour or
two.
> Finally I realized when this occurs I can just power down or Reset the
> router and then Internet access returns. During the time when Internet
> access is unavailable, the wireless network still remains active for the
> purpose of file sharing.
>
> Any ideas why the router would all of a sudden change from being so
reliable
> to so unreliable?
>
> --
> Richard Kaplan, CFII
> (E-Mail Removed)
> www.flyimc.com
>
>

Sounds like someone near by got a 3.4 GHz phone??

"Richard Kaplan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) s.com...
> I have run a home network flawlessly for several months wiht a Linksys
> BEFW11S4 Router/Switch and several desktop and laptop computers running
> Windows 98 or Windows XP. I have never needed to reset the router even
once
> in that time.
>
> All of a sudden this week I would have periods of time once or twice daily
> for 20-30 minutes where I could not access the Internet for an hour or
two.
> Finally I realized when this occurs I can just power down or Reset the
> router and then Internet access returns. During the time when Internet
> access is unavailable, the wireless network still remains active for the
> purpose of file sharing.
>
> Any ideas why the router would all of a sudden change from being so
reliable
> to so unreliable?
>
> --
> Richard Kaplan, CFII
> (E-Mail Removed)
> www.flyimc.com
>
>

Did you do upgrade the firmware recently?
I have the same router and I have to periodically reset it too. But it
seems to be random. Sometimes it will go for a month, and sometimes I have
to reset it twice in an afternoon.

"Richard Kaplan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) s.com...
> I have run a home network flawlessly for several months wiht a Linksys
> BEFW11S4 Router/Switch and several desktop and laptop computers running
> Windows 98 or Windows XP. I have never needed to reset the router even
once
> in that time.
>
> All of a sudden this week I would have periods of time once or twice daily
> for 20-30 minutes where I could not access the Internet for an hour or
two.
> Finally I realized when this occurs I can just power down or Reset the
> router and then Internet access returns. During the time when Internet
> access is unavailable, the wireless network still remains active for the
> purpose of file sharing.
>
> Any ideas why the router would all of a sudden change from being so
reliable
> to so unreliable?
>
> --
> Richard Kaplan, CFII
> (E-Mail Removed)
> www.flyimc.com
>
>