Linksys Router RFI Problems

I'm continuing to have RFI (radio frequency interference) problems
with my Linksys wired (meaning not a wireless version) router. Does
anyone know of a router with a metal case or housing? Linksys
continues to deny that the problem exists but it is well documented
on the Internet (just do a search for linksys router rfi). I'm
looking for a home router using CAT5 wiring serving four computers
and a cable modem.

They could very well be correct. Check your wiring because it could just as
easily be coming in that way. Unhook one at a time.
Jim

"Jimmy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:uPWdnZNgbIq5HqDfRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm continuing to have RFI (radio frequency interference) problems
> with my Linksys wired (meaning not a wireless version) router. Does
> anyone know of a router with a metal case or housing? Linksys
> continues to deny that the problem exists but it is well documented
> on the Internet (just do a search for linksys router rfi). I'm
> looking for a home router using CAT5 wiring serving four computers
> and a cable modem.
>

I've isolated the problem back to the router by disconnecting the individual
cables from the computers and cable modem to the router, turning off all
computers, scanners, printers, room lamps, etc., and the RFI is always
present until the router is turned off with and without all cables
reconnected, all computer items turned back on, as well as all lamps. I
used a battery power HF radio receiver to double verify that the router is
the soul source of the RFI interference. This is why I'm looking for a new
metal cased router.

It has been many years since I have had to deal with RFI as a Ham Radio
operator, but I would guess that Jim C is right, and one of your CAT5
cables is serving as an antenna.

What steps are best to prevent the RFI from entering the router depends
on the frequency of the RFI. If down at the low end of the spectrum,
less than 10 MHz, threading the CAT5 cable through a ferrite core may
help. Ferrite cores are frequently found on many USB port cables.

If you think the RFI is going directly into the box, you can try
wrapping the router in Aluminum Foil as grounding same.

WindsurferLA

Jim C wrote:
> They could very well be correct. Check your wiring because it could just as
> easily be coming in that way. Unhook one at a time.
> Jim
>
> "Jimmy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:uPWdnZNgbIq5HqDfRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>I'm continuing to have RFI (radio frequency interference) problems
>>with my Linksys wired (meaning not a wireless version) router. Does
>>anyone know of a router with a metal case or housing? Linksys
>>continues to deny that the problem exists but it is well documented
>>on the Internet (just do a search for linksys router rfi). I'm
>>looking for a home router using CAT5 wiring serving four computers
>>and a cable modem.
>>
>
>
>

Jimmy wrote:
> I'm continuing to have RFI (radio frequency interference) problems
> with my Linksys wired (meaning not a wireless version) router. Does
> anyone know of a router with a metal case or housing? Linksys
> continues to deny that the problem exists but it is well documented
> on the Internet (just do a search for linksys router rfi). I'm
> looking for a home router using CAT5 wiring serving four computers
> and a cable modem.

I am 3 blocks from a FM radio stations broadcast tower and have no
problems with my BEFSR41. What kind of statement is "well documented on
the internet"? The internet?

--

Travis in Shoreline Washington

Jimmy wrote:
> I've isolated the problem back to the router by disconnecting the individual
> cables from the computers and cable modem to the router, turning off all
> computers, scanners, printers, room lamps, etc., and the RFI is always
> present until the router is turned off with and without all cables
> reconnected, all computer items turned back on, as well as all lamps. I
> used a battery power HF radio receiver to double verify that the router is
> the soul source of the RFI interference. This is why I'm looking for a new
> metal cased router.
>
>
When I read your first post, I assumed that some outside source was
interfering with the operation of the router. From you second post I
realized that the router is the source of RFI that is interfering with
another electronic appliance, perhaps the "High Frequency" (HF) receiver
you mentioned. If same is indeed the case, I suggest that you relocate
the antenna for the HF receiver further away from the router, and link
the antenna to the HF in a manner design to minimize feed line pick up.
(Coaxial cable is usually best.)

I'm assuming that when you use the term "High Frequency" receiver, you
are using the term in the 1950's context meaning a radio receiver
designed to receive signals in the 3.5 MHz to 30 MHz range. If the
router uses a switching inverter power supply, it is quite likely that
it could be the source of broad band interference in the 3.5 to 30 MHz
range. Again, placing a grounded electro-static shield (Aluminum foil)
around the rounter may help.

Jimmy wrote:

> I'm continuing to have RFI (radio frequency interference) problems
> with my Linksys wired (meaning not a wireless version) router. Does
> anyone know of a router with a metal case or housing? Linksys
> continues to deny that the problem exists but it is well documented
> on the Internet (just do a search for linksys router rfi). I'm
> looking for a home router using CAT5 wiring serving four computers
> and a cable modem.

Linksys BEFSR41 ver2 crapped out 2/23 on adelphia cable modem.
This set-up sees a historically extremely high RF bkg noise level,
with both commercial and military signals multipathing off of
nearby mountain range. Linksys router always worked perfectly
until it failed @ ~ 2.5 yrs.

replacements all had "issues", though it turns out so does adelphia,
curiously, or coincidentally ("coincidence" is what we call it when
we can't see the pulleys and levers...), ever since the router
crapped out. adelphia upped the caps but also incurred some kind
of DNS issue at/around the same time; ever since then the longest
Cat5 run -- ~ 40' -- hasn't been as reliably lightning-fast as it
used to be. I haven't moved that machine to see if the longish
cat5 run is now suddenly an issue or if that machine's port is now
suddenly an issue, but none of the routers I've tried have worked
as transparently/fast on that run as did that self-destructed Linksys.

ANYWAY, WalMart has a $39 router called NetworkEverywhere (see
http://www.networkeverywhere.com ) that seems to be very close
to the BEFSR41 ver2 -- the power supply seems beefier/better
and the unit itself is smaller and comes in a metal case. It
is a Linksys product, complete with minimal 1-yr warranty (ugh;
with Linksys if it dies out of warranty, as they seem to all
do one day, that means "chuck it in a landfill"). All the same
old browser setup screens (in red instead of blue), plus a
logging feature (no timestamp, though) that can't be disabled
but needn't be attended to, either. (whenever it misses a beat,
though, which is rare but not as rare as w/the BEFSR41, I wonder
if it wasn't busy logging something or other -- or if it's a new
adelphia thing)

I found routers with wifi that, with hefty rebates (in exchange
for your ID + unit's MAC address), cost less, but none worked better
for wired LAN than did this off-brand Linksys, and all had fancier
features with attendant issues, so they went back (D-Link DI-524
has a built-in clock that couldn't keep time to within 6 minutes
per hour, its URL string filtering proved to be latching (nearby)
domain filtering, it mangled some authenticated [ie, password-
protected] web page requests...)