MCS7004VWBR Drops LAN

I know this isn't the most reliable WiFi unit but I've gotten along OK for
the past 18 months or so using a metal stand as a heat sink.

Once in a while [today!] however I drop my wired LAN connection even though
the WiFi connection is working OK.

Rebooting the PC on the LAN doesn't help. The only way to restore service is
to turn off the router and reboot.

So I'm assuming this is a router as opposed to WindowsXP or ISP problem.

This is inconvenient, to say the least.

Any idea how to fix or a better way to work around?

Thank you.
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Excuse my dyslexia. Router is SMC!

Thanks for any advice.



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John Keiser <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I know this isn't the most reliable WiFi unit but I've gotten along OK for
> the past 18 months or so using a metal stand as a heat sink.

It's been so long since anyone posted about the SMC7004 series...
The last thread that I remember was that they were very heat sensitive.
Mine is positioned up high for better RF coverage, and it is pretty well
exposed to clear air flow. I reset it on Monday, 'cause it was kind of
slow, but other than that it's been a long time.

Some folks talked about bonding the base to a cookie sheet for better heat
dissipation.


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Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

Yep! I'm using a metal plate and the WiFi part works OK. That doesn't seem
to be the issue. WiFi works but the wired connection drops off!
If I reset, it works for a few minutes they drops again. But WiFi keeps
going.

Odd.
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LAN connection remains OK if I disconnect the DSL modem. Fails in a few
minutes with modem connected. WiFi connection remaons good at al times.

I took the case off the router. The PCMIA card runs HOT but nothing else
looks wrong.

I've reset the router.

Any other thoughts short of get a new router?

Thank you.

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John Keiser wrote:
> LAN connection remains OK if I disconnect the DSL modem. Fails in a
> few minutes with modem connected. WiFi connection remaons good at al
> times.
> I took the case off the router. The PCMIA card runs HOT but nothing
> else looks wrong.
>
> I've reset the router.
>
> Any other thoughts short of get a new router?
>
> Thank you.

Sounds to me like the unit hasn't enough power to drive all the required
signals - perhaps the heat has finally won.

Q

If anyone is interested: the resolution was to change my PC's TCP/IP LAN
setting from automatic to static.

Don't know why, after 18 months, that was needed.
But it seems to have worked.

Thanks to SMC tech support in Madras!


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John Keiser <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> If anyone is interested: the resolution was to change my PC's TCP/IP LAN
> setting from automatic to static.

That's not a cure of course. It's a workaround.
It indicates that the problem is only in that one PC, not the router.

> Thanks to SMC tech support in Madras!

Were they really in Madras India? Customer Service is based in Southern
California, but the phone support guy that I talked to was in Singapore.

The other point is that they have some goofy lifetime warranty. Yours
might still be under warranty, or it might not. Hard to say ;-)

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Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

Madras [Chennai] for sure as I had ample time to chat with the nice tech. I
called at 8:00 pm.m. Hawaii time and got through in 2 minutes.

I am curious why the workaround was needed. I installed WindowsXP SP2 weeks
ago, so that should not be the cause.

For my general knowledge, why would static vs. automatic IP be needed to fix
this?



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John Keiser <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Madras [Chennai] for sure as I had ample time to chat with the nice tech. I
> called at 8:00 pm.m. Hawaii time and got through in 2 minutes.

I chatted with someone the other day with perfect ennunciation, but no
command of the language. Getting closer all the time.

> I am curious why the workaround was needed. I installed WindowsXP SP2 weeks
> ago, so that should not be the cause.

The WindowsXP SP2 firewall might have prevented you from obtaining a new
lease. The old lease IP address would have continued to work for a while.
Maybe another machine got your old IP address.

> For my general knowledge, why would static vs. automatic IP be needed to fix
> this?

Now you are not communicating with a DHCP server for the assignment. The
needed ports might be blocked. You can establish you own static IP (did
you stay out of the range of DHCP-assigned addresses for your router?).
The DNS server might also need to be static, or it might disappear.


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Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5