SMC7004VWBR router issues (or why they're selling them for 30 bucks?)

A couple weeks ago I bought a SMC7004VWBR WiFi
access-point/router/firewall from CompUSA for $30 (after rebate). Got
it all setup without major issues. But then I started noticing how the
wireless access would go dead every 24 hours or so. I tried disabling
Stateful Packet Inspection, as suggested by someone somewhere, but the
router was dying still. Then I re-enabled SPI, then disabled MAC
filter. So far that seemed to have done the trick. It's been running
smoothly for the last 3/4 days. Can't really pin the problem on MAC
filtering thought, because when I disabled it I also installed new
drivers for my SMC2635 PC-Card adapter. The previous version of the
wireless monitor util would sometimes crash after long hibernation,
showing a disconnected icon in the system tray even if the link is up.

Think I will reenable MAC filtering again and see what happens.

I don't know how many times I have to say this around here: The SMC7004VWBR
is a heap of unreliable junk. Use it as a doorstop, or even better - return
it for a refund.

I will never by SMC again afer they subjected me to that piece of junk. It
is a shame they even let those things onto the production line.


"Chung Leong" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> A couple weeks ago I bought a SMC7004VWBR WiFi
> access-point/router/firewall from CompUSA for $30 (after rebate). Got
> it all setup without major issues. But then I started noticing how the
> wireless access would go dead every 24 hours or so. I tried disabling
> Stateful Packet Inspection, as suggested by someone somewhere, but the
> router was dying still. Then I re-enabled SPI, then disabled MAC
> filter. So far that seemed to have done the trick. It's been running
> smoothly for the last 3/4 days. Can't really pin the problem on MAC
> filtering thought, because when I disabled it I also installed new
> drivers for my SMC2635 PC-Card adapter. The previous version of the
> wireless monitor util would sometimes crash after long hibernation,
> showing a disconnected icon in the system tray even if the link is up.
>
> Think I will reenable MAC filtering again and see what happens.

Jim Vadek <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I will never by SMC again afer they subjected me to that piece of junk. It
> is a shame they even let those things onto the production line.

After many years of good products... I have SMC equipment from the early
80's that still works... The 7004VWBR is truly a piece of junk that should
never have been released.

Apparently they flushed that product with heavy rebates and replaced it
with a different model with the same name, but a different firmware level.

Search Google for the last couple of months. I hope this one is one of the
old ones, and the new ones are back to what should be SMC quality.