USR8022 router drops radio signal

I have a USR8022 wireless cable router with the latest firmware (4.2),
WEP encryption enabled, SSID broadcasting disabled, using channel 1
(factory default = 11)

The router is positioned on top of my pc, with the right antenna pointing
downwards. In the pc is a wireless nic (also USR) with the antenna
pointing up. So they can "see" each other, with a distance of about 20
cm.
There is also a notebook, 3m away, also with a wireless USR card.

Sometimes Windows XP pops up a message that there is no network
connection, and this on both pcs at the same time. Which means the
problem is probably the router. Then after a few minutes it is back,
without intervention from my part.

This is a relevant copy from my logging.


vrijdag 02 januari 2004 18:55:57 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 19:00:55 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 19:08:19 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 19:10:07 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 19:34:21 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 19:44:51 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 19:46:01 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 19:58:04 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 19:58:39 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:05:11 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:07:29 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:16:52 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:17:01 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:29:04 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:35:07 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:44:50 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:47:15 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:52:58 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 20:59:25 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 21:05:10 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 21:11:33 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 21:17:22 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 21:23:43 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 21:29:03 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 21:41:15 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 21:44:07 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 21:49:23 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 23:00:52 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 23:08:11 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 23:12:36 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
association
vrijdag 02 januari 2004 23:18:21 -- Wireless Station XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
disassociation


It looks like on average I have 9 minutes connection and then 2 minutes
disconnection, then 9 minutes connection again, and so on...


I get no response from USR support at all.
They have tested the router in the local shop but they found no problem.
I do not know if they have tested it long enough.
I have googled the web and the discussion groups, but the only thing I
found so far, was changing the default channel. Been there, done that,
didn't work.

What now?

Greetings,

--
Amedee Van Gasse

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 23:18:55 GMT, localhost
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:



>
>


>It looks like on average I have 9 minutes connection and then 2 minutes
>disconnection, then 9 minutes connection again, and so on...
>
>
>I get no response from USR support at all.
>They have tested the router in the local shop but they found no problem.
>I do not know if they have tested it long enough.
>I have googled the web and the discussion groups, but the only thing I
>found so far, was changing the default channel. Been there, done that,
>didn't work.
>
>What now?
>

I had a similar problem with an 8054. The disconnections were at one
point logged as 5 mins, 10 mins, 5 mins, 10 mins etc. I searched
groups.google.com extensively and as a result turned off the XP
Wireless Zero service, updated the laptop card drivers etc, nothing
seemed to make much difference. I did notice that the frequency of
disconnection seemed to vary according to time of day and that an
outbreak of very frequent disconnection could apparently be stopped by
changing channel. Given that I am in a hilltop location where high
levels of RF seem to be common, my current theory is interference.
I started at channel 1 and changed channel every time the
disconnections got bad; I am now at ch. 10 and only getting occasional
disconnects, most of which are so short that MSN doesn't notice.

Interesting that it affects both of your clients simultaneously, I had
wondered about that.

--
Niall

Niall <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed):

> On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 23:18:55 GMT, localhost
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>
>>
>>
>
>
>>It looks like on average I have 9 minutes connection and then 2
>>minutes disconnection, then 9 minutes connection again, and so on...
>>
>>
>>I get no response from USR support at all.
>>They have tested the router in the local shop but they found no
>>problem. I do not know if they have tested it long enough.
>>I have googled the web and the discussion groups, but the only thing I
>>found so far, was changing the default channel. Been there, done that,
>>didn't work.
>>
>>What now?
>>
>
> I had a similar problem with an 8054.

I have not checked, I presume this is the access point?

> The disconnections were at one point logged as 5 mins, 10 mins, 5
> mins, 10 mins etc.

My intervals of 9/2 minutes are not so regular, it's just an average.
Currently I'm running a syslog daemon to get information over a longer
period of time (like a few days or weeks), because the logging on the
router only keeps the last 100 log lines or so.

> I searched groups.google.com extensively

So did I.

> and as a result turned off the XP Wireless Zero service,

Have not done that yet, but I don't believe it will make a difference.

> updated the laptop card drivers etc,

and I flashed a new firmware version in the router

> nothing seemed to make much difference.

Same here

> I did notice that the frequency of disconnection seemed to vary
> according to time of day

Dunno, I still need to do more logging. But this may be the case.

> and that an outbreak of very frequent disconnection could apparently
> be stopped by changing channel.

Already tried that. Disconnection is gone after about 1 hour, and then
it's back.

> Given that I am in a hilltop location where high levels of RF seem to
> be common,

I'm on the Plains of Flanders here. I don't think the nuclear power
plant in Doel, 20km away, will cause much RF interference. Perhaps my
neighbour's garage opener?

> my current theory is interference.

It's either that or a faulty radio transmitter in the router. Imagine
one small component that barely makes contact. When current passes, it
warms up and bends a bit. Result: no more current, no more heating and
loss of radio signal. Then that component cools and makes contact again.
Result: radio is back on.

> I started at channel 1 and changed channel every time the
> disconnections got bad; I am now at ch. 10 and only getting occasional
> disconnects, most of which are so short that MSN doesn't notice.

I used channels 11 (factory default) --> 1 --> 2

> Interesting that it affects both of your clients simultaneously, I had
> wondered about that.

Also interesting: my neighbour across the street has no connection
problems at all. The distance between our wireless networks is about
50m, and I can pick up his signal at about 50%. When I loose connection
in my network, the wireless cards pick up the signal from my neighbour
and try to connect. Which does not work, because he also has WEP
encryption. Recently I told him how he could disable the broadcasting of
his SSID, so that is not a problem any more. Anyway, if the problem were
RF interference, could I have picked up a signal from someone else? I
think not, RF interference jams all signals on the same frequency (or
signal) equally. He is on channel 1 and I was on channel 1. So if I
can't pick up my own channel 1 (because of RF interference) I couldn't
pick up his channel 1, could I?

--
Amedee Van Gasse

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 11:55:38 GMT, localhost
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Niall <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>news:(E-Mail Removed):
>
>> On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 23:18:55 GMT, localhost
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>


>>
>> I had a similar problem with an 8054.
>
>I have not checked, I presume this is the access point?

Access Point/ router, although I don't use the router function.
>
>> The disconnections were at one point logged as 5 mins, 10 mins, 5
>> mins, 10 mins etc.
>
>My intervals of 9/2 minutes are not so regular, it's just an average.
>Currently I'm running a syslog daemon to get information over a longer
>period of time (like a few days or weeks), because the logging on the
>router only keeps the last 100 log lines or so.
>
I was using Boingo network monitor but I noticed it missed some
disconnections.

>> I searched groups.google.com extensively
>
>So did I.
>
>> and as a result turned off the XP Wireless Zero service,
>
>Have not done that yet, but I don't believe it will make a difference.
>
>> updated the laptop card drivers etc,
>
>and I flashed a new firmware version in the router
>
>> nothing seemed to make much difference.
>
>Same here
>
>> I did notice that the frequency of disconnection seemed to vary
>> according to time of day
>
>Dunno, I still need to do more logging. But this may be the case.
>
>> and that an outbreak of very frequent disconnection could apparently
>> be stopped by changing channel.
>
>Already tried that. Disconnection is gone after about 1 hour, and then
>it's back.

Sounds similar.
>
>> Given that I am in a hilltop location where high levels of RF seem to
>> be common,
>
>I'm on the Plains of Flanders here. I don't think the nuclear power
>plant in Doel, 20km away, will cause much RF interference. Perhaps my
>neighbour's garage opener?

There are so many possibilities given that it could be harmonic
interference; cordless phones, baby monitors, cableless burglar
alarms, industrial telemetry etc etc. Given my job, when I hear
"Plain" I think wastewater pumping stations which often have radio
telemetry.
>
>> my current theory is interference.
>
>It's either that or a faulty radio transmitter in the router. Imagine
>one small component that barely makes contact. When current passes, it
>warms up and bends a bit. Result: no more current, no more heating and
>loss of radio signal. Then that component cools and makes contact again.
>Result: radio is back on.
>
>> I started at channel 1 and changed channel every time the
>> disconnections got bad; I am now at ch. 10 and only getting occasional
>> disconnects, most of which are so short that MSN doesn't notice.
>
>I used channels 11 (factory default) --> 1 --> 2
>
>> Interesting that it affects both of your clients simultaneously, I had
>> wondered about that.
>
>Also interesting: my neighbour across the street has no connection
>problems at all. The distance between our wireless networks is about
>50m, and I can pick up his signal at about 50%. When I loose connection
>in my network, the wireless cards pick up the signal from my neighbour
>and try to connect. Which does not work, because he also has WEP
>encryption. Recently I told him how he could disable the broadcasting of
>his SSID, so that is not a problem any more. Anyway, if the problem were
>RF interference, could I have picked up a signal from someone else? I
>think not, RF interference jams all signals on the same frequency (or
>signal) equally. He is on channel 1 and I was on channel 1. So if I
>can't pick up my own channel 1 (because of RF interference) I couldn't
>pick up his channel 1, could I?

That certainly points to the AP. One remote possibility is that IIRC
these devices are supposed to be adaptive i.e. the RF power varies
according to need, but the function isn't implemented in software. It
could be that interference is interpreted as a strong return signal
causing power reduction.

It's also possible that interference to the return signal is causing
the AP to retrain in some way; I notice the symptoms I get can be
reproduced by changing channel in the AP setup, at which point the
connection drops then restarts on the new channel.

Also, despite there normally only being about 3M between AP and
laptop, the signal strength and link quality displays on the laptop
card monitor software normally sit at 100% but on occasion can be seen
varying between 90-100%. Given the distance this looks a lot like
adjacent channel interference causing receiver desensing.

--
Niall

i had the same problem. it only works for me if
SSID broadcasting is enabled. this sucks and i dont
think there will ever be a newer firmware than 4.2

....prince