Page 1 of Netgear 834G wireless router probs

I bought this router as i needed something that I knew was 110% bullet proof with AOL Broadband.

My problem is that every so often the router, whilst seeming to work (all the lights are on and doing the right thing!) just loses contact with everything!!!
At the most I`m running 2 comps at the same time off the router, prom desktop pcs, a laptop from work with 54g Centrino technology to a Jornada 728 with a cisco 340 wireless pcmcia card.

First of all, should the router need rebooting every other day? I previously had a Belkin 11b router which never needed rebooting. When I say it loses contact with everything I can be happily surfing away on the laptop then I get wireless network unavailable. I can literally go and stand right next to the router, scan for networks and the comptuer will still tell me there are none available!!

The router isn`t running any encryption as I wanted to make sure it works properly first.

Can anyone help me on this? Even if its just to prove I`m not going mad!

There were a few problems with disconnections when it first came out.

Here is the Netgear support page and the page for the DG834G, try installing the latest software on to the router and also for your wireless card. Hopefully that should sort things out. If not it may be worth changing the operating channel you are useing as its possible to get interferance from corldess phones/doorbells etc.

And you are right, it is very unusual to have to reboot the router. Mine has been running hapily now for months and am using firmware version 1.05

All the best

Ger.

What Superted said. Plus before you flash the firmware download the recovery utility - had a bad experience with a mate`s DG834G and the flash going bad.

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Have upgraded to beta firmware v2.10 something or the other in the hope that it should work ok, but also had an email from Amazon confirming that they are send out a replacement for me under their 30 day rule - should be worth a try

I have the same router running with a Centrino Laptop and my connection is bullet proof during the day with very long range through several walls. Lowest connection speed has been about 6-8Mps through 5 walls at the end of the garden!

First thing i`d suggest is checking the `MTU` setting on the router. Thing the default is something like 1452 but the largest AOL support is 1400. I had initial problems with the connection dropping every now and then but this seemed to solve it.

Second thing would be to make sure you are not logging on through the AOL software with the same Screen Name as you have allocated to the Router as this also upsets it.

Thirdly I assume you are on AOL Gold or above? Networking is not supported on Silver as you cant (correction shouldn`t according to AOL) be able to sign on with multiple Screen names which is what the router is effectivly doing.

Dont want to highjack this thread, but changing the subject slightly has anyone know of a solution to the "Connection being lost at Midnight" issue that AOL tell me is "known about" but they cant fix yet!? I only get this through the Netgear Router not when on my old USB modem. Network connection is not lost but Internet connection loses for a fraction of a second. Its possible to sign back on immediately!?

My router is signed on with the original screen name as i don`t use the AOL software to connect to the internet, just IE and Outlook etc.

As I don`t use the AOL connection program am i correct in thinking that this issue of using the same name and getting booted off won`t affect me?

Bassman - In that case it probably shouldnt matter as you`re not using the same name to effectivley sign in twice (on the router and through the AOL Browser).

I think the MTU value setting on the router would still be applicable though but preparing myself to be corrected!

MTU Value is 1400 - just a touch lower than the default.

Have connected the new router and sending the other one back to Amazon. Keeping fingers crossed now ;)