[ScarySkulls]

Hi Guys.
I arrived in India few days ago for some work and bought my laptop and router with me. The router is a Dlink DIR-655 D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router

Where I am staying(ancestral home), the internet speed was a bit slow, so I upgraded the Airtel broadband connection there to Explore 1099 plan. (384kbps day / 1mbps night)
For the first few days, I browsed on the old desktop there and everything was nice and fast enough. The connections at modem was "bridge" type and I had to manually connect everytime.

Yesterday, I tried connecting my wireless router to it so that I could have internet at 3 places - the desktop, my laptop and my iPhone.

Whenever earlier back in Canada I had shifted homes, I would simply connect the router to the ethernet port on the modem and I would have wireless internet at my home.
The connection would usually be: -
Modem - Router - Desktop, Laptop, mobile devices
Router getting signal from the ethernet port on the modem (One end of the ethernet cable into the modem and other end of the cable into the port labelled as "Internet" on my router)
Desktop being connected on "Port 1" on the router
Laptop, iPhone, Nokia N95 connected wirelessly to the router.

The above arrangement would work faultlessly everywhere I lived.

However, yesterday it didn't.

What I did :-
1) Change bridge type connection to PPPoE so that I don't have to connect manually everytime by using a dialer application.
2) Connected one end of my router's Ethernet cable into modem and other end into port labelled as "Internet" on the router.
3) Connect the other end of the Desktop's ethernet cable into "Port 1" on the router.

Then I fired up my laptop, hoping everything would work, as it always used to do.
Laptop successfully connects to the router, but no subsequent connection to Internet. (Network & Sharing centre in Vista shows this too)


Called up Airtel guys and they sent somebody here. The "Technical service representative" that came here couldnt get it to work either and said that this was the first time he was seeing a third party router being used. All his earlier cases have had wireless routers from airtel only and he doesnt have too much knowledge on this, and cant help me out.
Then, randomly, he unplugged the ethernet cable going into the "Internet" port on the router and as a hit and trial measure, plugged it into "Port 4" on the router.

Funny enough, it worked. I had internet access on both my desktop and my laptop. Don't know how it happened, but for some reason, it did.

Then he shifted ports and tried plugging into Port 1, 3 too. It would work everywhere. Satisfied, we shook hands and off he went.

Now, I have a new problem.
I have internet access for only 5 - 10 minutes before internet stops working on my laptop.
If I shutdown my PC for few minutes and then fire it up again, internet works at proper speed for next 5-10 minutes again before giving up.
Same thing happens on my iPhone. WiFi works for 5 minutes or so and then gives up.

This cycle keeps on happening again and again and I'm very much fed up of it.

Please help!

EDIT : Modem is a Beetel 110BX1

[nishantgandhi]

I believe ou would need to change the connection type of either MultiMode (works with my MTNL ADSL broadband) or ADSL2+ (used to keep that setting for AirTel broadband).

[SirAlec]

to cut the solution short.
remove the bridge type manual connection and use PPPoE always on.

[Glass]

Might be to do with the IPs and subnets on the router and modem. What values do you have on them? Do you have DHCP enabled or disabled?

[anantnehru]

Cant help you with your problem, dont know too much about routers and their functioning. On the other hand, our Airtel router's ports also arent working but the wireless is working fine. But on some days we face the same problem you mentioned.
As for a third party router, its odd that the rep told you he hadnt heard about a non-Airtel router being used. THe guy who came to the house told us that if he puts in a new Airtel router, it wont work as well as the one we currently have; (2 floors in the house, this router works fine - apparently the new ones arent "strong" enough) so we can buy our own router and he would configure it for us. Planning on getting a Cisco router, currently have the Zxyel from Airtel.

[ashthedivx]

Looks like your router settings are messed up.

Try hard resetting the router to core, DO NOT TOUCH AIRTEL MODEM. Now enter basic details of your connection in router settings. Start over by plugging in the modem cable in "Internet port" only. If you aren't familiar with router settings it's like

IP - Automatic mode
Enter Internet IP Range
DNS - 202.56.230.6 and 202.56.215.6
Wi-fi Security Option - None
Click "Use router as DHCP Server" in lan settings and enter network ip starting from 192.168.0.2-192.168.0.10
Save

Reset Network adaptor in your notebook

It should work, anyhow if you aren't familiar where/how to enter call upon airtel person he might be able to help you out.

Also, Have you tried exchanging your router with a borrowed one. Remotely, It might also be an router issue.

[vdiatech]

Hi,

Airtel modem should be in BRIDGE MODE ONLY if you are using a wireless router. Call airtel, they will give you all values and help setting up for the same.

Then set your router up for PPPOE. giving username ( usually phone number incl code + airtel email id ) and password ( usually your airtel phone number including code ), enter DNS1, 2 etc

It will work only then ! Airtel CC are very helpful.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by vdiatech

Hi,

Airtel modem should be in BRIDGE MODE ONLY if you are using a wireless router. Call airtel, they will give you all values and help setting up for the same.

Then set your router up for PPPOE. giving username ( usually phone number incl code + airtel email id ) and password ( usually your airtel phone number including code ), enter DNS1, 2 etc

It will work only then ! Airtel CC are very helpful.

+1


Modem: bridge mode
Router: PPPoE dialer enabled, DHCP server enabled and enter airtel username and password, DNS server details etc. in the router

also see that idle timout (or something similar) in Router PPPoE dailer is set to zero

Also see that IP address for modem and router are not conflicting. generally they are either 192.178.0.1 or 192.178.1.1. See that both are not same.

[ScarySkulls]

Thanks ashthedivx, vdiatech, comrade.

Did as described.
1) Modem in bridge mode. Save settings and reboot
2) Router reset and PPPoE selected on it and all details filled in. Kept in mind whatever has been said in the posts above. Save settings and reboot.
It didn't work. no connection to internet.
Customer care has no clue what's happening. The "technician" that came home has no clue what's happening. He has NEVER seen an external router being used. Only the usual airtel beetel wireless ones. According to him, only airtel beetel wireless routers are ok "Rest non airtel approved mein kuch na kuch problem to aayegi, Sir" .

If I try to make a direct wire connection to modem and manually dial, it works fine.

So, right now in PPPoE mode and direct wire connection to desktop. Atleast I dont have to keep dialling manually.
All the fun of bringing a nice Toshiba laptop and an award winning Dlink DIR655 router spoilt. Very frustrated.

[vdiatech]

Hi, I have personally setup wireless router (external) at my office and home.
I currentlt use D-LINK and Netgear routers.
I will shortly list a step-by-step guide from my memory.
I am surprised, to hear what the airtel guy had to say.

[sgiitk]

M son uses a DLink unit on Airtel with no problems. I have myself replaced the UTCom supplied by BSNL with a DLink with no problem.

I may warn you that the US Spec router may be on 900MHz which is used by mobiles in India. You should be on the 2.4GHz band.

Also, Airtel at one point came up with a policy that if you use the ADSL more then they will choke the bandwidth.

[SirAlec]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

M son uses a DLink unit on Airtel with no problems. I have myself replaced the UTCom supplied by BSNL with a DLink with no problem.

I may warn you that the US Spec router may be on 900MHz which is used by mobiles in India. You should be on the 2.4GHz band.

Also, Airtel at one point came up with a policy that if you use the ADSL more then they will choke the bandwidth.

Wifi never operates in Megahertz frequency band all are in Gigahertz. You must be confusing it with something else.

[low_bass_makker]

Is the connection stable when used with desktop without wireless router ?

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by SirAlec

Wifi never operates in Megahertz frequency band all are in Gigahertz. You must be confusing it with something else.

No I am not. We are using a WiFi routers all over the place. I needed one for an instrumentation rf link and could not buy US spec from a US source as that was 900MHz. 2.4GHz is universal except in the US (and I think Canada). What I needed was the same as a WiFi router, except for a more rugged design.

[ScarySkulls]

Originally Posted by low_bass_makker

Is the connection stable when used with desktop without wireless router ?

yup Boss.
Right now online on desktop and manually dialling. (modem in bridge mode. Direct ethernet connection)
Connection seems stable.

Pinging the DNS brings up latency times around 28-29ms with occasional spikes to 100. Sometimes around 200. Last night I also saw 303.

Entire Wiring in home has been checked and replaced yesterday. No solution.