The Home Networking Megathread - Yes the OP is out of date

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > The Home Networking Megathread - Yes the OP is out of date

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CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

I have a TP-link Archer C8 and every time I start to question it I look up the stats and it is hard to justify replacing it. It's been the most stable and reliable router I've owned to date.

For my desktop wireless I recently installed a PCIe card and been happy with it - the ASUS PCE-AC55BT. Connection shows as 867 Mb at 5ghz. It also has Bluetooth 4.2 which has worked great and seems like an improved over the Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter I had been using..

I got it mostly because the USB AC adapter I had used a Realtek chipset which was frequently a pain in Linux, and the ASUS uses an Intel chipset which is better supported. In Windows both worked fine, but the PCIe wireless and Bluetooth seem to function a bit better and more reliable there, too. Plus I got two USB ports back, although that wasn't a big concern.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2020 01:57

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# ¿ Apr 24, 2024 05:48

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

I said come in! posted:

This is something I would not have known, thank you! Are they all pretty much the same? So just go with whatever is cheapest? Any specific features I should look for? This is one area where I am totally in the dark, and want to make sure i'm getting something that is a good build quality and wont fail.

CaptainSarcastic posted:

For my desktop wireless I recently installed a PCIe card and been happy with it - the ASUS PCE-AC55BT. Connection shows as 867 Mb at 5ghz. It also has Bluetooth 4.2 which has worked great and seems like an improved over the Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter I had been using..

I got it mostly because the USB AC adapter I had used a Realtek chipset which was frequently a pain in Linux, and the ASUS uses an Intel chipset which is better supported. In Windows both worked fine, but the PCIe wireless and Bluetooth seem to function a bit better and more reliable there, too. Plus I got two USB ports back, although that wasn't a big concern.

I'd posted the above intended as a response to your post but I think it might have been missed.

Knowing what your router broadcasts would be helpful - is it 2.4ghz only or does it broadcast on both 2.4ghz and 5ghz? I don't think you want to go for the cheapest, as it almost certainly won't rank high in build quality.

I was specifically looking for something other than chipset in my USB wireless, but if you are running Windows then most recent name-brand cards should be okay. Whether you want both wifi and Bluetooth is another thing to consider - some cards have both, some don't.

# ¿ Sep 24, 2020 02:11

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

EVIL Gibson posted:

My friend lives in Germany and he says that how ISPs are set up is that a lot of the network runs through the power circuits in the house. Each of these devices that tap into the power and provide wifi is provided by the ISP and it's MAC is registered.

The place he lives in built with a lot of concrete so the wifi signal inside is pretty terrible.

I was thinking he could replace one of the wifi points (of which there are several) and use a power to network adapter that provided ethernet instead of the worst wifi. That means he would have to match the MAC adapter address he would be replacing.

The thing is I am not super familiar with these types of and I cannot tell how and if the adapters can have their MACs changed.

If anyone is familiar with this type of ISP service, let me know if there are other checks the ISP does beyond MAC such as accessing some sort of serial number or such.

edit: i tried looking up several german isps and man, that system they have going on is strict. I don't think the powerline adapters are compatible at all.

If the ISP-provided wifi sucks then it seems like it could be possible to have their own router and set it up like a range extender or bridge.

I'm having a hard time picturing the network topography for the ISP. Is your friend's main gateway modem/router a powerline device? Or is there a DSL/cable modem that then plugs into the electrical system and lights up the outlets for secondary powerline adapters?

ISPs usually use MAC addresses to control provisioning, with it ranging from needing the MAC address to be registered in order to allow DHCP to give it an IP address to limiting access to a landing page until the device is registered (or the account paid, in cases where it has just been shut off).

Edit: A quick search suggests it is possible the ISP is actually using Broadband over Power Line (BPL) as its transmission method which generally is going to be slow according to what I've read.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2020 03:01

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

movax posted:

I forgot you were in the PNW. I moved from downtown to a place on the hill, and gave up WaveG for loving Comcast. Port Orchard is pretty nice. Almost zero chance I can pay for fiber here even though I'm sure there's fiber backbone less than 2000 ft away. (poo poo, Seattle Internet Exchange is like 1 mile away). I've always entertained ending up on Bainbridge though.

Honestly, now that I think about it, I could probably put up a 60 GHz link and get some insane connectivity if I found someone willing to put up a dish on their end.

New question for thread.... I have all these now useless phone jacks in my house, and I think the remains of an intercom system. What hardware do I need if I want to make those "live" again, for the purposes of providing either a VoIP adapter (learn how to set it up networking wise), or more likely, a fake BBS / ISP if I want some of my retroputers to dial out via modem? Is it really just a PCI hardware modem + Linux and I can do the rest w/ Asterisk / software? Or at this point I'm sure someone's gotten a USB RPi PBX thing working, so I can throw this all in a NEMA box in my basement. Bonus points if I can somehow wire in my incoming phone line (currently dead) as a switchover should I decide to turn it for a few months.

My memory of using house phone wiring for VoIP was that the main things were how many outlets/length of cable you were trying to support, and that you had to disconnect the trunk line so the house wiring was not connected to the actual phone company landline. Disconnect from the mains and a basic VoIP unit could light up a few phone jacks without a problem. I don't remember how many or much else in the way of specifics.

# ¿ Oct 4, 2020 05:52

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Bioshuffle posted:

I'm looking to buy a wireless router so I don't have to pay Spectrum 5 dollars a month to use what I assume is pretty subpar equipment. My house is about 2500sq ft, and the modem is located in my bedroom off in one corner of the house. All my computers are plugged in, but I use wireless for things like streaming 4k content from my TV. Can you recommend me a decent router so I can stream 4k from the living room? Ideally I'd like stick around $150 mark, but the budget is pretty flexible.

I have an Archer C8 and it has been doing well for me - every time I think about replacing it I can't find a good reason to.

The C7 is a little older (and the C8 isn't exactly new) but the C8 has significantly more robust hardware. There is also a C9 out there which looks like pretty much a slightly upgraded C8.

On the 5ghz band I get 867mhz of bandwidth between my computer and the router, and it has been handling two people working from home, videoconferencing, streaming 2K video, and everything else just fine. I assume it would stream 4K video fine if it needed to. Range has been good but I also have a fairly small place so it is hard to gauge.

I've been pretty happy with the TP-Link products I've owned in general.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2020 06:07

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

SwissArmyDruid posted:

Is this the thread to ask about access control? My new place has a gate, and I would like to be able to do the thing where someone can push a button, get me on intercom over the internet if I'm not at home, and allow them to at least drop off packages at my front door, but I'm not paying loving $199 for the doorbell + $399 for a UDM pro + another $199 for the loving thing that everything wires into on top of being out $199 for having a cloud key gen 2 that gets obviated by the UDM pro.

Also, $199 for a doorbell that someone may take a baseball bat to for lulz.

edit: Yes, I realize what I'm asking for is "Ring doorbell", but 1) I live in Oakland, and 2) gently caress Amazon, and 3) ACAB.

Don't most delivery services have the ability to have special instructions to deal with things like gates, like give the code or password or whatever? I don't know if gates are smart enough to have one-time use codes or if you would need to rotate the code manually, but it seems like an easier way to accomplish what you're looking for. You could still have video monitoring so you could review it after the fact, now that I think about it.

# ¿ Oct 11, 2020 23:38

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Bioshuffle posted:

I'm trying to go off of your recommendation, but I also see that C9 doesn't have a Wifi 6, which sounds like something I would want. This has lead me to believe that the AX10 is what I'm looking for (correct me if I am wrong). Would I see any benefit from upgrading to the Ax20 instead? I don't have gigabyte internet speeds. I have a 200MB plan which is plenty since all I use it is for streaming and playing some games. But if the quad processor will mean better performance and better coverage, I'll gladly pony up the cash.

I am probably going to buy one of those modems pending recommendations from this thread, and a wifi extender to cover upstairs. Does this sound like a good plan? My friend had talked up his mesh network, but it looks like if I get Google Nest Wifi, it'll basically record what I say 24/7, which is super creepy, which has made me rule it out.

As someone who knows absolute poo poo all about how routers work or networking in general, I'm having a hell of a time not falling for all the marketing gimmicks, so I'm grateful for all your help. It doesn't help that they all have really confusing model names and different price points. Is the C8 the same as the AX10? Why are they like this.

Technology naming conventions are the worst. The C8 and AX10 should be different as the former is wireless AC and the latter presumably wireless AX.

I can tell you my thoughts on the other questions, but I can't pretend to be an expert. Wireless AX/Wifi 6 seems fine, but is engaging in a certain amount of future-proofing. Wireless AC/Wifi 5 is still dominant, and going to the newest standard is going to represent a higher upfront investment with lower returns over time. My Internet speed has a theoretically maximum of 150mbps, which I never hit, so wifi bandwidth on AC isn't a concern. On the rare occasions I transfer stuff inside my network I get 867mbps on the 5ghz band, and like 480mbps on the 2.4ghz band, and it's fine. Of all the wireless devices I have in my house, none are wireless AX - the newest are wireless AC, and I still have some N and G devices around. Range hasn't been a problem, and I have a wireless extender on-hand if I needed one.

My Archer C8 has been handling two people working from home (who are sometimes simultaneously in video meetings), a wireless printer, like 6 phones, a Roku, a Chromecast, and multiple computers at the same time. The only caveat I feel I should include is nobody is streaming 4k video, but other than that it is a relatively high workload. Maybe there has been a few hitches when two of us are videoconferencing at the same time, like some stutters, but that could honestly be the other side having crappy Internet service - if it has happened it hasn't been obvious.

If you need faster in-network transfer speeds, handle a lot of internal network traffic, or get Internet service faster than the available wireless speeds then AX makes sense. For my purposes AC more than meets my needs and I haven't seen the need to replace my Archer C8.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2020 03:00

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

codo27 posted:

Ok, network geeks please help.

I explained on the last page how yesterday I found out the coax to my modem just fell apart basically at the modem end, resulting in the internet going down. I replaced the coax, and since then, my faultless-in-2-months-since-install internet has gone to poo poo. I have to reset the router (C7) every hour or two as eventually everything stops working. I can connect to the network via wifi or hardwire, but I'm only getting 169.254 IPs and no outside internet access. While resetting the router works, connecting my desktop directly to the modem also doesn't work with the same symptoms. So if resetting the router works, why isn't plugging directly to the modem working? Cant hit router console. I factory reset the router (after spending time making DHCP reservations for like 15 devices )

Upgrading to an edgerouter and UAP is basically a foregone conclusion at this point but I need the poo poo to work at least for a couple weeks while I wait for new hardware to arrive. Any smoking guns in my description here that might help nail down a cause?

If I recall you ended up using another run of coax that was installed for a previous ISP, right? The cable could be bad, or the connection to the neighborhood line could be bad. Have you tried logging into the modem itself and checking what the signal and power levels look like? The problem sounds like your modem, not your router.

# ¿ Oct 15, 2020 02:13

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

codo27 posted:

The Cable looks good but I did forcibly rip it from it's staples. Like I said it was fine for over 2 months so I don't think it's the outside line. If it's the modem though why can't I hit the router interface?

I'm not sure - you have a lot of variables in play. When you connected directly to the modem and couldn't get online was it after rebooting the modem? It's a standard cable modem on an ISP like Comcast, right?

# ¿ Oct 15, 2020 04:15

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Hadlock posted:

Yeah you can stack a new wifi system on top of an existing router. You'd just plug the mesh router into one of the open ports on the g1100. No problem. At my old house we had some comcast thing which I never bothered setting up the router/wifi, I just plugged in my OnHub (v1 nest router) to the router and used the wifi from the OnHub and it worked great, especially since we were renting at the time and whenever we moved, all the devices are already setup with the onhub's ssid/password. The new mesh stuff will just consume that port as if it's talking to a modem.

Is double NAT less of a problem than it used to be? Or did you set up DHCP so it wasn't a double NAT situation?

# ¿ Oct 16, 2020 20:38

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Just out of curiosity, does anyone else with Comcast find their web portal for account management to generally be comically slow? Just about every time I log into the website to pay my bill or whatever it is painfully slow to use.

My Internet speed is generally just dandy, but my ISP's own website runs like dogshit. There have also been times it has refused to load at all in Chrome, but will load in Firefox.

Other Comcast subscribers see the same kind of thing?

# ¿ Oct 22, 2020 03:47

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

astral posted:

Friends do not let friends purchase modem/router combos.

Quoted for truth.

Check the compatible modem list and go from there:

https://www.xfinity.com/support/devices

Then choose a decent router to attach to it.

# ¿ Oct 22, 2020 20:32

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

I just doubled my Internet bandwidth in the dumbest possible way.

After a couple recent plan changes my ISP service is now supposed to be up to 250mbps down, but whenever I ran speedtests I kept topping out right around 90mbps. The only device connected with a cable is the router, so all the tests have been wireless. I hadn't tried connecting directly to the modem because it is in an awkward place, but tonight I finally got up the motivation to move poo poo out of the way and hook a laptop up directly to the modem.

Cycled the modem, got the laptop online, speedtest came in at exactly the same 90mbps as I was getting wirelessly. Huh.

Then it occurred to me that I had no recollection where the ethernet cable I'd been using came from. It's this short gray and yellow cable that has "only connect to wireless router" printed on it, so it presumably came with a router.

Figuring I would be exhaustive, I went and grabbed a different ethernet cable and swapped it out. Cycled the modem, got the laptop back online, speedtest now coming in at like 225mbps.

Cycle the modem and router, hook the router back up, run speedtest over a 5ghz wireless connection, also testing at 225mbps or better.

For weeks I had been grumpily assuming Comcast was screwing me over or the house had iffy coax, but no, it was just some random lovely ethernet cable. :doh:

# ¿ Oct 25, 2020 07:44

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

my kinda ape posted:

I considered that and it would be perfect except that it requires UniFi Network Controller for management and I don't have a device that does that. All of the other equipment including the router and AP for the business uses UNMS.

The other thing I saw that almost works is this: https://www.amazon.com/AC1200-Wi-Fi-Extender-TP-Link-Built/dp/B01MZIV9ZC

I would just plug the modem into the smart plug, plug the ethernet port into the wired router and use it as an AP instead of the current AP. Unfortunately it's not documented as being able to work that way and one review I found indicates that it definitely does not.

This connects via wifi but does have a browser interface that I can presumably access from further down the network: https://www.amazon.com/Securifi-com...&sr=1-1-catcorr

I would prefer a wired connection that would probably work well enough.

I will complain to Spectrum about the modem and hopefully get it replaced but I've been working 10-12 hour days every day for the past 5 weeks and still have a week or two to go before I actually have time for hour+ long phone calls with morons.

The modem stability actually hasn't been bad until recently. It was perfectly fine for a couple months and then about a week ago it went out for 12 hours or something until I could get there to power cycle it. Then a few days ago it decided to only connect to 1 download and 1 upload channel only, making everyone connected through it have a 30-35mbps connection instead of the 200+ we should have had. It finally fixed itself this afternoon and connected to all channels.

The friends who own the business are letting me and my cousin piggy back off their connection for free so I want to bother them with this kind of stuff as little as possible. I'm happy to barge in during the day if I have time but I'm not about to get them out of bed so I can fix my connection at midnight or have them come in on the weekend, and I'm certainly not going to ask for a key to their small business.

Have you checked to see if there are Spectrum outages when this happens? If the problem is system-wide then it might not be the modem. Of course those symptoms could also be a lovely modem acting up. Not being allowed to change the modem out is a bad and frustrating policy - I wonder how much they are charging in rental fees for it.

Does Spectrum have an account management page, and would your friends let you log into it? I'm on Xfinity and I can restart my modem from there, but of course this only works if the Internet is up and running and Comcast lets me actually log into my user account.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2020 22:26

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Hadlock posted:

We have 1gbps fiber that terminates in the telcom closet in my wife's closet, the house was built ~20 years ago and we've just wrapped up unpacking everything.

We were getting ~450-650mbps down

Now that everything is squared away, I ordered a new set of cat 6 cables from Cable Matters, replaced the limp, saggy unknown cables with the new name-brand cables, bingo-bango, now getting between 890 and 960mbps

Whenever we get a new cable with a device, it goes in a 1 gallon ziplock baggie labeled "lovely cables" that are held as a reserve, almost everything is brand new cabling whenever possible. Cat 6 cables are like $2 each on amazon if you buy them in 5-packs, no reason not to buy new cables

I have a drawer full of old cables and it should have occurred to me to swap it before, but I had just assumed my cables were new enough they should be Cat5e or better. The main reason I was using that particular cable was it was a good length to run a short distance. Also, when I first moved in here I think my service plan topped out at 50 or 75 mbps, so I wouldn't have been seeing the bottleneck for a while. Once my plan's bandwidth started increasing I started noticing the speed differential.

Going with new cabling is not a bad practice, I just often don't think about it. I might go through and do an inventory of what I have on hand, and maybe pick up a new cable just to have something closer to "known good" available.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2020 23:53

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

teagone posted:

The TP-Link C1200 v3 router at my parents place likes to randomly reboot whenever. Can't pinpoint what causes it, or when it happens consistently. I've updated to the latest firmware on it earlier this month, but the random reboots still happens (though no as much). I haven't set any automated reboot setting or anything like that. Any idea as to why this might be happening? Quick google searches just lead me to thread posts saying to update the firmware. The WiFi isn't even being used on the router; I set up 2 wired APs in the living room and the basement for them to use instead.

Just as possible guesses it could be a bad outlet, bad power adapter, bad router, or (depending on the exact symptoms) a problem with the modem or the connection to the modem.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2020 22:00

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Is there any benefit to enabling IPv6 on my router? Like, is there any practical benefit from doing so at this point?

# ¿ Nov 1, 2020 07:32

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

I turned on IPv6 in my router, got an address from the ISP, and showed an IPv6 address assigned to my computer, but the IPv6 test site still showed me not having IPv6 working. I didn't see any effect on my speedtests, although I'm not sure that would be expected anyway. Should I have powercycled my modem and router even though the DHCP handoff appeared successful?

Does using IPv6 have an effect on security or attack surface, either positive or negative?

Should I see a difference in my connectivity using it?

# ¿ Nov 1, 2020 23:25

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

astral posted:

Did you get a real IPv6 address or are you only seeing a link-local (starts with fe80:) one?

The router shows a real one, my computer shows a local one.

I just changed the IPv6 DNS from Comcast to Cloudflare, renewed my DHCP lease, reconnected to my router, and same result.

# ¿ Nov 1, 2020 23:44

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

astral posted:

Do you know how your ISP assigns IPv6 addresses so you can configure that on your router? I would guess it's probably DHCPv6-PD, where your ISP delegates you a prefix (something like a /64 or /56), and your router then assigns addresses to your devices from there.

I'll have to look into it. I booted over into Windows and see the same behavior there, too. Both Linux and Windows appear to be set to allow IPv6, so I'll look at the router settings.

# ¿ Nov 2, 2020 00:17

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

I got it to the point where it was showing me getting an IPv6 address but still timing out on most of the tests, so I've given up for now. It doesn't seem like I would see a real benefit from it, so am mostly doing it out of curiosity. I'll table it for now and leave it disabled unless I'm missing some good reason to get it up and running.

# ¿ Nov 2, 2020 04:43

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Incessant Excess posted:

Is there a best practice as far as SSID goes? Do you guys use the same one for 2,4 and 5 GHz networks or do you keep them separate?

I keep mine separate - I like being able to manage what connects at what frequency.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2020 12:23

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

DC Murderverse posted:

I have a house where we don't have internet. We just use a personal hotspot and tethering from our phones. This works as well as any option we've ever tried and until they roll fibre up to our front door, it will be our internet solution. it sucks poo poo but it's better than Hughesnet.

I have an old-rear end Time Capsule, bought in Fall 2009, back when I thought I would be living somewhere with a normal internet situation. Recently I've just had it connected to my Hue bridge and nothing else to allow for controlling my lights. I also back up to it and occasionally have a wireless speaker connected to the same network. I've always had the problem that my iPhone and iPad hate connecting to it because they don't comprehend the concept of a network without internet and yell at me that there's no internet and that's a problem, even though it's not a problem. As of late, my phone and tablet won't even connect to this network at all, which makes controlling my lights with my phone functionally impossible. I'm able to connect the personal hotspot to the Time Capsule by ethernet when I need to update the lights but it's not something that can be done 24/7 for a number of reasons, most importantly that keeping the hotspot plugged in all the time fucks up the lithium battery inside, so we mostly just break it out when we need to and keep it shut off otherwise.

the Time Capsule is getting old and I'm starting to look for a new router to replace it with, but I worry that no matter what I get, even if it's something from within the Apple ecosystem (which they don't make anymore anyways), my phone and tablet are not going to want to connect to it because there's no internet there. Is there something I need to set on my phone or my router to ignore that? I've spent hours multiple times over the last 5 or so years on Google trying to figure this out but I can't seem to find a consistent answer, and it's only gotten worse because one of the last few iOS updates seems to have adjusted how iPhones deal with networks without internet for the worse.

All I want to be able to do is to connect to a wireless network at home that isn't connected to the internet, but is connected to my Hue Bridge, a wireless speaker, a printer, and maybe a hard drive for backing up, and I want to be able to control those things with my phone. My questions are: Should I even bother with anything more than a basic router since I'm not doing anything data/speed intensive? and what do I need to do to my phone/current router/hypothetical new router to make them play nice without an Internet connection, or do I just have to give up on my dream of being able to do nice things wirelessly like a normal person?

Assuming there is no web interface that you could use on a computer to control the lights, is there an Android app for it? Have you tried using an Android phone instead of an Apple device? If the network fuckery is an iOS thing (which wouldn't surprise me) then it seems like a cheap Android phone that just handles your networked devices might be a workaround.

# ¿ Nov 9, 2020 07:24

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

tuyop posted:

Just a TP-Link Archer C7v2 (AC1750) with the latest firmware. I could probably switch over to the all-in-one that my ISP left, but I immediately switched that to bridge mode and never looked back.

I have an Archer C8 and it has the option to set up a Guest network.

A quick search indicates the C7 should have that functionality, too:

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/649/

# ¿ Nov 11, 2020 06:31

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

tuyop posted:

I was thinking of just running a long cable either through the hallway or outside into their router, since the coverage between walls kind of sucks. Doesn�t seem like the guest network setting covers anything but WiFi.

Yeah, I'm not sure about a wired connection. Depending on their router it might be possible to set it up as a repeater that wirelessly connects to your router on the Guest network login, walling it off.

# ¿ Nov 11, 2020 21:35

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Artelier posted:

Hello, could I get some advice please? I posted in the Hardware Questions thread and was directed here:

Original post and response:

How do I set up multiple access points, is this another product I buy? I tried Googling mesh access points but the first few hits were technical explanations that went over my head. Similar story with me reading the first post of this thread.

So if I'm understanding right, I can use one internet connection and router. Then get one (or multiple?) of these access point things to stash around the house right?

House is 5 people, and probably 1-3 devices per person, if that matters.

The only reason I could see for having more than 1 Internet connection would be if it was pretty bad Internet service - like DSL at 6mbps or something. Then I could see having two accounts just to have more bandwidth to spread around. Assuming decent Internet speed then no, you should only have 1 Internet connection.

Others here can give you guidance on mesh networks - I haven't had a reason to play with those yet.

# ¿ Nov 12, 2020 09:25

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Incessant Excess posted:

The router I recently purchased is an Asus model that came with something called AiProtection, is anyone familiar with that feature? I assume it's just some marketing gimmick that doesn't offer any actual benefits but I'd like to make sure.

It looks like it is a cloud-based thing they run with Trend Micro that would direct all your traffic through their servers to run it against a blacklist. Looks like there are parental controls and some other stuff in it, too. From a quick search I see people talking about privacy concerns with it.

Ironically, their own website page promoting it won't load properly in Firefox with enhanced privacy settings enabled due to the number of trackers on it: https://www.asus.com/us/AiProtection/

Here's the FAQ on it: https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1012070/

Personally, at a glance I don't find it appealing. It seems like it could negatively impact performance, and I don't like the idea of my router funneling my traffic through a third-party even if it's the name of security. If I wanted hardware-based security I feel like I'd rather have it be a dedicated unit rather than something tacked on to consumer-grade hardware.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2020 10:54

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

JHomer722 posted:

I'm moving into a house where the guest bedroom/office is wired for coax, and I'm hoping to use a moca adapter to allow for a wired ethernet connection. Is this possible if I'm only having internet service installed? I.e. If I'm not ordering tv service, can the technician activate multiple coax outlets?

Also, I'm ordering gigabit service and besides having a docsis 3.1 modem, are there other wiring/hardware improvements I can make or request from the service provider to ensure I'm getting as close to max speeds as possible?

The ISP is Wave Broadband, in case that makes a difference.

What is the motivation for wanting to use a MoCA approach rather than wireless? From a quick glance it looks like you would need to get more hardware, and I doubt whether the ISP would have it on hand or install 3rd party equipment for you. I'm not familiar enough with MoCA to say whether it would be a noticeable difference compared to a fast wifi connection, either for better or worse.

A quick search suggests you'd be looking at something like this on the modem/router side of things in addition to the adapters you'd use in other rooms:

# ¿ Nov 15, 2020 03:39

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

JHomer722 posted:

Thanks! That's helpful. I guess my confusion comes from my - possibly mistaken - understanding that you can't move your modem between cable outlets once set up. I want to have the modem and router in the first floor living room to feed the home theater stuff, while the bedrooms are on the second level. I saw that the bedrooms have coax cabling, but it sounds like I need to see the splitter to determine whether they're actually wired to receive data.

At my last place my room was far enough away from the router that the wireless signal produced painfully slow connection speeds. I tried a budget extender, but was very underwhelmed by its effectiveness. I did just buy an Asus router that supports AiMesh, but setting that up would also require buying more compatible hardware. However, this new place is small enough where having a wired connection isn't critical, but its part personal preference and and part curiosity whether I can do it. You're right though that it's an added expense and might not be the best solution.

Wireless can work well - a lot depends on router, building materials it is having to get through, interference, and distance from the router. I'm in a relatively small one storey house, in a suburban-type neighborhood, and my router covers it just fine. On the 5ghz band I have 867mbps of connection bandwidth, and my speedtests over wireless are pretty much the same as when I'm using a wired connection. If your router is capable of a wireless connection as fast or faster than your actual Internet speed I would expect it to be fine, signal issues notwithstanding.

# ¿ Nov 15, 2020 04:48

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Phetz posted:

Hi networking thread, I've been having a problem with our Spectrum internet where the connection will briefly drop once or twice per day.

It began a couple months ago with us losing our wi-fi signal several times a day for about a minute. The network would just drop off the list of available networks, then reappear shortly after. We hadn't had any problems with our router/modem combo before, but our router was about 3 years old, so I thought it was probably the source of the problem and replaced it with a TP-Link AX3000. It's an upgrade in some ways, but didn't stop the drops.

We've also had Spectrum come out and take a look a couple times, and so far they've replaced the old modem with one of their proprietary Spectrum modems, and replaced some coaxial cable connectors that they said were corroded. All of this has made the outages less frequent, but we still lose internet once or twice a day, and instead of a brief dropping of connection, the connection doesn't get re-established until someone manually power cycles the modem. During these outages all the devices stay connected to the router, but of course can't access the internet. Restarting just the router doesn't work, and if I wire connect a laptop directly to the modem (before restart), I can't access the internet. Due to how the house is designed, everything is typically connected to the router wirelessly, an average of maybe 11-13 devices at all times.

I've called Spectrum once since their last visit a couple weeks ago and they seemed intent on not sending another technician out for a while, so I figured I'd ask around here. Any ideas what could be causing our drops? On my last call with Spectrum they made it sound like router might be "overburdened" with that many devices connecting directly to it, so they suggested installing a wireless repeater and having some devices connect to it instead. I understand 11-13 devices all the time might be a lot for the router to deal with, so would that make sense to try?

That doesn't sound like too many wireless devices - I run about that many all the time off my TP-Link Archer C8.

What are the lights on the modem doing when the Internet fails?

Can you log into the modem and see what the system status page shows in terms of signal and power?

# ¿ Nov 21, 2020 08:01

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

I'd be curious if the behavior persisted if your dad changed the DNS on his router. If he changed ISPs, and is running his home network stock, then it presumably changed from old ISP DNS servers to new ISP DNS servers. Having him change that to Google or Cloudflare seems like something to try, and is a better idea than running from an ISP DNS server anyway.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2020 04:39

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Zero VGS posted:

Yeah it's on my job's work from home allowance so why not.

On another topic, I have Xfinity at my house but I'm staying somewhere else for a while. At this new location the next door neighbors have an Xfinity router which provides the official "Xfinity Hotspot" service; I log in to a browser with my account and it gives me an unlimited 25/5 wifi connection from extra bandwidth that is reserved for Hotspot users.

The problem is my wifi router is expecting ethernet WAN input. When I get the new router, is there some way to flash the old router into a bridge that will convert the Xfinity wifi back to ethernet, to plug into the new router, so that all my devices can be networked to each other and also have internet? I'm not sure how I could get to their webpage to sign in that way though. Maybe sign in with a device then change the router to spoof that MAC?

I don't know - I have Xfinity but bought my own modem and router so they can't use me as a hotspot. I've also never used an Xfinity hotspot when I'm out.

From the Xfinity page I wonder if it would let you connect using the router if you signed in with your Xfinity username and password:

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/about-xfinity-wifi-internet

Alternatively, as a Rube Goldberg approach, I wonder if using a cellphone to connect to the wifi, then a USB to ethernet adapter to tether the router to the cellphone would work.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2020 04:22

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

the numa numa song posted:

Modem: Arris SB6190
Router: TP-Link WR841N
ISP: Comcast/Xfinity

Just signed up for 600Mbps in my new apartment, getting 200 plugged direct into modem, 90 hardwired through router. I know this is old gear but these numbers are pretty crap. Are there some basic settings I need to review before I call and complain to Comcast? (Who will probably just tell me to get new gear.)

Aside from the stuff already mentioned, you might try different ethernet cables. I was getting way worse speeds than I should have because I was inadvertently using an old, slow cable from my modem to my router.

# ¿ Dec 19, 2020 06:37

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

I have refused to rent my modem for years and years now. At $7 or more a month it doesn't take long to balance out the price of a new modem. Never had a problem with the modems I've owned other than needing to replace them due to needing a newer DOCSIS version.

Check Xfinity for their approved modem list at a given speed and you should be fine: https://www.xfinity.com/support/devices

Compare reviews and pricing and go from there.

I have Xfinity service and run a Netgear CM500 I got at BestBuy for maybe $50 at the time. Depending on what speed you have and what speed you think you might upgrade to then choose a modem accordingly. At a glance my CM500 is rated up to 680mbps, and around here the pricing on that is unreasonable and it handles my 200mbps service beautifully.

I mean, it looks like monthly rental prices for their gateway device are $14/month. At that price, owning my own modem and router means that over 2 years I have saved $336.

# ¿ Dec 20, 2020 00:37

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

KS posted:

However if you're stuck with Comcast (as I am in my new house) it should be noted that xFi complete includes modem rental and unlimited data for $25/month. That's a better deal than the $30 unlimited data package if you are routinely going over 1tb.

gently caress everything to do with Xfinity.

Yeah, there are a lot of things you have to factor in with them. TV + Internet or just Internet? VoIP? Data usage?

As it is I am paying a grand total of $64.01 a month including fees and such for 200mbps service (that frequently actually hits 250mbps - don't tell Comcast :ssh:

). I think the most data I've ever used in a month was under 450gb, so the data cap is essentially meaningless to me.

# ¿ Dec 20, 2020 01:37

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Zero VGS posted:

This is some seriously bizarre poo poo, look at the ping times Xfinity is giving me against Google. They keep getting incrementally higher latency until it starts losing packets:

code:

C:\Windows\System32>ping google.com -t

Pinging google.com [172.217.11.46] with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=18ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=55ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=49ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=44ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=60ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=69ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=74ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=85ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=86ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=85ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=90ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=91ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=93ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=92ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=100ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=105ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=104ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=105ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=107ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=113ms TTL=114
Request timed out.
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=110ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=113ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=100ms TTL=114
Request timed out.
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=123ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=106ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=110ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=120ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=122ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=120ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=125ms TTL=114
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=118ms TTL=114
Request timed out.
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=124ms TTL=114
Request timed out.
Reply from 172.217.11.46: bytes=32 time=19ms TTL=114

Ping statistics for 172.217.11.46:
    Packets: Sent = 43, Received = 38, Lost = 5 (11% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 18ms, Maximum = 125ms, Average = 83ms

Here's the status page on my cable modem:

Do these signal strengths look ok? Maybe the coax in this new apartment is poo poo?

This isn't my specialty, but I find the "unknown" channels concerning. I just checked my Netgear modem and it shows nothing like that - every channel has information.

# ¿ Dec 25, 2020 22:42

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Martytoof posted:

Can anyone recommend a cheap WiFi to ethernet bridge? I�d like to relocate a big honkin� laser printer to my basement but don�t have a network drop there, and the printer is decked out with just about everything except WiFi.

About everything I find is like CDN $80+ which, if that�s the price to play then okay but, I�d like to stay below. Since the printer already supports everything I need over the network (airprint, etc) I think all I�m looking for is just a network bridge instead of an actual print server but feel free to correct me if I�m wrong.

Not sure about Canada pricing but it looks like these 2.4ghz TP-Link range adapters are going for $19.99 US at Staples: https://www.staples.com/tp-link-tl-...AiABEgL0mfD_BwE

# ¿ Jan 2, 2021 01:47

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

tuyop posted:

I posted awhile ago about this issue. What are the troubleshooting steps for a device not connecting to the internet through my AP?

In this case, a Samsung A7 and my TP-Link AC1750v2. Used to have a pihole running a DNS ad blocker but that�s been taken out of the loop recently so I don�t think it�s the DNS settings on the router, that�s just 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 now.

We�ve tried:
Resetting all involved devices
Assigning a static IP to the device (and ARP binding for kicks)
Setting dns settings in the device

To add to the fun, this friend uses the same router but the V5 one at home and it works great. What else should I try and why does this happen with some Samsung stuff and this router?

I assume other devices can access the router fine, right?

A quick search turned up this page that goes through Samsung A7 troubleshooting from the obvious to less obvious, so maybe it can help? https://thedroidguy.com/fix-samsung-galaxy-a7-cannot-access-internet-wi-fi-network-troubleshooting-guide-1079557

# ¿ Jan 3, 2021 07:27

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Toxic Fart Syndrome posted:

I've recently upgraded my internet and want to add wifi to my main PC. I've done this with a little USB dongle as a stop gap, but I would like to get a better one or (ideally?) a PCIe card that is capable of using the entire available bandwidth (the cheap dongle from Meijer only does ~50Mbps).

Browsing through Newegg, TP Link and Asus seem like the big brands? Is there a difference between these or are adapters all the same parts with different branding and it doesn't matter?

https://www.newegg.com/asus-pce-ax3000-pci-express/p/N82E16833320448

https://www.newegg.com/tp-link-archer-tx3000e-pci-express/p/N82E16833704507

The actual wireless chips used can vary, and depending on your uses can be more or less hassle.

I went with a previous generation ASUS card (overpriced listing for it here: https://www.newegg.com/asus-pce-ac55bt-b1-pci-express/p/N82E16833320333) that seems comparable to the first card you posted. It's essentially an Intel wifi/Bluetooth mini-PCIe card on PCIe 1x adapter, and it has worked great.

If you only run Windows you can probably afford to not care as much about the actual wireless chip involved, but since I run both Windows and Linux it mattered to me. I can say the Intel wifi and Bluetooth has worked great and is better than any of the USB solutions I've used.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2021 22:39

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# ¿ Apr 24, 2024 05:48

CaptainSarcastic: Jul 6, 2013

Out of morbid curiosity, what version WRT54G do you have? It should say on the sticker on the bottom somewhere, like v1, v2, or whatever.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2021 07:17

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > The Home Networking Megathread - Yes the OP is out of date

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