[Ham-Computers] RE: Router Question

[Hsu, Aaron (NBC Universal)]

>>> KO6BB wrote:
After that, the next thing she had me do was do a router "reset", reboot the modem and computer and set it up again.  This didn't seem to work.

(and)

One other thing that may cause a router to require a reset.  I did some "Bit-Torrent" downloads...*snip*.  Bittorent, with it's continuous activity sometimes overheated the router and required me to reset it and set it back up for PPOe etc.

>>> My reply:
You need to define "reset".  Did you press the reset button on the router, use the router setup GUI to "reboot" the router, or "pull the plug"?  Depending on the router, each of these might do something different.  On older Linksys routers where the reset button is accessable without using a pen or paper-clip, a short press reboots the router and a 5-second press (or longer) cleared the NVRAM to factory defaults.  On newer Linksys and many other brands of routers, pressing the reset clears the NVRAM.

If you cleared the NVRAM, then the router needs to be reconfigured.  Generally, they will work "out-of-the-box" for most situations, but if you have SBC's modem set to "dumb" mode (aka, working as a modem only), then you'll need to configure the PPPoE settings to do all the "handshaking".

If you just "reboot" the router (via quick reset, via GUI reboot, or pulled the power), then the configuration should be fine.  This is usually the way to get things working again without having to do a full "reset".  For example, if the router OS locks-up for some reason (such as BT overheating things), then a "reboot" is all you need, not a "reset".

Speaking of Bit-Torrents, as mentioned before, BT is known to lock-up (if not permanently "kill") cheaper routers.  BT pushes a router's limits when it comes to bandwidth - the higher the bandwidth your ISP provides, the more the limits are tested.  As most inexpensive routers were designed for quiet home use, the're fanless.  And, to save a few cents, the CPU's are not heatsinked.  With the advent of >1.5Mbps DSL/Cable connections and heavy download usage, these routers are now overworked and overheating leading to shutdowns or lock-ups.  Some newer SOHO routers can now handle these higher bandwidths (and firmware upgrades for older routers may also help), but SOHO routers really weren't meant for constant bandwidth use.  To use a HAM radio analogy, SOHO routers are not designed for "100% duty cycle", "constant carrier", or "repeater" use.  So keep this in mind when using BT.


73,

  - Aaron, NN6O