Before we return the KR2.....

user2223 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 04 Aug 2008 Posts: 3

I thought I would post and see if anyone has any thoughts on this issue.

We're using a DIR450 and two wireless clients, an xp unit and a Linksys internet camera w/ WEP, both DHCP and fixed ip's.

Major issues in usage with the dir450 prompting purchase of kr2;

Dropped evdo connections during the day/12 hour timeout.
Absolute junk firmware, failure to accept and maintain settings, ie: turn off dhcp server, reboot, then find that a client can easily connect via dhcp, even now, months later,..... turn off logging, reboot, interface shows no logging, couple of days later, turn on logging and find a huge current log...., etc.
95% of uptime general dl speed is 350k and upload is 40k, in general the card works a little better using the axcess software in a pc.

Purchased the KR2 hoping to improve on these issues, more consistency than anything else, hopefully better speed.
Input network settings into kr2, brought online and everything worked well with no changes to clients, impressed with interface and options.

But, the cam client connection wouldn't hold.
After almost a week of screwing around with different configurations;

No improvement in EVDO speeds using the kr2,
Interface much improved and consistent, very nice,
Boot time is 1/4 of the dir450, very nice,
Connection by https very nice,
Quickly deteriorating connection to the Linksys internet cam, once client is connected, after client reboot, connection is strong and consistent, over a few minutes or over a few hours connection deteriorates to unusability, even though kr2 shows it as a client, the kr2 eventually is unable to get a ping response from the cam.
Connection to xp unit flawless.

Currently all 'features' of the kr2 disabled. WEP disabled, minor short term improvement there, but with a day it deteriorated, to as when used with WEP.

Removed kr2 from network, plugged dir450 into network again, everything back to normal, including client connection and access consistency.

Swapped kr2 back in, same issues.

Swapped dir450 back in, everything back to normal.

The lack of evdo speed improvement is annoying but livable, the inability of the kr2 to maintain a connection with the linksys cam is a real problem.

Any ideas?

Mackieman · EVDO Junkie Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 485

What model Linksys camera are you using? Does it have the option to connect via Ethernet instead of WiFi? If so, you can try that to determine if the camera has a problem or if it was WiFi/router specific. Additionally, do you have WISH and/or WPS enabled? Disabling those settings may have some affect. And how is the XP unit (I'm assuming this is a laptop) connected to KR2? I'm wondering if there may be an incompatibility between the camera and the radio in KR2.

Also, check the WiFi channel your router is operating on. If there are other access points in the area using the same channel, you may get some phase cancellation that will kill the WiFi connection. It usually doesn't degrade like you described but it is possible.

Concerning speed, in most cases, a router will not have an effect on throughput speeds. EVDO is still a service delivered via RF, so environment can play a big role in how fast you're able to transfer data.

user2223 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 04 Aug 2008 Posts: 3

>>What model Linksys camera are you using?

wvc200

>>Does it have the option to connect via Ethernet instead of WiFi? If so, you can try that to determine if the camera has a problem or if it was WiFi/router specific.

The wifi connection to the cam never drops with the dir450

>>Additionally, do you have WISH and/or WPS enabled?
Test both on and off.
>>Disabling those settings may have some affect.

As I stated, all 'features' are disabled but testing was done with Wish and/or Traffic shaping on and/or off.

>>And how is the XP unit (I'm assuming this is a laptop) connected to KR2?
As I stated above, it is a wireless client via a Linksys usb adaptor.

>>I'm wondering if there may be an incompatibility between the camera and the radio in KR2.
Indeed

>>Also, check the WiFi channel your router is operating on. If there are other access points in the area using the same channel, you may get some phase cancellation that will kill the WiFi connection. It usually doesn't degrade like you described but it is possible.

No other ap's per all my client software, including Kismet and Airodump.

>>Concerning speed, in most cases, a router will not have an effect on throughput speeds. EVDO is still a service delivered via RF, so environment can play a big role in how fast you're able to transfer data.

I have definitively verified, numerous times that speeds are generally, significantly slower through the routers.
I spent a few hours moving the dir450 around the building looking for the best cellular connection. I even wasted $70 on the Booster Antenna that the 3gstore sells, not paying attention to the return time limit of the store.
I've wasted considerable time on this router and am reaching the limit of the return time and my patience. I don't intend to waste $300 like I wasted $70 on that useless booster antenna.

Even now, this post took over 30minutes to upload, because the dir450's cellular connection isn't maintaining, it is apparently that time of day, requiring reconnection, worked for a few minutes, reboot, worked for a few minutes, and finally a power cycle, sigh.

I have a Trendnet camera that refuses to connect via WPA on another network, though it works great via WEP, I may bring that in to see if another brand of camera works better with the KR2.

user2223 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 04 Aug 2008 Posts: 3

I brought the Trendnet camera into the system, set up with the current system settings.
Both cameras worked fine for a while then the Linksys client connection dropped while the Trendnet client is happily active.
If I powercycle the Linksys cam it works fine for a few hours as a kr2 client, then bye, bye.