N router won't work Suggestions?

[gwilson]

A year or so ago I purchased a Linksys WRT110 and it
seemed to work ok. My main PC connected, my HTPC
connect a-ok via a G USB dongle and my DirectTV box
worked (most of the time) using a Linksys dual-band
wireless-N gaming adapter.

However, my parents PC and laptop wouldn't connect.
Most of the time, they would only see the router a 7/10
times of looking for networks. The laptop, woudn't even
connect when in the same room as the router.

After trying different things for months I gave up and
purchased a Linksys WRT54GL. As soon as I hooked this
up, everything started connecting. I didn't have N but
I wasn't using N anyway so no big deal.

Then this past Friday night I decided I wanted to use
the ww-drt (think that's it) firmware because I wanted
to assign static IPs via MAC addresses and this firmware
does it and Linksys doesn't. Well, I bricked the router
because I didnt follow the instructions.

So I ran to BestBuy and got Netgear WNDR3300 because
it will allow static IPs by mac. I get it installed and now...
none of my wireless devices connect. Well, they see the
router if I hit refresh a few times and *might* connect
only to drop in a matter of minutes or have it's speed
decrease until it crawls at 1mb speed and then drops. Two
of the systems are next to the router with one being a
new netbook. Both of these worked on the WRT54GL
router.

Anyway, I updated the routers firmware and updated
the driver for the RealTek USB wireless card on the
netbook. Neither of which helped. Well, now it connects
and then 20+ minutes later, the router will finally assign
an IP but then it still drops/crawls as before.

Any suggestions as to why TWO different dual N routers
would have almost the same problems but b/g have no
problems?


As usuall, much thanks in advance.

Garrie

[x88x]

My first thought is interference, but you generally don't get much interference in the 5GHz range, so it's probably not that... The only other thing I can think of is that the adapters and router are pre-n specs. Since 802.11n only got ratified in September, everything that was released before then (and a lot of stuff after) is draft-n stuff that either is manufacturer specific or complies with a few different stop-gap standards that the WiFi Alliance put together (early cards will likely be manufacturer specific). I don't remember if the various drafts that the WiFi Alliance put out are backwards compatible (ie, draft 1 n works with draft 2 router), but check your devices and see what their manufacturers say.

[simon275]

Wow thats a tricky one.

Interference might always be worth checking as the devices that work may be putting out enough power to cut through it. Also you might want to check the location of it.

As x88x said pre n can cause issues.

You have done the right thing with updating your drivers.

If you really get desperate go out and get some netgear wifi usb adaptors that are matched to go with the netgear AP.