Home network recommendations

[Cpt.DipStick]

Upgrade the firmware on the router before buying anything.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I've tried resetting the router, updating the firmware, pretty much everything short of voiding the warranty and installing OpenWRT (since my ISP technically still owns it).

So I took a look this evening and I believe I'm on the latest version already:

Untitled hosted at ImgBB

Image Untitled hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

I think the next step is for me to look over what @souljazk was saying and just try look out for any unusual anomalies.

Do you assign the static IP's on the router via MAC addy or on the device locally?

So I had them bound by MAC on the router but it didn't seem to work, so forced it on each device and has been working ok (other than my main issue)

 

[Cpt.DipStick]

Was trolling around on the OpenWRT pages and came across the page for the Archer C20 v4 -

[OpenWrt Wiki] toh:tp-link:tp-link_archer_c20_v4

openwrt.org

With this little nugget:

The open-source driver for wireless (MT76) is significantly unstable, causing disconnects and (infrequent) lock-ups.

Not sure what driver is being used on the TP-Link Firmware, but followed this guide:

Troubleshooting: Unstable wireless connection on TP-Link router

7 methods to improve TP-Link Wi-Fi routers wireless stability on the condition that wired connection is working properly.

www.tp-link.com

I switched the 2.4GHz network to use the 20MHz band with 802.11bg only, so will see how that helps. I wonder if my WiFi network isn't just too flooded with devices and the router isn't coping well? One quick solution I could do is actually connect my TV to the router over LAN

Although this doesn't explain the drops during the day with minimal activity... So let's just see what happens 😕

 

[SauRoN]

Was trolling around on the OpenWRT pages and came across the page for the Archer C20 v4 -

[OpenWrt Wiki] toh:tp-link:tp-link_archer_c20_v4

openwrt.org

With this little nugget:


Not sure what driver is being used on the TP-Link Firmware, but followed this guide:

Troubleshooting: Unstable wireless connection on TP-Link router

7 methods to improve TP-Link Wi-Fi routers wireless stability on the condition that wired connection is working properly.

www.tp-link.com

I switched the 2.4GHz network to use the 20MHz band with 802.11bg only, so will see how that helps. I wonder if my WiFi network isn't just too flooded with devices and the router isn't coping well? One quick solution I could do is actually connect my TV to the router over LAN

Although this doesn't explain the drops during the day with minimal activity... So let's just see what happens [emoji53]

Going back to 802.11bg is like going back in time to dinosaur land.

20mhz makes sense if you have a signal problem and need more reach, otherwise it won’t do much for stability.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[souljazk]

Was trolling around on the OpenWRT pages and came across the page for the Archer C20 v4 -

[OpenWrt Wiki] toh:tp-link:tp-link_archer_c20_v4

openwrt.org

With this little nugget:


Not sure what driver is being used on the TP-Link Firmware, but followed this guide:

Troubleshooting: Unstable wireless connection on TP-Link router

7 methods to improve TP-Link Wi-Fi routers wireless stability on the condition that wired connection is working properly.

www.tp-link.com

I switched the 2.4GHz network to use the 20MHz band with 802.11bg only, so will see how that helps. I wonder if my WiFi network isn't just too flooded with devices and the router isn't coping well? One quick solution I could do is actually connect my TV to the router over LAN

Although this doesn't explain the drops during the day with minimal activity... So let's just see what happens 😕

Doubt its flooded. Drop your DHCP scope to 192.168.1.2-30 , thats 29 IP's that it can hand out. Set the current static IP's to be inside of this range.. See if Wifi Tx is adjustable and set it to 80% and not 100%.

There is other firmware aswell IE OpenWRT, Tomatoe, Tomatoe USB, Tomatoe Adv, Gargoyle etc etc. Also make 2000% sure that the varient you have is V4 or what ever variant a specific firmware wants. If you send and cover courier, you're welcome to borrow one of my TPlink W8970's to troubleshoot before spending a few more bux. It's currently on stock but I can try flash

Sorry if I missed it but what ISP are you using?

 

[SauRoN]

Doubt its flooded. Drop your DHCP scope to 192.168.1.2-30 , thats 29 IP's that it can hand out. Set the current static IP's to be inside of this range.. See if Wifi Tx is adjustable and set it to 80% and not 100%.

There is other firmware aswell IE OpenWRT, Tomatoe, Tomatoe USB, Tomatoe Adv, Gargoyle etc etc. Also make 2000% sure that the varient you have is V4 or what ever variant a specific firmware wants. If you send and cover courier, you're welcome to borrow one of my TPlink W8970's to troubleshoot before spending a few more bux. It's currently on stock but I can try flash

Sorry if I missed it but what ISP are you using?

Set static IP's OUTSIDE of the DHCP range if defining them from the client side.

If allocating them dynamically from the DHCP server, then keep them inside the range.

****

Also local IP's changing randomly should have nothing at all to do with the ISP. That's completely on the WAN side and doesn't control anything on the LAN end.

If there is a misconfiguration where the CPE is for some reason dishing out LAN IP's then something is very badly misconfigured in the Router like NAT being disabled or not being plugged into the WAN port etc.

 

[souljazk]

Set static IP's OUTSIDE of the DHCP range if defining them from the client side.

If allocating them dynamically from the DHCP server, then keep them inside the range.

****

Also local IP's changing randomly should have nothing at all to do with the ISP. That's completely on the WAN side and doesn't control anything on the LAN end.

If there is a misconfiguration where the CPE is for some reason dishing out LAN IP's then something is very badly misconfigured in the Router like NAT being disabled or not being plugged into the WAN port etc.

Usually I would agree re outside of scope. I said he should do it inside of the scope due to the nature of the issue, and the fact that his range is x.x.1.x and the router will randomly hand over x.x.0.x . I'm having a similar issue, and the only way to overcome it aside from rebooting the router, is to set static IP in the correct range, which would be x.x.1.x for the OP.

Reason I said he should limit the scope to 29 IP's is to minimise "stress" on the router, assuming its possibly on being over stretched due to an internal issue.

 

[Nivea]

Takealot

www.takealot.com

works wonders for me

 

[Rickster]

Ah I see, that makes sense

Looking on the site for the latest of my router, it doesn't give anything like that :

The only other regions listed are VN (Vietnam) and SP (Spain) which sucks

I wonder if it's not actually worth just contacting my ISP and asking if other people have had the same issue

Ah sorry, mine is V1 not V4 like yours.

 

[Cpt.DipStick]

So I thought I'd add some feedback here with recent events and CUDs:

Did some major network testing to try and get to the bottom of it, and in conclusion - it seems the WiFi chip(s) on that TP-Link Archer C20 is Garbage.

From @DarrenR I got a Ubiquiti Amplifi HD, set it up over the LAN on the Archer C20 and I'm now getting perfect & uninterrupted signal all over my house, so over the weekend, I'm completely uninstalling the Archer C20 and having the Amplifi as my main router (good riddance).