Shaw Wifi problems

[epp01]

I just got Shaw installed in my home, I just moved and never had any internet here before. The wifi broadcasts fine, but whenever I try to connect with my Iphone / Ipad, or laptop Wifi it won't connect. The weird part is, the only time I've been able to connect to my wifi, is when my Iphone is 3 feet away from the Router. It is password protected and TKIP I know the password I'm entering is right, and I've reset the Router more times then I care to count. If I'm upstairs it will show the signal strength as full bars. When you try to connect my Iphone and Ipad both say "Unable to connect with network." I tried changing the channel to 11 (I heard that can fix problems) but that hasn't done anything. When my phone does connect 3 feet away from the router box the internet is fast and seems pretty reliable.

Router problem? Or Something else?

[TrU-PaK]

I had similar issues.....had shaw come out a couple times still couldnt resolve it. They ended up telling me to buy a better router and so far so good

[Teknix]

I work for Shaw, and honestly I would even say get a third party router like linkys. The wireless routers we have now aren't that great. I had one and had problems so bought a sick linksys one .now I'm laughing.

[Seth1968]

I've run into that a few times. Change the encryption to 64bit WEP.

[BensonTT]

Linksys ea4500.. problem solved

[dragonone]

use this to thoroughly look at the wireless channels, there isn't a single channel that will work for everyone.

truth is, their wifi products are mediocre and more like a $30-50 router you can buy at a retail store. the advantage is that you get 24/7 technical support with a Canadian locally, plus free service calls. they no longer rent out the docsis 2.0 smc wifi modem/routers, and the docsis 3.0 cisco is only available as a purchase for $98, which you only need if you are on a 50mbps plan. a lot of people request them to be put into bridge mode and use their own router anyways.

the two problems that people have most are the range and how the speeds are choking. If ur gonna get another $50 router, i bet you will get the same results unless you make some software or hardware modifications like beefier antennas or this. if ur downloading heavily get something with QoS you can customize. put ur http traffic on the highest priority. some people have a 10mbps plan with 3 wireless devices, one of them streaming from china, and wonder why it's slow lol. well the range isn't the greatest on that smc wifi, the plan doesn't allow the bandwidth needed, and they are streaming from slow and far servers.

powerline ethernet is also another option if you can use a good wired connection to a far room. otherwise if you can afford a huge house, you can afford something like this, or a good netgear or asus router.

[thetransporter]

buy a wrt54g with 251 mw out put power.

i have a wrt54g with 32 ram over clocked to 300mhz
with passive poe. i am going to add a USB Port ,

running for 4 years no problems.

but the best router is the buffalo g54 , its nearly a 750 mw with dd-wrt and amp turned on.


if you really want to be private , do a wrt54g with channel 14 ( i am not sure what country you are in) and no one will be on that channel.

you will get almost zero packet drops and almost zero TX errors.

Originally posted by dragonone
use this to thoroughly look at the wireless channels, there isn't a single channel that will work for everyone.

truth is, their wifi products are mediocre and more like a $30-50 router you can buy at a retail store. the advantage is that you get 24/7 technical support with a Canadian locally, plus free service calls. they no longer rent out the docsis 2.0 smc wifi modem/routers, and the docsis 3.0 cisco is only available as a purchase for $98, which you only need if you are on a 50mbps plan. a lot of people request them to be put into bridge mode and use their own router anyways.

the two problems that people have most are the range and how the speeds are choking. If ur gonna get another $50 router, i bet you will get the same results unless you make some software or hardware modifications like beefier antennas or this. if ur downloading heavily get something with QoS you can customize. put ur http traffic on the highest priority. some people have a 10mbps plan with 3 wireless devices, one of them streaming from china, and wonder why it's slow lol. well the range isn't the greatest on that smc wifi, the plan doesn't allow the bandwidth needed, and they are streaming from slow and far servers.

powerline ethernet is also another option if you can use a good wired connection to a far room. otherwise if you can afford a huge house, you can afford something like this, or a good netgear or asus router.

[chibwack]

I grabbed an apple airport. Expensive ($180), but for how hassle free it's been I won't complain. Set it up in maybe 5 minutes, and haven't had a single issue with it to date. Plus it looks pretty cool with no antennas sticking out of it or anything.

[WhippWhapp]

Originally posted by Seth1968
I've run into that a few times. Change the encryption to 64bit WEP.

WEP can be cracked in five minutes, not recommended.

[firebane]

Originally posted by thetransporter
buy a wrt54g with 251 mw out put power.

i have a wrt54g with 32 ram over clocked to 300mhz
with passive poe. i am going to add a USB Port ,

running for 4 years no problems.

but the best router is the buffalo g54 , its nearly a 750 mw with dd-wrt and amp turned on.


if you really want to be private , do a wrt54g with channel 14 ( i am not sure what country you are in) and no one will be on that channel.

you will get almost zero packet drops and almost zero TX errors.

WRT54G are only G based router and most things now use a combination of G/N and its also only a 10/100 router so if you want gigabit off of it you'll need a switch for hardwired.

Personally I recommend getting the Asus RT-N16 which is a gigabit router with external antennas that runs Tomato or DD-WRT.

Also in regards to the channels that a router can run on in North American its between 1 and 11. You can download software http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider which will allow you to scan your area and see what channels have the most congestion.

You then take a channel that has the least amount and set it to that and in for encryption always use WPA2-Personal with AES/TKIP mixed.

[thetransporter]

thank you, if i wanted to hook up an ext antenna to this asus and leave it out doors to create a bridge, which one would i select using dd-wrt?

WRT54g was just a simple way out.

Originally posted by firebane


WRT54G are only G based router and most things now use a combination of G/N and its also only a 10/100 router so if you want gigabit off of it you'll need a switch for hardwired.

Personally I recommend getting the Asus RT-N16 which is a gigabit router with external antennas that runs Tomato or DD-WRT.

Also in regards to the channels that a router can run on in North American its between 1 and 11. You can download software http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider which will allow you to scan your area and see what channels have the most congestion.

You then take a channel that has the least amount and set it to that and in for encryption always use WPA2-Personal with AES/TKIP mixed.

[Seth1968]

Originally posted by WhippWhapp


WEP can be cracked in five minutes, not recommended.

By about .01% of the population.

[codetrap]

Originally posted by Seth1968

By about .01% of the population.

Yeah, the .01% that is between 8 and 18 years old, male, kindof geeky, and go by the moniker "script kiddie"...

WEP is a 5 minute crack using an iphone 3GS. More like a 40second crack using a precanned ISO that autorun's off a CD. It takes around a minute to break a 104bit key, and 90% of that is booting up the laptop & capturing traffic.

Don't use WEP. Period. WPA2-PSK

[Seth1968]

Originally posted by codetrap


Yeah, the .01% that is between 8 and 18 years old, male, kindof geeky, and go by the moniker "script kiddie"...

WEP is a 5 minute crack using an iphone 3GS. More like a 40second crack using a precanned ISO that autorun's off a CD. It takes around a minute to break a 104bit key, and 90% of that is booting up the laptop & capturing traffic.

Don't use WEP. Period. WPA2-PSK

I'm not disputing how easy it is for someone to de-crypt WEP, but rather the possibility of such occurring. The given in my argument is the much higher possibilty of, "I can't get on the internet" when using WPA as oppsoed to WEP.

In the field, I've encountered the OP's issue dozens of times with (mostly) Shaw's SMC gateway. The solution is 1 of 2.

1) Take the time and effort to purchase and setup a third party router.

2) Change the SMC encryption to WEP.

To each his own, but the chances the OP has a neighbour who even KNOWS what wireless encryption is, let alone crack it for some bizarre and illegal reason, is a million to one.

[thetransporter]

interesting

[thetransporter]

Originally posted by firebane


WRT54G are only G based router and most things now use a combination of G/N and its also only a 10/100 router so if you want gigabit off of it you'll need a switch for hardwired.

Personally I recommend getting the Asus RT-N16 which is a gigabit router with external antennas that runs Tomato or DD-WRT.

Also in regards to the channels that a router can run on in North American its between 1 and 11. You can download software http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider which will allow you to scan your area and see what channels have the most congestion.

You then take a channel that has the least amount and set it to that and in for encryption always use WPA2-Personal with AES/TKIP mixed.

i picked one up after reading your comments.

installed dd-wrt. after while it will just hang. (with all defaults on no over clock or anything like that. even a power cycle doesnt get it up .

I guess its not as relable as the wrt or the buffalo hp54g

I will keep trying different things



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[schocker]

Originally posted by thetransporter



i picked one up after reading your comments.

installed dd-wrt. after while it will just hang. (with all defaults on no over clock or anything like that. even a power cycle doesnt get it up .

I guess its not as relable as the wrt or the buffalo hp54g

I will keep trying different things



Reply from 10.10.10.105: Destination host unreachable.
Reply from 10.10.10.105: Destination host unreachable.

I have my RTN16 running Tomato and have had zero issues with it after about two years of use. Maybe try installing that? I know mine did have problems with the stock asus firmware and changing it to tomato fixed everything.

[epp01]

A little follow up, Shaw came over about 2 weeks ago. Changed the router out with a different one, didn't change the settings just the router and now it's been great ever since. Works 3 floors (basement to 2nd level) no problem and hasn't dropped once.

[HiTempguy1]

Oh, don't worry, if it is the SMC modem w/built in router, it will randomly crap out in 6 months. We finally fixed all of the bullshit at my place (after 8 MONTHS of this crap) by plugging in the old-ish dual band dlink wireless router. Ping DROPPED to 20ms on a wireless connection compared to 60ms through the smc wireless router, and we get 50mpbs now compared to like 20. Piece OF GARBAGE.

And yes, we busted out the channel sniffer, switched settings like mad, yadda yadda. Absolute BS.

[thetransporter]

Originally posted by schocker

I have my RTN16 running Tomato and have had zero issues with it after about two years of use. Maybe try installing that? I know mine did have problems with the stock asus firmware and changing it to tomato fixed everything.

well dd-wrt is pretty easy, once i get the r16 working i want to put in the custom routes, settings, port mappings etc.

i just thought i could have in production mode, went to go plug into the network room at work. bam, it dies again. (second one i bought) phone rings off the hook from staff saying internet is down.

I said ok fine back to the buffalo, it works 64 RAM we are using EOIP so i thought the 128 RAM on the asus would ease the load a bit.

i think i am going burn these routers with the dlinks.