Thread: Netgear router corrupting downloads. Please suggest alternatives...

Hello everybody,

I've been using netgear wireless router WGR614v9 with my bsnl UT300RU
modem for about 9 months.

At first the router worked great.

But after a few months it started giving problems like:
a) corrupting downloads
b) not loading webpages fully and properly
c) throwing up html code all over my monitor

Then the problem somehow corrected itself after sometime (I have no idea
how)... and now it's back again.

I came to know that this type of problem is common with netgear routers
from their forums, and also tried all the configuration changes suggested there
like disabling spi firewall and changing mtu settings, etc., but none of
them has worked.

That's why I'm looking to buy another router now.

And this time I want to make sure I get the right one because as you may
know, dealers in India don't have a return policy for the products they sell.

So even if the new router I buy ends up not working very well, I'm stuck
with it.

Hence please suggest a good router that you've personally used and
are happy with.

No more netgear routers though please. I've had enough troubles with
that company's routers already.

I was also thinking about getting the new BSNL type-IV modem as
it will be useful both for my desktop and wireless browsing.

What is your opinion on that?


Thanks in advance.

before you go ahead buying a new one , try changing the MTU value in the router or in windows , Prashanth Speaks-Technology and Life: How To Change MTU Values In Windows

hi superprash,

I found a key with dhcpipaddress 192.168.1.x. I hope
that was the one you were talking about.

Anyway I created a dword value mtu and set it to 1492
(so mtu values for both my router and modem are 1492)
and it didn't work.

Will try other values and see how it goes.


Thanks.

superprash,

I tried a couple of different mtu values and none of them
have worked.

So what can I try next?

Please advise.

check in your netgear's settings if you can modify MTU there , it sort of looks like a MTU error to me!!

This is first time news for me that router is corrupting the downloaded files.

I would expect that, if the router is faulty, the internet may not work and the file may not be downloaded, etc.

Am I missing something?

Not sure how this works, but you can check and set the best(largest) MTU value for your connection with TCP/IP Optimizer.

Originally Posted by superprash2003

check in your netgear's settings if you can modify MTU there , it sort of looks like a MTU error to me!!

Hi,

Yes, it's more than likely that this is a MTU problem.

However, the problem here is knowing the right MTU value
to make the router work properly.

Let me give you the full story for clarity...

When I first encountered this problem a couple of months back,
I thought it was a problem with my RAM or something. It wasn't!

Then my computer guy suggested we reinstall windows.
We did all that and the problem was still there.

I finally found out that the problem was with the router
because the downloads and everything worked fine when
I connected to the modem directly by ethernet.

So the dealer enforced the warranty and got me another
new netgear router (the one I'm using now)

But then, I found that even this router offered the same
problem from the very outset.

I let the problem stay and after sometime the problem
somehow corrected by itself.

Really! One day I found that the problem was gone.

And now, after a couple of months, it's back again.

People on the netgear forum tell me that the "right"
mtu value varies on a case by case basis and I gotta
check different values and see which one works.

I've tried all values from 1400 to 1500 in intervals of 10.
I tried disabling the spi firewall. I tried disabling the nat
filitering. And so on...

But nothing has worked.

Heck, cracking a safe would be a lot easier than this.

That's why, as I appear to have run out of ideas to make
this work, I'm looking to get another router.

If any of you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.


Thanks.

I've been using netgear wireless router WGR614v9 with my bsnl UT300RU
modem for about 9 months.

Same set up here Bsnl UT300R2U ( new ) similar to Beetel 110Bx1.
No problem for past one year.
Using different browsers. IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE
Mozilla Firefox 3.5.2
Namorak 3.6 alpha 1 ( testing )
OPERA
K-meleon ( try this )
Avant
IE8
Google Chrome ( not using due to
freq updates everyday)
Para two ;
Will check up MTU entries in my NetgearWGR614V6.
A proper FW update could be tried. post present version.
Did Netgear CC suggest this ?

OS : XPPro SP3 ( an update to SP3 advisable. )

Hi essebebe,

My firmware is already up to date.

Like I said, the router worked without any problems initially
and for sometime during an in-between period.

What annoys me most about this problem is that it's not
like you found the working mtu settings once and you're
done with it.

You have to keep revisiting this problem and keep finding
the new magic mtu setting everytime this problem occurs.

This is first time news for me that router is corrupting the downloaded files.

by @just4kix. same here.
When a conclusion is made , and posted here, contributers try to analyse
the problem and suggest alternate solutions.
With our limited facilities, and number of participants,
no firm conclusion can be made.

Para two: Earlier I struggled to find a solution
for web sites not opening for a user here ( after MTU changes)
specially Hotmail MSN Messenger etc .
After checking complete screen shots of Modem/router settings,
finally the time block was changed to
GMT +0530 for IST and all became normal.
Does not mean that THIS is the solution.
Keep track of similar problem later
and suggest as one of the tweaks!

Para two :

My firmware is already up to date.

Mention version.
MTU Size from netgear page. ( * mine is set to 1500 in Netgear ))

Account Name WGR614v6
Firmware Version V2.0.13_1.0.13NA
(* MTU in Beetel 110BX1 in WAN page 1492){added here} for ref .

The normal MTU (Maximum Transmit Unit) value for most Ethernet networks is 1500 Bytes, 1492 Bytes for PPPoE connections, or 1436 for PPTP connections. For some ISPs you may need to reduce the MTU. But this is rarely required, and should not be done unless you are sure it is necessary for your ISP connection.

my bsnl UT300RU

confirm Or UT300R2U BSNLnew or old etc.
Screen shot of Device Status welcome.

do you have another machine at home?? do try transferring files via LAN and see if they get corrupted!!please post back , i want to know how this ends

Sorry about the delay in replying.

@essbebe -

I rechecked my modem to see what model it is... and it's actually UT300R2U!!!
Extremely sorry about the goof up.

I've been using the modem since Nov. 2006. Never ever had any problems with it.
Even now it's working great.

Here are the settings of my netgear router:

Version: WGR614v9
FW Ver: V1.2.6_18.0.17NA
MTU size from netgear: 1400 (it was at 1492 before, but I changed
it to 1400 recently as I've been trying different combinations lately
in an attempt to rectify this problem -- but it didn't work!!!)

I don't think there are any specific websites that don't open well recurrently
when accessed via netgear.

All common emails like yahoomail and gmail don't open properly.
Particularly the new gmail "standard view" ceases to load midway
and I get the message "Done" in the status bar.

When I access forums, html/css code is sprayed all over the page.

Most Graphics are distorted.

The websites which load well at one time don't load at the other.

So there aren't any specific websites that I can think of.

@ superprash2003-

I have another desktop computer connected directly to my modem via USB.
I have no problems whatsoever with that connection.

Even when my laptop is connected to my modem directly by ethernet,
I have no problems.

The problem is only when there's the router in between.

Regardless of whether I'm accessing the wireless signal from the router
or an connected to it via LAN, the data turns out to be corrupted and
websites do not load properly.


Please let me know if you need any more information as I'm also keen
to rectify this problem.



Thanks again.

Update: I just now noticed that I was so far using the North American version
of the latest firmware.

As my location was locked as USA, the automatic update downloaded and
installed that version of the latest FM.

So I've now downloaded and installed the worldwide version and changed
the location to Asia... but still, there seems to be no change in the status.

The problem still persists!

And if you ask for one specific website that doesn't run well when accessed via router,
it'd be speedtest.net

Whenever I try to run speedtest.net in my laptop in the wireless mode, the website
just doesn't load fully and I can't run that application.

But whenever I connect my laptop directly to the bsnl modem by ethernet, the
website runs perfectly.

can you connect your USB machine to the netgear via LAN and try transferring via LAN only using the netgear and removing the ut300r2u

Originally Posted by superprash2003

can you connect your USB machine to the netgear via LAN and try transferring via LAN only using the netgear and removing the ut300r2u

Sure, just gimme some time to get back to you on this.


Thanks.

superprash,

I did what you suggested and the problem is still there.

I was also talking with netgear support over the last couple of days about this.

We went back and forth a couple of times, and when everything they suggested
didn't work, they just told me to check with another ISP connection (like Airtel, Reliance, etc.)
and get back to them.

Now where do I find people with Airtel, Reliance broadband connections?

To me that looks like a tactic to divert the matter more than anything else.

It'd probably be easier to throw out this router and get a new one... of another
company of course.

I have checked setttings in my WGR614V6 and
find nothing much to change.
As said earlier MTU is set to 1500.
Can you post screen shot of Wireless page and router status page ?
Also Ipconfig /all data .

its something wrong with the hardware i feel.. you have to get it checked..

@knight
I have both Airtel and BSNL dataone connection.

any specific test you need to make please mention it.
Or any netgear routers settings page/s specifically.

Recently, there was a discussion about Power management.
Can you check your Ethernet card "Configure" "Advanced"
options in Wireless network settings page. >
half duplex / full duplex/ adhoc B mode adhoc G /
Power management / SSID etc

Hi,

Sorry to not reply to this thread for such a long time.

Like I said, I've been in contact with Netgear level 1 and level 2 support executives
hoping that they'd somehow manage to find a solution.

The whole ordeal took about 40 days (yes, it's true!)... and at the end of all that,
when even the level 2 executive seemed disinterested in REALLY finding a solution
to the problem, I thought enough is enough and decided to put an end to it
after conveying my dissatisfaction to them.

And you know what?

At one point, the level 2 executive had actually agreed that it was a faulty router and
asked me to send it to a Netgear service center for a free replacement.

So I sent it to the Hyderabad service center along with a letter indicating the
problem, the Netgear case reference no. and that a second level executive had ok'ed
the replacement.

But those guys, they just tested it for about 2 hours, felt it was working fine
and returned the same piece back to me with the problem unresolved.

Even I know it appears to be working fine. I didn't send them a bricked or dead
router.

Only if they had bothered to refer to the case history, they'd have known what
the real problem was. But they didn't.

When I told about this to the level 2 executive, she started behaving like
she didn't know who I was and like she was dealing on a completely new case.
And she used to take 4-5 days to reply to my messages.

So I got tired of all this and decided not to pursue it further.

And I'm still stuck with the same router and the same problem,
and I'm looking for suggestions on what new router to buy.

Like I already said, the problem I have is that dealers in India don't have
any kind of return policy like in the US. So I better make sure I purchase
a good model this time.

I'm thinking to go for some linksys model but I'd love to hear your suggestions.


Thanks again.

@Knight
Going through the thread, I find there has been no proper
feedback from you and , you had made up your mind
That Netgear WGR614V9 is faulty.
Anyway best of luck with Linksy's or any other wif router.


Para two:
I am running same model for more than a year with NA FW etc.
trouble free.
for record I am giving as annexure present settings.
Attachment 6307
By the way what is the make of your WLAN adapter in your laptop

@essbebe

I'm positive it's my router because:
a) sometimes the router just doesn't appear in the wireless networks list.
When I turn the router off and on again... with the laptop still on during
this time... it appears in the list again.

b) at one time the router performs perfectly. Then the next time, it seems
to go crazy -- throwing up code all over the page, not loading pages fully, etc.
And again after sometime, it's working normally again.

c) When accessing the net through the router, there are intermittent periods
when the routers performs well and when it doesn't perform normally

yep, I know this could be a problem with the laptop wireless card as well.

I guess I have to ask my computer dealer if he has a spare usb wireless adaptor
I can use to test. If not, I'll just have to buy one and test it.

And i checked my device manager. It says I have a Atheros AR5007 802.11 b/g
wifi adaptor.


Thanks.

If you don't reciprocate with similar data, no point in
continuing response to your thread.
As a Technical person, I spent more time in problems,
with no solution in sight ( may be not possible also )
so as to take up the matter with manufacturers etc.

yep, I know this could be a problem with the laptop wireless card as well

I have a Atheros AR5007 802.11 b/g
wifi adaptor.

At least now you agree , problem could be with the
WLAN card in the laptop !
REF:http://www.atheros.com/pt/AR5007EG.
( mentions PCI Express slot )
How it is inserted in laptop ?
Is it external or Internal in the laptop ?

hi essbebe,

Yes, it's an internal wireless card which I got along
with the laptop when I purchased it.

It worked perfectly in combination with the netgear wireless router
for upto 3-4 months after I purchased the router.

And then the problems started.

One other important thing to note here is that when the dealer
got the initial router replaced for me, even the replacement
router gave the same corrupt downloads problem initially.

Then it somehow rectified by itself. And the problem resurfaced
again after a couple of months.

And all thru this time I hardly touched the router settings.
The problem surfaced and vanished by itself.

So I'm now wondering if it's indeed the wireless card that's the
problem.

Will post a screenshot of my router settings first thing tomorrow.
I'm currently posting from my desktop.


Thanks.

Start RUN type cmd Ok
New window opens
type
ipconfig /all
copy paste data here for both LAN and Wlan.
2. Start/ Network/ WLAN
Properties
Wireless LAN settings page.
On top
use connecting:
in box ; your Atheros wLAN details appear/
Configure
Advanced:
Repair/ update Drivers etc.
If settings page is available what is
selected ?
SSID/ ADHOC / (SCROLLING MAY SHOW MORE OPTIONS )) etc.
Screen shot will be helpful.
Attachment 6308

Please find attached...

1) IP config details
2) wlan settings
3) router settings

Lastly, one of the main reasons that made me feel
this was a problem with the router is that the data
turned out to be corrupted even when I was connected
to the netgear router by an ethernet cable.

Awaiting your suggestions,


Thanks.