Linksys BEFSR41 Router - dies after 2 minutes

[purecomedy]

My problem is that I set up my router, I can surf the internet for about 2 minutes and then I'll try to load another webpage and it will fail to load. This is in Windows 2000, and my router is connected to a cable modem and 3com NIC. So I go back to the "homepage" of the router and just save the settings again and it works for 2-3 minutes or so. What the hell is going on here :(

What are some of the potential problems here? It's windows 2000, I'm using DHCP....should be pretty straightforward isn't it? I tried putting the "name" of my computer in the host name field (I tried using the setup utility on the disk that came with it and it assumed that this host field wanted this name). This didn't solve the problem.

The same problem occurs in my Win ME partition. It takes about 5 minutes to fail instead of 2-3 minutes in Win2k Pro.

Under DHCP you normally leave the Host name and Domain name fields empty right, I shouldn't be putting something in there correct? I noticed that the submask seems to alternate between 255.255.255.0 and 255.255.254.0 (in Win2k Pro). The other weird thing, in WinME when I go to ipconfig it appears that there are 2 of them even though I only have 1 NIC!

I guess I'm a little worried that if I try to contact my ISP (Shaw cable) they'll basically tell me to screw off because they don't support routers (I'm sure they hate routers because people don't buy additional IPs for their other machines). Thing is, I've only got 1 machine.

The main thing I can think of doing is trying different cables, I introduced 1 new wire that I suppose could be bad. The other one I have used for years. I suppose also I could try updating drivers for my 3com NIC and flashing the BIOS on the router. I'm a little confused about the BIOS version because I think it's version 1.04.3 but dated June 3, 2003 whereas the linksys site has 1.44 BIOS dated sometime in Nov 2002. Is 1.04.3 really more like 1.43, or is it literally way way behind like 1.043?

From previous posts I have read it seems like flashing the router bios never helps.

Any advice anyone can offer would be much appreciated. TIA.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Have you tried turning off your cable modem for a half hour...then powering it up again? Have it memorize the MAC of the router.

[purecomedy]

To get it to give me a new IP I think I usually have to leave it off for longer than half an hour. I'll just leave it unplugged for 8-24 hours and see what that does.

This MAC setting, will have to dig into it. I'm not sure what the MAC is all about.

One thing I'm curious about is there is an MTU setting, I'm just leaving it on "off or auto" or whatever, I'm not providing a value for it. I assume this isn't the problem (if I set it poorly it would make it slower, but not absolutely dead).

Will let you know about my progress tomorrow. In the back of my mind I'm wondering if I had the BEFSX41 if I'd still have this problem, and what features I'd have with the X version over the R version. It seems like the X version has more of a real hardware firewall in it where as this one doesn't really have it.

[YeOldeStonecat]

I usually manually set the MTU, on cable, 1500 seems to be optimal for a starting point.

MAC..."some" cable ISPs, not all of them, but some, authenticate via MAC. Now think of MAC like a vehicle identification number....every one is unique. Network cards, routers, some managed switches, and some other network hardware all have a unique MAC. The cable modem will tend to memorize (depending on the ISP now...if they use MAC or not)...the MAC of the first device that it is powered up to. So if you connected your computer to the cable modem, and had that running for a while...the modem will have the MAC of your network card memorized. So today you get a router, and put it in between your computer, and the cable modem. Now the modem sees the MAC of the router, not your computers NIC MAC. Solution? 2 ways...1) you'll notice the router supports "MAC Spoofing"...so you can enter the MAC of your network card, and the router will "lie" to the cable modem....broadcasting the MAC you enter instead of it's own. 2) You can power down your cable modem for a period of time, that should make it lose it's memorized MAC...clearing the memory sort of speak, erasing it. Then power it up...and it should memorize whatever MAC is plugged into it (such as the new router). I prefer the #2 approach....re-train the modem. Quick enough, more permanent solution.

Now...to add another variable to the mix..."some" cable ISP's authenticate via MAC waaaay upstream, in their office, they have a server up there which will memorize the MACs of their clients. You can't easily erase those. 2 solutions here. 1) Call them up...and tell them the new MAC. Say you just replaced your device...and have a new one. 2) Spoof your NICs MAC using the router's MAC spoof feature...found in it's web admin.


SR vs SX. They have the same hardware firewall...NAT. But the SX model has better SPI, and supports single endpoint VPN (you can setup a VPN tunnel between two SX routers). I've been using the SX model for quite some time now for my new budget router installs. I don't see what model you have being any factor with your timeout issue.

[purecomedy]

Okay so after leaving my cable modem unplugged for about 23 hours I plugged it back in and turned the computer on and things seem to be going well for about 5 minutes thusfar.

I guess my question is, should I be doing anything like an ipconfig /release and /renew? Do I need to go to 192.168.1.1 and basically save the changes again to sort of establish the base settings?

Can't seem to connect to my email account in Outlook.

[YeOldeStonecat]

You shouldn't have to ipconfig /renew. Note...if you renew, you don't have to release first....since when you renew, it will automatically release as part of renewing.

One question for you.....when you do fall off the internet, I'm wondering if it's really your router that drops the connection? Or if it's your workstation that loses connection with the router? Next time you fall off...try just rebooting your workstation, or doing the ipconfig /renew....and see if that brings it back.

Once you set the router to something, and save those settings once...you shouldn't have to go back to the control panel to do anything and have to save changes.

Re: Outlook...some cable ISP's have an odd mail server naming convention, I'm used to the traditional setup, POP.nameofmyisp.com and SMTP.nameofmyisp.com...etc. I don't know what to tell you there except find the support section of your ISP's website. There's nothing you have to configure on the router as far as letting a mail client work from behind it with standard internet settings.

[purecomedy]

Okay well I actually started having problems after about 15 minutes last night.

I admit I caused a flaw in the process. When I used the Linksys CD to install the router it actually put the MAC cloning in there for me, meaning that after I had the power turned off to try your method #1, I was actually combining method #2 with it. I guess tonight I'll restore the factory settings on the modem and then try method 1 again.

As far as my workstation losing the connection with the router I would have to say I agree. The internet light is on the router the whole time so I would have to assume that part of it works (admittedly it does seem to blink now and then as there is activity on the cable modem...).

Again this begs the question, what settings could be wrong in my Local network settings. You turn DHCP on and pretty much leave everything blank!

One thing i have noticed is that the host name field seems to want to put the "name of my computer" in it. I have no idea if this makes any different or not. The computer is a single user machine so I just throw in a name such as "Master of the House" and Master of the House Inc. as the Company and it sort of creates for me what I call the computer name. The name is something like master-2d93e8 (ie. it takes the first few letters of my user name and then a hyphen with 6 random characters after it). So the question is, does that need to be in there for the host field or not? DHCP seems pretty forgiving, I would assume whether I put it in there or not it would work given that everything else is right.

[purecomedy]

Well I finally reset the router to original factory settings (ie. the MAC cloning info was reset), unplugged the modem for a while and set everything up from scratch. Been working for a few hours in my Win ME partition (very basic, only used for gaming).

It will be interesting to see how well I can replicate this success when booting into my Windows 2000 partition. Good success indicators will be working email, ICQ, ftp in addition to simple websurfing.

Thanks for your advice and patience YeOldeStonecat!

Wish me luck on setting up my Win2k partition!

[YeOldeStonecat]

If it's your rig losing it's connection to the router (and the router is maintaining it's connection)...try following my guide here.

http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=177

Static IPs for your LAN.

[purecomedy]

I think I have done about all I can do and DHCP is not connecting me properly to the internet on any sort of consistent basis. So I'm looking for my options here, I pretty much have to return this router tomorrow if I want to get my money back from the store.

1. Buy another router, probably another brand. Higher chance of something else working?

2. I don't need to worry, if I use static IP addressing I am 100% guaranteed to work. Now I must admit I don't know where this DNS IP address for my ISP comes from. Is there I chance I can't figure out that information?

3. Buying a new ethernet card, maybe a certain model in particular will guarantee this all works out.

4. Ditch the idea of dual booting, this is causing the problem?

5. Other ideas....everyone else I know plugs in their router and it works or at maximum they kick it once with MAC settings to make it work. I or anyone else for that matter would need to understand why my configuration is not working to really give a full answer (ie. should I return this router, use static IPs etc.). Can somebody explain to me what is wrong, or at least a few possible guesses? How do I tell if the router is defective?

I just don't see using a router that cuts in and out as something anybody should have to deal with for the long term. If that's what I'm in for somebody let me know and I'll just stick with Zonealarm (or some similar product).

[purecomedy]

This is retarded, my subnet mask seems to wander 255.255.255.0 sometimes, sometimes 255.255.252.0, sometimes 255.255.254.0.

Has anyone ever had these symptoms and what do they mean?

[YeOldeStonecat]

Try my static LAN IP guide I linked above.

"Second, you can check your routers web admin page when it's connected (the status section) and jot down the two DNS servers it obtains from your ISP. "

The "Status" tab of your web admin, under the WAN section....you'll find the DNS servers it obtains from your ISP.

[purecomedy]

Is the "Local MAC Address" in the 192.168.1.1 admin site for the router the MAC address of the router? If I phone my ISP to do the check I should probably have this ready.

Even after I unplug my modem for hours it still seems to get an Adapter Address equal to the one on my NIC.

I'll try the Static IP approach now. Thanks for your continued help, I not sure what is a bigger pain in the ass -- me or this router.

[purecomedy]

This issue here is there is a new Cisco production run of the BEFSR41 router which is having problems on my Cable Internet provider. Read here for more details on the model you should avoid.

http://forums.speedguide.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126853

A big thanks to YeOldeStonecat for his prolonged help in the matter. It takes some kindness to deal with a frustrated person like me. I think the static IP guide he mentioned will be helpful somewhere down the road anyways so thanks a bunch.