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Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

hollytree
Rising Star
Posts: 72
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

I have a Plusnet technicolour router. It's connected to 2 computers, one wirelessly and the other wired. While working on the wired computer I disconnected the cable from the router into that pc.  I was surprised to discover that the wireless connection to the other computer also disappeared!
This puzzles me: surely the wireless connection should be independent of the wired one?
41 REPLIES 41
hollytree
Rising Star
Posts: 72
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

Can no-one explain this mystery to me?  Shocked Sad
spraxyt
Resting Legend
Posts: 10,063
Thanks: 674
Fixes: 75
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

Can only speculate that the router doesn't gracefully handle an active wired link being interrupted.
Does the same happen if, leaving the Ethernet cable connected, the wired computer is 'hibernated' (rather than shut down)?
David
hollytree
Rising Star
Posts: 72
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

spraxyt
Formidable, sir! Yep, when the wired PC is hibernated, the wireless facility for the other PC is terminated!
Not good cos it means that I'm unable to do any routine maintenance work on the wired PC unless I'm prepared to lose wireless on the other PC. Sad
Any solutions?
spraxyt
Resting Legend
Posts: 10,063
Thanks: 674
Fixes: 75
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

The behaviour you are experiencing is odd and different from mine.
On my TG582n (ADSL) with 8.4.4.J software, wireless continues to work (to an android tablet and TV) when I hibernate my wired Windows Vista desktop PC. The Ethernet light on the router turns off when my PC hibernates (nothing else uses a wired connection). If the PC is shut down the Ethernet light stays green.
If you go into Network and Sharing Center, click Status against Connection then 'Disable' does wireless continue to work? (Those steps are for Vista, the process might be different for other versions of Windows.)
David
hollytree
Rising Star
Posts: 72
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

I too have a TG582n, with Windows XP on my wired PC.
When i followed your suggestion (in  XP it's Control Panel > Network Connections > LAN or High Speed Internet > Local Area Connection and disabled it, the  WiFi light on the router went out.. so no, it doesnt work in that scenario.
spraxyt
Resting Legend
Posts: 10,063
Thanks: 674
Fixes: 75
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

Sorry, rather clutching at straws with this since my router doesn't exhibit this problem.
When the green light on the wireless button goes out will it turn on again if you press the button (and hold for a few seconds - normally until the light turns on)?
Another thought - is 'eco mode' turned on? I think that turns wireless off if believed to be inactive.
David
hollytree
Rising Star
Posts: 72
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

That's ok sprayxt - I' m grateful that you're taking an interest in this puzzling issue.
No, pressing the button doesn't result in the  wireless light coming on again. The only way I could get wireless to reconnect  was by reconnecting the ethernet cable! Shocked
spraxyt
Resting Legend
Posts: 10,063
Thanks: 674
Fixes: 75
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

In the absence of anything better to suggest you could try doing a factory reset on the router. TR069 (if active) should connect it to Plusnet again but any other changed settings would be lost.
David
hollytree
Rising Star
Posts: 72
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-08-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

Yea I guess that's my first and last resort!
Have a great xmas sprayxt
spraxyt
Resting Legend
Posts: 10,063
Thanks: 674
Fixes: 75
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

Thanks, and a super Christmas to you too.
Another thought which I don't think has been answered already …
If the router is restarted with nothing connected to it (Ethernet cables unplugged at start up) does the wireless turn on and continue working normally?
David
penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

@spraxt
Where is ecomode on the tg582n? I do wonder if this is part of my issue posted elsewhere here. I am running rev10 of the plusnet firmware. Its adsl only btw
spraxyt
Resting Legend
Posts: 10,063
Thanks: 674
Fixes: 75
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

I think Eco Mode is what is called Power Reduction Enabled in the GUI. This is listed in the WLAN information pages and can be set using a checkbox on the configuration page:
Home > Home Network > Interfaces > WLAN: <your SSID>
On my router that is set to "No" (checkbox not ticked).
The router Help page says
[quote=TG582n help page]
Power Reduction Enabled:
To enable power reduction on the wireless access point select the check box. When power reduction is enabled, the wireless access point will be disabled automatically if no associated stations are present.
David
penfold
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Posts: 2,280
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

Thanks Spraxt.
I do wonder if there are random issues with my wireless.  I have noticed, but not taken much notice of an issue where both my android devices suddenly flash up 'connected to plusnetwireless******' when they seem to be already connected. i wonder if there are random disconnections of the wireless maybe even for very very short periods of time.
I am going to disable eco-mode, and also reading NPRs telnet guide there is an option to Change wireless n speed (TG582n only) and also Wireless n tweaks (TG582n only)

Would any of these be useful?Huh
spraxyt
Resting Legend
Posts: 10,063
Thanks: 674
Fixes: 75
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Puzzling technicolour wireless disconnection

Speculating, I suspect that battery powered devices turn off their own wireless when not communicating to conserve battery power. That could allow the router wireless to turn off if power reduction (eco) mode is enabled. I assume if a wireless device tries to connect again there could be a few seconds delay until the router turns wireless on again to check for stations and a "connected" message pops up when communication is restored.
Since eco mode is not enabled on my router its wireless should not be turning off even though battery powered wireless devices are inactive. So no delay if a wireless device tries to communicate. Even so my XP laptop regularly pops up "connected" messages, but only very occasionally (less than once per week) does my Nexus 7 tablet do this.
I'll leave you to decide whether either of those scenarios is relevant to the behaviour you've seen. Huh
It doesn't seem likely that tweaking wireless n settings would affect connectivity, but the best way to find out is to try it.
David
David