Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

[ratdude747]

a couple weeks ago I bought a Netgear WNDR3300 v1 at a thrift store for $5.

When I got it home, the first thing I did to it was I swapped it over to DD-WRT. I then discovered it was dropping connections like crazy.

I discovered 4 crapxon caps, which were replaced... that made the dropping issue a lot less worse, but it still drops conenctions now and then.

it does it on both the 5ghz and the 2.4ghz radios.

Did I miss something?

I wonder if re-installing the latest DD-WRT would fix it since it was orginally installed pre-recap.

I also wonder if the power brick is to blame... are the DVE made netgear bricks any good?

[shadow]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

Not sure if any of these would help. However you can check the caps in the power brick, or try a different power brick which is of higher quality. You can also try a different third party firmware. I am not sure what your options are for the WNDR3300, however have a look at Gargoyle firmware or possibly OpenWRT (if you don't mind going into the deep end with configuring).

[liyunyu]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

I did not know this model. Just trying to help troubleshooting here. When you notice the dropping of connections - how it would resume? Did you have to reboot it to resume, or it will resume/restore connection automatically after the dropping? Or you will have to reboot it? Is there any way to enable the log to see if the OS is working and stable during these disconnections took place? I would suggest that, if you have to reboot it to get reconnected, how about trying the Open-WRT like Shadow suggested. If the drop off gets reconnected automatically but frequently, see if the log of the OS would giving you something like frequent DHCP connections on and off, or double check to see if the DHCP server works OK. You may try to use the hub on the device with a wired connection to check the status via its local IP like 192.168.1.1 from any browser... Also check the radio antenna to see if the connection is solid. Basically I would try to separate the problem into three parts: 1) Any visually problematic parts on the board 2) OS and firmware status including hardware compatibility or supported chips when you chose the firmeware 3) radio section of the system.
I wish this helps.
Best wishes,
Leon

[ratdude747]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

no reboots required... just wait a min or two and reconnect.

the FW is 100% compatible... in fact, for my model, all one does is use a special binary of the FW in the format used by the stock firmware for updates... no vxworks crap to deal with.

some settings:

radio 1 is a mixed 2.4ghz output (B/G/N), radio 2 is a mixed 5ghz output (A/N). Both use WPA2 Personal (may change when I start using some old intel A cards I have).

it runs standard dd-wrt... it has 4mb of flash...

Nothing is overclocked/overpowered.

[shovenose]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

Hahaha that's a good idea... see if you can OC it just a tiny bit and see if that makes a difference

[ratdude747]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

Hahaha that's a good idea... see if you can OC it just a tiny bit and see if that makes a difference

first, it drops connections even at semi-strong signal levels.

why would I want to do that?

its kinda like i trying to OC a computer to fix a stability issue or putting a turbo on an engine with rod noise...

[shovenose]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

I don't know it was just a random suggestion lol

Anyway, did I have the same stability issues on the stock firmware?

[Wrog]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

RD, you have some serious thrift stores around you! I visit them fairly often and never, ever see any electronics worth buying... anyway:

Do you get the same connection dropping using either WEP or WPA? I have a WNDR4000 that had some WPA2 issues using wireless surveillance cameras (lots of dropouts, as you've experienced), and after changing them over to WEP (with MAC address filtering of course) I haven't had a single dropout since. Doesn't really help if you're dead set on using WPA2 but at least it will narrow down where the problem(s) lie.

[ratdude747]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

Didn't use the stock FW at all on it; i put it on dd-wrt as soon as I got it home

I may try changing the security... but that wouldn't make sense since my old setup (a wrt54g and a belkin N 2.4ghz combined) never had issues and both used wpa2 personal.

my main beef with MAC address filtering is that if I ever have a buddy over or the like, I have to add the MAC address, which is a bit of a PITA.

I may take my analog meter to the power brick...

[Toasty]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

>>I discovered 4 crapxon caps, which were replaced... that made the dropping issue a lot less worse, but it still drops conenctions now and then. <<

That's a clue.

>>However you can check the caps in the power brick, or try a different power brick which is of higher quality.<<

I think that's your answer. The new caps are filtering the noise/ripple better, but they can only do so much with a trashy brick.

Toast

[ratdude747]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

>>I discovered 4 crapxon caps, which were replaced... that made the dropping issue a lot less worse, but it still drops conenctions now and then. <<

That's a clue.

>>However you can check the caps in the power brick, or try a different power brick which is of higher quality.<<

I think that's your answer. The new caps are filtering the noise/ripple better, but they can only do so much with a trashy brick.

Toast

when I get home, I may have to bust out mr. exacto... I was afraid this may be the issue...

[Toasty]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

Don't you have a bench supply by now....?

[ratdude747]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

Don't you have a bench supply by now....?

for a class I had to build a 5v and +/-12v linear bench PSU. each rail can do 1A.

I also have various PSUs that can be rigged using my ATX voltage tester and a moxlex to barrel adapter (which I would have to make).

I'll swap the wall wart for the known working and cross compatible brick to the old WRT54G while I investigate the wall wart.

[Toasty]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

I've the 3400 model and the wart is an SMPS most definitely. Small and rated for 12v @ 1.5A vs the older Netgear one which is 3x the size and weight and only 1A rated.

[ratdude747]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

I've the 3400 model and the wart is an SMPS most definitely. Small and rated for 12v @ 1.5A vs the older Netgear one which is 3x the size and weight and only 1A rated.

same wart here.

weight doesn't mean crap in this case, as the old brick was likely a linear (not SMPS) unit... hence the need for a larger and heavier transformer.

as for mine

opened it up, it was crammed full of parts. it is defiently an SMPS and for the given ratings, the guts looked adequate. (didn't take pics, sorry).

the two secondary caps were a 16v 1000uf Nova and a 16v 470uf teapo, both were swapped for equivalent samxons. also reflowed a couple iffy joints, esp by a tiny ceramic cap where semi-minor PCB discoloration was noted.

have not had a chance to test it, as my dad is watching a long streaming video... Once he is done I can make the swap and see.

[ratdude747]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

so far, so good...

[digge]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

I have the 3500 model, and it have some quirks sometimes, ive opened to router and they actually used rubycon or maybe nichicon (dont remember wich atm), however i never opened the powerbrick, maybe thats where my problem would be. Its only the wireless that craps out sometimes on mine.

[ratdude747]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

I have the 3500 model, and it have some quirks sometimes, ive opened to router and they actually used rubycon or maybe nichicon (dont remember wich atm), however i never opened the powerbrick, maybe thats where my problem would be. Its only the wireless that craps out sometimes on mine.

crack the brick...

---

ironically, I was given a brand new unused 1.5A 12v brick with the same jack... oh well...

[Toasty]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

so far, so good...

annnnnnddddd....................?

[ratdude747]

Re: Netgear WNDR3300 Issues

umm, no router issues?