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fortnotes · 03-21-2011, 10:59 PM

I've not seen much discussion on this lately...

I find that I have reliability issues with Wi-fi connectivity, even when the
Wi-fi signal is strong. When I connect, I can get good connectivity for most things for a while, and then it seems to hang. If I disconnect and reconnect,
the same thing happens.

I'm still on OS 246, but was wondering if maybe the newer versions of the OS have made this better. Is that why nobody seems to be discussing it any more?

given2fly · 03-22-2011, 01:21 AM

yeah i got the same thing on my .450 and now that i upgraded to .486, i get it less but i still get it. and it's really annoying because on my 9780 i didn't have that problem. however, very few people are having this issue and when you update (which you should for many other reasons), you may not get it. who know. but the update is worth it regardless.

Dubdub · 03-22-2011, 08:27 AM

Not having any problems at all using .246.

dejanh · 03-22-2011, 10:04 AM

I'm still getting the same problem. Using version .486 here...
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Dubdub · 03-22-2011, 10:35 AM

Might be the OS.

John Clark · 03-22-2011, 02:28 PM

More likely the type of router and/or it's firmware. 99% of all wifi connectivity problems are the router, not the device. Just because the router connects to a PC with no problems doesn't mean it's firmware will keep it connected to a BlackBerry device the same way.

DZD · 03-22-2011, 04:09 PM

Haven't had this issue on .246 or .450.
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fortnotes · 03-22-2011, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Clark

More likely the type of router and/or it's firmware. 99% of all wifi connectivity problems are the router, not the device. Just because the router connects to a PC with no problems doesn't mean it's firmware will keep it connected to a BlackBerry device the same way.

OK, so maybe I should look to replace the firmware in my router?
It's one of those Linksys devices from several years ago (WRT54G).

What kind of router do you folks have who are seeing the problem?

John Clark · 03-22-2011, 11:04 PM

Go to the linksys website and make sure its firmware is up to date. I finally had to load dd-wrt (aftermarket linux firmware: www.dd-wrt.com | Unleash Your Router) on my wrt54gs to get it to work reliably.
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Dubdub · 03-23-2011, 06:53 AM

I use that router (WRT54G) at home with no problems whatsoever. Been using it for several years now.

JoelDF · 03-23-2011, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubdub

I use that router (WRT54G) at home with no problems whatsoever. Been using it for several years now.

Me too. Had mine since about 2004 and it has the latest firmware update (which is from 2007). No real problems with my Torch.

I do notice that every-so-often that the BIS icon will leave the Wifi icon and jump to the 3G icon for a moment, but then jump back to the Wifi icon. But I don't have to do anything about it - it will just fix itself. It always connects automatically as soon as I get near the house.

It's got a bunch of wireless devices hooked up to it too. When I got it, it was only for my wife's laptop. My desktop was direct connected to it via ethernet. Then, my son's laptop came into the picture. Then, my wife's desktop. Then, my son's Wii... his DSi... my wife's iPhone... and finally my Torch. I'm surprised that it still works as well as it does. When things get a little wonky, I'll reset the router (unplug and plug back in), and everything works again.

John Clark · 03-23-2011, 12:53 PM

There are several different versions of the wrt54g and over 7 different version numbers for the wrt54gs. Whatver your version (version number is on the bottom of the router i.e. "wrt54gsv7.2") just make sure you're using the latest firmware from the Linksys site.
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AthensCarpetman · 03-24-2011, 12:25 PM

Is the Pearl 8130 WiFi capable?

John Clark · 03-24-2011, 12:43 PM

No.
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daoswald · 03-26-2011, 12:02 AM

If you're considering replacing your router to overcome wifi problems, I'd be interested in hearing what's working out for people. I have two of the best home routers available. One is the Linksys WRT600N (the top of the line predecessor to the Linksys/Cisco E3000), and the D-Link DIR-855 (the current top of the line in the D-Link assortment). The WRT600N cost around $180 new, and the DIR-855 cost around $250. These are dual-band, dual radio WiFi routers.

With both routers I experience the same problem: My Torch's wifi works fine for a few minutes, and then hangs. Sometimes it can be remedied by resetting the wifi on the phone. Sometimes it requires resetting both the router and the phone.

I think it's crazy to blame the router when I have two different models, with different chip-sets, both doing the same thing with the Blackberry Torch, but not with my other laptops, my wife's iphone, or even my old Bold 9700. If the two top-line home routers from different manufacturers are rock solid with the Bold 9700, the iphone, two laptops, a media streamer, a printer, and the occasional guest laptop, but the routers both fail with the Torch 9800, I'm going to blame the torch.

I'm anxious to find a solution.

dragonryder · 03-27-2011, 12:33 PM

Router issues, I have discovered, depend on a couple of things. (at least here at my home) I have a newer router that was in the $40 range. It works fine until my daughter is home from college with her laptop, my son is using his game platform, my wife is on her laptop, and I'm on here playing in the forums. Then, because of the band width of the router, a couple of devices may get bumped off due to not enough space. Add the Torch using my WiFi and something has to get bumped. I plan to get a dual band router that will be in the $80-$100 range that will be able to handle all wireless devices in the home.
Also, I have upgraded to the .448 OS even though AT&T has only blessed .246 as the only OS available to their customers.

From PCMag.com:

Definition of: dual-band router

A wireless router that supports both frequency bands of the 802.11 wireless standard. Dual-band a/b/g routers handle 11a users in the 5 GHz band, while simultaneously supporting 11b/g users in the 2.4 GHz band.

Dual-Band N Routers
Dual-band a/b/g/n routers support both bands for 11n. They enable 11a and 11n users to transmit at 5 GHz and 11b/g and 11n users to transmit at 2.4 GHz; however, both bands may run simultaneously or only one band at a time. Simultaneous support provides load balancing and offers the most compatibility with all four standards (a, b, g and n). With simultaneous bands, data transfers could be configured, for example, on the 2.4 GHz network (SSID #1), while users who do video streaming could be configured on the 5 GHz network (SSID #2). See wireless router, 802.11n, 802.11 and SSID.

802.11 Frequency
Standard Band
11a 5 GHz
11b 2.4 GHz
11g 2.4 GHz
11n 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

I hope this helps

dbltap · 03-28-2011, 11:46 AM

One thing I have seen effect connectivity issues.... Universal Plug-n-Play (UPnP). Some routers do turn this on by default. I have seen a number of posts on the Nook Color forum about connections dropping on and off until the UPnP functionality of the router is turned off. Then it seems to work fine. Worth checking at least.

DallasFlier · 03-29-2011, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Clark

More likely the type of router and/or it's firmware. 99% of all wifi connectivity problems are the router, not the device. Just because the router connects to a PC with no problems doesn't mean it's firmware will keep it connected to a BlackBerry device the same way.

John, 99% of your comments and assistance here on BBF are 100% spot on, but I have to really take exception to your statement above.

I'm an electrical engineer who's been in the computer networking industry for over 20 years. I've set up, configured, and done troubleshooting on more networks & routers than I can remember. These problems are NOT due to issues with the router, although workarounds can sometimes be configured on the router to alleviate the issue. But the problems definitely stem from the network stack on the BlackBerry not being reliable and conformant to industry standards - such as uPNP. To use a comparison, I have a digital picture frame with WiFi which won't connect to my router unless I disable WPA, but that does not mean that the connectivity issue is due to the router. Yes, disabling uPNP on a router will often help BlackBerry connection reliability - but that's a router workaround to a BlackBerry issue/deficiency.

daoswald · 03-29-2011, 08:00 PM

DallasFlier is correct. Just because it may be possible to coerce a router to help the BB remain connected more reliably, it's not the router's fault that it has to be specially configured for a single device.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've got two routers with different chipsets from different manufacturers. The Torch has the same problem with both, even when i have them configured in their simplest configuration (with WPA2), and with no other devices attached. Both routers are top of the line models. The router's fault?

John Clark · 03-29-2011, 09:08 PM

I have a Torch and it connects to a Cisco router at work with WPA security and a certificate on my device. It never drops. I also have a WRT54GS v7.2 with dd-wrt firmware. It rarely ever drops. Maybe once a week or every other week I reboot the router as occasionally it won't connect. The router reboot always fixes it. The device?
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Wi-fi reliability still an issue?