Bugzilla – Bug 2512
can't properly associate with networks using 108mbps turbo g / super g / g nitro modes
Last modified: 2008-12-18 11:38:39 UTC
I'm running SlimServer 6.2 on a dedicated 2.4 ghz box running Windows XP professional, with plenty of RAM and available disk space, wired to a D-link DI-624 router (firmware version 2.7). I previously had a wireless SB1 (w/ graphics) and then (until yesterday) a wireless SB2 in the same location, and I never had a problem with either. I'm not sure of the original firmware on the SB2, but it had been running the most recent firmware release (26) without incident since I installed SlimServer 6.2 a week or so ago. When originally installed, both the SB1 and the SB2 successfully connected to my wireless network (SSID broadcast OFF, WEP encryption ON) on the first run through the configuration menu, and neither experienced any significant problems thereafter. Today I received my new SB3s, one wireless and one wired (which I recognize have the same guts as the SB2, but which I will refer to as SB3s for clarity). Prior to installing the SB3s, I turned MAC address filtering OFF on the router. I then connected the wired SB3, which obtained an IP address in my local subnet (192.168.0.XXX) via DHCP and connected to the SlimServer without any problems. I then powered up the wireless SB3 and began configuration. I input the SSID and encryption key (which I triple-checked) of my network when prompted, and the SB3 connected to the network. I then selected "Get IP address automatically". The SB3 obtained an IP address beginning with 169, i.e., automatic private network. I used the left arrow button to back up, rebooted my laptop to make sure that the router's DHCP server was working (it was) and tried again, with the same result. I then chose "Static IP", entered a local IP address, and specified the IP address of the router for gateway and dns (the router has dns forwarding) and the IP address of the SlimServer box. Result: "Problem: can't find SlimServer"... etc. At each stage of this process at which connecting to SqueezeNetwork was offered as an option, I attempted to do so, with no success. I then restored factory default settings on both the router and the SB3. Even with the router wide open, the SB3 could not obtain an IP address, and although it claimed to have connected to the wireless network, it could not see the SlimServer box and could not access SqueezeNetwork. I then tried to connect using the Ethernet port; the SB3 obtained a local IP address via DHCP and connected to SlimServer immediately. I went back to the wireless connection, but could not get the SB3 to connect. The several times I checked the current configuration settings through the SB3 menu, I noticed that the wireless signal strength was reported as 0%, then would jump to 100%, then slowly cycle down, then abruptly drop to zero, then repeat the cycle. While this was going on, my desktop computer, which is one room farther away from the router than the SB3, and also uses a wireless connection, consistently reported signal strength as "good" or "very good"; I then confirmed that the signal was not experiencing any unusual fluctuation or degradation using Network Stumbler. I also sat the SB3 unit a foot away from the router and tried the configuration menu again, with no better luck than before. I sold my wireless SB2 on eBay and shipped it out yesterday, and I therefore could not test its performance against the SB3 with the same settings. I still have a wireless SB1 around, though (firmware version: 40) and so I restored it to factory default settings, disabled encryption on the router, and went through the configuration menu. The SB1 connected to the SlimServer with no problem whatsoever. Although the SB1 reports weaker signal strength (hovering around 30%) than my computer, it is not showing the 100% to 0% pattern that the SB3 reports. I found this result so unbelievable that reset both the SB1 and SB3 to factory defaults again, and went through the configuration menu with the two units side by side. The SB1 connected without difficulty, the SB3 obtained an automatic private network address, and would not connect even when a static IP was entered. Being somewhat obsessive-compulsive, I was not prepared to accept the possibility that my new SB3 suffered from an ailment that was beyond my ability to fix. Suffice it to say that I ultimately determined that the SB3 does not like D-Link's "Turbo G" mode, which is used on the DI-624 (as well as on the wireless cards my laptop and desktop use to access the router). Turbo-G is supposed to be fully backward compatible/degradable, and neither the SB1 nor (based on my experience) the SB2 had any difficulty in obtaining an IP address with Turbo-G enabled. My SB3 finally obtained an IP address and completed configuration correctly after I disabled Turbo-G on the router and set the channel to 11 (SB3 also seems not to like the router's "automatically select channel" option, but I didn't fully investigate that problem). This may be related to bugs 2302 and 462, but that's beyond my ability to determine.
*** Bug 2530 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
We need to upgrade the firmware kernel to fix this, this will happen for the 6.5 release.
A customer reported problems with this using a Linksys router. Have also verified this to be an issue with a particular Netgear router too. Tweaking the summary a little bit.
A few more models that exhibit this issue: Netgear WPN824 Netgear WPNT834 Netgear WGU624 Netgear WGT624 Linksys WRT54GX and GX2 and GX4 Linksys WRT54GS (some revisions, but it works erratically. can't disable SpeedBooster...) D-Link DI-634M (Ubicom ip3k processor) D-Link DGL-4300 "Gamer's Lounge" with DOUBLE PLUS GAMEFUEL EXTREME D-Link DI-624 D-Link DI-624M D-Link DI-724U Several 2Wire models with "Hyper G"--very erratic, can't disable turbo T-Sinus (German Telekom) 154 DSL--you can disable turbo but it still doesn't work Several USRobotics models (8054, 5450, 5461)--again you can disable turbo but it still doesn't seem to work
Thats really interesting, I have had a similar problem. I am running 2 SB2's on my network and have just tried to add an SB3. My problem is that with a D-Link G604T i firstly needed to broadcast the SSID. I then tried to switch the SB3 to a different wireless network also with 2 SB2's on and it would not connect. You mentioned you reset SB3 to factory defaults, how do you do this, I am assuming it is via a sequence of button pressing on the remote. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Regards Mike Hinden (In reply to comment #0) > I'm running SlimServer 6.2 on a dedicated 2.4 ghz box running Windows XP > professional, with plenty of RAM and available disk space, wired to a D-link > DI-624 router (firmware version 2.7). I previously had a wireless SB1 (w/ > graphics) and then (until yesterday) a wireless SB2 in the same location, and I > never had a problem with either. I'm not sure of the original firmware on the > SB2, but it had been running the most recent firmware release (26) without > incident since I installed SlimServer 6.2 a week or so ago. When originally > installed, both the SB1 and the SB2 successfully connected to my wireless > network (SSID broadcast OFF, WEP encryption ON) on the first run through the > configuration menu, and neither experienced any significant problems > thereafter. > Today I received my new SB3s, one wireless and one wired (which I recognize > have the same guts as the SB2, but which I will refer to as SB3s for clarity). > Prior to installing the SB3s, I turned MAC address filtering OFF on the router. > I then connected the wired SB3, which obtained an IP address in my local > subnet (192.168.0.XXX) via DHCP and connected to the SlimServer without any > problems. > I then powered up the wireless SB3 and began configuration. I input the SSID > and encryption key (which I triple-checked) of my network when prompted, and > the SB3 connected to the network. I then selected "Get IP address > automatically". The SB3 obtained an IP address beginning with 169, i.e., > automatic private network. I used the left arrow button to back up, rebooted > my laptop to make sure that the router's DHCP server was working (it was) and > tried again, with the same result. I then chose "Static IP", entered a local > IP address, and specified the IP address of the router for gateway and dns (the > router has dns forwarding) and the IP address of the SlimServer box. Result: > "Problem: can't find SlimServer"... etc. At each stage of this process at > which connecting to SqueezeNetwork was offered as an option, I attempted to do > so, with no success. > I then restored factory default settings on both the router and the SB3. Even > with the router wide open, the SB3 could not obtain an IP address, and although > it claimed to have connected to the wireless network, it could not see the > SlimServer box and could not access SqueezeNetwork. I then tried to connect > using the Ethernet port; the SB3 obtained a local IP address via DHCP and > connected to SlimServer immediately. I went back to the wireless connection, > but could not get the SB3 to connect. The several times I checked the current > configuration settings through the SB3 menu, I noticed that the wireless signal > strength was reported as 0%, then would jump to 100%, then slowly cycle down, > then abruptly drop to zero, then repeat the cycle. While this was going on, my > desktop computer, which is one room farther away from the router than the SB3, > and also uses a wireless connection, consistently reported signal strength as > "good" or "very good"; I then confirmed that the signal was not experiencing > any unusual fluctuation or degradation using Network Stumbler. I also sat the > SB3 unit a foot away from the router and tried the configuration menu again, > with no better luck than before. > I sold my wireless SB2 on eBay and shipped it out yesterday, and I therefore > could not test its performance against the SB3 with the same settings. I still > have a wireless SB1 around, though (firmware version: 40) and so I restored it > to factory default settings, disabled encryption on the router, and went > through the configuration menu. The SB1 connected to the SlimServer with no > problem whatsoever. Although the SB1 reports weaker signal strength (hovering > around 30%) than my computer, it is not showing the 100% to 0% pattern that the > SB3 reports. I found this result so unbelievable that reset both the SB1 and > SB3 to factory defaults again, and went through the configuration menu with the > two units side by side. The SB1 connected without difficulty, the SB3 obtained > an automatic private network address, and would not connect even when a static > IP was entered. > Being somewhat obsessive-compulsive, I was not prepared to accept the > possibility that my new SB3 suffered from an ailment that was beyond my > ability to fix. Suffice it to say that I ultimately determined that the SB3 > does not like D-Link's "Turbo G" mode, which is used on the DI-624 (as well as > on the wireless cards my laptop and desktop use to access the router). Turbo-G > is supposed to be fully backward compatible/degradable, and neither the SB1 nor > (based on my experience) the SB2 had any difficulty in obtaining an IP address > with Turbo-G enabled. My SB3 finally obtained an IP address and completed > configuration correctly after I disabled Turbo-G on the router and set the > channel to 11 (SB3 also seems not to like the router's "automatically select > channel" option, but I didn't fully investigate that problem). > This may be related to bugs 2302 and 462, but that's beyond my ability to > determine.
Mike, resetting the SB1/2/3 is done by holding down the add(+) button on the remote while plugging the power in. I don't think the dsl-g604t issue you're seeing is related to this bug, though, as AFAIK it does not support a 108mbps wireless mode...
Firmware 29 is available in the 6.2.2 and 6.5 nightly releases and for the routers we've tested in house, it appears to fix the compatibility issues with turbo modes. I'm going to close this bug. Please test your router with the new version and open a new bug with details about your particular router (model, mfgr, firmware version, etc...) against firmware 29. Thanks.