Some devices can't connect to WiFi modem router

I have an MTNL connection and am using the WiFi modem router provided by the ISP. The model number is 450TC1, think the company is Beetel (not sure).

Some devices can connect to this without a problem, but others take several attempts. All devices can establish a connection to the modem, but some cannot load webpages unless I reconnect a few times or restart the modem router. Devices that always connect in one attempt are:
HP laptop (Win7)
Android 2.3 phone
BlackBerry phone
Another laptop (WinXP)
A couple of tablets
Kindle

Devices that can't connect without retries, restart are
Nokia Lumia 520
HP laptop mentioned above (Linux Mint)
iPad
Android 4.1 phone (several)
Android tablets
iPhone 5
Vaio (Windows 8)

Five people use the connection we have, and the number of devices is high. Note that a lot of these devices are review units that couldn't connect easily when I had them.

I've tried looking at the settings (192.168.1.1) and increased IP Pool to 128 from 32, but the problem persists. Please help me fix this issue. I don't mind buying a new modem router or modem + router but I want to know what the problem is before buying.

The issue has been there for almost a year. Also, I'm sure it has nothing to do with my internet connection as I was able to use the net on linux mint without problems when I connected via Ethernet.

Does this problems occurs in both encryption mode ?? Have you tried switching to different encryption ??
Also are all those devices running on same band or different ??

W

i hope you know that practically speaking even a high end router(& yours is a cheap one) face issues simultaneously supporting more than 10 devices.also cheaper routers sometimes have issues with wpa2 too.try connecting only 2-3 problem devices(no other device from any other user) with & without wpa/wpa2 & unsecure(no wifi password) to see if it makes a difference.

Rishi. said:
Does this problems occurs in both encryption mode ?? Have you tried switching to different encryption ??
Also are all those devices running on same band or different ??

Not sure how to check which band they're on. Let me know.

whitestar_999 said:
i hope you know that practically speaking even a high end router(& yours is a cheap one) face issues simultaneously supporting more than 10 devices.also cheaper routers sometimes have issues with wpa2 too.try connecting only 2-3 problem devices(no other device from any other user) with & without wpa/wpa2 & unsecure(no wifi password) to see if it makes a difference.

Thanks for your replies. I will test without WPA2 tonight, as suggested. I often get gadgets for review and my roommate neighbour shares our WiFi connection. Nothing much I can do to reduce the number of devices using the connection, but it would be great if you can help me figure out a solution that doesn't involve taking another connection.

Like adding a router to the setup, or an extender or something similar. My knowledge of networking is limited, but I will learn quickly if you tell me how I can fix these issues without spending a bomb.

W

you can indeed add a router to setup(preferably tp-link or asus) which will cost you between 1700-3000 depending on which model you buy & should help with your case but first see how the test(without wpa) goes.

whitestar_999 said:
you can indeed add a router to setup(preferably tp-link or asus) which will cost you between 1700-3000 depending on which model you buy & should help with your case but first see how the test(without wpa) goes.

View attachment 11858

See the image attached, I'm trying to change it to WEP 64/128 bits and I get these four keys options. Do I have to enter long keys for all four?

You can't add that many devices.
Problem is with router and wireless connectivity itself and that's where router quality comes to help everyone.
The cheapest solution would be to buy a nano 150Mbps router from tplink.

W

@Krow,you only need to enter one key which will be used to encrypt data transmissions.

whitestar_999 said:
@Krow,you only need to enter one key which will be used to encrypt data transmissions.

It wants a 13-character key? 26 if it only has numbers! Why so long? Is it normal? It isn't accepting shorter keys.

W

because for 128bit WEP minimum key length is 13 characters(it is mentioned in pic you posted).also it may seem long but it is easy to crack a 128bit WEP within minutes using right tools.just use some common english phrase without spaces(e.g. howareyoutoday).

Sorry for the delay in posting an update, was busy for a long time. So I've now switched to WEP. Will report connectivity results in a few days. So far it seems to be working fine.

Whitestar, assuming this modem router continues to have problems connecting, which one would you recommend? I am thinking of buying a cheap modem and a good router like the TP-Link 1043ND (TP-Link TL-WR1043ND review - gdgt) or Airport Express.

Offtopic query: A friend needs a router that works with USB dongles (Tata Photon Max). He has three devices (laptop, iPhone, iPad) and a small apartment (400-450 sq feet). Which one would you recommend? A quick search revealed this one: D-Link DWR-113 3G Wi-Fi Router - D-Link: Flipkart.com . He can spend up to 4k but I don't think more expensive routers will offer any benefits for him.

Thanks in advance for helping out.

W

take a look at this:
TP-LINK TD-W8968 300 Mbps Wireless N USB ADSL2+ Modem Router - TP-LINK: Flipkart.com
it is an adsl wifi router with 3g usb modem support.@krishnandu.sarkar is already using this one i believe so you can ask him for further details like range etc.

for a combination of cheap modem+wifi router TL-WR1043ND is good.

whitestar_999 said:
take a look at this:
TP-LINK TD-W8968 300 Mbps Wireless N USB ADSL2+ Modem Router - TP-LINK: Flipkart.com
it is an adsl wifi router with 3g usb modem support.@krishnandu.sarkar is already using this one i believe so you can ask him for further details like range etc.

for a combination of cheap modem+wifi router TL-WR1043ND is good.

My friend doesn't need a modem router though. I believe a router alone will suffice, since the Tata Photon dongle will act as a modem. Any suggestions for that?

And can you suggest a reliable cheap modem? I'm planning to link it to either the 1043ND or Airport Express (might get it for free).

W

i suggested W8968 because at its price you are getting modem+router(due to its EWAN port almost similar to setup just like any simple router)+3g router.the usually recommended router for 3g modem is asus rt-n13u because of its inbuilt torrent downloader/download manager but you have to install dd-wrt to fully utilize it & as expected it is not such a simple task for those who haven't done this kind of thing before not to mention it has lower range than W8968:
Asus RT-N13U B1 Wireless N with All-in-One Printer Server Router - Asus: Flipkart.com
to get an idea about configuring it & various issues one may encounter take a look here:
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/networking/173578-dd-wrt-transmission-configuration-asus-rt-n13u.html
if you think your friend can handle it then suggest asus rt-n13u-b1(note B1 as version is very important) else W8968 offers more features & better range minus the inbuilt downloading support for just ~400 more.

for cheap wired modem take a look at tp-link TD8817:
TP-LINK TD-8817 ADSL2+ Ethernet/USB Wired with Modem Router - TP-LINK: Flipkart.com

DDWRT looks scarily complex. Not for me. Thanks a lot for all your help, WEP seems to have fixed connectivity issues on my home network for now. This means I will have to change it eventually, because I'm not comfortable with using dated encryption.

I'll take your advice on the 8968 modem router. I have an 8951 (single antenna) that is good, but has poor range. Will recommend 8968 to my friend.

Personally, I will get the TP Link modem and 1043ND, or Airport Express, which supposedly is easiest to configure.

Thanks a lot again Whitestar. Your help is much appreciated.

W

for boosting range you may get this.all tp-link models with "D" at the end in their name or in beginning like in modems represent "detachable" antenna(which includes 8951,8968 & 1043).
TPLINK TL-ANT2408CL 2.4GHz 8dBi Indoor Omni-directional Antenna TP-LINK | eBay

whitestar_999 said:
for boosting range you may get this.all tp-link models with "D" at the end in their name or in beginning like in modems represent "detachable" antenna(which includes 8951,8968 & 1043).
TPLINK TL-ANT2408CL 2.4GHz 8dBi Indoor Omni-directional Antenna TP-LINK | eBay

Great idea. That listing has expired, and the seller is now selling it at a bizarre Rs 4,999. :lol:

Any other link? I searched, but I can only find TP-LINK TL-ANT2408C 2.4GHz 8dBi Wall Mount / Desktop Omni-Directional Antenna | eBay

I don't want that cable design, need one that directly attaches to router. I saw a couple of 5 dbi antennas (*www.ebay.in/itm/TL-ANT2405CL-2-4GH...9?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_203&hash=item4ac9a3ae07) on ebay, but I'm guessing 8 dbi is better.

W

5dbi antennas are already there on many tp-link models(check tp-link site product page for confirmation).btw i found this:
TP Link TL-ANT2408CL Wireless Antenna Price in India
you can also try contacting authorized tp-lik resellers in nehru place:
Regional Distributors - Welcome to TP-LINK

Okay so my friend bought the TP-Link W8968 from eBay. But we can't manage to connect it to Photon Max (Huawei EC 306). I clicked Quick Setup after going to 192.168.1.1 and followed all steps. Connected as 3G router, selected Tata Photon+, but the router can't seem to connect through the USB dongle. The ADSL light is off, but WiFi is on. The WiFi network is showing, but there is no internet access. Help please.

W

first check the hardware version:
How to find the hardware version on a TP-Link device? - Welcome to TP-LINK
then update to that hardware version latest firmware:
TD-W8968 - Welcome to TP-LINK
make sure to read instructions first before updating firmware.

edit:check this video as reference for configuring EC306:
Unboxing TP-LINK MR3220 and How to Setting Huawei EC-306 rev.A + Flexi EVDO - YouTube

whitestar_999 said:
first check the hardware version:
How to find the hardware version on a TP-Link device? - Welcome to TP-LINK
then update to that hardware version latest firmware:
TD-W8968 - Welcome to TP-LINK
make sure to read instructions first before updating firmware.

edit:check this video as reference for configuring EC306:
Unboxing TP-LINK MR3220 and How to Setting Huawei EC-306 rev.A + Flexi EVDO - YouTube

3G/4G USB Modem Compatibility List for TD-W8968 - Welcome to TP-LINK
The link above shows that EC 306 isn't supported.

I saw that video before trying to connect. Didn't work.

W

there shouldn't be much of a hardware difference between w8968 & mr3220 3g usb modem capability.if a 3g usb modem is supported by mr3220 then most likely it should work with other tp-link products with some firmware update.did you tried firmware update option?also first you should take a look at this as i just found out about it yesterday:
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/networking/178350-new-modem-router-needed.html#post2016843

Haven't checked hardware and firmware versions yet. Will go to his house soon and update. Thanks again.

Krow said:
Haven't checked hardware and firmware versions yet. Will go to his house soon and update.

Okay so here is what happened. Hardware version is Ver 2.0, which means it has latest firmware. I followed the steps in that video and configured the 3G settings fine. Then I restarted the modem, switched it off and plugged in the Tata Photon Max dongle. Now when I reboot the router, the status shows as "Connecting" but it doesn't connect to the Internet. I left the router on for half an hour but the status did not change.

Initially the LED on the Photon blinks every two seconds (blue colour), then it turns green and blinks again. After this, it turns green and stops blinking. The green LED glows continuously, and is replaced by the blue LED for five seconds or so once in a while.

I guess this is an improvement in the sense that previously the Photon was showing "Disconnected". By the way, I can see the status at 192.168.1.1 (connected through LAN cable).

What could be wrong here?

W

tp-link has released a new firmware for W8968v2 on 11th october.try that & if already using that then send an email using this page:
E-mail Support - Welcome to TP-LINK
usually they respond fast & may even send you some custom update file to support a particular 3g usb modem.

whitestar_999 said:
tp-link has released a new firmware for W8968v2 on 11th october.try that & if already using that then send an email using this page:
E-mail Support - Welcome to TP-LINK
usually they respond fast & may even send you some custom update file to support a particular 3g usb modem.

Whitestar, you are an absolute rockstar. Thanks for your help and invaluable support. :))

I managed to connect the Tata Photon Max dongle to TP-Link W8968. The missing link was username password. For Photon Plus, it appears to be just "internet", but not the same for Max. Connect Photon Max to PC, the dialer will run. Then click settings and one of the tabs shows username as "92********@revb.ttsl.in". That 10-digit number is the password, so all one has to do while setting up the router is add these two values manually. After that it worked like a charm.

Once again, thanks for your help. You're doing a great job in this forum.

Cheers.

W

good to know & your finding will help others in future

btw how did you figure it out.

P.S.it seems like username/password setting is required only for post-paid connections & for pre-paid connections these values are simply blank even in their official dialer software.

A

I guess the problem here is bandwidth.
Usually when a device isn't connecting its because of the bandwidth and the speed of the internet connection you have also every modem has a limit of device that can access the internet after that it becomes difficult to connect and access the wifi.
So check the capacity of your modem.

whitestar_999 said:
good to know & your finding will help others in future btw how did you figure it out.

P.S.it seems like username/password setting is required only for post-paid connections & for pre-paid connections these values are simply blank even in their official dialer software.

Yes, it is a postpaid connection. I had almost given up trying to connect, thought why not just check account settings on the photon dialer. That's when I saw the username and password. Figured I should try keying it in.

arvindrao15 said:
I guess the problem here is bandwidth.
Usually when a device isn't connecting its because of the bandwidth and the speed of the internet connection you have also every modem has a limit of device that can access the internet after that it becomes difficult to connect and access the wifi.
So check the capacity of your modem.

Problem has been solved. The modem cannot handle many connections on WPA2 encryption but works fine with WEP.