04-06-2007, 04:34 PM

I recently procured a Mini, which is turning out to be a great computer, but i'm having problems with my router.

It's a Belkin Wireless g router, and it's worked flawlessly for almost 2 years with my PC. Since I bough it, it's dropped the connection ONCE, and i'm not even sure that was the router at fault. The mini will cause it to drop the connection quite often for some reason. But here's the odd thing...it only happens when the mini is wired to the router. If I use airport, it works flawlessly.

I've switched back to the PC, and it works fine. I can use airport and it works fine. If I plug the mini into it, it'll drop the connection every 10 minutes for a while, then maybe work fine for a while. Then drop it constantly, ect.

Any ideas? (besides just using airport all the time)

-Nick

04-06-2007, 04:50 PM

It might sound funny, but the first thing I'd do would be to swap the Ethernet cable you're using. Some of these routers don't handle the detection of 10/100 very well and if you're using an inferior cable, it can drop the connection intermittently.

04-06-2007, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by cwa107

It might sound funny, but the first thing I'd do would be to swap the Ethernet cable you're using. Some of these routers don't handle the detection of 10/100 very well and if you're using an inferior cable, it can drop the connection intermittently.

Thanks for the reply. I guess I should've mentioned that...I tried 2 different cables, both with the same results.

Also, my girlfriend has a mini, and when I hooked her machine up over here, the same thing happened. It's not the cable, or my machine specifically. Seems that my router just doesn't like being plugged into macs for some reason!

-Nick

04-06-2007, 06:09 PM

Open Network from the System Preferences. Click on the Show: field and change to Built-in Ethernet. Click the Ethernet tab. Change the configuration field to Manually (Advanced), change Speed to 10baseT/UTP (it will be set to autoselect). Click Apply Now and report back as to how it behaves. (We're doing this just as a test).

04-09-2007, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by cwa107

Open Network from the System Preferences. Click on the Show: field and change to Built-in Ethernet. Click the Ethernet tab. Change the configuration field to Manually (Advanced), change Speed to 10baseT/UTP (it will be set to autoselect). Click Apply Now and report back as to how it behaves. (We're doing this just as a test).

Thanks for the reply. It's dropping a little less now, but will still act up a few times a day. Actually, it's acting up even when connected via airport now.

-Nick

04-09-2007, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by fiveightandten

Thanks for the reply. It's dropping a little less now, but will still act up a few times a day. Actually, it's acting up even when connected via airport now.

-Nick

Well, that wasn't really intended to be a permanent fix - I was just hoping to isolate it to auto-negociation or bad cabling. It's starting to sound like an altogether different problem. Have you checked into firmware updates for the router?

04-09-2007, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by cwa107

Well, that wasn't really intended to be a permanent fix - I was just hoping to isolate it to auto-negociation or bad cabling. It's starting to sound like an altogether different problem. Have you checked into firmware updates for the router?

Good call. I just checked out the Belkin site and found a firmware update, but i'm not having any luck.

Here's the page:
http://www.belkin.com/support/articl...id=5027&scid=0

My router says the following on it:
Model: F5D7230-4
Ver.4001

The version doesn't match anything they're listing there, so i'd assume it's the fist one on the list...at least it has a 4 and a 1 in it! But that just gives me some .bin file, which doesn't do anything when I open it up.

I guess i'll have to see if I can contact their CS or something.

I'm wondering if I should try actually using the install CD for the router. It worked right off the bat when I got the Mini, so I never bothered. Maybe there's a function in the install process to update the firmware automatically upon installation.

-Nick

04-09-2007, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by fiveightandten

Good call. I just checked out the Belkin site and found a firmware update, but i'm not having any luck.

Here's the page:
http://www.belkin.com/support/articl...id=5027&scid=0

My router says the following on it:
Model: F5D7230-4
Ver.4001

The version doesn't match anything they're listing there, so i'd assume it's the fist one on the list...at least it has a 4 and a 1 in it! But that just gives me some .bin file, which doesn't do anything when I open it up.

I guess i'll have to see if I can contact their CS or something.

I'm wondering if I should try actually using the install CD for the router. It worked right off the bat when I got the Mini, so I never bothered. Maybe there's a function in the install process to update the firmware automatically upon installation.

-Nick

The bin file is not an executable, you need to upload the bin file to your router. Your router should have a firmware upgrade feature accessible from the router's configuration webpage. You'll just need to click the 'upload' button and go from there.

04-09-2007, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by cwa107

The bin file is not an executable, you need to upload the bin file to your router. Your router should have a firmware upgrade feature accessible from the router's configuration webpage. You'll just need to click the 'upload' button and go from there.

Ahh. Thanks, I went to my config page and uploaded it, but it says I already have the latest firmware installed on the router.

There's a factory reset option. Do you think I should try that, or try using the install CD on my machine for some reason?

it so odd, this unit works flawlessly with my PC.

-Nick

04-10-2007, 03:10 AM

Hello

I am having a similar problem but with a different router.

The only work-around that works for me is to power-cycle my router and/or the cable modem.

I have also updated all router firmware and the problem persists...
I am not using a Mini but a MacBook and have 2 PCs on the network.

04-10-2007, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by fiveightandten

Ahh. Thanks, I went to my config page and uploaded it, but it says I already have the latest firmware installed on the router.

There's a factory reset option. Do you think I should try that, or try using the install CD on my machine for some reason?

it so odd, this unit works flawlessly with my PC.

-Nick

Typically, problems with a wired connection are distinct from problems with a wireless connection. What troubles me is that you're having problems with both means of connectivity.

What kind of security are you using for the wireless connection?

04-10-2007, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by wanderluster

Hello

I am having a similar problem but with a different router.

The only work-around that works for me is to power-cycle my router and/or the cable modem.

I have also updated all router firmware and the problem persists...
I am not using a Mini but a MacBook and have 2 PCs on the network.

Is your router a Belkin? Also, and excuse the ignorance, what do you mean by power-cycle?

Thanks for the reply.

Originally Posted by cwa107

Typically, problems with a wired connection are distinct from problems with a wireless connection. What troubles me is that you're having problems with both means of connectivity.

What kind of security are you using for the wireless connection?

The router is set up by default with a 128-bit WEP key. I haven't configured any other type of security for it.

-Nick

04-10-2007, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by fiveightandten

Is your router a Belkin? Also, and excuse the ignorance, what do you mean by power-cycle?

Thanks for the reply.


The router is set up by default with a 128-bit WEP key. I haven't configured any other type of security for it.

-Nick

To "power cycle" a machine (any machine) is to turn it off (power down) and turn it back on again.

As to your problem, I'm stumped. If it were just happening wireless, I'd recommend trying a different channel, changing your encryption type or relocating your router to a better area (up high and central in your house is usually best). But the ethernet issue has me stumped. I'm not sure if the Mini has a gigabit ethernet port like other Macs, but my guess is that the Belkin doesn't like autonegociation with Gigabit Ethernet. Are you using a really long cable?

04-10-2007, 07:32 PM

I had a similar problem when I switched to a Mac, also with a Belkin wireless router. My PC was getting a signal but my Mac would drop it intermittently. I changed channels, encryption, etc. all without effect.

Bought an Apple Airport Extreme Base Station and haven't dropped a signal since.

"clue"

04-10-2007, 08:19 PM

One quick question, is this an Intel Core Duo Mini? Also what version of OSX you running? Is it the latest 10.4.9 or a bit older? Reason I ask is some have claimed to have issues since the 10.4.9 update but that only effected the Wireless and not the wired.


I have a Core Duo mini, G4 Mini. Neither have ever once dropped a wired connection. Never and same with all my Macs. That is the part that has me stumped, WiFi has issues from time to time, but Wired should not have problems as long as it works. I am using Linksys WRT-54G's here. 2 of them. I have tried also my spare Netgear 108Mhz and same, solid 24 a day. The strange thing to me is that your PC's work. I take it your PC's are hooked up Wired also? When you say Drop Connection, do you mean connection to the internet? Do you still have a valid IP address on the Mac when this happens?

The only wired issues I have EVERY had with any computer and router is one old CompUSA router who's ports were very picky and would not even light the light with one PC no matter what I did. Also are your cables Straight through? Not crossover cables? Not trying to insult you at all, just trying to get to the bottom of this so you can enjoy your Mini. My mini has been 100% for a year now and I use it on my network 24 a day.

Forgot to mention this, I have had issues with some Belkin routers and some NIC cards in the past. Subbing another brand router solved the wired problem. That PROBLEM CompUSA router I had at one time was made by belkin. Never had more issues with a router than with that one.