# Too many connections to one router?



## blazer0k (Aug 31, 2009)

I have 28+ Mbps cable internet connected to SB6120 modem and connected to a linksys WRT300N router. Everything worked good, but recently we have been connecting more and more computers to the wireless internet, and it seems like its giving problems. We now have 4 computers connected thru lan and another 15 or so connected thru wireless. The LAN ones always work great, but the wireless ones are the ones giving problems. They do not take much bandwidth but just website surfing bandwitdh. The problem is that they will randomly still be connected to the router but the internet just disconnects and on some of them it reconnects to the internet after a couple minutes and on the others it just never reconnects.

Does anyone know the solution to this? Im guessing that the router is getting overwhelmed with too many connections.Do I need to buy a new, better or more expenisve router. Or another router to connect to this one and have two seperate networks? Any suggestions would be appreciated.


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## metalmadness (Aug 31, 2009)

Used to have the same thing with my WRT300n. Ran it almost 24/7 for two years until last April 2009 (see more under my post named "*DNS client lease expires every hour, or 30 minutes. Router hates Vista clients"*). Worked well until the wireless connections went kapoot. Are you running stock Linksys firmware, or not? You can try DD-WRT if you want to, it offers more stability. Before that, tell me what model (v1, v1.1, or v.2) are you running with.

You can also try enforcing Static IP instead of DHCP if you're getting disconnected from the WLAN. Give it a try...you don't need to buy a new router unless you've done something really wrong (bad firmware flash, lightning strike, cat knocked coffee mug over router).


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## blazer0k (Aug 31, 2009)

Hi, thanks for your reply!
I have V1 and my firmware is:
*v1.03.6 Feb. 27, 2007

*So your saying this router should handle 20+ connections with no problem?

Whats DD-WRT?

Also whats the Static IP solution instead of DHCP, I know before I have assigned a specific Network IP to a specific computer for firewall reasons, are you saying do that to each computer, because that would be alot of work.


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## metalmadness (Aug 31, 2009)

blazer0k said:


> Hi, thanks for your reply!
> I have V1 and my firmware is:
> *v1.03.6 Feb. 27, 2007
> 
> ...


*20+ active wireless client connections?* Is it on a home (with an open AP, no WEP/WPA/TKIP/CCMP?) or are you located somewhere with lots of people (ie: dorm or apartment).

Usually, I expect a typical wireless router to handle 5 or 7+ clients, LAN or WLAN. But common knowledge (as I have experienced configuring wired networks in a friend's Internet cafe back in Manila) tells me that (the) more clients you have, there's an increased chance of data collisions on the network, resulting in degraded performance. That is...if you're using cheap hardware for a network with heavy traffic. Anyone reading this: Correct me if I'm wrong. Skills gone a tad rusty - never done any major networking for the past 2 years.

Let's change gears a little bit. Since you mentioned intermittent Internet connections with your wireless computers, we'll go here.

First thing to check here will be your DHCP settings on the router. Open your web browser, type in 192.168.1.1. It'll open the main page of the router settings. (if that doesn't work, try 192.168.2.1 or 192.168.0.1. If not, go to the command line and type in ipconfig /all and look at the value of the Default Gateway, it'll tell you the router IP). Then copy and post everything from the page. I'll take a look at it once I've seen your results.

Side notes (from your previous post): Static IP is manually assigning IP addresses to every client. It entails much more labor than DHCP, but sometimes it'll work.

- You don't need to get another wireless router...unless you're getting weak signals around your residence (router #2 can function as a repeater bridge instead of the traditional gateway).

- DD-WRT (dd-wrt.com) is a third-party firmware coded for a wide variety of routers. It adds more capabilities to them instead of the stock firmware released by the manufacturers. However, a word of caution: read all their documentation before you intend to flash your router! Especially the "Peacock" thread in the Broadcom SoC forums. A misstep in the installation process can brick your router. It's not fun opening a sealed-shut Linksys router for a JTAG debrick operation, and fiddling around the PCB with a solder.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I think you need to consider splitting that wireless network and having more than one WAP. For 20 or more connections, I'd be looking at probably at least two and maybe three. If you pick up a couple of cheap wireless routers configured as WAP's, connect them as the tutorial below indicates. I'd configure the SSID and encryption key the same and put them on channels 1, 6, and 11 respectively.

Connecting two (or more) SOHO broadband routers together.

*Note:* _The "primary" router can be an actual router, a software gateway like Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing, or a server connection that has the capability to supply more than one IP address using DHCP server capability. No changes are made to the primary "router" configuration._

Configure the IP address of the secondary router(s) to be in the same subnet as the primary router, but out of the range of the DHCP server in the primary router. For instance DHCP server addresses 192.168.0.2 through 192.168.0.100, I'd assign the secondary router 192.168.0.254 as it's IP address, 192.168.0.253 for another router, etc.

_*Note: Do this first, as you will have to reboot the computer to connect to the router again for the remaining changes.*_

Disable the DHCP server in the secondary router.

Setup the wireless section just the way you would if it was the primary router, channels, encryption, etc.

Connect from the primary router's LAN port to one of the LAN ports on the secondary router. If there is no uplink port and neither of the routers have auto-sensing ports, use a cross-over cable. Leave the WAN port unconnected!

This procedure bypasses the routing function (NAT layer) and configures the router as a switch (or wireless access point for wireless routers).

For reference, here's a link to a Typical example config using a Netgear router


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