New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

My 2 year old D-Link DIR 615 router appears to have a problem. It's been a bit slow and temperemental on and off lately but first thing this morning we could get no internet access via wi-fi on either of our household laptops. I rang Virgin faults and spent an hour on the phone to India going through tests, swapping wires, trying to alter settings and them finding bad IP addresses ??? with the result that a new router is going to be sent out. At first the chap thought it might be a wi-fi issue but connecting my PC to the router via the ethernet cable didn't work either so now I'm now connected to the net via my trusty NTL cable modem via a nice long wire... lol

Being without a router for maybe a week, however, is going to be a problem since my wife and son both need to use the internet frequently for their studies so I'm thinking of getting a cheap new wi-fi router from our local Argos or Maplin to use immediately. I've no idea what VM will be sending but it'll be useful to have a spare and if it's cheap who cares. What I need is something really easy to install and reliable. Although I know it's been slated, we've been pretty happy with the D Link so don't need anything supercharged as it were. Not sure if it's relevant but we're on 20mb BB currently with no plans to upgrade that but I have no idea what the DIR 615 specs are. Anyone got any ideas what cheap modems from Argos or Maplin would suit this purpose and be at least as good as the above? In the short term it wouldn't be too much hassle to connect a couple of our pcs via cable if necessary, just want to get a service up and running ASAP

Would a Netgear N150 be OK? Seems cheap at £30

http://www.maplin.co.uk/netgear-n150...-router-390957


Many thanks.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Are they not sending you a Superhub?

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

No idea. The rep couldn't tell me what I'd get.

Anyway I've just bought the Netgear and am trying to set it up right now.

Update:

Well, all seems to be working but being a paranoid old fart there'll always be a shred of doubt...

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

:no: you've been ripped off. be sure to return it when you get your equipment through the post. so long as youve secure wifi wpa2 you should be good. firewall should be enabled from the go.

your on 20meg so youll be doubled to 60meg if you havent already been doubled. i'd call in to retentions and tell them youve had troubles all of which should of been logged from your previous call. if you havent yet been doubled then tell them your on 20meg soon to be 60meg and to save hassle could you be upgraded early. that should get your a SH sent out. you can also while your on the phone ask for your mobile number to be added onto the order/delivery of new equipment which will see you receive text messages of tracking number and ETA

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Yeah, routers like that are not worth more than £5 but if you need one now there's very little you can do.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

We were doubled to 20mb a couple of months ago.

Well guys, I just updated the firmware and found that the user interface now looks quite different. Also when I look at the wireless settings it's shows the region as N. America for some reason but it's greyed out and I can't change it to Europe which is what it was set at before the update. A help notice below states the region etc. must be set correctly but not how to change it? :confused:

The are selections which can be made for channel i.e. Auto or 1, 2, 3, 4.... etc. and speed i.e. up to 72mbps or up to 150 mbps but there's no advice about which to choose. It's set on Channel Auto and up to 72 mbps.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

model number?

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Netgear wnr1000

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

v 1/2/3 ?

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

V3

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

open this > http://downloadcenter.netgear.com/other/

and do as marked below in image

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/at...1&d=1362071101

when you click on the boxed Firmware Version 1.0.2.54 (All regions except North America) a window will appear, click on download then another window will appear wanting registration, ignore it click on Continue without registering and the firmware will start downloading. an install guide is within the zip file.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

OK downloaded it and now have a compressed .chk file in 'my documents'

What do i do with that? I clicked on it but it won't open.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

right click the WNR1000v3-V1.0.2.54_60.0.82.chk.zip file and extract

you then have 3 files...

WNR1000v3-V1.0.2.54_60.0.82.chk - Firmware

WNR1000v3-V1.0.2.54_60.0.82.chk_md5.txt - ignore the text file

WNR1000v3-V1.0.2.54_60.0.82NA&WW_ReleaseNote.html - release notes and install guide

if you can do all the above without the WAN active so no VM to router link. link to the router using LAN1/2/3/4 then link the router to the cable modem once everythings set up. dont forget to secure wifi etc.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Sorry mate, clicking the file doesn't do anything just get a nessage that Windows can't open it as the compressed folder is invalid. Right clicking and hitting extract all tells me the folder is empty and that I must first copy files to this folder but it's showing 315kb. ?

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

fail download. try downloading again. the zip file size should be 2.83MB

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Right I have the 3 files now - the top one says it contains file fragments 2,901kb, is that the one to move to the desktop and how do I do that or can I leave it where it is in my documents?

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

leave it where it is if you can find it when you look for the file via the netgear web interface

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

yes I found it, logged into routerlogin.net and found the router upgrade option, selected the file to upload and it said 'All existing internet connections will be terminated' Is this correct and what happens if I select OK? Will I just have to go through the initial setup process (i.e. ssid, password etc.) again or what? If I don't have any internet connection I won't be able to ask you what to do next lol

Do I need to disconnect anything like the cable modem or router or leave it all plugged in and connected as it is now?

If all this goes horribly pear shaped can I just reset the router and start again from factory settings like I had earlier?

TVM

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

ye. apply the upgrade.

---------- Post added at 18:07 ---------- Previous post was at 18:05 ----------

click on setup wizard once the new firmware is loaded

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Well it seems to have worked!!! :D

After the router rebooted it came up again showing N.America as the region but this time the otther countries could be accessed and so I selected Europe and updated it. I notice the NA has now gone from the end of the firmware version too so that makes sense.

Where it says Mode, it's currently showing up to 72mbps, but there is also an option to select up to 150mbs. Do I leave as is or select the faster option. Not really sure what these settings are referring to tbh.

Thanks so much for all your help and patience. :tu:

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

change mode to 150. and secure wifi.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Security settings have stayed the same as when I did the set up - I can see the SSID and Password I created via the home screen and the security setting WPA2-PSK is ticked.

Will change mode to 150. Many thanks again. :tu:

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

good stuff and youre welcome. have a look round the new firmware. there may be new feature which will interest you.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Bit scared to do that tbh - frightened I'll touch something I shouldn't and create a whole heap of trouble... (just like with my wife :D )

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

It's OK I'm back in her good books, for now.... :erm: :)

Thanks again pal.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Ohgawd.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

:confused:

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

My way of saying - why on earth would you suggest that?!

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

best option is it not?

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

No.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

ok thanks. could i know how/why?

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

wifi thug? bit rich coming from you Qasi ;) shame the router hasn't got width options

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

It does. And you just told him to change it to the bad setting.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

disaster.

Re: New router required to replace D Link DIR 615
 

Don't worry guys the router's working just fine. Much better than the old one. :)