Last one to post wins the internets

[Stehle]

Question for the computer experts here...

NOT an expert anymore... but own 3 Dells... the "newish" one is probably 2 years old, but the issue you have been having seems a bit familiar to me.

I have some minor surgery later this afternoon, so I'll have time to think on it if no one else posts.

(I ended up revamping the whole system (from router down), a year or so ago an had an IT guy do the installation, but hopefully what he did will be of use to you.)


Quick questions... are you using a cable (RJ-45) connection or to the router / modem or WiFi more exclusively? and How old is the Dell you use most?

[Caballero]

The Dell might be... four years, maybe? My old computer died on me, I did not have time or patience to spec a new system at the time, so I just went to Costco and grabbed one off the shelf. It's a XPS 8920 if it makes any difference.

I've got AT&T fiber to the house, so I have CAT-5 cable running from the gateway to my router, but everything is wifi from there on. Router is a reflashed Asus AC-1900 that shows up as a RT-68U (see https://moreless.medium.com/flash-tm...h-80b84387358a). Connection to other devices is fast and stable (even the laptop sitting next to the Dell rig), so the issue must be on the Dell's side. But I'll be damned if I can figure out what's causing it.

[Caballero]

So the latest is that now I can't even connect to the wifi network (created by the Asus router) anymore, neither the 2.4 GHz nor the 5 Ghz network. But only on the Dell computer, all other devices are functioning as before.

Looks like it's time for a clean system re-install.

[Stehle]

Cab, I'm not able to think or type well tonight... surgery and all... talked / texted with my IT mate (he never really talks on the cell... very frustrating!), but I digress... and he confirmed things...

Finally I got a voice mail from him this Sunday morning... he cryptically said, "Zed's dead baby, Zed's dead.".

(Weird he sounded just like Bruce Willis.)

He may have said "Fred" though... I was half awake... the boy streams way too much.

There is always "Grace" though...


(Good Chopper Name)

[Stehle]

Hmm... last thoughts Cab... you probably fixed the issue.

[anon]

A bit late to this one, but you can start by doing a driver update (get them from the manufacturer, not Windows) and seeing that your router doesn't autoswitch to channels 12 or 13. And if you're able to use Ethernet cabling instead, do!

[Caballero]

Well, I replaced the router (have four of them lying around here; got the AC-1900s for like $20 a piece or thereabouts and was going to set up a mesh network) and things got better. Almost perfect today, in fact. Don't know if the router was overheating in the media closet or if the firmware somehow got hosed, but at this point I don't care. I still will need to wipe Windows and start building my setup from scratch, but I just don't have the time. The family really needs to go on vacation again and leave me behind for a week...

[Stehle]

Well, I replaced the router... Don't know if the router was overheating in the media closet or if the firmware somehow got hosed, but at this point I don't care. I still will need to wipe I just don't have the time. The family really needs to go on vacation again and leave me behind for a week...

Brilliant! At least your up and running!

I never thought routers could be so pesky, but have found them to interfere with online activities more often than not.

[IdolEyes787]

You know, I'd be really pissed right about now if I had died in 2012 trying to liberate Afghanistan from the Taliban.

[anon]

Well, I replaced the router (have four of them lying around here; got the AC-1900s for like $20 a piece or thereabouts and was going to set up a mesh network) and things got better. Almost perfect today, in fact. Don't know if the router was overheating in the media closet or if the firmware somehow got hosed, but at this point I don't care. I still will need to wipe Windows and start building my setup from scratch, but I just don't have the time. The family really needs to go on vacation again and leave me behind for a week...

Fufu, I live alone and haven't done a reinstall since May 2017 nonetheless. Time is more valuable than the Kuwaiti dinar. Surprising that only the Dell would have trouble if the router was to blame, though.

Anyway, when that family minus you vacation does arrive, make sure to give OpenWrt a try on one of those spares... you won't regret it.