Advice on Merlin version

[flar]

I've been running Merlin 3.0.0.3.178.15 on my RT-N55U for quite a while now and it's been pretty good, but I recently ran into problems with the built-in ethernet switch when I added MoCa (Motorola SBM-1000 adapter pair) to my home network and I'm wondering:

- if this might be tickling a known problem (ethernet switch?) in older Merlin builds
- if there is a recommended stable version that I should look at

The specific problem was that the MoCa adapter was not being reliable for one particular client, and only when plugged into the router directly. I could run a bandwidth tester (NetStress) and the MoCa speeds were very consistent, but my new PS4 was having downloads time out and movie streaming would constantly drop to SD.

When I watched the adapter, which was plugged directly into one of the 4 ports on the router, I noticed that every few seconds the ethernet connection light would go dark for about a second, then turn on again for 1/2 a second, then start flashing again as the packets continued. This would certainly explain the streaming and download problems I was having. I tried resetting the adapter a few times, but it didn't help.

Testing again with my laptop and NetStress using the same ethernet cable that my PS4 was hooked into showed that it was 99% stable, but it would also drop on rare occasions. Where the PS4 packets would cause a dropout every 4-7 seconds, the NetStress packets only caused a dropout every couple of minutes (and NetStress was running a constant 80+Mbps which is way more than a video stream, even HD). The only other difference here was that my laptop was communicating to my desktop PC, but the PS4 was communicating to the internet, but the problem link was the ethernet between the MoCa adapter and the router so I'm not sure why those other routes mattered.

I then swapped the adapter to plug it into a switch attached to the router rather than directly into the router and it has been completely stable ever since. To reiterate:

Problem connections:
PS4 => D-Link DGS-2208 => Roamio => coax => SBM-1100 => RT-N66U
(Roamio had trouble with green switches when first released, but those problems have been solved with a recent update)

Fixed connections:
PS4 => D-Link DGS-2208 => Roamio => coax => SBM-1100 => DGS-2208 => RT-N66U

The only difference was the added DGS-2208 between the MoCa adapter and the router...

Are there any known ethernet instabilities on this really old Merlin firmware I have? (3.178.15)? Should I buy another adapter and see if it has similar problems (bought from BB so I can return one or the other if they are defective)?

If I upgrade, what is a good stable release to shoot for? My main concerns would be, in decreasing order of importance:

- stability of ethernet and wifi (2.4 & 5GHz)
- range (stability at distance) of wifi
- speed of wifi
- not sure if I really need QoS (fast 100/20 cable connection)
- don't think I need IPv6
- don't care about media/file serving, parental controls, usb, vpn, etc.

Other problems I've seen that I've been living with:

- Samsung TV often doesn't get DHCP handshaking on first try
- Panasonic Plasma takes a long time to get ethernet up
- spotty wifi 2 floors down, probably to be expected, but it's fast when it connects

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[RMerlin]

I would make sure that all Ethernet cables between the router and the Moca interface are Cat5e or better. If in doubt, replace the cable in case it might be defective.

For the RT-N66U, most stable release is probably 374.34_2-SDK5. If wifi coverage isn't an issue for you, they you can stick to the 374.34_2 regular builds, which has a reduced range, but uses a newer wireless driver.

 

[flar]

Thanks Merlin! I already tried different cables and it didn't help, only moving the connection to the switch helped.

I'll try those versions. Thanks for the summary of expectations!

 

[RogerSC]

I use MoCA here with RT-N66U, never had a problem with the RT-N66U related to MoCA. The MoCA adapters have been essentially transparent to the router for all the versions of RT-N66U firmware. So I would look elsewhere, as RMerlin suggested, at cables, maybe a modem reset followed by a router reset.

Although, you can also power-cycle the MoCA adapters, I've found that mine need that very rarely for a power outage, or when something changes in my home network, like me switching routers, and even sometime when making a radical change in router firmware. A simple power-cycle of a MoCA adapter or two has always taken care of these problems for me *smile*.