need input on setting up DS1511+ with DIR-825 router

[mygiantcircle]

Hi Tim and all:

I would like to ask for your kind help and input on the frustrating issue I encountered while setting up the DS1511+

Equipment:

Synology DS1511+
Dlink DIR-825 (first revision, firmware 1.01)

Issues:

After unboxing the newly purchased DS1511+ and followed the HD installation steps, I connected the NAS to the DIR-825. DS Assistant did not find the NAS on LAN. Next step was talking the NAS off LAN and direct connect it to my desktop PC. DS Assist found the NAS. I then set up the drives and installed DSM3.1. I thought I was home free. Nope.

Put the NAS back on LAN and DS Assist found the NAS for the most part (sometimes it does, sometimes it does not find it). Even when it does find the NAS, it would not able to logon 98% of the time (browser just keep on waiting for 192.168.0.xxx:5000). The time I was able to login, I cannot do anything because any task (say opening control panel) would just take very long or just hang.

Call tech support. They telnet into my PC in and check the NAS setting + PC setting - nothing unusual found. They were not able to login to the NAS while it was on LAN. They also inspected the debug.dat file. Nothing unusual found.

Checked the status of the DIR-825 - it sees the NAS. Set the static IP address for the NAS. Forwarded the ports. These tasks does not help.

So now I was stuck. What to do?

Then I remembered I had an old Linksys WRT54G router in the closet. Took that out and set up a small network consisting of just the WRT54G, PC, and NAS. The PC found the NAS! I was able to login! I could upload files. Things are snappy. I cried one drop of tear!

So now the finger points at the DIR-825. My questions are:

Is it something wrong with the DIR-825? Is there a diagnostic I can run to check the condition of the router?
Is it a setting on the router I need to change? Anything I can check (the wireless function works fine)?

Before I go off and have to buy another router, I hope you can help let me pin point if the issue is router hardware related.

Thank you!!

Dewey

 

[thiggins]

Could be an incompatibility between the DS1511+'s NIC and the DIR-825's switch.

Make sure that when connected to the DIR-825 that the DS1511+ is getting proper IP address information. Also try pinging the DS1511+ from your PC and look for dropped packets. You may need to run a longer ping (ping -n 100 IP address).

 

[mygiantcircle]

Tim:

Million thanks for your reply. I hate the feeling of being stuck!

I would never guess about the possibility of router incompatibility - especially since the DIR 825 is common..

The NAS is still attached to the WRT54G LAN. I will hook it back up to the DIR-825 LAN and ping it from the PC. I have done it before (ping 192.168.0.100), and I did notice that at times there is 75% dropped packets.

Also, do you think the DS1511+ will work properly with either a linksys e4300 or ASUS RT-N56U? In fact, which will work good for this NAS?

Again, thank you for leading me out of the woods....

dewey

 

[stevech]

when you changed the device from DHCP mode to static IP mode, switches, routers, PCs might have a stale ARP table. A power cycle will assuredly correct this.

Also, in my opinion, D-Link often does not implement standards properly such as IETF protocols (DHCP and ARP being some); IMO, they have little firmware QA as they price-shop in Asia.

 

[thiggins]

75% dropped packets on a ping would definitely make the connection flaky.

You don't need a new router unless you prefer everything in one package. You just need a new switch, which could be plugged into the router.

The ASUS uses a Realtek RTL8367 switch chip, the E4200 uses a Broadcom BCM53115 and the DIR-825 (B1) uses an Atheros AR8316. So either of those routers would bring a different switch chip into play.

 

[mygiantcircle]

Tim: I got the E4200 today and I will try it in the morning. I do want everything in one package so I am hoping this solves it.

I read your article about optimizing router speed by running N and G using separate devices. So I am 100% clear, does it also matter in this case as the e4200 has two radios?

Stevech: the DIR-825 has been flaky since day 1. That was the last D-Link for me.

 

[thiggins]

I read your article about optimizing router speed by running N and G using separate devices. So I am 100% clear, does it also matter in this case as the e4200 has two radios?

You only need to worry about separate routers / APs if you have lots of simultaneous use by G and N clients.

Dual-band radios don't help unless you put N clients on 5 GHz and G clients on 2.4.

 

[mygiantcircle]

Tim:

Replaced the DIR-825 with a Linksys e4200. Everything seems to work great! After days and days and days (and days) of trial and error on the DS1511+, I think the frustration is over. Bad switch on the router - who would have guessed!

Now on to the tasks of optimizing the settings both on the router and on the NAS.

This site was instrumental for my NAS (and router) buying decision. I can't thank you enough.

I told my wife that I cannot believe how much time and trouble I had to go through just to get the system running! I am computer literate, being assembling my own systems since I was 18 (and I am 40+ now). I just do not know how an average user can pull this off. I think the PC industry needs work to make devices more PnP. Many just don't have the background nor (as in my case) the time to read and tweak and more reading and tweaking. I just need to plug it in and use it.

Ranting is over! Thank you again! I will be back soon with more setup and optimizing questions, and I am so glad SNB is around to help.

Sincerely.

dewey