RT-AC68U and powerline adapters

[mayburyds]

Hi,

Spent the last week trying find out why my Windows 7 laptops frequently lose the internet and why I have problems with accessing the router gui.

Turns out the powerline adapters I'm using are the cause although I have no idea why!

I'm on the latest firmware on the router, upgraded yesterday.

I have tried resetting the adapters and setting them up from scratch and tried different adapters directly connecting to the router and a new network cable. No difference.

Are there any settings I need to do to get them working happily together?

Many thanks.

 

[texashoser]

You might want to list what's going on in the logs as well as specifically how you have these adapters connected in your network.

 

[mayburyds]

Hi,

This is part of the syslog from this morning till lunch time when all is well with router minus the adapters.

At various stages I plugged and unplugged an adapter from the router to see what effect it had.

With the adapter plugged in I would start to get waiting for router message when accessing the gui or the "settings have changed" message when logging off the router.

Unplugging the adapter and all is well.

Cheers.

Jan 16 07:45:05 rc_service: ntp 855:notify_rc restart_upnp
Jan 16 07:45:05 rc_service: waitting "restart_nasapps" via hotplug ...
Jan 16 07:45:05 Samba Server: smb daemon is stoped
Jan 16 07:45:05 kernel: gro disabled
Jan 16 07:45:06 Timemachine: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 07:45:14 kernel: gro enabled with interval 2
Jan 16 07:45:15 Samba Server: daemon is started
Jan 16 07:45:16 rc_service: ntp 855:notify_rc restart_diskmon
Jan 16 07:45:16 rc_service: waitting "restart_upnp" via ntp ...
Jan 16 07:45:16 miniupnpd[859]: received signal 15, good-bye
Jan 16 07:45:16 miniupnpd[910]: HTTP listening on port 45627
Jan 16 07:45:16 miniupnpd[910]: Listening for NAT-PMP traffic on port 5351
Jan 16 07:45:20 disk monitor: be idle
Jan 16 07:45:26 crond[608]: time disparity of 66705 minutes detected
Jan 16 07:46:19 rc_service: rc 1076:notify_rc restart_wrs
Jan 16 07:47:39 miniupnpd[910]: sendto(udp): Operation not permitted
Jan 16 07:59:57 ntp: start NTP update
Jan 16 08:59:57 ntp: start NTP update
Jan 16 09:23:37 rc_service: httpd 606:notify_rc stop_samba
Jan 16 09:23:38 Samba Server: smb daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:23:38 kernel: gro disabled
Jan 16 09:23:58 ejusb[1363]: USB partition unmounted from /tmp/mnt/Seagate_Expansion_Drive
Jan 16 09:23:58 rc_service: httpd 606:notify_rc stop_nasapps
Jan 16 09:23:58 iTunes: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:23:58 FTP Server: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:23:59 Samba Server: smb daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:23:59 kernel: gro disabled
Jan 16 09:23:59 Timemachine: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:05 rc_service: asus_sd 1438:notify_rc restart_xhcimode 0
Jan 16 09:36:05 rc_service: hotplug 1440:notify_rc restart_nasapps
Jan 16 09:36:05 rc_service: waitting "restart_xhcimode 0" via asus_sd ...
Jan 16 09:36:06 iTunes: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:06 FTP Server: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:06 Samba Server: smb daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:06 kernel: gro disabled
Jan 16 09:36:07 Timemachine: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:08 kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:00:0c.0: Failed to enable MSI-X
Jan 16 09:36:08 kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:00:0c.0: failed to allocate MSI entry
Jan 16 09:36:08 kernel: usb usb1: No SuperSpeed endpoint companion for config 1 interface 0 altsetting 0 ep 129: using minimum values
Jan 16 09:36:09 rc_service: hotplug 1441:notify_rc restart_nasapps
Jan 16 09:36:09 rc_service: waitting "restart_nasapps" via hotplug ...
Jan 16 09:36:10 iTunes: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:10 FTP Server: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:10 Samba Server: smb daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:10 kernel: gro disabled
Jan 16 09:36:10 Timemachine: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:13 iTunes: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:13 FTP Server: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:13 Samba Server: smb daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:36:13 kernel: gro disabled
Jan 16 09:36:13 Timemachine: daemon is stoped
Jan 16 09:40:48 miniupnpd[910]: sendto(udp): Operation not permitted
Jan 16 09:43:06 rc_service: httpd 606:notify_rc start_webs_update
Jan 16 09:59:59 ntp: start NTP update
Jan 16 10:46:51 miniupnpd[910]: sendto(udp): Operation not permitted
Jan 16 10:49:12 miniupnpd[910]: sendto(udp): Operation not permitted
Jan 16 11:00:01 ntp: start NTP update
Jan 16 11:44:19 miniupnpd[910]: sendto(udp): Operation not permitted
Jan 16 11:59:57 ntp: start NTP update
Jan 16 12:11:20 kernel: br0: received packet on eth1 with own address as source address

 

[texashoser]

At various stages I plugged and unplugged an adapter from the router to see what effect it had.

Again, how exactly are the adapters deployed in your physical network? I would avoid putting both WAN and LAN connections on powerline adapters. The WAN connection(s) from your ISP should be plugged directly into the router.

 

[mayburyds]

Sorry, misunderstood the info you needed.

One powerline is connected directly to a lan port on the router. There are two other powerlines in different rooms one with a pc attached, the other has an av amp and a tivo box connected.

Nothing is connected to the modem.

Cheers.

 

[scotte]

I have a couple TP-LINK TL-PA511 powerline adapters on my LAN segment, on my AC68U (currently through a standalone switch, but for awhile was plugged directly into my AC-68U). No problems at all with network access from devices plugged into a switch on the other end through the powerline.

When I first got them I did discover that these need to be plugged directly into the wall and not through a surge suppressors or the suppressors interfere with the data (and on mine the connection status is red, instead of green).

I only have 2 powerline adapters - I didn't realize you could have 3 on the same segment, I didn't realize they weren't paired 1:1.

Powerline adapters are very low level devices - there's not really anything specific to an AC68U that would (should) influence it's behavior.

I know this doesn't really help... :-/

 

[mayburyds]

Many thanks for replying.

I'm doing more testing today trying various combinations of wall socket, devices attached to adapters etc.

Right now I have gone back to the original setup and apart from the odd delay it seems to have settled down again!

Don't you love technology!

Cheers.

 

[texashoser]

The only thing I could think of would be two different networks going over the powerline network causing a broadcast storm. Or you've got a loop in the network basically causing the same thing.

It should work, otherwise.

 

[mayburyds]

The only oddity is that what ever the issue is it only really affects the Windows 7 clients. The android clients (phones and tablet) are fine and no complaints from the xBox user.

If I can't sign on to the router via a w7 client I can sign on straight away on an android tablet.

So I'm wondering if the it's the w7 clients that are getting flooded for some reason.

I did put the adapters back in this morning and it seem ok but after an hour or so it all fell apart, so I have taken them out and it's all good again.

Many thanks for the replies, much appreciated. If I find a solution I'll post back.

Cheers.

 

[john9527]

The syslog you posted in the first post doesn't look like it has anything to do with the LAN ports, but looks like the USB drive is having problems. What happens if you disconnect the USB drive? Are the windows clients set up to automatically map the router USB drive?

 

[mayburyds]

Well, think I may have found the problem. Ready for this?

One of the adapters looked like it was on the way out. So to try and get it back I flashed the firmware. This threw up another problem in that the other wireless adapter that I had previously flashed now have the same IP address of 192.168.1.120.

Tried to find away to change the address in the devices but could see no option.

Checked the suppliers forum on how to change the IP address and found that you can't. But I also found out that the IP address given to the adapters by the manufacturer is 192.168.1.1 the same as the router!

According to the supplier "when another network device does a broadcast requesting 192.168.1.1 then the PEW-N is supposed to not reply hence hiding it's presence. However, on some routers, this subterfuge doesn't work".

The dodgy adapter gave up in the end as-well. Time for an upgrade! Any ideas?

Hopefully, this mystery is solved, but I've thought that before.


Funny you should mention the USB drive. It works ok from a SMB point of view but the minidlna stops creating the db after a minute but still shows it scanning.

I started moving files out of the directory where it was stopping stop and it would continue on a bit further then stop so I'd move another file etc. etc. I gave up in the end and only use SMB now.

Thanks again for the replies.

Cheers.