W8968 causing some troubles.

L

little

Journeyman
So a week ago I ordered W8968 from Flipkart. I got it on 1st of Nov. and installed it. That time I chose Quick Setup on 192.168.1.1 and it automatically configured in PPPoE mode for BSNL. Till yesterday it was running fine.
Yesterday I noticed that my laptop (Windows 8.1) was on limited connectivity (connected to W8968 via Ethernet). Then I checked the lights on modem, everything was OK, the DSL led was up and so was the Internet led.
I thought it was some small problem with my laptop so I reset the network adapter on my laptop but still I was in limited connectivity. I tried logging into 192.168.1.1 but the page didn't open. I tried logging using my phone(android, wifi) but it seemed that my modem wasn't responding (kinda hanged). So i pressed the WiFi button on my modem to check it the controls on my modem are responding or not. It didn't respond. So i restarted it and everything was fine for half an hour and then the same thing happened. Limited connectivity. Modem not responding. Couldn't log into 192.168.1.1 from any of the connected devices.

I'm on the latest firmware for W8968 - v2.0.

I'll be leaving tomorrow and I was thinking about fixing it before that.
 
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krishnandu.sarkar

krishnandu.sarkar

Simply a DIGITian
Staff member
I'd suggest you to diagnose the Internet connection first instead of considering that W8968 has some issues.

Better configure the modem in Bridge Mode and connect to BSNL via Dialer (As BSNL guys used to configure) and keep using the internet and see if it's anything with the internet itself.

Limited Connectivity means that, it's connected to LAN but not to internet. But again, what makes more suspicious is your Router page doesn't opens up and Router hanged.
 
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nipunb

Broken In
having the exact same problem as OP. ordered my w8968 from flipkart, using it for about a month, had no problems till yesterday.
I use wifi to connect to internet, the internet stops working on my laptop as well as my phone after every hour or so. The led's on the router are showing that the dsl and wifi are up and running, tried using the wifi button to turn on and off the wifi, but its unresponsive. The router page is not opening at all since yesterday, tried both the addresses, 192.168.1.1 & tplinkmodem.net. I'm also using bsnl broadband. I've to restart the modem, whenever it becomes unresponsive, which is very very frustrating...
 
OP
L

little

Journeyman
krishnandu.sarkar said:
I'd suggest you to diagnose the Internet connection first instead of considering that W8968 has some issues.
Click to expand...
Checked with BSNL modem. Internet is OK.

krishnandu.sarkar said:
Better configure the modem in Bridge Mode and connect to BSNL via Dialer (As BSNL guys used to configure) and keep using the internet and see if it's anything with the internet itself.
Click to expand...
I'll leave tomorrow and my mom won't find it convenient to use a dialer on the PC and then use other net on other devices. So no bridge. It has to be PPPoE.

krishnandu.sarkar said:
Limited Connectivity means that, it's connected to LAN but not to internet. But again, what makes more suspicious is your Router page doesn't opens up and Router hanged.
Click to expand...
Limited connectivity things comes up after 30 - 45 mins of use, sometime 2-3 hrs also. But whats bothering me is that 192.168.1.1 doesn't open. Whats weird is that 192.168.1.1 still responds when I ping it in cmd but it doesn't open in browser.
Thanks for reply.

I think this is the sequence of events-----
1. Modem Restart, everything normal
2. Modem stops responding to 192.168.1.1 in browser and physical buttons (except power :p).
3. After some time internet is gone and laptop shows Limited Connectivity.
Though DSL and Internet LED on the modem are still on.
4. Modem Restart, everything normal (Goto event 2.)

Everything seems to be perfect after restarting the modem. I think there is something wrong with the latest firmware.

@nipun, whats your hardware version and firmware version.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

@nipun, Earlier I missed the "YESTERDAY" word in your reply. Why are we having similar problems since yesterday ?? Did some change in BSNL configuration cause this. Was your modem running fine before yesterday? o_O
 
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N

nipunb

Broken In
little said:
@nipun, whats your hardware version and firmware version.
Click to expand...

v2 with firmware 131011 (which is the latest version on tp-link website)
whats yours???

little said:
@nipun, Earlier I missed the "YESTERDAY" word in your reply. Why are we having similar problems since yesterday ?? Did some change in BSNL configuration cause this. Was your modem running fine before yesterday? o_O
Click to expand...
I don't know man, but I don't think there's any problem on bsnl side, most probably, its the router thats messing things up..
1- the dsl lights on the router is up, which means that internet is woking and the router is connected to the internet
2- internet works well with other modems
3- even if internet is not working, we should be able to open the router page from our browser, but its not opening
4- the buttons on the router shouldn't be unresponsive, like it is now
Moreover, currently my laptop is connected to the router through wifi and internet is working well(still can't open router page though), but my phone and tablet is not able to connect to the wifi, both of them are stuck on "Obtaining IP Address" step...

I just looked at the tp-link support forums and it seems like other tp-link routers around the world also have the same exact problem, and strangely enough most people have reported this issue on 4 or 5 november... :|
 
OP
L

little

Journeyman
Mine is also v2 with latest firmware (131011).
There seems to be no problem with BSNL connection, the modem is acting weird.. :/
Sometimes my mobiles can't connect to the WiFi.
What do you think, is it a firmware problem or hardware problem?

nipunb said:
v2 with firmware 131011 (which is the latest version on tp-link website)
I just looked at the tp-link support forums and it seems like other tp-link routers around the world also have the same exact problem, and strangely enough most people have reported this issue on 4 or 5 november... :|
Click to expand...

:shock:
They are coming....
 
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nipunb

Broken In
little said:
What do you think, is it a firmware problem or hardware problem?
Click to expand...
so many routers having hardware problem all around the world, at the exact same time, is highly unlikely..
so, I think, it has to be a firmware issue, it just seems more logical to me...
but, I'm no expert, so don't take my word for it..
 
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whitestar_999

Super Moderator
Staff member
see if torrent software is running while having these issues.also disable any not needed features like IGMP.
source:My TD-W8968 has begun to freeze up. It starts with the webb interface being unavail.. - Page 2
 
OP
L

little

Journeyman
whitestar_999 said:
see if torrent software is running while having these issues.also disable any not needed features like IGMP.
source:My TD-W8968 has begun to freeze up. It starts with the webb interface being unavail.. - Page 2
Click to expand...

Even without anything running, my router freezes up.
I've already reinstalled my old BSNL WiFi modem as restarting the modem after every 30 mins is a PITA. I'm thinking about returning it, can it be returned to Flipkart under some 30-day thing ??
 
sujoyp

sujoyp

Grand Master
Hey I too bought this modem on 1st November and have exactly same problem as u guys from last 2 days...I thought it might be BSNL but the router get hanged and after restart it works normally again....I have also connected it to bsnl broadband

Now thats bit strange...soo many users getting same issue on same day...and no solution :(
 
OP
L

little

Journeyman
I bought this modem after much research and nothing of this sort came under my notice before buying the modem.

For the price we pay, this is a great modem but I suggest potential buyers to stay away from it till this problem is sorted out. Its not worth the trouble. And call it my bad luck or whatever, I have bought 2 of these, one for home and another for my dad's office. I'm not going to install it in my dad's office for the obvious reasons.

sujoyp said:
Hey I too bought this modem on 1st November and have exactly same problem as u guys from last 2 days...I thought it might be BSNL but the router get hanged and after restart it works normally again....I have also connected it to bsnl broadband

Now thats bit strange...soo many users getting same issue on same day...and no solution :(
Click to expand...

Are you on the latest firmware on V2?

Did anyone of us contacted TP-Link regarding this. This problem should be addressed by TP-Link. I hear their ass is ugly?? Any idea??
 
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whitestar_999

Super Moderator
Staff member
if you can return it to get another model then good but if not then have some patience as this issue should be fixed by a firmware update.also check with others which firmware is having this issue so if you do get a returned/new W8968 just don't update firmware to latest version if it is working fine on older firmware version.
 
OP
L

little

Journeyman
The main problem is that I'll be leaving for my boarding school tomorrow and I have got only a few hours left to decide what to do with this modem. I am thinking about keeping it as I think that these problems will be fixed in upcoming updates. And I won't be home for next 3 to 4 months (maybe 5). And my parents don't even know what is a Modem-cum-Router. They just know that Wi-Fi = Internet. So if I leave it like this, it will cause a lot of problems for them in the next months. Hence I've reinstalled the BSNL modem and now I've to decide that what to do with this W8968.

BTW can Flipkart take it back and return my pocket-money?
 
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krishnandu.sarkar

krishnandu.sarkar

Simply a DIGITian
Staff member
As all of you are facing the same problem and symptoms are same and also all of you are on BSNL, I guess it's some problem with BSNL. But what I really doubt is Router hangs.

I'm also using this router from around 5 - 6 Months but with Airtel BB, and not facing any issue like that.
 
OP
L

little

Journeyman
krishnandu.sarkar said:
As all of you are facing the same problem and symptoms are same and also all of you are on BSNL, I guess it's some problem with BSNL. But what I really doubt is Router hangs.

I'm also using this router from around 5 - 6 Months but with Airtel BB, and not facing any issue like that.
Click to expand...

There is a guy on Airtel too, facing the same problems on the same model.
Now that I'm using my old BSNL WiFi modem and everything is perfectly normal (other than the range sucks and I can't forward port in PPPoE).
The main thing that is bothering me is that 192.168.1.1 doesn't open and the modem responds to ping in cmd till the buffer is low in value. As soon as I increase the buffer size then it stops responding to ping too.

Also the physical buttons cease to respond after some time.

EDIT : Here are some other things that I noticed. When the modem hangs, new devices can't connect to it either via LAN or WiFi but the devices that are already connected works well. When I try to connect a device via WiFi, it stucks at "Obtaining IP Address" and never proceeds. So I think that DHCP server of modem stopped working when the modem hangs. If I am correct this can be solved by disabling the DHCP and allotting different IPs to different MACs. But even if this worked remember that it won't fix the 192.168.1.1 issue

@krishnandu.sarkar
I guess you are using firmware 130217 on v1 hardware
 
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