N800 - No mac on router?
 

Been getting strange behaviour from my N800.

I have had it set up on my home wireless for years, today its connecting like normal but the connection (and contacts) keeps loosing connectivity.

I use mac filtering so went into my router setup via my laptop and the N800 is sitting awaiting approval as an unknown device and the mac address field is blank.

I think the problem must be that its not giving my router its mac so the router is blocking it as an unknown device.

Any idea why my N800 would stop giving out its mac?

Re: N800 - No mac on router?
 

The router knows the MAC address because it is required for functioning of WLAN.

My suggestions for now are:

1) Disable MAC filtering. Its security through obscurity. My recommendation.
2) Temporarily disable MAC filter and see if this solves the issue.
3) Keep enabling MAC filtering but add the N800 MAC address manually, and add this also in your DHCPd if you want to give it static IPv4.

Also, have a look at the system load of both devices.

Re: N800 - No mac on router?
 

Thanks, with filtering off I can get a connection but its comes and goes and I think thats related.

I can also add the device but I don't like adding a station with name "unknown" and no mac.

Here is a pic.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3481/...29183f0f_o.jpg

Re: N800 - No mac on router?
 

Hence, did not solve problem.

Probably you can add it manually but this option may be hidden in the interface, or may even require command line.

Thanks, you have quite some devices added. This degrades overal speed, and probably also signal strength (not sure).

Are you sure signal is good?

Do you get disconnects with other device?

Perhaps try an other channel.

Which protocol are you using 802.11a, 802.11b, or 80211g?

How is authentication? Only use WPA2. WPA (WPA1) and WEP are insecure.

Re: N800 - No mac on router?
 

There are only three wireless devices connected, most of the time the others are turned off.

I am getting a high signal, I have the router set to g/b and am using 128bit WEP

I know WEP is not as good but I use 128 bit and back it up by not broadcasting my access point name and mac filtering. The only reason I don't use higher is at least one device cant use WPA. Also my Anti virus software on my windows pc will tell me if any new devices enter the network.

I'm sorry I don't know how to get the system load off the N800

Re: N800 - No mac on router?
 

The problem with WEP is that it doesn't actually help using 128 bits, there's a weakness elsewhere in the protocol and that's why it's essentially useless (it'll keep out those you don't have to worry about, but it won't keep out those you *should* worry about).

As for your connection problem: It sounds a bit like you you might be bitten by the power savings problem. Try to change the setting on your N800 and see if it helps.

Re: N800 - No mac on router?
 

My wifi power saving was set to max & 100mW, I set it to off and left it at 100mW but still the same.

Re: N800 - No mac on router?
 

Don't know about your AV software but otherwise not broadcasting your AP name, MAC filtering, and WEP are all security through obscurity. The packets between your AP and your WLAN clients can be easily intercepted, read, and packets can be injected because of WEP.

Check if you can upgrade firmware or software of the device not supporting WEP, or consider forgetting about supporting it. And, check if problem occurs with WPA (WPA1) or WPA2 with power saving (PSM) completely turned off.

Re: N800 - No mac on router?
 

if you lose connection quite often there are a number of possible reasons
1/ your access point is flakey. try new firmware update - this can also interact with the power-saving on the tablet, very old APs don't allow clients to save power properly
2/ congestion - too many other people on the same channel. in 802.11b/g there's only three usable channels, 1, 6 and 11. some turbo high speed access points, especially early "N" routers, obliterate large parts of the wifi spectrum!
3/ interference - 2.4GHz cordless phones and some TV Video senders use the same band, and this can obliterate the entire wifi spectrum

if in doubt about your AP, try it at a different location, e.g. a friend's house.

Re: N800 - No mac on router?
 

Thanks for that, I think 1 was the problem, I was having to reset my ap every day.

At the weekend it died completly, power supply is find but no lights at all, the new router is spot on.

Thanks.