[TriLUG] Weird WiFi router behavior

[David Both via TriLUG]

Sorry it took so long to reply. Backup drive failures and updates, among 
other things, have kept me busy.

See responses in-line.


On 07/21/2016 06:41 PM, William Sutton via TriLUG wrote:
> I'm wondering
> 1. what wireless protocols your old and new APs support (A?  B? G?  N?)
Old: ABG
New: BGN

> 2. same for the devices that did and didn't work
The Apple devices both support B and G, while only the iPad supports N. 
The iPhone is really old 3GS and has not had updates for a couple years 
at least.
The Androids both support BGN
> 3. any security settings (key length, whatever)
Standard WEP on both with a similar SSID and a fair 12-char password for 
the non-guest access and an 8 char password for guest access. The old 
router does not have guest access, but I only use regular access for our 
own devices, both Apple and 'droid.
>
> sounds like Apple made an update that wasn't compatible with older 
> hardware.
I thought about this, but neither device had been updated in the weeks 
before or after the connections started working. I found some comments 
on Google about some problems Apple devices had/have with remote IMAP 
authentication protocols and that sounds like what is happening because 
the symptoms are very similar. My symptoms exist almost all the time 
with the old router, but they do clear up once or twice a month and 
allow the IMAP connection to retrieve emails. Very strange. We have had 
no problems at all using the new router.

Neither router has updated software.

Thanks for any thoughts you might have. Because the new router is 
working as expected, I am not in critical need of the information, but I 
am now just curious.

>
> William Sutton
>
> On Thu, 21 Jul 2016, David Both via TriLUG wrote:
>
>> I have identified some very weird WiFi router behavior a couple days 
>> ago. The good thing is that everything is working now, but here is 
>> the rest of the story.
>>
>> <Long story warning>
>>
>> So my wife and I have different devices. She has an iPhone (very old) 
>> and an iPad (fairly new). I have a Kindle Fire HDX and a Samsung S5. 
>> Until a few months ago, all of these devices worked fine, including 
>> all Apps and email access to my own server. I used a TP-Link 
>> TL-WR940N wireless router plugged directly into my Time Warner 
>> Business Class modem/router, an Arris that has never given me one bit 
>> of trouble. As opposed to the previous Ubee I had before complaining, 
>> but that is another story.
>>
>> Sometime late last year, all of the apple devices started 
>> experiencing problems. They would not update email from my server. 
>> Two local TV station apps would not connect at all. The N&O app (no 
>> comments, please) on the iPad would frequently crash and the 
>> occasional reboot was required to recover. Except that once or twice 
>> a month, her email app would sync up. Facebook and other apps all 
>> worked fine. No change regardless of distance from the wireless router.
>>
>> None of my Android devices experienced any of these problems and 
>> neither did my laptop. In fact, I added my wife's email account to my 
>> laptop and my Kindle so she could access email while we were away 
>> from home. Or downstairs and away from the computers.
>>
>> All of these symptoms remained unchanged no matter where we were or 
>> what WiFi routers we were connected to or what local providers.
>>
>> We went to the Apple store and the same symptoms were experienced 
>> there. Identical for both sets of devices. Apple failed, Android 
>> worked. They wanted to replace her iPad (for a fee) but their devices 
>> experienced the same problems.
>>
>> So after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I added SquirrelMail to 
>> my server so that my wife could access her email via web interface 
>> without having to use my Kindle.
>>
>> Two days ago, I installed a TP-Link AC 1900 Gigabit WiFi router 
>> downstairs since the signal from the existing router was fairly weak 
>> down there, and I also wanted the 5GHz and Guest capabilities that 
>> the AC1900 provides. Not to mention the touchscreen setup. I 
>> connected the WAN port of the new router to one of the 4 Ethernet 
>> ports on the old router since there were not any ports left on the 
>> TWBC modem/router.
>>
>> After configuring my wife's Apple devices to use the new wireless 
>> router, all of the problems have disappeared. Everything works 
>> normally and as expected now. All of the strange symptoms no longer 
>> occur. I still need to test her iPad on other wireless routers and 
>> ISPs, but I suspect it will work fine there, too.
>>
>> So the questions I have are: why? How could something like this 
>> occur? Anyone else have a similar experience?
>>
>> -- 
>>
>>
>> *********************************************************
>> David P. Both, RHCE
>> Millennium Technology Consulting LLC
>> Raleigh, NC, USA
>> 919-389-8678
>>
>> dboth at millennium-technology.com
>>
>> www.millennium-technology.com
>> www.databook.bz - Home of the DataBook for Linux
>> DataBook is a Registered Trademark of David Both
>> *********************************************************
>> This communication may be unlawfully collected and stored by the 
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>>
>> -- 
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-- 


*********************************************************
David P. Both, RHCE
Millennium Technology Consulting LLC
Raleigh, NC, USA
919-389-8678

dboth at millennium-technology.com

www.millennium-technology.com
www.databook.bz - Home of the DataBook for Linux
DataBook is a Registered Trademark of David Both
*********************************************************
This communication may be unlawfully collected and stored by the National
Security Agency (NSA) in secret. The parties to this email do not consent to the
retrieving or storing of this communication and any related metadata, as well as
printing, copying, re-transmitting, disseminating, or otherwise using it. If you
believe you have received this communication in error, please delete it
immediately.