I have a Linksys WRT54G router and I have a wireless network set up in my house. Recently the router has been randomly disconnecting. Why does it do that and what can I do?
This a common problem with all consumer-grade routers. They will work fine for a while but after a year or so many will start to drop the signal. This occurs for any of the following reasons:
- Age. The router is performing all day and every day and it will wear down after a while.
- Heat. Routers are notorious for overheating.
- Lessoned signal strength.
There are a few things you can do. Try these in the following order:
- Update the firmware of your drive. For Linksys devices you can find the appropriate drivers, manuals and firmware on this page.
- Power Cycle the router. Turn the router (and modem) off for a while (do it for five minutes of so) and then turn it back on.
- Reset. On each router out there there will be a button to reset the router back to factory fresh settings. Now if you do press this button you will have to set your router back up again (including any security you may have.)
There are also other things you can do (such as messing with the MTU) but if you’ve tried the above and the signal is still being dropped (by no less then TWO computers) then it’s probably time to get a new router.
The Fake Geek