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General Tech => Hardware => Topic started by: namespace7 on August 21, 2012, 12:01:20 PM

Title: (SOLVED) Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: namespace7 on August 21, 2012, 12:01:20 PM
First of all, sorry if this is a wrong forum section to post this.

A few days ago I noticed that most of the files I download from the internet get corrupted. Especially larger ones (more than 50mb). At first I thought that I am owned by somebody, or some kind of nasty virus got in, but after downloading some files on 3 other computers (all on the same home wireless network) I noticed that all of them corrupt bigger files, which means that it is not a virus, malware or any other computer specific problem. So I figured it has something to do with the router. Do any wifi routers have ability to update their firmware automatically? I checked on the router interface but couldn't find anything relating to upgrading of firmware. It is a stock router supplied by my ISP, so it is pretty low grade.

This has never happened to me before, so I am a bit at a loss right now. I downloaded 8 linux distros and tried to install all of em, but guess what? None of them work properly: I boot the live CD and when I hit Install the computer just restarts, or on other distros when I try to install em, the partition tool doesn't load and other random stuff. Did disk check and guess what? All 8 linux disks had at least a few corrupt files. And the 8 iso images were downloaded on different computers.

Anyway, if you have got any info on this or any suggestions, please let me know, before I go to buy a new wifi router.
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: ande on August 21, 2012, 02:09:31 PM
Restart router a few times.
Try downloading a local file from another computer on the network and see if its a remote only or both local and remote problem.
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: Ragehottie on August 21, 2012, 02:33:44 PM
Maybe you disconnect for a few seconds every now and then? I would suggest Jdownloader so you can pause/play the download.
http://jdownloader.org/ (http://jdownloader.org/)
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: namespace7 on August 21, 2012, 11:19:46 PM
Well, the internet does seem to get laggy at times...
I restarted the router many times in different ways, but the problem is still there. Very annoying as I can't download any software. One strange thing that I noticed is that only executable files are damaged. Music and movies don't get corrupted. But then on the second thought, maybe everything gets damaged, just that I can't notice the slight damage in music and movies.

Anyway, thanks for help guys, but it looks like I will have to call my ISP and hope they can sort this out quickly. Though I really hate calling tech support to fix stuff in my home. :)
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: techb on August 22, 2012, 08:45:38 AM
Quote from: namespace7 on August 21, 2012, 11:19:46 PM
Well, the internet does seem to get laggy at times...
I restarted the router many times in different ways, but the problem is still there. Very annoying as I can't download any software. One strange thing that I noticed is that only executable files are damaged. Music and movies don't get corrupted. But then on the second thought, maybe everything gets damaged, just that I can't notice the slight damage in music and movies.

Anyway, thanks for help guys, but it looks like I will have to call my ISP and hope they can sort this out quickly. Though I really hate calling tech support to fix stuff in my home. :)

If the router was provided by the ISP, they will just send you a new one. But, if its your own router, the ISP will not/can't do anything about it.

Also, hard resetting devices is done by shorting chips, so to many resets will fry the device.
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: noob on August 22, 2012, 01:07:37 PM
May be adapter or cable.
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: namespace7 on August 22, 2012, 06:37:29 PM
Quote from: skidiot.h on August 22, 2012, 08:22:04 AM
Would help if you list the specific model for your router... As well as OS's and other diagnostic information so we can better help you >.<

Here is some info:
Wifi Router: NETGEAR VMDG480
OS: Win7 64bit on 2 machines, and Xubuntu 12.04 64bit on main machine. Same problem on all machines, meaning that there is nothing wrong with the computers.
pinged google with 100 requests and got 100% success rate (avg RTT = 31ms).

What other info would be helpful?

I would just call and get the ISP to sort out the problem, but I would really like to fix it without their intervention if possible, as in such way I will probably learn something new. I will try for a day more, and if I still can't sort it out, I will call the ISP.

Thanks for help so far.

EDIT: here is the pdf manual for the router. Quite pathetic:
http://www.virginmedia.com/myvirginmedia/superhub-guide.pdf
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: namespace7 on August 22, 2012, 10:07:28 PM
I think you might be right skidiot.h because I am experiencing same symptoms as described in that link.
However, after carefully examining my router settings I couldn't find where I could switch SPI firewall off.
I did try to disable the firewall all together, but that didn't fix anything.

Anyway I think I will have to call ISP after all.
Thanks for all the help mate.
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: namespace7 on August 23, 2012, 01:26:22 PM
The router they are talking about in that post is very different from mine. That one is a few years older then mine.
The settings page is completely different, and there is no "WAN options". I did reduce the MTU though.
These are the settings available:

   Wireless Guest Wireless Network (SSID2) (http://)   Security 
Firewall Protection
/*the following are check boxes:*/
Filter Proxy
Filter Cookies
Filter Java Applets
Filter ActiveX
Filter Popup Windows
Block Fragmented IP Packets
Detection
Port Scan Detection
IP Flood Detection
Pass-through
IPSec Pass-Through
PPTP Pass-Through
Multicast Pass-Through
/*end of check boxes */

IP Filtering (http://)   Parental Controls     Device Management     Logs     DHCP     UPnP     Tools       

As you can see there are no "WAN options" menu, and no SPI under firewall.
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: namespace7 on August 23, 2012, 07:59:54 PM
Quote from: skidiot.h on August 23, 2012, 07:09:03 PM
A screenshot would have been better :p

Honestly it seems to be an issue with the router... I would just go buy my own! HOWEVER since its a Modem/Router (hate those always problematic) I would suggest picking up your OWN modem and router. Or ask your ISP for just a modem and then get a router.

I can't do much anything else without seeing it.

Trust me, there is no SPI setting. Looked through every single page and every single setting several times. 

I called them. Guess what? They will only come next week, Tuesday. :(
Anyway, I will buy my own wifi router, install open source firmware, disable all firewalls on both modem and router, and will get a cheap PC and  set up IPCop on it to act as my firewall. This way I will be able to control every single detail and setting.

Thanks for all the help, you have been amazing.
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: namespace7 on August 23, 2012, 10:51:27 PM
I was thinking to instal dd-wrt for quite some time, but could not because my modem/router is not supported.
Will order Linksys WRT54GS today.
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: namespace7 on August 30, 2012, 07:58:29 PM
Just received my Linksys WRT54GS V1.1
And guess what, all problems have have disapeared instantly. All I did was disable the superhub routing functions and only use it as a modem, and hooked up the linksys to the superhub modem, and the net works flawlessly now.
Really happy after not having proper internet for a week. :)
Title: Re: Router is corrupting bigger files
Post by: namespace7 on August 31, 2012, 12:01:03 AM
Yeah, thanks for all your help again.
+1