Ups Question.....router Signal Dropping

[sleepyjohn]

Hi there

I have been having a lot of my wireless router dropping it's signal out. It is a Belkin.

I have noticed there are voltage fluctuations at my home.....sometimes one can actually see the lights going bright/dim/bright/dim. When this happens the signal drops.

Trouble is it also drops at other times. It seems quite often in the daytime, usually fine at night.

So I wondered if there might be non-visible fluctuations or even momentary cutouts in the supply which were causing these signal drops.

Yesterday I bought an Ablerex 625L UPS to try and fix this. I would not normally use one as I have a laptop, nothing stays plugged in when I'm out, and as I'm a regular customer I arranged that I can take it back if no joy in the next couple of days so I wish to get cracking with my testing.

Here's the thing.

I use a Macbook.

With the UPS came a disk. It seems to be for Windows systems only. It also has a telephone cable and a maxi to mini-USB cable in the box.

I'm not sure what these are needed for, what their use is, and I'm not sure what the disk would be setting up.

In fact is all this stuff necessary or is the disk just a manual, which I have found on the net anyway. Can I just plug in the UPS, plug in my router, and go?

(just looked and on the disk it says UPS monitor software........Emily v702 )

thanx v much ......and any more observations about the general problem of signal dropping also welcome.

John

Edited November 9, 2008 by sleepyjohn

[sleepyjohn]

Ahhhh

I googled Emily monitor software

http://www.ablerex.com.tw/HTM/product-software.htm

and it seems to be just that.....you can read the condition of the UPS.....even remotely which I like.

Presumably if I keep the thing charged up it will work regardless.......there's no sort of setup software involved I guess (maybe).

Any comments on the other cables or the general issues would still be much appreciated.

thanx John

[Guest Reimar]

For to have an UPS working correctly that UPS need to have proper grounded electricity.

The USB cable should be connected between the UPS and your computer. It will monitor the usage and, if the software you got with them works correctly, you can setup the time for to save your data in case of power loss.

The phone cable is to use between 1. Wall -> 2. Ups -> 3. Modem as an surceprotector.

Cheers.

[Mumbo Jumbo]

I have the same voltage fluctuations and spikes both up and down , along with the house lights dimming / bright at my home

which was causing a lot of problems with a Mac I use , I did some research and came up with the following.

I bought a new APC UPS which came with Apple Mac monitoring software CD, connected the UPS to the Mac with the provided USB cable, Then manually adjusted the APC UPS sensitivity setting via the UPS front panel

I bought a PowerMatic (Powercom) tap-change voltage regulator , which now feeds the UPS , this smoothes out the incoming mains voltage and spikes so the voltage feeding the UPS is cleaner .

With the above Two units connected to the Mac , the house voltage still fluctuates and the house lights still flicker , but the Mac is now showing no past signs at all , this works for me and my set up .

Powermatic Tap-change voltage unit here.....

http://www.powermatic.co.th/product/th_avr.htm

APC Info here ....

http://apc.com/tools/ups_selector/index.cfm

I purchased the Tap-change voltage unit from an IT Zone

The APC unit I could only see on line, and I purchased it from here ...

http://www.shop4thai.com/en/product/?q=APC...=0&cattype=

Note . APC was the only brand of UPS I could find that had the Mac software option .

[sleepyjohn]

OK I plugged in and tried out the UPS today. It has been a dismal failure. In fact, the signal has even been dropped this evening several times, and usually night time is fine. (This may or may not have something to do with the UPS but it's not very normal.) I have unplugged to see if I get dropped again tonight.

For to have an UPS working correctly that UPS need to have proper grounded electricity.

Interesting Reimar.

I'm afraid I have no ground. Does the grounding affect the system in the UPS which supplies constant voltage or some other function. In other words might the my UPS with no ground not stop power fluctuations which might be causing my problem?

The USB cable should be connected between the UPS and your computer. It will monitor the usage and, if the software you got with them works correctly, you can setup the time for to save your data in case of power loss.

As I use a Macbook presumably I can live without that. The software is for Windows.

The phone cable is to use between 1. Wall -> 2. Ups -> 3. Modem as an surceprotector.

Presumably a surgeprotector for surges like lightning down the phone line?

thanks John

Edited November 9, 2008 by sleepyjohn

[sleepyjohn]

Thanks for the info William

I bought a new APC UPS which came with Apple Mac monitoring software CD, connected the UPS to the Mac with the provided USB cable, Then manually adjusted the APC UPS sensitivity setting via the UPS front panel

Ah this sensitivity thing I hadn't heard about. Perhaps I don't have that option. Wonder if it's important.

I bought a PowerMatic (Powercom) tap-change voltage regulator , which now feeds the UPS , this smoothes out the incoming mains voltage and spikes so the voltage feeding the UPS is cleaner .

So you're basically regulating the voltage twice................?

Thanks from a still somewhat uncomprehending John

(ps is your system grounded? suppose I could put an earth in the garden)

[Guest Reimar]

OK I plugged in and tried out the UPS today. It has been a dismal failure. In fact, the signal has even been dropped this evening several times, and usually night time is fine. (This may or may not have something to do with the UPS but it's not very normal.) I have unplugged to see if I get dropped again tonight.

For to have an UPS working correctly that UPS need to have proper grounded electricity.

Interesting Reimar.

I'm afraid I have no ground. Does the grounding affect the system in the UPS which supplies constant voltage or some other function. In other words might the my UPS with no ground not stop power fluctuations which might be causing my problem?

Yes. it does! An easy test, but not really recommended: stay with naked feet's on ground and touch the metal case of an computer! You'll get an power shock! If you've grounding, that would not be happen.

The USB cable should be connected between the UPS and your computer. It will monitor the usage and, if the software you got with them works correctly, you can setup the time for to save your data in case of power loss.

As I use a Macbook presumably I can live without that. The software is for Windows.

The phone cable is to use between 1. Wall -> 2. Ups -> 3. Modem as an surceprotector.

Presumably a surgeprotector for surges like lightning down the phone line?

Exactly! But here the same: without proper grounding it wouldn't work.

thanks John

See my answer in Red

Cheers.

[Mumbo Jumbo]

Hi John, Have you connected as Reimar pointed out which is the correct way Wall > UPS > Modem

if so try Wall > Modem to see if there's any difference , on a UPS I use to have when I went the correct route

Wall > UPS > Modem , the signal strength for some reason was not as strong as Wall > Modem

just a thought

[PattayaDavid]

I too experience power fluctuations at my house which causes my UPS backup to beep, warning me that the power source has changed over to UPS battery backup power. Under these conditions, neither my computer nor my router have experienced a power loss resulting in failure.

Are you sure that you have the Router plugged into the correct recepticle on the UPS Backup? My UPS has 6 power recepticles, 3 of them provide power plus backup in case of a power failure and the other 3 only provide surge protection. You want to plug your router into the recepticles that provide battery backup.

[sleepyjohn]

Interesting Reimar.

I'm afraid I have no ground. Does the grounding affect the system in the UPS which supplies constant voltage or some other function. In other words might the my UPS with no ground not stop power fluctuations which might be causing my problem?

Yes. it does!

So to be 100% clear Reimar, and remembering the router only has a 2 pin plug to it's transformer, the UPS will not correct fluctuating voltage without a ground connection? Because I'm ready to go get one and start digging and connecting!

The phone cable is to use between 1. Wall -> 2. Ups -> 3. Modem as an surceprotector.

Presumably a surgeprotector for surges like lightning down the phone line?

Exactly! But here the same: without proper grounding it wouldn't work.

Reimar the telephone cable from the wall has 4 pins. It will fit into the 6 pin ADSL input on the router. However on the back of the UPS it has an inlet and outlet for an 8 pin......looks like ethernet.....so I can't plug in.

I am happy to live without the telephone line surge protection. Will the UPS power fluctuation protection work OK without it if I dont connect it?

cheers John

[sleepyjohn]

Hi John, Have you connected as Reimar pointed out which is the correct way Wall > UPS > Modem

if so try Wall > Modem to see if there's any difference , on a UPS I use to have when I went the correct route

Wall > UPS > Modem , the signal strength for some reason was not as strong as Wall > Modem

just a thought

Cannot go Wall > UPS > Modem as outlined in my question to Reimar William. Wierd.

[sleepyjohn]

Are you sure that you have the Router plugged into the correct recepticle on the UPS Backup? My UPS has 6 power recepticles, 3 of them provide power plus backup in case of a power failure and the other 3 only provide surge protection. You want to plug your router into the recepticles that provide battery backup.

Thankyou David

The layout on the back of my Ablerex 625L is a little different to that on

http://www.ablerex-ups.com.sg/downloads/products/625L_mn.zip

but I think I have had the plug in both sides at the back. I will check again.

John

Update: OK I just unplugged the main supply to the UPS. It acted correctly and the router lights stayed on....so I guess it's connected OK for power. Thanks.

Edited November 10, 2008 by sleepyjohn

[Guest Reimar]

Interesting Reimar.

I'm afraid I have no ground. Does the grounding affect the system in the UPS which supplies constant voltage or some other function. In other words might the my UPS with no ground not stop power fluctuations which might be causing my problem?

Yes. it does!

So to be 100% clear Reimar, and remembering the router only has a 2 pin plug to it's transformer, the UPS will not correct fluctuating voltage without a ground connection? Because I'm ready to go get one and start digging and connecting!

The phone cable is to use between 1. Wall -> 2. Ups -> 3. Modem as an surceprotector.

Presumably a surgeprotector for surges like lightning down the phone line?

Exactly! But here the same: without proper grounding it wouldn't work.

Reimar the telephone cable from the wall has 4 pins. It will fit into the 6 pin ADSL input on the router. However on the back of the UPS it has an inlet and outlet for an 8 pin......looks like ethernet.....so I can't plug in.

I am happy to live without the telephone line surge protection. Will the UPS power fluctuation protection work OK without it if I dont connect it?

cheers John

OK, that's an Surge Protector for Network and not for phone line! But you can plug in the phone line as well and it will works as well.

Cheers.

[sleepyjohn]

So to be 100% clear Reimar, and remembering the router only has a 2 pin plug to it's transformer, the UPS will not correct fluctuating voltage without a ground connection? Because I'm ready to go get one and start digging and connecting!

cheers John

[NHJ]

the ups will adjust the voltage correctly without a ground connection, the ground is used as in all electric devices in case of short circuit for your safety.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_(electricity)

[sleepyjohn]

Thanks to all of you for your help.

This morning I sank an earth rod. I got about four feet into the ground without a club hammer but I'm guessing it was doing it's job.

Unfortunately the router signal continues to drop.

I shall have to look for other problems.

As the signal tends to drop when the internet is poor to both me and to my neighbours using the same Maxnet ISP, is it possible the router could drop the signal related to a low internet signal down the line?

thanks John

[Guest Reimar]

Looks like you've only one option left regarding Hardware: check the connection of the phone cable outside your house. Normally there is a small black box were the cable came from the phone provider to the house. If not a Box, than they use normally to "drill" or "twist" the cable together (from outside to inside).

In both case open the connection (screw or twisted) clean them (the end of the cable) and fix them back together. I would even use a contact spray while fixing back together to get a better connection.

If you quite a bit far from the exchange, the signal is dropping. So as better the cable is connected, as better is the signal (if possible).

If nothing of that helps maybe you need to call the phone provider n!

Hope you've a bit luck! Anyway, grounding will helps to keep the system stable and even yourself because you din't get anymore power shocks on the grounded devices.

Cheers.

[sleepyjohn]

Yes Reimar

I shall have to get the line inspected.

I didn't do that yet as when the signal is good, like now, it's good, and really pretty fast. But yes I'll try.

Trouble is when you get TT&T to promise faithfully they'll get the technicians to call when they're on their way they never, never, bother to actually tell the technicans!

thanks and hope you got my email today

John

Edited November 11, 2008 by sleepyjohn