Fix: Belkin N1 Vision Router Freezes When Transferring Large Files

GENERALLY

Our Belkin N1 Vision router is 2+ years old and generally works fine and without interruption.  Some set up information from the router:

Firmware version: F5D8232-4_WW_1.00.16
Boot version: v1.02
Hardware: F5D8232-4 v1000
Encryption: WPA2-TKIP

DHCP is enabled on the router to support five clients and one wireless printer.

PROBLEM

Transferring a large amount of files between computers, e.g., 250 megs of MP3 files, initially works fine.  But after transferring about half of the files and data, the router ends all connections to all clients, appearing to freeze up and stop all its activity.  We have to reboot the router by unplugging and replugging the power to the router.  Thereafter, any amount of data transfer, even small files, cause the router to seize up, requiring another re-boot.  Any attempts to transfer data after this point fail.

SOLUTION

1. Start a browser window and go to the following address:  http://192.168.2.1/wukongjiuwo.html
2. A console appears providing command line control of the router.
3. Beneath the word "Console" is a long, rectangular box in which the user may enter commands, and next the box is an "Enter" button.
4. Enter the letters "ps" into the command line (small letters not caps, without quotes) and click the "Enter" button next to the command line box.
5. Router data appears in the large box below the command line.
6. Under the column entitled "Command," identify the line with the acronym "NTP" (among other things).  To the left of this acronym in the same line, under the column "PID" is the process ID number.  for example, on my router the PID for this line was 768.
7. In the command line box, enter the word "kill [PID]" and click the Enter button next to the command line.  For example, on my router I entered "kill 768".  This command line apparently stopped process ID 768 which included the NTP process.
8. You may need to reapply the foregoing steps every time you restart your router, before you start any big file transfers.
   
9. After completing these steps, I tried my large file transfers again and they worked without any further router freeze ups.  

Note that there may be minor apparent drawbacks to killing the NTP process (the "network time protocol").  There may also be other solutions people have found to work, e.g., assigning static IP addresses to router clients.  See the following threads on-line for more information (scroll down to find the relevant discussions):

• http://www.avforums.com/forums/networking-nas/770855-anybody-had-any-problems-belkin-n1-vision.html
• http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/networking/2009/01/17/belkin-n1-vision/2
• http://forums.afterdawn.com/t.cfm/f-111/wireless_interference_on_belkin_n1_vision-829422/
• For more threads on this issue, run the following search in Google:  +wukongjiuwo +PS +NTP (the plus signs produce only pages that contain these search terms).
  

END

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