Linksys WRT54GX2 Router - UMA Blackberry will not roam onto EDGE
 

I have been trying to make this work for over a week. I have a Linksys WRT54GX2 router. UMA works FANTASTIC in my house now where I previously had little to no cell coverage, THUS the BB locks onto UMA BEFORE it sees EDGE.

MY Problem: I RARELY can roam seamlessly from a call started on UMA onto EDGE. The call just drops! AND, oftentimes, when this happens, the entire WRT54GX2 router locks up and I have to unplug it and restart it.

This happens whether I have the phone's mobile settings set to "WiFi preferred" or to "Mobile Network Preferred".

I can go stand outside where there are 3 bars of coverage for a LONG time and it never conects to EDGE in the background. I verified that by turning off WiFI in the connection settings and when I do that there is NO connection to EDGE at all. It's like something in the router settings are keeping the phone from seeing EDGE when it comes up on UMA first.

Roaming from UMA onto EDGE works fine at any other WiFi hotspot that I have tried so far.

Thus, I'm thinking that I have a router problem or a router setting problem, not a Blackberry software problem.

Also, the reverse works fine, I can easily roam from a call on EDGE onto WiFi UMA, even on my WRT54GX2 router.

I am stumped. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I recently tried changing the router's settings per this post, and no luck with this either:

http://www.blackberryforums.com/wifi...s-linksys.html

Thanks

p.s. ALSO, I don't even have to be on a call for this to happen, all I have to do is walk away from my house and the connection fails, and sometimes that also locks up the router. It really makes others in the house trying to use the intenet quite perturbed at me...grin

Strange issue. I don't have an answer...at least not that I can think of right now. I do have one question though. Are you really using the 8120 as your profile states and getting UMA on TMobile?

Well I also have an 8120.

it sounds like something is wrong with the router you are using at home since the issue doesn't seem to happen on other routers.

I would tend to agree, as it works fine everywhere else and works fine in my house. It just has become one of those technical challenges that I want to overcome before I break down and buy a new router.

It is amazing how dense Linksys tech support is abiout this issue

the router locking up thing is kind of weird, maybe reload the firmware on it to see if that might clear it up. have you considered using the dd-wrt firmware?

when you drop your call as you switch from your wireless to the edge network have you been on the wireless network for a while? like overnight?

i wonder if this might be a situation where you are not on the edge network so after a period of time your network connections are purged like they usually are. when you go to switch from the wireless while on a call the extra second or two it takes to set those connections back up is too long to keep the call going.

i suppose you could test it by one morning before making a call and leaving the house, turn wi-fi off long enough to connect back to the edge network then turn it back on to get back on the wireless. then make your call and leave and see if it drops.

but the router locking up still makes me think it is your router.

I've fixed similar issues by resetting the router to factory defaults and then try again. Then slowly add back in your settings.

I am downloading the open source code for that router as I type this.

I can turn on the phone on EDGE and then activate WiFI and everything works perfectly, roaming both ways and all. The problem happens when I go in the house and loose EDGE. I can go back outside where there is 3 bars of coverage and the phone will NEVER connect to EDGE as long as the UMA connection is running. It's like the router isn't opening a port that allows the phone to look for EDGE. Per another post I opened the two ports that they recommend opening for UMA, still no luck.

so if your phone has a uma connection it isn't looking for the edge network? that is how it is supposed to work. the handset will stay connected to uma until it is no longer able to maintain that uma connection and then it will change over to edge.

maybe i'm just not understanding the issue you are having at this point other than your router is locking up.

Yes, but when it changes over to EDGE while on my router, it also closes the EDGE connection

if your device has an edge connection on it, you are no longer going through the router for voice calls. if you are still connected to your router then data will still go over the internet connection, though.

again, i'm not sure what you mean with your post when you say "it also closes the EDGE connection".

so your phone says sos on it or just has a red x where the signal bars usually go? if so, that sounds like a poor cell coverage issue in your house.

Have you tried a different OS? Maybe a downgrade to see if it's in the OS?

I don't know anything about this but it would seem that this has something to do with it. Seems you are leaving WiFi but you have little to no cell coverage so the network has trouble handing off the call. That would explain the call dropping but I don't know why the router would lock up???

Maybe you should get one of those signal enhancers that go under the battery. It won't fix the problem but it will make you feel like you gave it a good try.. (y)

Good catch. Yeah, if the cell signal is not too good the call might drop. Not sure why the router would lock either, though.

Well, here is what's happening, whether I am on the phone talking or not.

The router is doing something to prevent the handover to EDGE. Either it is not releasing the UMA, or something is blocking the phone's ability to communicate two ways with the GSM/EDGE network when I'm on UMA. I can tell when the phone is talking to the cell network while I'm on EDGE because the red light isn't blinking.

If I then go to connection settings and TURN OFF Wi-FI, the connection to cellular goes DEAD and starts all over coming up on GSM first.

I've seen this when I'm in a roaming area. Where are you located?

I'm not in a roaming area. Northern California, near San Mateo. Plus it only happens on my router. There is a restaurant 1000 feet from me with Wi-Fi, and it works perfectly as does it at Starbucks, Best Buy, etc etc. So, I do not think it is the phone software

Did you try this?

Backup your router settings. There should be a place to do this.

Then reset the router to factory defaults. Set it up with no security. Then try connecting your BB to it and try it again. This will rule out any settings you may have messed with and forgotten about.

If it works, go from there. If not, you can restore your backup and all settings will be back how they were again.

I have tried that twice. The only thing that I did not do is turn off the firewall after resetting it. I'll try that, but I doubt that will have any effect

Just reset the router again tonight and nothing new except that usually everytime right after I either re-flash or reset router to factory settings it works a couple of times.

I can see what's going on on the phone when UMA fails to hand off to EDGE. the uma dies and for a VERY brief time I can see the three or four EDGE bars, then the phone completely disconnects and starts back on GSM!!