A way to trace all my incoming/outgoing packets...

[Sqube]

I've got 3.0 Mbps aDSL with Verizon in Maryland. Periodically, and following no particular logic that I can comprehend, my internet connection will die on me.

As far as I've been able to tell, my computer keeps sending out packets as normal; it just doesn't get any responses.

Is there a program and/or a way for me to figure out what would be randomly killing my connection? It's almightily irritating for me trying to play Guild Wars and rush everyone through missions so that I can get them done before my internet connection quits on me.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Ethereal will show you what's on the wire. Did you call Verizon or whoever about the issue? What do you have to do to fix the issue?

 

[bruceb]

Bit of advice re dsl service .... depending on how far you are from the Central Office (about 17000 feet is maximum) the service can either
be slow or unstable ... dsl runs at frequencies of up to 10Mhz ... the number of mini dsl filters in your home is also important .. more than 4
will cause trouble

Best way to fix it is to Buy a Whole House DSL Filter (a verizon tech may provide it for you if you ask) ... it gets installed at the point
where your telephone line enters your home ... it will have two (2) outputs .. on Filtered for the Voice Telephone Sets
and the other is a direct feed that goes to the DSL Modem ... you will need to run a good quailty cable from the splitter to the dsl modem

You will most likely find that this can solve the problem

You can find the filters here: http://www.homephonewiring.com/splitters.html

 

[Sqube]

I called Verizon once; they told me to replace the phone cord. I have a hard time crediting this though, since the problem is so intermittent. It happened a couple months ago, and it's starting to happen again now. If it was the phone line, wouldn't it happen with more frequency?

More importantly, it's not like the thing is about a year old, at the most.

Also, I think I have about 4 filters in the house, so I guess I should look into one of those whole house filters. There's a Verizon building that's about a half a mile from my house, but I don't know if it's a central office or not.

Thanks for the help though; I'm going to download Ethereal and see if it can find something out for me.

 

[Sqube]

Well, I downloaded Ethereal. It looks very fascinating and I'm sure that it would be able to point me in the right direction if I had any inkling as to how the hell it's supposed to work. I guess I'll be looking through the manual and the FAQ; in the meantime, if anyone has any quick pointers in terms of what I should be doing and/or looking for, it would be appreciated.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: Sqube
Well, I downloaded Ethereal. It looks very fascinating and I'm sure that it would be able to point me in the right direction if I had any inkling as to how the hell it's supposed to work.

Ethereal is a great program, but I don't think it's going to help you. You would have to run the sniffer until the problem occurs to get a reading of what's on the wire when it fails, but even if you did, it would proably just show the flow of traffic suddenly stopping.

It's going to be the filters, the wiring, the modem, or the router. Does rebooting the router or modem help? Could try flashing the firmwares too. You will have to replace the phone cables to check them, unless you have access to test equipment, but it shouldn't be expensive. Same with the filters. Once you eliminate all that stuff call the ISP and demand they run tests on the lines to your house.

 

[Sqube]

Rebooting the modem does seem to help; actually, getting a new modem might not be a bad idea either. I've got Verizon DSL, but my modem says Bell Atlantic on it.

I think I'll look for a firmware update, run my connection ragged, and see if that fixes the problem. Of course... it's hard to run the internet ragged when running it ragged doesn't even guarantee that the problem will occur. For instance, right now I'm downloading from BitSpirit, Shareaza, chatting, and surfing the net. My internet isn't even breathing heavily. Other times, I'll be playing Guild Wars by itself and my connection will quit. Maddening.

Edit: Can't find a firmware update; found a diagnostic utility that apparently cannot recognize my modem. I can't even begin to understand what that's supposed to mean.