Can a router drop only the internet connection?

[edprush]

I recently purchased a Linksys WRT54G router. I have upgraded the firmware.

Several times per week I lose my internet connection when I'm connected to the modem via the router. When I call my ISP they said the service is not down.

When I lose the connection I remove the router and connect my computer directly to the modem--still no connection.

Could the router somehow wreak havoc on the modem?

Any other suggestions?

 

[ojai00]

Are you downloading files using BitTorrent? If so, Linksys WRT54Gs have a problem where it does not release its idle connections for five days. Depending on the version of your router, you may be able to flash it with third-party firmware to decrease the time that it releases idle connections. I'm using DDWRT. Hope this helps.

 

[TC10284]

I have had some Linksys routers do that to me in the past. Namely, the BEFSR41/81 series. I had to power cycle the router in order to get the connection back, or wait for an hour or so for it to come back up. I could stil access my network resources also. When I connected a PC directly to my modem everyhing worked fine for that one PC of course. I never found a fix for it even with the latest firmware version for the time.

When you are connecting your PC directly to the modem, are you power cycling the modem? If you don't, it will still have the MAC address of your router's WAN interface port and not your PC NIC MAC address. That means, your cable modem won't work after a switch like that until you power cycle it or spoof the MAC to match your router MAC.

 

[edprush]

Originally posted by: ojai00
Are you downloading files using BitTorrent? If so, Linksys WRT54Gs have a problem where it does not release its idle connections for five days. Depending on the version of your router, you may be able to flash it with third-party firmware to decrease the time that it releases idle connections. I'm using DDWRT. Hope this helps.

I haven't got around to BitTorrent yet.

What do you mean by an "idle connection?" If I was d/l my connection wouldn't be idle, right?

 

[edprush]

Originally posted by: TC10284
I have had some Linksys routers do that to me in the past. Namely, the BEFSR41/81 series. I had to power cycle the router in order to get the connection back, or wait for an hour or so for it to come back up. I could stil access my network resources also. When I connected a PC directly to my modem everyhing worked fine for that one PC of course. I never found a fix for it even with the latest firmware version for the time.

When you are connecting your PC directly to the modem, are you power cycling the modem? If you don't, it will still have the MAC address of your router's WAN interface port and not your PC NIC MAC address. That means, your cable modem won't work after a switch like that until you power cycle it or spoof the MAC to match your router MAC.

I am not power cycling my my modem nor router. Mainly because I don't know what that means.

How do you power cycle the Linksys router?

Also, I am using an ethernet antenna (similiar to:http://www.jts.net/OrthogonWirelessEthernetBridge.htm]

The modem is built into the antenna (I think) so I don't know how to power cycle that either.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: edprush
When I lose the connection I remove the router and connect my computer directly to the modem--still no connection.

That means that one of the following might cause it.

1. Your Modem is problematic.

2. The service is problematic.

3. There is an Authentication problem.

You did not indicate what type of connection you have and the way it siauthenticating.

In addition take into consideration that the ISP capacity to evaluate problems though their computesr is rather limited. They pretend as thought it is all know it tool, but that is true as the claim that Entry Level Wireless can do 300 feet indoor.

Cable Internet authentication, How to Fix Cable/DSL Internet authentication (password).

DSL, http://www.ezlan.net/PPPOE.html

:sun:

 

[nweaver]

Based on the stuff provided, the OP is using a WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider). OP, you don't have a "modem", you have a radio, or bridge

to power cycle your "modem" (which isn't even close to a modem) you need to pull the ethernet plug from the power injector (there should be an ethernet cable, that plugs into something connected to power before connecting to your machine) for several seconds.

Check your router's configuration and see if you are using DHCP or if you have a static IP (we use only static IP's on our WISP)

when the internet dies, unplug the ethernet plugged into the device (either from the device end, although it's probably hanging on your house, or the power injector end) plug the bridge from the router's internet port into your ethernet, plug the power injector back in to power up the bridge. change IP settings if required and then test it.


WISP's are a bit differnet then DSL or cable, as they have to have IP Connectivity to test their bridge, although that doesn't rule out their end either, it's just mostly ruled out.

 

[edprush]

Originally posted by: JackMDS

Originally posted by: edprush
When I lose the connection I remove the router and connect my computer directly to the modem--still no connection.

That means that one of the following might cause it.

1. Your Modem is problematic.

2. The service is problematic.

3. There is an Authentication problem.

You did not indicate what type of connection you have and the way it siauthenticating.

In addition take into consideration that the ISP capacity to evaluate problems though their computesr is rather limited. They pretend as thought it is all know it tool, but that is true as the claim that Entry Level Wireless can do 300 feet indoor.

Cable Internet authentication, How to Fix Cable/DSL Internet authentication (password).

DSL, http://www.ezlan.net/PPPOE.html

:sun:

I have wireless internet. There is a antenna mounted on a grain bin and I have a receiver on my rooftop.

 

[edprush]

That is a very interesting and informative post nweaver, thanks.

My ISP said to me that my receiver was also my modem. I imagine they said that just so I didn't question how the connection actually worked.

Well my connection is back up right now. My ISP called me back and said that the anatenna on the grain bin had to be replaced so "you should be back up and running."

Oddly now I can only get my internet connection via my router. When I connect directly to the power injector and enter the appropriate IP and DNS information I can't connect. I wonder if this could be due to some MAC Address difference between the router and the stand-alone PC?

I could have sworn that my ISP told me that they don't do any MAC authentification.

Any ideas why I can't connect to the internet WITHOUT the router?