DSL modem constant rebooting???

[novice]

I have run into a unique problem. Don't know if this should be posted in the motherboard forum, general hardware, overclocking or here. Guess I can start it here and if the mods think it should be moved, then I guess it will. I have 4 systems sharing an ADSL internet connection. Three of them are in a room together wired by cat5 cable thru a D-Link router and also a D-Link Wireless access point to the system upstairs provides a wireless connection to that system. It has worked fine for the past year and a half. Currently all systems are running Win2K. The upstairs system is nothing fancy, 850 Duron, Chaintech KT133E chipset motherboard, etc. the 3 systems downstairs are used more for gaming and more demanding tasks. There are 2 systems utilizing KT3 Ultra2 motherboards and overclocked XP 1700+ cpus running 2.0 and 2.1 ghz respectively. The other system was a K7T Turbo with an XP1700 Palomino running either stock or very slightly overclocked. As it was, it worked flawlessly for sharing the internet connection. At least as flawlessly as Verizon can provide. Yesterday, I upgraded the K7T Turbo system with a Shuttle AN35N Nforce 2 Ultra 400 motherboard, another XP 1700+ Thoroughbred B, 2x256 mb PC-2700 ram and a speeze hsf. I also swapped out the old Enlight 300W power supply and installed a generic Extreme 320W PSU. The enlight only showed 10.0 amps on the 12V rail, and the generic unit showed 15.A. So I figured the generic supply might be better for overclocking the XP 1700. I got the system put together, and it works fine. I configured the network and it too, seemed to be running fine with the onboard LAN and sound. I nudged the CPU up to about 1.8 Ghz and the fsb at 166 and it seemed to be stable in a couple of benchmarks. That's when I noticed the DSL modem constantly rebooting itself. And it only does it when the newly upgraded machine is turned on! Does anyone have a clue why this would occur? It even does it when the upgraded system is NOT connected to the network. Is it possible that the cheapo power supply is causing such a load on the electrical circuit in the room that it could cause the modem to constantly reboot? (The DSL modem is plugged directly into a wall outlet, per Verizon's recommendation) If I shut off the new machine, then the other 3 can access the internet, surf and run together just fine. But if I shut them all down and try to run just the Shuttle upgraded machine, the modem reboots so often that I can't even access the internet. Shut down the shuttle, boot up any or all of the other machines, and the DSL modem is stable once again. Pretty Bizarre. I would like to be able to run all the machines and be able to share my broadband internet connection between them. Is it possible that a new better quality power supply could fix this problem? Do I need to have an electrician come in and evaluate my circuitry in my house? Should I just forget the upgraded Shuttle and be happy with the others that can work at the same time? Would appreciate any constructive comments and am curious if anyone else has ever encountered anything similar. Sorry this was so long, but it is a little complicated and I am clueless as to how to proceed.
Chuck

 

[Soybomb]

omg paragraphs

If you think its electrically related, run an extension cord to the modem from an outlet thats on another breaker and see if it changes. I would guess its a coincidence and you've just got some line noise starting up or something, but it does sound funny.

 

[FracturedSoul]

Doesn't sound like Verizon is making much sense here. You want the ADSL modem on something that cleans up the power, spikes are very bad and electrical are much more common then a surge through the phone system. If you have a cheapo UPS try the modem on that.... if not maybe get one and put your phone, modem and small stuff you want protected on it. You can get a decent one for about 50 bucks. Once it is charged and is connected to the modem you'll know for sure whether its the modem or power.

 

[novice]

"omg paragraphs"

Sorry, I didn't intend to ramble on so long. I am sure my High School HA English teacher is rolling over in her grave....

 

[novice]

Still not sure exactly what the problem was, but have found at least a temporary soluition. First, I ran an extension cord from the hallway (outlet on a different circuit) and plugged the DSL modem into the extension cord. Surprise! No more rebooting modem. So just as an afterthought, I decided to try plugging the DSL modem into one of the surge protectors in the computer room. Amazing, it now seems to work fine.
I guess now I can put off purchasing the Enlight 420W power supply until I decide on the video card upgrade. For now, I can make do with the Geforce 3. The 12V rail still reads a little lower than I like to see, (11.79V) but at least the modem is stable. I did have two hard lockups in Half Life so the system may still be sorting out a few kinks. Thanks for the replies.