EMF-Noise problems?

[Jwyatt]

OK, Heres the problem. It first arose when I installed my DSL service a few LOOONG weeks ago. I had everything up and running after a couple hours, more like 10 hours(friggin alltel didnt put all the info needed to setup the effecient networks modem up correctly!)

I go away from my computer for the night when I come back all the modem lights are on, which is good. I wiggle the ball on my trakball and the monitor wakes up(only the monitor goes in suspend). I try to connect and get the infamous IE error. NO connection. I look up and see my ATM(wan side of modem) light is out and the DSL light is blinking orange and green. Enet light is still green. Hmm...check a couple things all looks good then the ATM light comes back green and the DSL as well. Cool im cooking now.

Browse, check mail all looks good. Off to work I go. Come home after a 14 hour day and sit in front of the comp, look up and see all the lights shinning pretty as you please. Wigge the mouse, monitor wakes then I look up and see the dog on atm light out and dsl light blinking again. Hmm...wait like 20 seconds and the ATM goes green again and the DSL light stays green. Coom im cooking again.

Well this happens every time. I changed my setting for the monitor not to shut off to bandage the problem. Well now I have discovered when I reboot the computer the dsl/atm light does the same thing when the monitor blinks at the desktop upon boot up. Weird, huh? Also when playing games on the net the monitor blinks....same thing the dsl/atm lights do the same $hit.

2 NICs, 2 cat5 cables and 2 dsl modems later I think I have it figured out. When I connect the exact same computer to my 15" Monitor on the same desk this doesnt happen. I havnt tried another cable on the monitor yet, but I did reroute the cable and that didnt make a difference.

Just wondering if moving the modem, router and switch might help. There is a small compartment above my monitor thats about 16" wide and 5"high above the monitor that I have it all sitting in. The compartment is seperated by a 5/8 peice of particle board(cheap desk). I even tried triple layer of some thich aluminum foil to act as a shield, but that didnt help.

Any comments or suggestions would be apreciated.

Thanks

Jerry

 

[Heisenberg]

My guess is when the monitor switches modes, it emits a burst of RFI that messes with your DSL modem. Those things are really sensitive to line noise. I used to hear a burst of static on my radio whenever my computer rebooted, so its a common type thing. As far as fixing it, I'm not sure. It depends on where the noise is getting to the modem from. If it's coming in through the case, then moving the modem will help. If it's coming in through either the cat5 or the phone line itself, you need some way to put distance between the monitor and the cables, or try shielding the cables somehow. I suspect since you have the modem right above the monitor, the noise is coming in through the phone line and interrupting the connection for a few seconds.

 

[Jwyatt]

Messed with it somemore after I posted.

I moved the power cable to the monitor away from the cat5 and the phone line. Seems to have "fixed" it so far.

One question. Could it be that this particular modem is sensitive to noise? meaning if I replace it with another one. Maybe the problems will go away.

 

[Heisenberg]

Well, DSL by its nature doesn't like noise. You could try other model modems and see if they are able to better handle the interference. However, if what you did to fix it isn't going to be a major problem, I'm not sure it's worth trying several different modems just to find one that works. EMI is just sort of a fact of life with anything electronic - occasionally stuff like your problem occurs. It just depends on how much time and money you want to put into finding a way around it.

 

[Jwyatt]

Your right. I really dont want to fool around and especially dont want to spend more money. I was thinking of returning this modem for a replacement to see if the problem is with the model or with this particular modem. If its the model or cant be resolved with my current situation then Ill move things around and route my cable through some panduit I have laying around. Stuff works really good on my entertainment system. Cleans the mess up.

Thanks for your help.