Internet Connection Problems! I am out of solutions!

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
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I will try and make this as brief and simple as possible.

This is my current router:

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCa...cess?Product_Id=459569

My cable modem is made by Arris and also is connected to my phones.



The problem I have is that my router will randomly turn off and then back on, but not always. Sometimes just the Modem and Internet lights shut off, and sometimes all the lights on the router shut off. This can happen once in two days, or as much as once every five minutes for several hours at a time. The router acts as if it lost power and then regained it. My house doesn't have power flickering issues, not a single other device in my entire house behaves like this.

I have been through three completely different routers that all do this.

I plugged the router into several different wall outlets to assure that that isn't the problem.

I have replaced every single ethernet cable in my network.

I have been through two cable modems.(Both the same model) I have never updated nor do I know how to update the cable modem firmware.

I have called the ISP and had them come out here multiple times to try and fix the problem. The only thing they do is say "Well it shouldn't be doing that, I don't know what to tell you, kthxbye."



I don't believe the problem is router related at all. I believe the problem is either directly caused by the cable modem or by the service itself. I don't really understand how anything the cable modem does could shut off the router like this though, but having been through multiple routers and multiple firmware versions on each router to no avail, I am out of ideas. The problem does not happen if the modem is connected directly to the computer. I don't believe it's possible that every single router I purchased is defective.


This problem has been a thorn in my side for several months now. I seriously doubt anyone will be able to help me at all, but I am completely out of ideas.

Thanks in advance.
 

bobdole369

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2004
4,504
2
0
I have been through three completely different routers that all do this.

3 vendors? 3 diff models??!!! Wow. Power issue. Crazy ass interference, like a ham radio op or a cb-guy with a linear amplifer nearby could induce enough voltage on the cable line or phone line to do whacky stuff to the electronics inside.

Perhaps a really bad wiring job or ungrounded cable line brings interference into the house?
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
I don't think it is a power issue because absolutely nothing but my routers do this. Nothing in the whole house shows any sign of power flicker, not lights, not anything.

The house is pretty old, I think a bad wiring job is possible. The ISP has come out and put new connectors and stuff on the poles outside, but that didn't help any. Would that really explain why the routers act like they lose power though? The router behaves the same when this happens as if I unplugged it from the wall and plugged it back in really fast.
 

JackMDS

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 25, 1999
29,466
384
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First step Modem directly at the direct input into the house and one computer directly on it., disconnected from phone, the inside network, or whatever else rides on the system in the house.

If it does not work, then it is really the ISP responsibility to make it work under this condition.

Right Now, it is easy to them to dismiss you because it is Not their responsibility to provide you with support for your network, and whatever hardware you choose to plug into it,

If it does work well under such clean setting, then apologize to the ISP ;), and continuer from there.
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
I believe this ISP actually does claim to do home network customer support, not that I think they would do anything I wouldn't be able to. I have reason to believe that their setup is what is causing my problem, it's not anything I have to date been able to fix, despite everything I have tried. Any kind of network that has been connected to this modem so far will experience these issues.
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
Update: The router does not power on/off without being connected to the cable modem. Therefore the problem is caused by the cable modem or the service itself. Any ideas?

Sometimes my net cuts out and none of the lights on the modem or the router come off at all.
 

ScottMac

Moderator<br>Networking<br>Elite member
Mar 19, 2001
5,471
2
0
Any chance your neighbors are poaching / trying to poach your signal? OR maybe a neighbor is doing something to their service and may be accidentally screwing up your connection?

Usually random power drops would lead me to check / examine / change the wall wart, but if you've changed the whole modem (including the wall wart) then that would be ruled out. They're usually cheap pieces of crap and are the weak link 99.9% of the time.

Make sure the modem (and wall wart) has plenty of airflow around them. IF they overheat, then it can cause flaky performance and power drops (until it colls down enough ... then it's back ... until it heats up again, then it powers off .....{repeat}

Good Luck
Scott

 

mxnerd

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2007
6,799
1,100
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I think it's very likely you are running P2P programs (eMule, BitTorrent, etc)

This kind of behaveior is caused by router / modem which can't handle too many connections at a time. But once you connect your computer directly to the internet, the symptom is gone, because the computer / O.S. can handle it.

Stop running those program for several days and see what happens.

If it's confirmed that it's P2P program causing problem, then you have to reduce the allowed # of concurrent connections in those program.

 

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
19,003
24
81
cable or dsl? get another model of modem and see if that helps?
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
Happens whether I am running p2p or not, but I do notice it happens more when I am running p2p. Might just be coincidence though. This is really annoying because my net drops me off of aim, irc, or out of games I am playing, whether I am running p2p or not. I don't even use p2p heavily at all or very often.

I actually do have some stuff sitting on the modem, so I will try running it with nothing near it and see if maybe overheating has anything to do with it.

The router doesn't even power off every time though. Probably just as often as that, just the "modem" and "internet" lights on it turn off only.

I am using cable.

If a neighbor is doing anything to their connection, I don't see any way to find out myself and I don't see any solution in that case.

I will repeat that the problem does not exist at all if I am connected directly from cable modem to pc.

Thanks everyone for trying to help me out. This problem is like the bane of my existence right now and it means a lot to me :)
 

mxnerd

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2007
6,799
1,100
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Overheating could be a possibility. Another problem could be that the cable inside your house is too old and the signal is too weak or unstable. Ask your ISP do some remote signal trouble shooting.



 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
I have been inside the modem firmware and spoke to a friend who knows what all that stuff means and he says the signal strength seems perfectly fine. With all the advice so far, I am still having net disconnection issues. So overheating and p2p are eliminated as culprits. I no longer think power is an issue at all because the net still drops sometimes even if the router doesn't seem to lose power.

The way I test for a net disconnection is I just download this:

http://www.gamershell.com/download_20867.shtml

It's big enough that my net will almost always die at some point during this download and the download freezes. My idea is if I can download this 5-10x without issue, then my net is probably fixed.

I am so confused by this I don't know anymore. Sometimes my whole router seems to shut off(Which interrupts lan activities), and sometimes it just flashes the modem lights as if the connection with the cable modem was interrupted. The problem happens even if only one computer is on the network doing nothing but firefox and aim, so I don't think the number of network clients and the data going through it has much to do with it. I'm to the point where I would just stop using a router altogether if I didn't have a network. So troublesome!

Edit: My networking friend suggested I have a tech guy come out and test the line to see if the pole outside is properly grounded. He says it's possible that voltage spikes are going through the line and causing the router to screw up. This seems plausible to me because the cable modem has a built in battery backup and my pc could probably tolerate minor power fluctuations. I am going to buy a UPS next week to see if that helps anything too.
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
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76
It can't be that. I have had this problem ever since I moved to this house, I have been on multiple different machines through multiple fresh installs of windows. I would also say I am extremely good with software and common sense and none of my machines have any form of unwanted software on them. The whole network is affected by this, not just my desktop. Xbox 360 and Wii online games get timed out, same with pc games.
 

mxnerd

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2007
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1,100
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Well, I have tried my best. Go to dslreports.com and see if you can find your answer
there.
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
I am thinking about everything and more and more it just seems like an electricity issue. Going to see if a UPS solves the problem. I am reasonably confident now that it will and I really hope it will :)
 

mxnerd

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2007
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UPS won't solve your problem. It's not power problem. If it's power problem, then your PC will be shutdown in less than 1 second when it happens, not just your modem/router.

If you tried everything, and you are sure if the computer connect directly to the modem then the problem is gone, then maybe find a low power old computer / laptop and make an IPCop firewall/router out of it is another option.

And, the final resort, change ISP and switch to DSL.
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
My power supply is likely way more resistant to power fluctuation than a router would be, same with most other big expensive electronics. Otherwise everything in my house would turn off when lights flicker. My cable modem has a battery backup, so that explains why it doesn't shut off. This theory also has support because it would explain the largely random nature of my problem.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
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Go with the UPS, at least just to test. There's a deal in the Hot Deals forum for a UPS for $20 from Staples.
 

kevnich2

Platinum Member
Apr 10, 2004
2,465
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76
Honestly, I wouldn't have important electronics NOT on a UPS but that's just me. If the UPS doesn't fix it, call up your ISP and request they change out your cable modem with another.
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
Bump. My ups arrives friday, I will see if that helps. Unfortunately, my wifi seems to have completely ceased to function. Could the power fluctuations have damaged the router? No settings were changed in the router when this happened. I tried resetting factory defaults and flashing firmware, wifi still doesn't work. How do network people sleep at night.....
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
Originally posted by: Modelworks
When you changed out the router did you change out the wall adapter too ?

Yes.

Absolutely everything physical in my home network has been replaced at least once.


Some thoughts of mine: Could I be under a DOS attack of some sort? A flood of connections? Electricity isn't the problem, my hardware isn't the problem. I did notice that my connection would drop more often if I was running a torrent. Could this mean anything? The router will still completely shut down and then come back on, even when on my brand new ups. I don't have any such problems if I just plug the cable modem into my pc.

This is my ups if that matters at all:

http://www.provantage.com/cybe...-cp685avr~7CYPR01X.htm