Problems with a Cyber Café, need help URGENTLY!

[starriol]

I have a cyber cafe (a place were people pay to connect to Internet, I don't know if they are called the same in your country) with 12 PCs plus the server and we are having very big problems connecting to Internet.

Sometimes we can?t access hotmail, yahoo mail or even Microsoft Messenger. This is totally random and when it happens, it happens on every PC, including the server (which is used just for controlling the rest of the PC, it?s nothing more). The rest of Internet services work ok.
When trying to access to yahoo mail or hotmail, we have no problems loading the main page. The problem is after entering the username and password. It says ?cannot find page? error. When entering to MSN Messenger I get: ?cannot connect at this time, please try again later?.

The network diagram is as follows:

ISP
^
^
^
AR-7024 Edimax Router>>>>>>>Server PC
^
^
^
Encore Switch
^
^
^
All the other 12 PC

I think the problem might be that the router is oriented towards usage at a home and can't handle so many connections, and this is worse considering that the router has to manage all the connections from the client side PC and the server. The Cyber Control software sends network packages to the client side PC once every second, so I guess that would load up the network. BUT I changed that to once every 10 seconds and nothing.

And the weird thing is that this is happening when entering to mail and messenger.
Maybe both use HTTPS? Maybe the problem is something along those lines?

Any ideas? My business is on stake here, think of how angry my customers are when they can?t access to their mail .

 

[amdskip]

Well you obviously need a real routing solution and not a for home use router. What the heck does the server do? Will the mail work if you connect directly to your connection and bypass the router? Maybe you have an ISP problem.

 

[starriol]

The server just controls the client computers.

I can't try that, the adsl modem is integrated on the router...

 

[JackMDS]

The Router in most DSL Modem/Router combos is very simple, and not so good.

There were designed to solve ISP's PPPOE software logon flood of support call, and thus provide a bare minimum device.

If you can, get a better Router, and set the Combo to act as Modem only.

:sun:

 

[furballi]

Connect ONE PC directly to the modem/router. Retest. If okay, then spend more $ on better hardware. If not okay, then it could be a firewall issue (assuming that your browser is okay). I'd download Opera 9 and retest to eliminate possible browser problem.

Next time, invest some $ in quality hardware and technical support. You shouldn't be charging people $ and, in return, provide crappy service.

Random login problem tends to be hardware and/or traffic related issues.

 

[starriol]

The problem is ONLY with webpages that requiere username / password authentication.

It used to work ok, now I reseted the router and it doens't.

What could be configured wrongly at the router?

 

[starriol]

I tried disconnecting the router and connecting an USB ADSL modem I had.

Same thing! I can't enter to yahoo mail, hotmail, messenger, except when the thing wants me to.

It's totally random when it works and not.

When using the messenger "problem solver", the sub rutine that checks the connection, it fails in the key ports section. It says "failing connecting to the service. check your proxy and security server".

So the router/modem from edimax is not the problem, nor the Encore switch (or so it seems to me at least).

Any ideas guy? I'm desesperated!

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: furballi
Connect ONE PC directly to the modem/router. Retest. If okay, then spend more $ on better hardware. If not okay, then it could be a firewall issue (assuming that your browser is okay). I'd download Opera 9 and retest to eliminate possible browser problem.

Next time, invest some $ in quality hardware and technical support. You shouldn't be charging people $ and, in return, provide crappy service.

Random login problem tends to be hardware and/or traffic related issues.

 

[starriol]

^^^??

 

[starriol]

I connected 2 differents PC of these which has a telephonic modem and had PERFECT access to yahoo mail, gmail, hotmail and messenger.
Could it be some kind of firewall misconfiguration on all the PCs that is making trouble?

They are windows xp sp1, sp2 and without service pack.

The same day this started happening I installed Outpost firewall on one PC. Then, the same day, I uninstalled it.

Could it had something to do? Maybe in some weird way it changed the network configuration on all the PC?

Because today I couldn't access with any type of adsl modem on that PC and another one on the network, but on dialup with the same PC it's all ok.

But when entering with adsl I entered with an USB modem twice, which I assume doesn't use the LAN card. Is that correct?

So, my basic question is: Is there ANYTHING that could be wrong besides my ISP that I should check out before switching to a better one?

 

[JackMDS]

Uninstall Outpost (and disable Outpost Service it it stays around).

:sun: