My internet connection is constantly failing

crispygoat · #1 01-11-2010, 05:42 PM

For some reason my internet connection keeps failing? I've contacted my ISP but they say it's not a problem with them. The router keeps restarting every now and then and I can't seem to find what's the problem. The laptop and the PS3 are wireless while the desktop is wired and the router constantly restarts. I also tried another router but no luck... Sometimes, I get a message saying "IP Conflict". Any ideas?

Thanks

Bob Lee (QSC) · #2 01-11-2010, 05:46 PM

It's been fine over here.

TrooperFarva · #3 01-11-2010, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crispygoat

For some reason the internet keeps failing? I've contacted my ISP but they say it's not a problem with them. The router keeps restarting every now and then and I can't seem to find what's the problem. The laptop and the PS3 are wireless while the desktop is wired and the router constantly restarts. I also tried another router but no luck... Sometimes, I get a message saying "IP Conflict". Any ideas?

Thanks

Where do you get that message? On your computer, or on the Router GUI? What kind of router is it? What kind of internet service do you have?

crispygoat · #4 01-11-2010, 05:55 PM

It says so on my computer, but not all the time. I therefore decided to put a Static IP on my computer, but it still disconnects. Both routers were cheap d-links. It's a cable connection

TrooperFarva · #5 01-11-2010, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crispygoat

It says so on my computer, but not all the time. I therefore decided to put a Static IP on my computer, but it still disconnects. Both routers were cheap d-links. It's a cable connection

I think your problem is that you set your Static IP address to an address within the range of DHCP addresses.

Disconnect your other machines, and with the machine that has a static IP, log into the router configuration. Look for the DHCP section. Set the starting address to 192.168.1.100, and reserve 20 addresses. Save and reboot the router. Change the IP on the static machine to 192.168.1.200. That should stop the IP conflicts, and might solve all your problems.

crispygoat · #6 01-11-2010, 07:10 PM

I changed my Static IP to x.200. We'll see if the problem still occurs, but it was happening before I put a static ip, so I don't know see how this could fix it...

thanks for the help!

TrooperFarva · #7 01-11-2010, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crispygoat

I changed my Static IP to x.200. We'll see if the problem still occurs, but it was happening before I put a static ip, so I don't know see how this could fix it...

thanks for the help!

Some routers, D-Links especially, are pretty terrible at assigning DHCP addresses to multiple devices at the same time.

Did you change your DHCP address range? Your best bet might be to set static IPs on all your local machines, or, if the router has it, use Static DHCP. It allows you to leave your computers configured to obtain an IP address, but the router will recognize each computer by its MAC address, and assign it the same address each time.

crispygoat · #8 01-11-2010, 07:35 PM

I didn't change the DHCP address range. It's been working great so far, I got to play on the PS3 and it didn't even disconnect!

That's what I thought the problem was but the Static IP I put was within the DHCP range which I thought had to be - mind explaining why it had to be out of the DHCP range? The Static IP I set was x.150 figuring the router wouldn't go that far...

The desktop belongs to the landlord / women I live with, I rather not touch her computer. I don't even think the router can use Static DHCP. Now the only problem is that I can't assign a Static IP to the PS3... for some reason I always get a "DCHP error" even though the DHCP should be 192.168.0.1? That's what the router and ipconfig /all says.

SMASH · #9 01-11-2010, 07:41 PM

TrooperFarva, any idea about this ... ?

Mine does something similar, also a wireless D-Link with a hardwired PC and wireless laptop and sometimes cell phone. Usually just the laptop though. Even without other devices on the router, meaning just one wireless device (very secure password, so no piggybackers I'm sure), it'll not reboot but just loose the connection. Definitely not out of range. I reboot the router and it's fine after. Happens about once a day, but sometimes not for a long time.

Thanks.

crispygoat · #10 01-11-2010, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMASH

TrooperFarva, any idea about this ... ?

Mine does something similar, also a wireless D-Link with a hardwired PC and wireless laptop and sometimes cell phone. Usually just the laptop though. Even without other devices on the router, meaning just one wireless device (very secure password, so no piggybackers I'm sure), it'll not reboot but just loose the connection. Definitely not out of range. I reboot the router and it's fine after. Happens about once a day, but sometimes not for a long time.

Thanks.

If the wired connection does not drop, it could be interference with your cellphone or something else?

**Staccato** · #11 01-11-2010, 07:47 PM

Some routers are dead out the box, or very short-lived. Could it have an intermittent problem requiring replacement?

SMASH · #12 01-11-2010, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crispygoat

If the wired connection does not drop, it could be interference with your cellphone or something else?

Very possible, as is an intermittent internal problem. We also have another cell phone and a wireless land line, not to mention a lot of outher wireless routers around - I just counted 11 of them, several with full signal strength. I can't ever find any consistency to the dropoffs, and sometimes I'm just a few feet away with no objects in the way. It isn't a big deal, but puzzling.

Thing is, if there is interference, shouldn't there be a reconnection once that's passed? When I reboot it, the laptop "sees" it and reconnects automatically with no problems.

The hardwired never drops off that I know of, at least not noticeably or requiring a router reboot. On the laptop, sometimes "repair connection" would work, or a reboot on the cellphone, but it's easier to just switch the router on and off.

Hardly enough hassle to be worth even fooling with the settings, much less buying a new one, unless someone happens to know exactly what's likely the problem.

TrooperFarva · #13 01-11-2010, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMASH

TrooperFarva, any idea about this ... ?

Mine does something similar, also a wireless D-Link with a hardwired PC and wireless laptop and sometimes cell phone. Usually just the laptop though. Even without other devices on the router, meaning just one wireless device (very secure password, so no piggybackers I'm sure), it'll not reboot but just loose the connection. Definitely not out of range. I reboot the router and it's fine after. Happens about once a day, but sometimes not for a long time.

Thanks.

Honestly, I've had nothing but bad experiences with D-Link routers. Netgear is pretty good, but every D-Link I've used has caused me problems, including the problems you're describing.

You may want to try changing the channel that it uses, there might be other Access Points in the area that use the same channel, causing some interference. Does the laptop have built-in wireless, or is it a card? Do other devices drop out, or just the laptop?

On a somewhat related note, my recommendation for a router for everyone is the Linksys WRT54G, the square blue kind, not the new one. The new ones have some problems, I hear, but the older ones, WRT54G v3 particularly, are bulletproof, and have legions of supporters, including firmware changes to allow more control. They can be had used for about $35.

SMASH · #14 01-11-2010, 08:04 PM

Laptop has built-in wireless, phone drops off too in the same way.

Maybe it's just a D-Link thing as you say. Will look into changing the channel.

Thanks everyone for the input.

KeiBau · #15 01-11-2010, 08:08 PM

Well, I've been battling this since last Thursday. I was fine at noon, but when I came home later in the day, my grandson said he could not get on the internet. I checked and neither could I. I called our ISP and asked if the system was down. They said that it had been earlier and they told me to reboot their modem, my router, and then to reboot my computer. Tried twice and did not work. They sent out two technicians within fifteen minutes (a perk of doing business with a local enterprise) and they determined that my router was defective. I thought "How convenient that my router would take a dump while their system was down". Well, I went out and got a "cheapy" router and was online. The new router was too cheap unfortunately so returned it (did not work with grandson's XBox 360 and was terrible with streaming video). We used my grandson's ethernet switch in the meantime, which worked, but not for the printer nor the wireless devices. I kept thinking about my Linksys being defective so began to study up on it a bit. I learned that the blinking, not solidly lit, power indicator meant that it was looking for firmware. I tried using the CD that came with the Linksys but found the router unusable for even retrieving the firmware. I unplugged the line cable from the router and plugged it directly into the back of the computer tower and was able to get online with the Linksys website support page. I downloaded updated firmware to my desktop, hooked the cables back up through the router, but still could not upload the firmware to the router. I wasn't about to give up because I still believed deep down that the router was not defective. After some searching, I discovered I could force the router into an emergency management mode and then I was able to bring up the router setup screen and then could upload the firmware from the desktop. I rebooted the router, the power light quit blinking immediately and I could then get online. Plus is that the router now works better than it ever had, until last night, Internet on off on off........... But the router seemed to be functioning OK. I then noticed our TV's were freezing up all evening, the same time we were losing Internet. Our ISP is our phone company and Cable TV provider. The DSL comes in through our TV Gateway. I contacted the phone company this morning to inform them of our difficulties and this time they wearliy admitted they were having problems, many people had already called in, and that they had a team of engineers working on the system. I told them of my Linksys problem and that I figured out how to repair the devices. If they began getting calls of defective routers to give me a call and I would go fix the units for them. I could really use the work. I've had service with this company for many years and this problem is not the norm. They've recently upgraded their system and all the Gateway boxes, but they have some bugs. Whatever happened last week knocked the firmware out of my router. Well, that's what I think anyway. I'm going to save TrooperFarva's suggestions in case I have additional problems. Anyway, when I read the OP's problem, I thought "Same here".

crispygoat · #16 01-11-2010, 08:27 PM

problem still occurs

TrooperFarva · #17 01-11-2010, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crispygoat

problem still occurs

An IP conflict, or the router restarting?

KeiBau · #18 01-11-2010, 09:05 PM

Here is a link to some advice pertaining to your problem. Also mentioned is updating the router's firmware. I did that to mine.
http://www.webopedia.com/didyouknow/..._Conflicts.asp

crispygoat · #19 01-11-2010, 09:12 PM

Router restarting.

Reading the article - thanks KeiBau, will try to update the firmware.

TrooperFarva · #20 01-11-2010, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crispygoat

Router restarting.

Reading the article - thanks KeiBau, will try to update the firmware.

Definitely try the firmware. If that doesn't work, do you have a new power supply you could try with the router? If you rule out the firmware and the power supply, you're just left with the router itself.