unstable internet

[richwarf]

Last few days i been getting very unstable internet.

I online as normal for about 30 secs, then it dead for a sec and back to normal again for 30 secs.

My ISP (NTL who is now virgin media) says it my router (which is a belkin wireless router with wireless turned off). But i tested it short term (about 1 hr) and i was still getting the same thing when it was my comouter pluged into there box. So i know it NOT a setting.

They asked me to leave just one computer wired in like that for 24 hrs. I cant do that as it will corse no end of argments about who can use it when. My house haves 2 main computers, 2 sub computers, and 2 sub laptops.

By main i mean always in use by some one, and sub is some times used. (mine is a main).

Any one know how or what i can do to get this fixed?

[AlbiorixNuck]

A few things really.

1. Have you checked the virgin site for outage in your area? They do have a tendancy recently for having outages.

2. How old is the ntl modem? I had the problem until they sent me a new modem that resolved the issue and now im upto 30meg again with no interruptions.

3. Have you tried resetting the modem?

4. Is there any significant downloading being done from all those machines at your home at the same time.

5. Have you ran viral, spyware and adaware scans?

If the modem is over id say 1.5yr old then I think you need to get them to send a new modem.

BTW Are you using a hub for all those machines?
Are they standard LAN cables?
When you loose connection do all the others in the house loose
connection?
Have you swaptested the cable?
Chked for an updated driver?
Are you vista or XP?

[richwarf]

Originally Posted by AlbiorixNuck 1. Have you checked the virgin site for outage in your area? They do have a tendancy recently for having outages.

I called them on the home phone and there is none in my area

Originally Posted by AlbiorixNuck 2. How old is the ntl modem? I had the problem until they sent me a new modem that resolved the issue and now im upto 30meg again with no interruptions.

about 2 years, and is worked as it shold (so they say)

Originally Posted by AlbiorixNuck 3. Have you tried resetting the modem?

Yes, the old one was dead from it age (5 yrs +) so a new one in now in it place, the old one was just cable, and we are only using it for the cable (even the wireless is turned off)

Originally Posted by AlbiorixNuck 4. Is there any significant downloading being done from all those machines at your home at the same time.

No, my PC was the only one powered on, since i was the only one at home, that was the frist thing i checked (all there power leads are unpluged)

Originally Posted by AlbiorixNuck 5. Have you ran viral, spyware and adaware scans?

AV scan yes, adaware no (whats a good one?), Spyware limited scan (what a good full one)

Originally Posted by AlbiorixNuck If the modem is over id say 1.5yr old then I think you need to get them to send a new modem. BTW Are you using a hub for all those machines? Are they standard LAN cables? When you loose connection do all the others in the house loose connection? Have you swaptested the cable? Chked for an updated driver? Are you vista or XP?

The box is about 2 years old i think, How long was it since the last post strike? that how long i had the box... the week the NTL killed itself is the week there was a postly strike...

The main computers (the ones i relly care about) are wired by 1m and 100m of network cables. (my PC is the one the 100m away).

I been unable to test on the other PC as much as my PC. But they all do the same thing at the same time ish, cant stream more that 30% of a youtube vid. Message things like MSN, ICQ ect work for about 30 secs and goes dead. Ventrillo does the same thing on my PC. Works for about 15 secs and dead...

All the computers are windows XP (mix of Pro, home and Med). One laptop is vis and the other is XP pro.

I have tested it not the cables, i know it NOT the network. I poped there box on my PC cable and it does the same thing.

I done window updates on ALL PC, even that a pain since i get about 30 secs into a downloand and i need to restart the download...

[Jzar]

I've been having the same problem off and on for the past 2 years with my Comcast Internet service. The crazy thing was that after a month of frustration when trying to raid or do dailies, it would go away! So it took a long time to actually solve. Every time it would appear at first, I'd call Comcast and they'd give me the same runarounds that NTL is giving you, and I eventually gave up calling and just endured it.

Well, I was having the problem again the past month, and got sick of it so badly I was finally driven to call and complain again. The technician on the phone pinged my cable modem, and found that the signal strength was pretty weak. He sent out a real tech to my door the next day. That tech found two things:

I'm in an apartment where the cable is split several times from the initial incoming cable to go to all the different apartments. Each time it's split, the signal suffers a little bit. He moved me up so that I was on the very first splitter to alleviate signal degradation to my unit due to the splitting.

Upon investigating the cable outside the apartment that leads to my wall plug, he also found that the cable had been cut and rejoined badly at some time in the past. The cable had been stripped too far (or something) so that there was actual metal cable that was unshielded, outside exposed to the elements. He cut that part out and joined it again, correctly this time.

He said that the minimum signal level for good Internet service was -7 dB, and mine had been -12. He was surprised my Internet even worked as well as it did. The two things he did for me took my signal up to -6, and I haven't disconnected from WoW since.

You may want to try to get a technician to come do a similar inspection of your physical setup. If you're lucky and get a helpful one, there may be similar actions he can take to help you out.

Good luck!

[Delmara]

I wonder if you are having an IP address conflict with somebody in your area. I have had this happen to me only one time. My modem was grabbing the same IP address as somebody else in my neighborhood and vice versa. I know this is an unlikely situation, but it's something to look into if all other possibilities have been exhausted.

Can you transfer files to/from all of the computers inside your network without any problems?

[richwarf]

it been fixed, turns out there was 2 things wrong...

1) the dam signal was 3 times to high,
2) there was a update for my box which messed it up...

[meralarrie]

im a cable tech for comcast. i run into this alot and i can give you the following help

192.168.100.1 -- modem page

upstream should be 32 to 54

dwn stream should be -8 to +8

SNR should be above 34 -35 some modems read low 35 is always the target

if thats good and your getting kicked off run an endless ping test for 5 mins if you have no huge amounts of loss its not bad cable so to say. make sure all your splitters are 5 - 1000 mghz

then it comes down to system noise. so get a tech out and ask if he can check the tap for noise ( pulling each drop off and checking the neighbors for noise ) port to port isolation is a farse and a .3 ohm 120 db isolator can't handle burst noise so it goes and allows the port to port to happen ( even though people swear it can't )

[richwarf]

Originally Posted by meralarrie im a cable tech for comcast. i run into this alot and i can give you the following help 192.168.100.1 -- modem page upstream should be 32 to 54 dwn stream should be -8 to +8 SNR should be above 34 -35 some modems read low 35 is always the target if thats good and your getting kicked off run an endless ping test for 5 mins if you have no huge amounts of loss its not bad cable so to say. make sure all your splitters are 5 - 1000 mghz then it comes down to system noise. so get a tech out and ask if he can check the tap for noise ( pulling each drop off and checking the neighbors for noise ) port to port isolation is a farse and a .3 ohm 120 db isolator can't handle burst noise so it goes and allows the port to port to happen ( even though people swear it can't )

Errm, thanks i think, this error was fixed as i already posted (2 posts up).
But thanks for trying to help

[Petrah]

Originally Posted by meralarrie im a cable tech for comcast. i run into this alot and i can give you the following help 192.168.100.1 -- modem page upstream should be 32 to 54 dwn stream should be -8 to +8 SNR should be above 34 -35 some modems read low 35 is always the target if thats good and your getting kicked off run an endless ping test for 5 mins if you have no huge amounts of loss its not bad cable so to say. make sure all your splitters are 5 - 1000 mghz then it comes down to system noise. so get a tech out and ask if he can check the tap for noise ( pulling each drop off and checking the neighbors for noise ) port to port isolation is a farse and a .3 ohm 120 db isolator can't handle burst noise so it goes and allows the port to port to happen ( even though people swear it can't )

Very informative post... thanks for posting it!