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How do I test router vs. Internet connection?

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rjbull:
I'm in the UK.  I use a laptop via a wireless router, a US Robotics Wireless MAXg ADSL Gateway, Product Model 809108.

Lately I've been getting poor Internet connections.  Watching the router's status lights; Power ON, wireless transmission ON, ADSL ON, Internet ON; then after a bit the Internet light goes out and I lose connection.  In the last couple of days, I've had all four lights ON, but no connection, except that the Internet light has been flickering a bit, which I assume means a poor connection.  When the Internet light goes out, I usually have to switch the router off and back on again to get it to reconnect.

Please...  how can I test whether the problem is with my router, or with the telephone company/ISP?

I only have one router and one ISP, so I can't easily eliminate one from the other.  If the problem is likely to be the router, what replacement would you suggest?

<sigh>  nearly typed witless for wireless...

Thanks in anticipation!

Shades:
This problem calls for the elimination game.

Normally you connect your laptop straight to the ADSL or cable modem in your house and work like that for a while. Most modern laptops come with LAN (RJ45) connectors, so this should not be to hard to do.

If the connection remains bad, it is your connection and else it is your router. Find this out first so you can get a clearer idea from where to go next.

rjbull:
Normally you connect your laptop straight to the ADSL or cable modem in your house and work like that for a while.
-Shades (November 05, 2010, 05:10 PM)
--- End quote ---

I wasn't clear enough...  I think the problem is either inside the router, or, on the telephone line side of the router.  That is, when all my router lights are on and steady, the wireless connection between router and laptop is fine.  So it doesn't seem to be radio transmission per se that's causing trouble.  I'm therefore assuming that it's either an intermittent fault in the router, or an intermittent fault with the telco/ISP.  In another thread, IDEA: Internet disconnection logger I noticed a reference to Karen's Net Monitor, but while I may eventually have to log events, that may not help diagnose the reason for drops.

Shades:
Ah, I understand now that you have a device that contains modem and wireless router and switch. Which makes the straight connection problematic.

Still the idea of using a straight connection is not bad, if you could get your hands on a "simple" modem. Maybe you or a friend have spare or older one. Elimination is still the name of the game.

You are right about log files not giving the reason for drops, but they are handy all the same, as they give you a better insight into the problem. So do not discard this option just yet.

4wd:
Was the modem/router provided by your ISP?

Do you have access to its configuration settings?

USRobotics website shows that the modem/router has very good statistics/logging capability as well as diagnostics, (there's even a nice interactive demo).

Log into the modem now, go to the Status tab and hit the Reset button on the WAN, ATM & ADSL Statistics pages.

The next time it happens, log into the modem, go to the Status tab and look at the System Log and WAN, ATM & ADSL statistics - take screen captures.

Under the ADSL Statistics tab perform a ADSL BER Test and take a capture of the results.

Under the Device tab there is a Diagnostics function, run both test when it happens, capture the results.

Please post them back here.  I'm not saying any of this will definitively isolate the problem but it should help us understand a bit better.

In the meanwhile, it should cost nothing, (well here anyway), for your physical line provider, (copper cable - BT, etc), to perform a remote test on your phone line - ring them up and say your getting intermittent noise on the line.

Also, is the phone working normally when it happens, ie. dial tone, no noise (crackling, etc).

If it's happening often enough, disconnect ALL other devices connected to the phone line, (and I mean ALL - phones, filters, external bells, fax machines, alarm monitoring equipment, etc) - this is the most basic test and will help isolate it to either the modem/phone line or something that's influencing them.

This thread may help, specifically from here on.  gexecuter's fault turned out to be faulty wiring, (loose wire), from his house to the external connection at the pole - which the signal ratios pointed/hinted at.

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