Okay, who's a techmeister out there.

[lwoodbloo]

Maybe ntang can answer this one.

Here's what's up.

Manny and I moved his desk across the room. His computer is attached to the router and DSL modem. Since we moved, I'm getting intermittent connection and disconnections on AIM and Trillian. We use a basic Microsoft Ms-100 router, and verizon DSL. We HAVE had problems in the past, and they worked themselves out. Any clues on what's causing it? It's really only since we moved the computer. The connections are fine.

Maybe if we just reset the router. Fuck, i don't know...

Any thoughts are appreciated. AIM and Trillian are updated as much as they can be.

Comments

[phoenixsong]

Couple of questions -- was the DSL modem disconnected during the move, and if so, for how long?

If any network/USB cables were disconnected while anything (modem, computer, or router) still had power, I would suggest shutting everything down or disconnecting power -- both computers, router, and modem. Wait 15-20 minutes. Then start from the DSL line and power up in order, waiting for all the appropriate lights before proceeding: DSL modem, router, then each computer one at a time.

If that doesn't work, shut everything down again and see if one computer directly on the DSL modem (no router) can connect, or if there are similar issues.

If so, it's likely a Verizon issue unless one computer on the DSL works and the other doesn't. In which case, one of you might have a bad network card or Windows might have messed with your network settings.

If not, it may be the router either needs a firmware reset, or an upgrade.

Unfortunately, have to run to work in 20 minutes, but I should be able to check LJ from there. Good luck! *hugtight*

[ntang.livejournal.com]

I'd second all that, and I'd add that even if the connections seem fine it's worth checking everything again and even swapping the cables - it could be damaged inside and not obvious externally, for instance. Some of the most frustrating problems are from stupid things like bad cables.

I'd also add that waiting 15-20 minutes seems a bit excessive. :) Turning it all off is definitely worth trying, but anything more than a minute or two probably won't make a difference unless it's a problem w/ overheating.

[phoenixsong]

Cables -- good call, especially since they moved stuff, something might have gotten pinched.

Time to wait -- I'll admit my experience with DSL modems is minimal, but some cable modems won't reset properly that fast. I figured give them a longer wait than have it be too short & then have to do it all over again simply because they didn't wait long enough for the modem to realize it needed to make another DHCP request.

(For lwoodbloo's benefit: DHCP = how most ISPs assign IP addresses to computers on their network.)

[ntang.livejournal.com]

15-20 minutes for a modem reset? That's sort of ridiculous. (I don't mean you're ridiculous for saying it; I mean it's ridiculous that it'd take that long for it to reset, that sounds like a bad design decision there. Power cycling it (or perhaps some reset button if not that) should be enough to tell it that it's time to request a new lease.)

I've got a static ip from my provider so I don't really have much experience w/how DSL providers configure their DHCP, but 20 minute lease expirations seem really short to me - I've only used it in a corporate environment but we usually gave out leases for hours, not minutes. I'd imagine it wouldn't be that different for most ISP's...

...but I could be totally wrong there. :) I don't really know much about the topic, honestly, I'm just babbling.

[phoenixsong]

Well, there are some modems that do reset fairly quickly -- 30s to 5 mins.

And then there is a certain downstate cable company who hands out Motorola SB3300s. Those are the modems that need ~20 mins to reset, or they just won't make the DHCP request. I don't think it's the lease so much as the modem itself, as some other customers on the same ISP would get different modems and those would reset fairly quickly, too.

(I only know all this because I once supported the NICs handed out by said cable company with their cable modems. *whistles innocently*)

[lwoodbloo.livejournal.com]

Y'see, but it's not like a five or ten minute problem.

It's SECONDS.

Kris, remember how my computer was behaving about two months ago, where I'd flip on and off of AIM? That's what's happening now. Now, it was okay thismorning, but who knows.

[phoenixsong]

Is it just your computer, or is Manny having the same problems? If so, is it usually at about the same time?

[randomwriter.livejournal.com]

Some routers remember IP , MAC address and machine name connected to them. If you aren't in the exact same ports you were in previously this may have something to do with it but bouncing the router, or perhaps clearing the DHCP table if possible, should fix that though.

[lwoodbloo.livejournal.com]

I THINK it may have worked itself out. We'll see.

[tarnakk2.livejournal.com]

Is it still acting up? I suppose the other suggestion would be interference if it is. Cables and the others are defenitely good calls, and the first line to check - but it could be something as simple as EM interference from another device or series of devices.

This could be especially likely if you've had similar problems in the past. While the average cell phone doesn't generate enough EMR to get past the average shielded cable, some things that do are...

Microwaves, refrigerators, CB radios, industrial sensor systems (such as airport radar), some industrial security systems, any high-gain signalling/communications equiptment, cheap TVs, police scanners, and any other aging piece of cheap electronic equiptment.

I know it seems related to moving the equiptment, but most of the things that happen to my personal computer systems are just plain old interference from the Airport - no matter how coincidentally they occure.