Any computer geniuses out there?

[luckystar112]

I''ve been having a problem with my internet connection for a few months now. It''s driving me CRAZY.
Problem: My modem restarts itself every 3-10 minutes. Which means if I''m in the middle of doing something, I''m booted from the net and have to sit there and wait for my computer to connect again, which usually takes between 1-2 minutes.

I have a laptop and a desktop. Roadrunner through Comcast. One modem, one router (router is from Netgear).

This has been a huge rollercoaster.
I called Comcast, someone came out and told me that my upstream level was low...he said he''d have his manager come fix it the next day--and that I didn''t have to be home.
I have no idea if that person came, but the problem still persisted. I called Comcast again, got some lady (not sure if I was talking to someone in the U.S.) who told me that she would have her manager call a manager in my area to get it fixed.
That was a month ago....don''t think anyone ever came out.
I called Comcast today and they sent out a guy ASAP (he just left). He fully admitted to me that he was new, but said my levels were fine. He told me that it could be my firewall (?). Then later he changed out my modem for a new one and said the problem should be fixed.

Except its not. Sigh.

I''m not sure what to do at this point, but it is severely affecting my ability to work from home (not to mention my precious PS time

) and school is supposed to start in two weeks.
I''m desperate. Is there anyone who knows how to fix this?

TIA!

 

[CJ2008]

Lucky,

Hmmm...the firewall explanation doesn't make sense if it had been working all along. Did you install anything new lately?

Have you tried updating the firmware on your router? You can go to the Netgear website, find your model #, and follow the instructions on how to do. Just before you do, write down all the settings so you can put them back once you're done.

ETA: does the problem happen BOTH on your desktop and laptop?

 

[whatmeworry]

Do you get booted of the internet when you use both the desktop and laptop or on just one of the computers?

 

[luckystar112]

Yup. Both computers go out at the same time. The guy actually didn''t believe me that my modem was restarting itself until I dragged my laptop up there to show him (while he was working on the other computer).

I can''t remember downloading anything. The netgear suggestion sounds like a good idea!

 

[strmrdr]

open up your web browser and type in:
http://192.168.100.1
Click on the diagnostic tab.
Visit this page while everything is working and print it out.

Visit this page while its down if you can get to this page while the internet is down then its a comcast problem.
Does the page look different while the internet is down?
If so print this page.
Do this 3 or 4 different times when it is down.
Call for a tech to come out and show him/her the pages you printed.

 

[CJ2008]

Lucky, what strmrdr just told you is an excellent suggestion...

Although strmrdr will the 192 "command" work while the internet is down?

 

[luckystar112]

Hmmm...I got as far as putting it into my browser and this is what I found:

Cable Modem Information
Cable Modem : DOCSIS 1.0/1.1/2.0 Compliant
MAC Address : 00:16:ce:1e:49:e6
Serial Number : 0016CE1E49E6
Boot Code Version : 2.1.6d
Software Version : 2.93.1008
Hardware Version : 1.20

There is no diagnostics tab, although there is a login area to the left of the screen.
Also, it wouldn''t work while the net was down (it''s happened five times since I started this post.

)

It may be because this is the only time I notice it, but it seems to happen a lot when I try to go to a new site, or if I click a link ON a site (like going from hangout to BWW, for example).

 

[whatmeworry]

Lucky,
Just a side note, is your wireless router password protected?

 

[CJ2008]

lucky, try to login to the router to see what you find.

every router has a "default" username/password option...try admin in different combos (admin username, no password; no username, admin for the password; or admin for both). See if you can log in with any of those combinations. If not, go to the netgear website or find your manual and see what the default is.

Then try to run the diagnostics.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 8/12/2008 7:38:18 PM
Author: whatmeworry
Lucky,
Just a side note, is your wireless router password protected?

I have no idea.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 8/12/2008 7:37:39 PM
Author: luckystar112
Hmmm...I got as far as putting it into my browser and this is what I found:


Cable Modem Information

Cable Modem : DOCSIS 1.0/1.1/2.0 Compliant

MAC Address : 00:16:ce:1e:49:e6

Serial Number : 0016CE1E49E6

Boot Code Version : 2.1.6d

Software Version : 2.93.1008

Hardware Version : 1.20


There is no diagnostics tab, although there is a login area to the left of the screen.

Also, it wouldn''t work while the net was down (it''s happened five times since I started this post.

)


It may be because this is the only time I notice it, but it seems to happen a lot when I try to go to a new site, or if I click a link ON a site (like going from hangout to BWW, for example).

sounds like a bad router.
Replace it with a linksys.
netgear is not that great a router.

 

[whatmeworry]

Date: 8/12/2008 7:41:29 PM
Author: luckystar112

Date: 8/12/2008 7:38:18 PM
Author: whatmeworry
Lucky,
Just a side note, is your wireless router password protected?

I have no idea.

Okay it''s probably not, because you typed in 192.168.100.1 and it didn''t ask for a password. You probably want to set up a password so your neighbors can''t mess with your router and possibly your computers. So we all suspect there''s something with the router, maybe it''s hardware or maybe someone messed with the settings since it wasn''t password protected. Get a tech for help.

 

[luckystar112]

Okay. I think what we''re going to do is just get a new router.
That is, after we plug both computers directly into the computer and make sure that it actually IS the router.

I hope that''s what it is!

 

[CJ2008]

You mean plugging each machine directly into the MODEM, right?

And yes, that''s a good way to determine whether the router is the problem...if you can get Internet consistently/no problems with a DIRECT connection between the PC and modem, the router is the problem...it isn''t necessarily the hardware (did you try doing the firmware update and logging in, etc.) but hardware is easier to fix (just swap the router). I have a Linksys, have had no major issues with it for years.