Paging the broadbandi

Strongly suspect that Pipex is giving me the run-around, but wtf.

Having a problem with dropping connections, regula as clockwork, around
7-8pm most nights (ie: peak time). Netgear Gateway four-way
modem/router is connected to a wireless access point, and wireless
connection to the computers downstairs. All lights green on the
Gateway, but connections just seem to freeze at peak hours. Switching
the pooter on and off usually sorts it.

OK: BT phone point is by the front door. Computers are at the back of
the house. A phone extension line runs from the BT point to the back of
the house. Then there's a microfilter for the phone, which lives beside
the computers. Cat5 cable from the extended phone connection to the
modem/router; Cat5 connection to the wireless point, which is right by
a window.

My feeling is that given the peak-time regularity of the failures, it's
a Pipex issue. Pipex reckons that this long a run of phone line doesn't
do it any favours, and at peak times the line can't hack it. Pipex say
I'd be better off connecting the modem/router directly to the BT point.
Trouble is, if I do that, then my daughter's PC (upstairs) is out of
range of the wireless point (which is why it's by the window at the
back of the house).

Comments? Suggestions?

 

wrote

For diagnostic purposes you want to reduce the number of links in the
chain to a minimum. This can be as simple as a dedicated period of
testing by doing things like:- try it everyday for a week with different
puters/network bits turned off or just having a single machine and
bugger all else plugged in where BT enters the house. Or combinations
of the above. I'd go for the second option if it was my belief that
pipex were at fault.

 

Could be anything, though more likely to be a BT issue rather than a
Pipex issue if it's not something in your house.

Long runs of extension cable are always a nightmare, and this isn't
helped by the fact that telephone extension cable is often of dubious
provenance and unknown quality. I would try their suggestion, even if
it means your daughter has to go without broadband for a week or so.
In any case, at £80 a visit, they aren't going to send a BT engineer
to investigate your line until you've thoroughly eliminated all
possible sources of problems in your house.

Might be worth having a think - is there anything that switches on at 7
or 8 pm in your house - central heating boiler, microwave, lathe, MRI
scanner? Peak BB usage time tends to be much later in the evening,
post 10pm, so it's unlikely to be a bottleneck at Pipex at that time.

 

TOG@toil, , <>
wrote in
snip connection problems

Are all the computers wifi or are some connected to the router physically?

If the former then you might be getting interference from a neighbours wifi
system used at peak time. Others here have had the problem and the solution
is to switch channels on your wifi access point.

If the latter then do as Steve says. Remove as many variables as possible
i.e. start with 1 computer hard wired into the BT master socket using very
short cables.

 

Might be worth having a think - is there anything that switches on at 7
or 8 pm in your house - central heating boiler, microwave, lathe, MRI
scanner? Peak BB usage time tends to be much later in the evening,
post 10pm, so it's unlikely to be a bottleneck at Pipex at that time.

=====

When I used Pipex dial up, it regularly slowed to buggery at about 8 ish at
night. We - me and other users - suspected server and internal network
issues. Sort of implied that their peak was about 8 and after?

Ali

 

[snip]

Something similar happened the last time BT upgraded the line. The
solution was to remove the house internal extension wires after the
point the BT line terminates.

 

Are you on a rate adaptive line? If so then it's quite possible that
additional noise in the evenings (as more users come online, street
lights fire up etc) is causing your line to disconnect - nothing to do
with Pipex. As others have said, try reducing the noise within the
house by reducing connections and line length.

 

Get a USB wireless adaptor for your main PC thereby junking the long line.

I have Dell USB wifi adapter I got from ebay for my daughters PC, cost
buttons and saved the hassle of cabling to a back bedroom. Plus if I want to
be a git and stop her internet I can pocket the device [1]

[1] not that its happened yet but the options there.

 

<TOG@toil>; <>;

In conjunction with what others have said it may be worth trying better
filters. The ADLSNation XF-1e can be recommened:-

http://www.adslnation.com/products/xf-1e.php

Fixed a similar problem for me that started after I went from a 1Mbps
connection to 2Mbps connection. Now on Max synched at 6.7Mbps and it is
still doing the job.

 

That's possible. The wireless point is by the window that faces towards
their house. How does one switch channels on a wifi point, then?

 

What's a rate adpative line?

 

You change the channel number via the router configuration screen.
It will depend on your router, but prolly by 'Wireless Settings',
'Configuration' then a spin box to change the channel number.

You then have to change the channel setting to match for each Wireless
adapter on your PCs. Exactly how may depend on which adapter (dedicated
config application) or with control panel network settings.

SWK will be along soon.
--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Not me obviously. No way or need to set channel for each adapter I
think.
Bad Form...
A quick experiment revealed that this laptop which is set to
automatically detect networks quite happily reconnected after a channel
number change on my router without further configuration. This Sony
sytem uses a PCMIA adapter and is set to use windows to control
wireless network settings and any available network BTW.

 

That's possible. The wireless point is by the window that faces towards
their house. How does one switch channels on a wifi point, then?[/QUOTE]

It'll be somewhere on the configuration screen for the router.

Also worth downloading NetStumbler or similar for your Mac) to snoop
around the neighbours networks first to find out what channel they're
running on. Then pick on as far away as you can in the numbering.

 

Typo corrected.

 

Usually advertised as "MaxDSL" or similar. It means that your modem
and the exchange determine the rate between them based on your line
quality, in particular signal-to-noise ratio.

 

It's a line where the rate is adaptive.

HTH.

Phil

 

Are you sure its not "They can charge you what they like"?

 

SOP for most UK ISPs..

Phil

 

Ah, I got something wrong. Of the two machines downstairs, one is
wireless and the other is connected to the modem/router by cable. And
both go AWOL together. So it's not the wireless point. It has to be the
modem/router or upstream of it.

Does this make a difference, and any more suggestions?