WHY does my EIRCOM conn. keep DISCONNECTING

majortom77

hello
i am located in mid louth and i have an eircom broadband connection....my problem is not related to speed as that is of less concern to me but why am i regularly getting disconnected for anything from a minute to 10 minutes..often it is during peak times and can be as frequent as 10 times a day but usually only for a minute or two but the fact it happens causes me great discomfort...would i fix this problem if i changed broadband providers or maybe if i got a new modem/router( my current one is the eircom supplied netopia one)...or is my line bad and it will continue to be bad? sorry i dont know much of the technical jargon but i get no helpful advice from eircom- all i want is an unbroken connection..i suppose i would like to know would this be typical of a bad service/ a bad modem or a bad line.i would love it if my problem could get some aid from this wonderful feature that is BOARDS.IE...any advice greatly appreciated

dub45

majortom77 wrote: »

hello
i am located in mid louth and i have an eircom broadband connection....my problem is not related to speed as that is of less concern to me but why am i regularly getting disconnected for anything from a minute to 10 minutes..often it is during peak times and can be as frequent as 10 times a day but usually only for a minute or two but the fact it happens causes me great discomfort...would i fix this problem if i changed broadband providers or maybe if i got a new modem/router( my current one is the eircom supplied netopia one)...or is my line bad and it will continue to be bad? sorry i dont know much of the technical jargon but i get no helpful advice from eircom- all i want is an unbroken connection..i suppose i would like to know would this be typical of a bad service/ a bad modem or a bad line.i would love it if my problem could get some aid from this wonderful feature that is BOARDS.IE...any advice greatly appreciated

In spite of all you say you give nothing to help anyone who might want to help you:mad:

For example are you using a wireless connection? If so is it the wireless connection that is the problem (is your modem still connected during these disruptions?)

If you are using wireless are there any other networks nearby on the same channel?

What are your line stats?

Is it a recent problem?

What speed product are you on?

majortom77

thanks for the quick reply....well im running a laptop on the wireless signal from the netopia attached to the home pc but the internet goes on both so the problem is somewhere from the modem or back -as in the phoneline or could it be further back to cables outside the house? this has been an ongoing problem much to my consternation for over a year...sometimes it will happen 5 or 6 times in an evening and at other times it might only happen 5 or 6 times a week but its more often a few times per evening...you see i dont really understand the question are you using wireless as im only using wireless as mentioned from my modem on my home pc....im sorry but iv got no idea about line stats or speed products but i was hoping i might be able to get pointed in the right direction as to what it could be...i might add when i was in contact with eircom a few months ago( iv since abandoned getting any help from them) the guy was able to see from whatever screen/graph/readout he had at his disposal that there were unexplained drops in connection several times on the evening that he had checked records of but all he could advise was sometihng dumb like adjust my connection speeds or soemthing...

dub45

Well you have to realise that without data people cannot help you - as I am forever pointing out and without meaning to be rude boardsies are not mind readers or router readers if it comes to that.

Dropouts are usually caused by bad lines stats and more than likely low snr.

The reason I asked about wireless it a wireless network can suffer interference and have droputs apart from the basic connection at all.

If you want help you are going to have to extract your line stats from you router and that means http://192.168.1.254 and I think looking under advanced.

I dont have that router so cant tell you exaclty how. In the meantime:

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/linestats.htm.

(By the way any chance of even one capital letter, a sentence or even a paragraph in your next post? It helps make things legible.)

smokiebeverage

Before you go mad trying to diagnose the problem, see if you can borrow another netopia router from a friend. I seem to be replacing netopia routers all the time for the past few months, all with simular issues.

Samba

Yeah, wireless just recently went on my Netopia, random disconnects until eventually I couldn't connect via wireless.

I dreaded the move but I'm now on the Zyxel, it has it's fair share of problems but it's grand once you tweak it.

As suggested try getting your hands on another one, they are hard enough to find these days though.

shinzon

plus not trying to be smart but if you speak to the eircom reps here

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1293

They maybe able to help you better then posting in th BB forum

Shin

Samba

Actually while we're talking about the Netopia, I didn't have another one to test against but on ADSL2 the zyxel actually performed much better to my astonishment.

Much better ping times and better bandwidth from the same line.

smokiebeverage

Depending on your package you may be able to get a free replacement from Eircom, I've managed to get a few from Eircom over the past few years for customers. If you need to buy one, most of the online retailers have the zyxel ones available. I used microaid.ie because they are local to me, they have the non wireless version for around 20e I'm not sure how much the wireless version is. Eircom now have a policy that if the line tests fine you seem to be on your own, if you have a big bundle they seem to be more open to helping.

majortom77

Heh,
Thanks for the replies...I'm having trouble locating any of the line stats that people mention - for instance Netopia is not included in the extensive drop down list of modems on that site that Dub45 referenced.
Smokie you mention borrowing another Netopia- excuse my ignorance but should I not try another brand of modem, or is it not a straightforward swap - perhaps each modem has to be calibrated or something like that to your computer?? Really revealing my technological cluelessness here....
I take it Zyxel is another brand of modem - Am I wrong in maybe thinking that I could buy any modem in PC world or such an outlet and it would work for me.
Is it wrong of me to assume my problem is likely the modem?
Thanks......

as far as stats go the best I could get was these:

Speed
2048/256 (kbps)

Line Attenuation
37/21 dB



Router Name
Netopia
Model
3347NWG


Software Version
7.4.2r2

Apple Orange

I have an eircom broadband connection and I get those drop outs about 10 times a day for a few minutes too. It's soooo annoying!

smokiebeverage

majortom77 wrote: »

I take it Zyxel is another brand of modem - Am I wrong in maybe thinking that I could buy any modem in PC world or such an outlet and it would work for me.

Yeah just another brand, actually the brand that eircom and a number of providers supply now. If you get one from a shop there is some config needed but its not too difficult.

majortom77 wrote: »

Is it wrong of me to assume my problem is likely the modem?

I wouldn't assume it yet as your line attenuation is high, but another brand of modem might work better under poor conditions.

SmokieB

smokiebeverage

majortom77 wrote: »

Smokie you mention borrowing another Netopia- excuse my ignorance but should I not try another brand of modem, or is it not a straightforward swap - perhaps each modem has to be calibrated or something like that to your computer??

I normally try the same make of router first just to rule out a router issue. All routers will behave in generally same way to the computer but there is some config needed to get them to connect to the provider. Its nothing major though.

majortom77

oh i see what you're saying- it might be a faulty router- i was more getting at it maybe being bad simply as maybe Netopia is a bad make- so it could be simply this one is worn out or whatever as it is on the go a few years....perhaps if I ring Eircom and say i want a new one or I'm changing providers...

majortom77

I wonder can anyone advise about whether or not it would be fruitless endeavour if I were to up sticks and take myself off eircoms books and look for a new provider -vodaphone, digiweb or the like? Would I likely experience the same issues...of course I suppose that depends on whether it is the modem or not.....

smokiebeverage

Only one thing to remember, no matter what provider you go with, they will be using eircom's lines, so if its a line issue it will just stay the same. I haven't found eircoms customer service to be any better or worse than anyones else

smokiebeverage

majortom77 wrote: »

oh i see what you're saying- it might be a faulty router- i was more getting at it maybe being bad simply as maybe Netopia is a bad make- so it could be simply this one is worn out or whatever as it is on the go a few years....perhaps if I ring Eircom and say i want a new one or I'm changing providers...

The netopia's are no worse than any other of the cheap DSL modems. They are given away free because they are cheap. You shouldn't have to pull the I'm moving card, in general I haven't had any issue getting replacements. You may choose to buy your own to get a better one which is good on poor lines, but none of the providers will do that for you. They all have a standard modem they issue.

dub45

majortom77 wrote: »

I wonder can anyone advise about whether or not it would be fruitless endeavour if I were to up sticks and take myself off eircoms books and look for a new provider -vodaphone, digiweb or the like? Would I likely experience the same issues...of course I suppose that depends on whether it is the modem or not.....

Until you know your line state i.e. the line stats there is no point in changing provider unless you opt for a wireless or cable solution.

Also have you checked your internal wiring, ensured that are filters on anything else connected e.g. skybox etc?

Your line state and the speed you are on currently will show what your line is capable of.

majortom77

Found some more stats i think:




DSL Statistics

DSL Statistics

Line State Up
Modulation DMT
Data Path Interleave


Downstream Upstream
Max Allowed Speed (kbps) 2048 256
SN Margin (dB) 27.00 13.00
Line Attenuation (dB) 36.00 21.00
CRC Errors 0 4

Sorry but I cant make head nor tail of them but if these help any or make something clearer please advise....Very much appreciated

ps...If I were to go for a new modem what are anyones recommendations- it just needs to be able to transmit wireless for my laptop....Thanks again

lucernarian

That's just the ticket Majortom. They're the DSL statistics. The only problem is... the DSL connection is completely healthy according to that post!

Can you check the DSL statistics for a few minutes during a period when your modem keeps disconnecting? I mean, go to that page when you notice it's disconnecting every few minutes and take a note of the signal margin numbers. Press F5 on your keyboard every 10 seconds or so to refresh the numbers. You'll only have to do it for a minute or two. Report back here with the signal margin number the modem usually reports and tell us if it varied much.

Right now I'm suspecting that the modem's had its day and needs replacing.


And when you say it's disconnecting, is the modem's DSL light flashing, or the modem's Internet light off or turned red?


Finally, is the PC with the cable connection to the router having the same problems as the laptop with these disconnects?

DMG_49

This here happening to me, rang up loads of times

After getting three different routers, we finally got the problem sorted

1. Get your ip address and put it in the address bar

2. Log in with password (not to sure if everyones is the same)

3. Click on network, then wireless lan

4. Set the ReAuthentication Timer to 9999 seconds

And that was my problems sorted

Hope it helps

lucernarian

DMG_49 wrote: »

This here happening to me, rang up loads of times

After getting three different routers, we finally got the problem sorted

1. Get your ip address and put it in the address bar

2. Log in with password (not to sure if everyones is the same)

3. Click on network, then wireless lan

4. Set the ReAuthentication Timer to 9999 seconds

And that was my problems sorted

Hope it helps

I've only ever seen that problem with the Zyxel modems, not the netopias. But if it's only the laptop using wifi that disconnects then there could be a config problem with the wireless.

leateds

i used to have a similar problem, i found out that i could fix it by doing this:

1. Go into your netopia box eircom gave you (192.168.1.254)
   
2. Then on the left choose expert mode
   
3. Once in there choose configure from the left menu and then choose connection
   
4. Go down to connection type and choose: always on
   
5. Then choose save and then restart your router.

hope this works for you.

majortom77

Thanks for that and i reset that but it didnt stop it from happening....eircom are sending me a new modem it will be here within 3 days Im hoping that will sort the problem...I'll let you all know how it goes

majortom77

heh,
thanks for the input it helped me diagnose the problem more precisely...i got them to send me a new modem and (touch wood) it seems to have done the trick...hasnt disconnected since i put it in about 4 days ago so happy days...thanks boardsters......