Linksys 4 port router

[Redleg]

For the past couple months, I've been having problems with my internet connection. Brighthouse (my cable provider and ISP Roadrunner), keeps losing connections. Most of the time right in the middle of playing an online game (don't laugh, but it's Runescape). It will usually reconnect, and the least I have to do, is sign back into the game. Most of the time tho, I have to close all the windows, shut down, re-boot, and if I'm lucky, I'll have internet connections restored. If not, then I have to disconnect the ethernet cable going from the modem to the router, and connect it to the computer to get a connection again. Then I can reconnect the ethernet cable back thru the router. This works 80% of the time. Sometimes when I have the ethernet cable plugged into the computer directly, I will still lose connection, and have to shut everything down, unplug the cable, turn the modem off, and go thru all that crap again. Because I'm too stupid to do most things myself, I had one of their techs set up and make sure the router and everything was working before I let them leave. That was, as I said a couple months ago, and have been having these problems ever since. Sorry this is so long, but it's ticking me off, and I'd like to get it fixed. Any ideas on what I can do, in laymens language so I can understand please?

[screwballl]

I would try and see if another router helps at all. I suspect not because if the connection drops even when connected directly to your computer then you have a shitty ISP and need to contact them and say "if this connection doesn't stabilize, I am going to be asking for a refund for missed productivity since I work from home"...
In most cases they send someone out 3 or 4 times until they actually catch it in the process and they find the problem.
Questions, RR is cable right?
The number 1 biggest reason for dropped connections with cable connections is a problematic splitter or connecting the modem after 2 or more splitters in line.



This is the only suggested way to run any cable modem setup. Any other way and eventually you will have problems with it unless they have the second splitter as a high gain or boosted splitter.

[Reloadron]

Along the lines of screwballs post this may be of some help:

Cable Modem Troubleshooting Tips: CM diagnostics and signal levels

If you have Road Runner using a Motorola Surfboard modem you can try connecting direct to the modem (eliminate router) open MSIE (or any browser) and type in 192.168.100.1 and that should bring up the modem diagnostic page(s). You can look at your power levels and S/N Ratio and the Signal ? Noise ratio is important. The link provides what should be acceptable levels.

Ron

[Redleg]

Originally Posted by screwballl

I would try and see if another router helps at all. I suspect not because if the connection drops even when connected directly to your computer then you have a shitty ISP and need to contact them and say "if this connection doesn't stabilize, I am going to be asking for a refund for missed productivity since I work from home"...
In most cases they send someone out 3 or 4 times until they actually catch it in the process and they find the problem.
Questions, RR is cable right?
The number 1 biggest reason for dropped connections with cable connections is a problematic splitter or connecting the modem after 2 or more splitters in line.



This is the only suggested way to run any cable modem setup. Any other way and eventually you will have problems with it unless they have the second splitter as a high gain or boosted splitter.

you got it. RR is the ISP. The cable comes out of the wall, goes to the modem, then from the modem, the ethernet cable goes to the router, then 1 cable to one computer, the other to the other computer. It's really been giving me hell today. I even had the ethernet cable hooked directly into the computer from the modem, and it couldn't keep a connection. The computers are in the second bedroom, and no tv's in there. I believe ther already is a splitter in the attic. Adding another one wouldn't help, would it? I'm game for just about anything if it will fix this P.I.T.A. connection

[Redleg]

Originally Posted by Reloadron

Along the lines of screwballs post this may be of some help:

Cable Modem Troubleshooting Tips: CM diagnostics and signal levels

If you have Road Runner using a Motorola Surfboard modem you can try connecting direct to the modem (eliminate router) open MSIE (or any browser) and type in 192.168.100.1 and that should bring up the modem diagnostic page(s). You can look at your power levels and S/N Ratio and the Signal ? Noise ratio is important. The link provides what should be acceptable levels.

Ron

According to PC Wizard, I'm using Nvidia nForce Networking Controller. The other controller in this computer, that isn't connected, (according to PC Wizard) is a Marvell Yukon 88E8053 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller. Should I be connected to this, the second one instead of the nVidia one?

[Lead Head]

Either one should be fine. The trick is figuring is whether its the computer, or the modem itself. Since you said you reboot, and then it usually comes back, its pointing towards the PC.

I had an almost identical problem, I just disabled Internet Connection Sharing, and it was fine after that. Press start, to go run, type in services.msc, find internet connection sharing, right click then hit stop, then right click and go to properties, from the drop down list, change the startup type to manual or disabled. Then reboot.

If that does not do anything,try plugging your network cable into the other network port.

[screwballl]

LH, Since the problem happens even when connected tot he router, this means it is a connection issue, not a computer issue (from my experience anyways).

red... check the line and see if there is more than one splitter between where it hits the house and the computers.. if there is then may need a re-wire like my diagram

[Lead Head]

Originally Posted by screwballl;90797[B

]LH, Since the problem happens even when connected tot he router, [/b]this means it is a connection issue, not a computer issue (from my experience anyways).

red... check the line and see if there is more than one splitter between where it hits the house and the computers.. if there is then may need a re-wire like my diagram

I would agree, but the thing that caught my attention was that when he said he reboots, sometimes his internet is back, which might point to a problem with the modem as well.

@Red Leg, it would be helpful if you told us what kind of modem you have (brand and model)

[Reloadron]

Originally Posted by Redleg

According to PC Wizard, I'm using Nvidia nForce Networking Controller. The other controller in this computer, that isn't connected, (according to PC Wizard) is a Marvell Yukon 88E8053 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller. Should I be connected to this, the second one instead of the nVidia one?

Look at the link I posted. I suggested you open MSIE or any browser and type in 192.168.100.1 which should open your modems (the cable modem) diagnostics. Then look at your signal strength levels.

This is along the lines of what screwball is getting at with the splitters. The problem is more than likely not your computer.

Ron

[Lead Head]

For reference, here is the signal page of my modem. This is after two splitters, and a lot of low grade crappy cables. We now have an amplifier because we were having problems with our cable box dropping the connection, not the modem oddly. Before the amplifier, the downstream read on average around -7 to -13