Odd connection problem

[CathJ]

My parents have just got adsl. I've been helping them with the self install, and everything's working except for one odd problem.

When they switch the PC on, 99% of the time the adsl connection appears to be down. You can try to browse, you can try to ping, and you just get nothing back (as if it can't do any dns resolution). BUT: if you ping, say, google.com, and cancel it before it times out, it'll work fine the next time. If you let it time out, it'll time out the next time as well. Same goes for browsing - go to google.com, and it'll time out, and it'll time out the next time as well. Cancel before it times out, and the next time it'll work.

The ADSL lights and PPP lights are on on the router, so I doubt it's a line issue. If it was me, I could just live with it, but that's not really an option for my parents - non-techie people generally just want 'the internet' to work first time every time with no fiddling Any idea what might be going wrong, or how to fix it?

 

[[OUPA]MrNutz]

i'd give bridge mode a go. also try pinging 3 things

-router
-saix.net
-41.241.128.1
-google.com

with a -t function.

 

[CathJ]

i'd give bridge mode a go. also try pinging 3 things

-router
-saix.net
-41.241.128.1
-google.com

with a -t function.

Pinging the router works fine, but doesn't affect anything else. And unfortunately it's a cybersmart freebie, so it doesn't have bridge mode.

Maybe I should just set them up with my spare Mega200.

 

[[OUPA]MrNutz]

good - use the mega200 also in router mode - and check if does the same.

 

[ld13]

I hate that router.
I hate that router.
I hate that router.

You should too.

 

[[OUPA]MrNutz]

imho the mega200 is waaaay better than the mega100...it just takes FOREVER to "boot"

 

[Grofft]

Maybe you are getting a cached google page. Did you verify the line? Try www.telkom.co.za/verfyadsl (or adslverify, ca't remember).

 

[Grofft]

Typo, sorry, it's www.telkom.co.za/verifyadsl

 

[ld13]

imho the mega200 is waaaay better than the mega100...it just takes FOREVER to "boot"

Yea, it does indeed take it's time to do that. I'm going to do a speed test! My P1 with Windows 95 VS my Mega200 Telkom router. Should be rather interesting.

I hate the Cybersmart free router. That Thing gives me grey hair - Most of the times I cannot even log into the thing for some obscure reason. I first need to reset the PC before I can log into it again.

 

[CathJ]

Maybe you are getting a cached google page. Did you verify the line? Try www.telkom.co.za/verfyadsl (or adslverify, ca't remember).

Yup, line is verified, and it's not cached.

There also seems to be a problem whereby the router is dropping the connection - if it's unused for a while the PPP light goes out, and you need to reboot the router to reconnect.

I'll switch them over to my mega200 tonight, and see how that goes. If I can pin it down to being a router problem they can go back to cybersmart and request a replacement (assuming that they aren't all just crap).

 

[Hazard]

do u have a telephone on the same line?

 

[CathJ]

do u have a telephone on the same line?

Yes, but there's a brand new filter on the lines going to phones, and no filter on the line going to the router.

 

[Hazard]

then try other router

 

[[OUPA]MrNutz]

sounds like faulty line or wet lines

 

[CathJ]

Seems like it may have been the DNS server that was configured on the router... I've changed it over the same DNS server I use, and that seems to be working (so far, anyway).

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Fyalar]

I'm having the exact same problem, also with my parents' ADSL which was working fine, but is now not available when the router is switched on. They have the Mega100WR, and are also not technical enough to log in to the router and restart it from the configuration, which seems to sort the problem out.

Could you please tell me exactly what you did? I'm using an Axxess local account on their router, but the account works fine on mine. Where did you change DNS settings? Do you think this could have been caused by a Windows update?

Thanks