Is this me, the ISP or BT dropping for few minutes a time?

I have gone from very problematic wireless to Homeplug which has been a
superb move. However during the course of the days when I am spending a lot
of time at the computers I notice occasionally times where email and web
pages not connecting. It can last at longest for a few minutes and back to
normal. Does this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???

Ken

Ken wrote:
> I have gone from very problematic wireless to Homeplug which has been a
> superb move. However during the course of the days when I am spending a lot
> of time at the computers I notice occasionally times where email and web
> pages not connecting. It can last at longest for a few minutes and back to
> normal. Does this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???

Well is this just a failure of DNS lookups? or actual connectivity?

"Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote in message
news:453df1e3$0$1378$(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have gone from very problematic wireless to Homeplug which has been a
>superb move. However during the course of the days when I am spending a lot
>of time at the computers I notice occasionally times where email and web
>pages not connecting. It can last at longest for a few minutes and back to
>normal. Does this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???
>
> Ken
>

Does hitting "Refresh" bring up the page? If so then its probably your ISPs
DNS servers unable to copy with the load. you can test by using "ping" to
try and reach the server and see whether it reports that the hostname is
unrecognised.

Paul DS.

On 24 Oct 2006, "Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote:

>I notice occasionally times where email and web pages not connecting.
>It can last at longest for a few minutes and back to normal. Does
>this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???

get an MS-DOS window, and ping some remote host (eg bbc.co.uk)
If you see this 'no connection' situation, you can then do:

ping <router> (checks your HomePlug link)
ping <IP> (eg 212.58.228.155 checks net link)
ping bbc.co.uk (checks DNS lookup, and net link)

If you've already tried them, perhaps in different MS-DOS windows,
you can repeat them all as soon as you notice a problem. You will
soon see whether the HomePlug is the problem, and if not that, then
the other checks will hint at whether it is the ISP/DNS giving probs

"Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote in message
news:453df1e3$0$1378$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have gone from very problematic wireless to Homeplug which has been a
> superb move. However during the course of the days when I am spending a
lot
> of time at the computers I notice occasionally times where email and web
> pages not connecting. It can last at longest for a few minutes and back to
> normal. Does this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???

It's not just you. A friend with BT had the same problem last night. e-mails
were bounced bakc to him for a few minutes then started working normally
again. He asked me to post from AOL just to see if his was working.

(kim)

"Colin Forrester" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Ken wrote:
>> I have gone from very problematic wireless to Homeplug which has been a
>> superb move. However during the course of the days when I am spending a
>> lot of time at the computers I notice occasionally times where email and
>> web pages not connecting. It can last at longest for a few minutes and
>> back to normal. Does this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???
>
> Well is this just a failure of DNS lookups? or actual connectivity?

I am not very computer literate re these terms so ???

Ken

"Paul D.Smith" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:453df9c4$0$578$(E-Mail Removed).. .
> "Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote in message
> news:453df1e3$0$1378$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>I have gone from very problematic wireless to Homeplug which has been a
>>superb move. However during the course of the days when I am spending a
>>lot of time at the computers I notice occasionally times where email and
>>web pages not connecting. It can last at longest for a few minutes and
>>back to normal. Does this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???
>>
>> Ken
>>
>
> Does hitting "Refresh" bring up the page? If so then its probably your
> ISPs DNS servers unable to copy with the load. you can test by using
> "ping" to try and reach the server and see whether it reports that the
> hostname is unrecognised.
>
> Paul DS.

Refresh not working.

Ken

"NoNeedToKnow" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 24 Oct 2006, "Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote:
>
>>I notice occasionally times where email and web pages not connecting.
>>It can last at longest for a few minutes and back to normal. Does
>>this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???
>
> get an MS-DOS window, and ping some remote host (eg bbc.co.uk)
> If you see this 'no connection' situation, you can then do:
>
> ping <router> (checks your HomePlug link)
> ping <IP> (eg 212.58.228.155 checks net link)
> ping bbc.co.uk (checks DNS lookup, and net link)
>
> If you've already tried them, perhaps in different MS-DOS windows,
> you can repeat them all as soon as you notice a problem. You will
> soon see whether the HomePlug is the problem, and if not that, then
> the other checks will hint at whether it is the ISP/DNS giving probs

As said to another poster I am fairly illiterate when it comes to this area
of computing. However just worked out how to ping, with MS-DOS window, but
what is it I need to put in re the <router> and then re the <IP>. Sorry if I
am thick on this but would really appreciate help.

Ken

"kim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ...
> "Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote in message
> news:453df1e3$0$1378$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I have gone from very problematic wireless to Homeplug which has been a
>> superb move. However during the course of the days when I am spending a
> lot
>> of time at the computers I notice occasionally times where email and web
>> pages not connecting. It can last at longest for a few minutes and back
>> to
>> normal. Does this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???
>
> It's not just you. A friend with BT had the same problem last night.
> e-mails
> were bounced bakc to him for a few minutes then started working normally
> again. He asked me to post from AOL just to see if his was working.
>
> (kim)

The joys of computing??

Ken

Ken wrote:

>>> I have gone from very problematic wireless to Homeplug which has been a
>>> superb move. However during the course of the days when I am spending a
>>> lot of time at the computers I notice occasionally times where email and
>>> web pages not connecting. It can last at longest for a few minutes and
>>> back to normal. Does this sound like ISP, BT or my equipment???
>> Well is this just a failure of DNS lookups? or actual connectivity?
>
> I am not very computer literate re these terms so ???

OK, based upon what you have written it could be any of the three
sources causing the problem (or a combination).

Some things to check would be a virus or spyware on your local system -
perhaps highjacking DNS enquiries to find websites etc. Make sure your
system isn't compromised.

Perhaps you could advise your router/modem for Broadband?

The name of your ISP?

Homeplug is the networking via power circuit - is that correct?