Modem/Router advice

I am having problems with my current ADSL modem/router, which is
experiencing constant and frequent disconnections.

The company's tech support has not come up with any solution yet,
except flashing the firmware (which I had done already to no
advantage).

It is entirely possible that the router is actually broken, or not
very stable (a pity because the previous model was rock solid) because
I tried a couple of SpeedTouch and they were working OK, no
disconnections at all, and I even feel that I was getting better SNR
and Loop attenuation values.

I was wondering if people here had some suggestions on an alternative
router I could buy.

I need a router with the following functions:

1) It must be capable to segregate LAN segments, so that, for
instance, all PCs on Port 1 do not see the PCs on Port 2, etc. Some
manufacturers call this "VLAN" "Virtual Lan"

2) It must include a subscription-based Web Filter (such as the one
provided by SurfControl). Some SpeedTouch have the feature, but it's
not active and it's not planned to be activated.

3) A built-in VoIP ATA would be a bonus, as well as a USB print
server, but I could live without them.

Alternatively, if no such product exists (except the one I already
have) I'd be happy for any suggestions on how to solve my requirements
1) and 2) differently and simply.

TIA a lot

Lorenz

[L.]

"[L.]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am having problems with my current ADSL modem/router, which is
> experiencing constant and frequent disconnections.
>
> The company's tech support has not come up with any solution yet,
> except flashing the firmware (which I had done already to no
> advantage).
>
> It is entirely possible that the router is actually broken, or not
> very stable (a pity because the previous model was rock solid) because
> I tried a couple of SpeedTouch and they were working OK, no
> disconnections at all, and I even feel that I was getting better SNR
> and Loop attenuation values.
>
> I was wondering if people here had some suggestions on an alternative
> router I could buy.
>
> I need a router with the following functions:
>
> 1) It must be capable to segregate LAN segments, so that, for
> instance, all PCs on Port 1 do not see the PCs on Port 2, etc. Some
> manufacturers call this "VLAN" "Virtual Lan"
>
> 2) It must include a subscription-based Web Filter (such as the one
> provided by SurfControl). Some SpeedTouch have the feature, but it's
> not active and it's not planned to be activated.
>
> 3) A built-in VoIP ATA would be a bonus, as well as a USB print
> server, but I could live without them.
>
> Alternatively, if no such product exists (except the one I already
> have) I'd be happy for any suggestions on how to solve my requirements
> 1) and 2) differently and simply.
>
> TIA a lot
>
> Lorenz
>
> [L.]

Not a lot of use unless you tell us all which ISP and which router, also
what firmware and how you have it connected with your PC. Do you mean the
ADSL side disconnects or the computer disconnects? Both are different
problems.
The one you seem to describe is probably down to a setting which keeps the
connection alive or it's your local exchange equipment/ISP at fault. If it
was broken then this IT support team you mention would have spotted that.
As for looking for a new one, make some effort and look at the many online
shops to see what suits you best.
It almost sounds like you have been using a Netgear DG834G - they have a
problem at the moment with the latest firmware if you use the wired ports.
Netgear will not admit it, but anyone with one will notice what I mean as
they send data in bursts of 600K and give up! It was an error to do with an
effort to introduce packet shaping. It failed miserably.

"[L.]" wrote:

> I am having problems with my current ADSL modem/router, which is
> experiencing constant and frequent disconnections.
>
> The company's tech support has not come up with any solution yet,
> except flashing the firmware (which I had done already to no
> advantage).

You've made no mention of your connection statistics.

Do you know what they are ?

Graham

On Sat, 26 May 2007 21:16:09 +0100, "Dan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>"[L.]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>>I am having problems with my current ADSL modem/router, which is
>> experiencing constant and frequent disconnections.
>>
>> The company's tech support has not come up with any solution yet,
>> except flashing the firmware (which I had done already to no
>> advantage).
>>
>> It is entirely possible that the router is actually broken, or not
>> very stable (a pity because the previous model was rock solid) because
>> I tried a couple of SpeedTouch and they were working OK, no
>> disconnections at all, and I even feel that I was getting better SNR
>> and Loop attenuation values.
>>
>> I was wondering if people here had some suggestions on an alternative
>> router I could buy.
>>
>> I need a router with the following functions:
>>
>> 1) It must be capable to segregate LAN segments, so that, for
>> instance, all PCs on Port 1 do not see the PCs on Port 2, etc. Some
>> manufacturers call this "VLAN" "Virtual Lan"
>>
>> 2) It must include a subscription-based Web Filter (such as the one
>> provided by SurfControl). Some SpeedTouch have the feature, but it's
>> not active and it's not planned to be activated.
>>
>> 3) A built-in VoIP ATA would be a bonus, as well as a USB print
>> server, but I could live without them.
>>
>> Alternatively, if no such product exists (except the one I already
>> have) I'd be happy for any suggestions on how to solve my requirements
>> 1) and 2) differently and simply.
>>
>> TIA a lot
>>
>> Lorenz
>>
>> [L.]
>
>Not a lot of use unless you tell us all which ISP and which router, also
>what firmware and how you have it connected with your PC. Do you mean the
>ADSL side disconnects or the computer disconnects? Both are different
>problems.

PPPoA is dropped, apparently by the remote.
ADSL remains synch'ed
The connection to the PC is irrelevant. This happens at the router
level. But I am not looking for a solution to this issue. I am looking
for a new router.

>The one you seem to describe is probably down to a setting which keeps the
>connection alive or it's your local exchange equipment/ISP at fault.

If it was my local exchange at fault, the speedtouch would also suffer
from disconnection. It does not. But the speedtouch does not meet my
requirements.

> If it
>was broken then this IT support team you mention would have spotted that.

Are you pulling my leg? A first line support team spotting ANYthing?

>As for looking for a new one, make some effort and look at the many online
>shops to see what suits you best.

I have looked at the main online shops. I have downloaded and pored
over the specs of more modem/routers than I can shake a stick at. But
all seem terribly silent about VLAN functions and a subscription-based
web filtering, which are my main prerequisites

>It almost sounds like you have been using a Netgear DG834G - t

No, I am using a Draytek Vigor2800VG on a fixed rate ADSL line (1MB).

Lorenz

[L.]

On Sat, 26 May 2007 22:27:22 GMT, Eeyore
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>"[L.]" wrote:
>
>> I am having problems with my current ADSL modem/router, which is
>> experiencing constant and frequent disconnections.
>>
>> The company's tech support has not come up with any solution yet,
>> except flashing the firmware (which I had done already to no
>> advantage).
>
>You've made no mention of your connection statistics.

The reason is that I have spent two weeks trying to solve this,
through the fault department of my ISP, through the manufacturer's
support dept. and I need a stable connection now. When I tried a
speedtouch, it remained connected for 48 hours without a blink. Which
tells me that either my modem/router is broken, or that BT did
something to their DSLAM that the firmware of my router did not like.
Basically it'll be easier for me to get a new router. IF I can find
one that has a VLAN segregation function and has a subscription-based
web filtering. But after spending a day reading datasheets, I was not
able to find one.

>Do you know what they are ?

SNR margin around 20 or greater, loop attn in the 53 region, a large
number of uncorrected blocks. PPPoA dropped very frequently and never
remains connected more than 2 hours. ADSL generally remains
synchronised even when PPPoA dropped.

Lorenz

[L.]

L:
>No, I am using a Draytek Vigor2800VG on a fixed rate ADSL line (1MB).

Draytek's are very solid, I have had 2200 and now 2600VG for 4 years and
never had problems with them.
I note that the 2800 had some bugs initially, but according to the
seg/draytek forum that has been resolved with the latest firmware.

Having said that I have experienced frequent disconnections between Nov. and
March, due to poor line and low SNR
(SNR<9, Att = 50), but it has been working fine since (at ~2Mb/s ADSLMax), I
presume BT has done something somewhere.

Your SNR is healthy, so it should stay connected, but I suspect you have
some spikes on the line and I would suggest getting your ISP to get BT to
investigate the line (not easy I know).
Some modems are better at holding on to dodgy / noisy lines then others, but
that's no help is they don't have the facilities that you need.
You may like to have look at Zyxel 2602HW / HWL, I tested one on my line and
it connected at higher speeds and seemed to hold the line better, but I only
had it for a day, so it wasn't fully representative test.
Regards,
Martin

"[L.]" wrote:

> Eeyore wrote:
> >
> >You've made no mention of your connection statistics.
> >
> >Do you know what they are ?
>
> SNR margin around 20 or greater, loop attn in the 53 region

Some mistake.

There is *NO WAY* you'll get a downstream SNR margin of 20dB with an attenuation
of 53dB.

How *exactly* do you come by those numbers ?

Graham

(E-Mail Removed) declared for all the world to hear...
> I am having problems with my current ADSL modem/router, which is
> experiencing constant and frequent disconnections.
>
> The company's tech support has not come up with any solution yet,
> except flashing the firmware (which I had done already to no
> advantage).
>
> It is entirely possible that the router is actually broken, or not
> very stable (a pity because the previous model was rock solid) because
> I tried a couple of SpeedTouch and they were working OK, no
> disconnections at all, and I even feel that I was getting better SNR
> and Loop attenuation values.
>
> I was wondering if people here had some suggestions on an alternative
> router I could buy.
>
> I need a router with the following functions:
>
> 1) It must be capable to segregate LAN segments, so that, for
> instance, all PCs on Port 1 do not see the PCs on Port 2, etc. Some
> manufacturers call this "VLAN" "Virtual Lan"
>
> 2) It must include a subscription-based Web Filter (such as the one
> provided by SurfControl). Some SpeedTouch have the feature, but it's
> not active and it's not planned to be activated.
>
> 3) A built-in VoIP ATA would be a bonus, as well as a USB print
> server, but I could live without them.
>
> Alternatively, if no such product exists (except the one I already
> have) I'd be happy for any suggestions on how to solve my requirements
> 1) and 2) differently and simply.
>
> TIA a lot

Draytek Vigor range ticks all of those boxes.
--
Regards
Jon

On Sun, 27 May 2007 03:04:32 GMT, Eeyore
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>
>"[L.]" wrote:
>
>> Eeyore wrote:
>> >
>> >You've made no mention of your connection statistics.
>> >
>> >Do you know what they are ?
>>
>> SNR margin around 20 or greater, loop attn in the 53 region
>
>Some mistake.
>
>There is *NO WAY* you'll get a downstream SNR margin of 20dB with an attenuation
>of 53dB.
>
>How *exactly* do you come by those numbers ?

Reading them off the Router management page?

I could send you a screen capture. Right now I have SNR 25 and loop
attn 53.5. and the beast is disconnecting every 25 minutes.

L

[L.]

On Sun, 27 May 2007 02:10:10 +0100, "Martin²" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>L:
>>No, I am using a Draytek Vigor2800VG on a fixed rate ADSL line (1MB).
>
>Draytek's are very solid, I have had 2200 and now 2600VG for 4 years and
>never had problems with them.

Precisely my experience with the 2600plus. Totally rock solid. So when
the 2800 came out with web filtering and VoIP I bought it. And it was
rock solid until three months ago.

>I note that the 2800 had some bugs initially, but according to the
>seg/draytek forum that has been resolved with the latest firmware.

I knew that they had problems with ADSL2, but this is a fixed rate
line

>Having said that I have experienced frequent disconnections between Nov. and
>March, due to poor line and low SNR
>(SNR<9, Att = 50), but it has been working fine since (at ~2Mb/s ADSLMax), I
>presume BT has done something somewhere.
>
>Your SNR is healthy, so it should stay connected, but I suspect you have
>some spikes on the line and I would suggest getting your ISP to get BT to
>investigate the line (not easy I know).

My ISP's support is based several thousand miles away, and most of the
people I spoke to had absolutely no idea whatsoever what they were
talking about.
But I am reluctant to change them because they are the last ISP in the
country with a basically unlimited product for 15 pounds.

>Some modems are better at holding on to dodgy / noisy lines then others, but
>that's no help is they don't have the facilities that you need.
>You may like to have look at Zyxel 2602HW / HWL, I tested one on my line and
>it connected at higher speeds and seemed to hold the line better, but I only
>had it for a day, so it wasn't fully representative test.
>Regards,
>Martin

The speedtouch that my ISP sent me connects perfectly and stays
connected. But it has no filtering and no VLAN. And I need both
filtering and a VLAN because I work from home, and I need my PC to be
isolated from my family, and I need Web filtering at the router level
because I often have friends of my kids over with their laptops.

I will continue pestering my ISP to have BT physically investigate the
line.

Lorenz

[L.]