Strange Connectivity Problem

3 or 4 months back we signed up for ADSL at work with freenetname (I believe
supplied via brightview). They supplied us with a D-Link DSL-300 modem, and
we have purchased a D-Link DI-604 router. Both have been replaced at some
point.

What happens is when we connect we get a stable connection for a few days
and then it dies, sometimes switching the modem and router off at the mains
and then back on will cause it to connect again.

I also noticed that when the modem was connected directly to a PC, if I
checked the IP lease time it started at 1 minute and would then drop to 10
seconds, this seemed unusual to me since I am on NTL and my lease time is
almost 24hrs.

I phoned Freenetname support about this and they were unable to explain to
me why the leasetime was so short or why it changed, stating merely it was a
dynamic IP and there was no lease time. I also asked about the connection
problem and they seemed intent on blaming the router.

With the modem connected direct to the PC I did my own test, boot up the PC
wait for connection, then switch off the pc and modem and try again, I did
this about 20 times and most of the time it would connect ok but about a
third of the time it would connect for a minute and then die again.

So now we have it all set up, leave the modem and router switched on at
night but still every few days we come to it in the morning and the
connection is dead :-s

Can anyone throw any light on this, maybe a few ideas what it might be?

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mr Wizzo <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> 3 or 4 months back we signed up for ADSL at work with freenetname (I
> believe supplied via brightview). They supplied us with a D-Link
> DSL-300 modem, and we have purchased a D-Link DI-604 router. Both
> have been replaced at some point.
>
> What happens is when we connect we get a stable connection for a few
> days and then it dies, sometimes switching the modem and router off
> at the mains and then back on will cause it to connect again.
>
> I also noticed that when the modem was connected directly to a PC, if
> I checked the IP lease time it started at 1 minute and would then
> drop to 10 seconds, this seemed unusual to me since I am on NTL and
> my lease time is almost 24hrs.
>
> I phoned Freenetname support about this and they were unable to
> explain to me why the leasetime was so short or why it changed,
> stating merely it was a dynamic IP and there was no lease time. I
> also asked about the connection problem and they seemed intent on
> blaming the router.
>
> With the modem connected direct to the PC I did my own test, boot up
> the PC wait for connection, then switch off the pc and modem and try
> again, I did this about 20 times and most of the time it would
> connect ok but about a third of the time it would connect for a
> minute and then die again.
>
> So now we have it all set up, leave the modem and router switched on
> at night but still every few days we come to it in the morning and the
> connection is dead :-s
>
> Can anyone throw any light on this, maybe a few ideas what it might
> be?

You appear to be using a separate modem and router rather than a router with
a built-in modem? In that case I'm not quite sure where the division of
responsibility lies!

I have a combined modem/router/firewall - and that has parameters in its
setup for "dial on demand" and "idle time" - so it is also suitable for use
in countries where they have PAYG DSL, and can drop the connection after the
specified idle time when there is no traffic on the line.

If you have a similar facility (not sure where it would be in your setup)
make sure either that it is disabled or that the idle time is set to a very
long time - like 2000 minutes or more.
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
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In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed) says...
> so it is also suitable for use
> in countries where they have PAYG DSL, and can drop the connection after the
> specified idle time when there is no traffic on the line.
>
>
I'm not sure this is relevant.

I thought payg dsl models were based on traffic, not time. A model
whereby you pay for time on dsl just doesn't make sense to me, because
you are not actually using up an allocatable resource when you are
connected but not doing anything.

--
Alan LeHun

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Alan LeHun <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed) says...
>> so it is also suitable for use
>> in countries where they have PAYG DSL, and can drop the connection
>> after the specified idle time when there is no traffic on the line.
>>
>>
> I'm not sure this is relevant.
>
> I thought payg dsl models were based on traffic, not time. A model
> whereby you pay for time on dsl just doesn't make sense to me, because
> you are not actually using up an allocatable resource when you are
> connected but not doing anything.

It is relevant inasmuch as my router has this feature - for whatever
reason - and if the OP's kit also has it, it could be causing his problems
if not set correctly.

The setup leaflet for my 3Com Office Connect router says "If the router is
used with a pay-per-minute service provider, it is important that the Idle
Time is correctly configured".

Make of that what you will!
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

Alan LeHun wrote:
> I thought payg dsl models were based on traffic, not time. A model
> whereby you pay for time on dsl just doesn't make sense to me, because
> you are not actually using up an allocatable resource when you are
> connected but not doing anything.

A model based on time for dsl as opposed to traffic doesn't make much sense
to me either.

However, thats the model some ISP's/countries use!

In fact, I think there are even one or two ISP's in the UK which do it - for
instance Nildam offer it as an option on at least one of their products.

Regards
Sunil

>
> You appear to be using a separate modem and router rather than a router
with
> a built-in modem? In that case I'm not quite sure where the division of
> responsibility lies!

The way I see it the modem is their responsibility the router is mine, which
would explain their insistance the router is the problem. No disrespect to
these people but their support dept is worse than NTL's :-o

> I have a combined modem/router/firewall - and that has parameters in its
> setup for "dial on demand" and "idle time" - so it is also suitable for
use
> in countries where they have PAYG DSL, and can drop the connection after
the
> specified idle time when there is no traffic on the line.
>
> If you have a similar facility (not sure where it would be in your setup)
> make sure either that it is disabled or that the idle time is set to a
very
> long time - like 2000 minutes or more.

I'll take a look at that on monday thanks

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mr Wizzo <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>> You appear to be using a separate modem and router rather than a
>> router with a built-in modem? In that case I'm not quite sure where
>> the division of responsibility lies!
>
> The way I see it the modem is their responsibility the router is
> mine, which would explain their insistance the router is the problem.
> No disrespect to these people but their support dept is worse than
> NTL's :-o
>

I was actually using the term "division of responsibility" in a technical
rather than contractual sense. What I meant was that I am not sure which of
the setup parameters are controled by the modem, and which by the router -
so I'm not sure where you would have to look to find an Idle Time setting.

Your modem presumably connects to the router via an ethernet port? Can you
set up telnet sessions with the modem and router (or maybe access them with
your browser) in order to configure them?

--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

"Mr Wizzo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:7xJyc.579$V4.523@newsfe2-win...
> >
> > You appear to be using a separate modem and router rather than a router
> with
> > a built-in modem? In that case I'm not quite sure where the division of
> > responsibility lies!
>
> The way I see it the modem is their responsibility the router is mine,
which
> would explain their insistance the router is the problem. No disrespect to
> these people but their support dept is worse than NTL's :-o
>
> > I have a combined modem/router/firewall - and that has parameters in its
> > setup for "dial on demand" and "idle time" - so it is also suitable for
> use
> > in countries where they have PAYG DSL, and can drop the connection after
> the
> > specified idle time when there is no traffic on the line.
> >
> > If you have a similar facility (not sure where it would be in your
setup)
> > make sure either that it is disabled or that the idle time is set to a
> very
> > long time - like 2000 minutes or more.
>
> I'll take a look at that on monday thanks

Hmmm checked that and thats all OK, but came to use it this morning and the
connection was dead. Had to go to the modem web interface and disconnect
then reconect, do the same on the router web interface and this got it going
again. Totally stumped by this.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mr Wizzo <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
> Hmmm checked that and thats all OK, but came to use it this morning
> and the connection was dead. Had to go to the modem web interface and
> disconnect then reconect, do the same on the router web interface and
> this got it going again. Totally stumped by this.


When you say it's "ok" - what exactly do you mean?

Does either the modem or the router have a "connect on demand" parameter? If
so, what is it set to? Does either have an "inactivity time" or equivalent?
If so, what is it set to?
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

"Tiscali Tim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> Mr Wizzo <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >
> > Hmmm checked that and thats all OK, but came to use it this morning
> > and the connection was dead. Had to go to the modem web interface and
> > disconnect then reconect, do the same on the router web interface and
> > this got it going again. Totally stumped by this.
>
>
> When you say it's "ok" - what exactly do you mean?
>
> Does either the modem or the router have a "connect on demand" parameter?
If
> so, what is it set to? Does either have an "inactivity time" or
equivalent?
> If so, what is it set to?

The modem has an 'idle-time' disconnect which is set at 0 minutes, which I
will assume is an 'off'
setting, the router doesnt appear to have this setting but does have an
'auto-reconect' which is
enabled. As with most if not all BT ADSL ISP's we connect using PPoA, but
the router doesnt so I
have it set to dynamic IP, A friend of mine on ADSL uses the same modem and
router and this setting
works for him.

One thing that did occur to me, the router is set to clone the MAC address
of the main PC could this
cause the problem (although the connection when it dies does so for all
conected PC's) or could it
be when we boot up the computers in the morning this one needs to be turned
on first maybe?