Broadband internet access has gone flaky ..could it be a dying router?

[Jay Arr]

I have 2 computers networked at home, connected to BT broadband using a Netgear DG834 router. It is a wired system. I am a longterm BT internet user. My current system has been faultless for the past 5 years since installation.

Three days ago internet access became unreliable and remains so on both computers using different email programmes (Outlook Express and Incredimail) and different browsers (Firefox and IE6 and IE7). Checking email most often reports that there is no response from the mail server. When, all of a sudden, the server does respond, then email is downloaded at the usual spritely 4 meg speed. As for internet browsing, I cannot guarantee a response from any site, even btyahoo.com. At times, when a site responds, speed of browsing is as fast as ever. Other times I cannot navigate beyond a site's homepage. Most times sites do not respond at all.

All lamp indications on the front of my router are normal and behaving normally. It is connected to a dedicated, BT-installed, ADSL wall socket. Two approaches to BT have have been made. It has been established there is no line fault. Tests have been done with firewall (Zone Alarm) and anti-virus (AVG) switched off and did not produce an answer to the problem. A BT-broadband desktop help session reports no problems with the internet connection. It also reports that it cannot connect to the email server.

Logic tells me that the problem lies outside the computers. And BT insistes there are no network problems. So, does anyone have experience of ageing routers? Could my Netgear be giving up the ghost?

[centaur]

Have you checked the BT broadband website to see if it has a 'status' page which would report any current faults or maintenance with servers ?

Have you also checked the Netgear website to see if your router has the latest 'firmware' ?

[Jay Arr]

Thank you, Centaur.

I have indeed checked for faults both National and local and the BT network seems to be as clean as a proverbial whistle.

I took your advice and entered the Netgear website where I discovered no fewer than 3 firmware upgrades. I installed the earliest of these. Immediate result was immediate improvement in logging on to the BT email server. Access to many on-line web sites is still "sticky" albeit at periods of dense traffic.

I will systematically update the last two firmware updates.


Early days yet

[mungogerry]

Same problem in the Huntly (Aberdeenshire) area. 3 clients in 3 different areas are having problems - connects OK, browsing fine then suddenly will not download a page. Sometimes downloading will restart. All have other anomolies - BTYahoo browser icon in system tray does not indicate that client is signed in (says "sign in" when it should state "sign out")
One is using Windows XP,two are on Win98. Two are using different Voyager USB modems, one has a Linksys wireless modem/router setup.

Problem is exactly replicated on all 3 - after spending 3 hours trying to fix the first one then finding exactly the same problem on the next 2 it became obvious that the error is with the BTYahoo server - oversubscribed???

[Jay Arr]

I installed all the firmware updates for the Netgear 834 wired router. No change to the utterly UNreliable internet access. Pages still have a mind of their own when accessed from both of my networked computers.

It was suggested that the problem may be the router so today I installed an identical Netgear model. The problem remains.

So ... two networked computers using different software (IE6, IE7 and Firefox), cable connected to a serviceable router, and thence to a BT-installed ADSL wall socket and not an extension cable in sight, are displaying identical connection problems without any dropping of the ADSL connection. Yep, it has to be a BT network problem. I'm in Inverness. I've now suffered the problem for a week.

[mungogerry]

Problem here seems to have started 2 weeks ago. I've just got an e-mail from BT Internet support (India) with the normal "lets get them to jump through rings" routine i.e. check everything that been checked (cant possibly be our service) approach.
Just replied ,stating again that its an identical problem on 3 different computers, 2 different exchanges, 2 different operating systems etc.

Whats the common denomenator? - Bt server and BT software.

I'll let you know how I get on - be prepared for a long wait!!!

[mungogerry]

Does your software also have another problem - right click on BTYahoo browser icon in system tray and it shows Sign in when your already signed in?

[Jay Arr]

I think the software might be a red herring because I do not have BTYahoo browser software installed.

[mungogerry]

Tried that as well, used IE6 - still the same problem.
Its just that 2 of the computers were showing the same problem with the system tray icon.

[Jay Arr]

I'm flummoxed! After a week of detailed analysis and installation of a new router AND several help sessions my system is running perfectly and sweetly again. No gradual transition. Total mince for a week and then instant perfection. What is going on? At no time during my discussions with the BT Help personnel was the possibility of a BT network fault broached or considered ; yet it is patently obvious that the fault lay with BT!!

I've been with BT since the days of semaphore and my loyalty is wavering.

[mungogerry]

Same thing here in Huntly - phoned around everyone a couple of days ago and all is running fine. Its frustrating when BT dont accept responsibility and let people know when there is a problem.