Dying Router? Exchange Issues?

AzShane · May 25, 2011, 08:23:14

Since last night I have been encountering issues browsing the web, pictures look currupted, random weird text appears on webpages (the kind you see when opening a file with the wrong program), and keep getting this "The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because it uses an invalid or unsupported form of compression." when trying to load websites, but it seems random as sometimes the websites work.

Also the issues occurs on the wired PC and wireless PC. Anyone ever had a similar issue?

I think it might just be the Router dying (Netgear DG834G)

Rik · May 25, 2011, 09:31:52

It could be packet loss. Do you have interleaving on?

esh · May 25, 2011, 09:41:32

Try pinging your router for a while ("ping -n 30 <IP address>") and see if you get lost packets to it. If you do (and you are wired to it) then the router almost certainly has problems.

The other alternative is resetting your TCP/IP stack in Windows, see Microsoft Support for information about that. This has solved numerous strange problems in the past.

AzShane · May 25, 2011, 12:32:47

Don't believe Interleaving is on.

Pinging the router didn't show any packet loss, and resetting TCP/IP stack didn't seem to work either

I tried leaving it off for awhile at the start hence the Red part.

Rik · May 25, 2011, 12:36:25

Try changing DNS to OpenDNS, Norton or Google, see if that helps (clutching at straws here). Flush your browser cached first.

AzShane · May 25, 2011, 12:54:46

Tried switching from IDnet DNS (i think) to Google, Still same problem, flushed DNS catche aswell. just had to refresh this page like 10 times to get it to even look right!

esh · May 25, 2011, 13:24:55

Try changing your browser of course as well.

Is it just web sites? How about downloads, games, etc.?

AzShane · May 25, 2011, 15:00:34

League of legends won't even let me load the actual client due to a problem during patching ("An Unexpected Error as occured")

Internet Explorer and Firefox have the same problem, tried it on 3 diffrent pcs.

There has been issues over the last few days with slow/not loading pages, thought it was associated the issues some people have been saying in the forum or due to the fact there has been maintance and faults reported on my exchange on Zens fault website.

cavillas · May 25, 2011, 15:13:23

Do you live in areas close to Ipswich, if so check this out Exchange Problems Affecting thousands.

AzShane · May 25, 2011, 15:21:50

No, Leicester, about 100 miles away.... BT wouldn't route my in such a way surely?

Rik · May 25, 2011, 16:01:14

You'd be amazed at the routing. It varies depending on whether you're on 20CN or 21CN, but can be very odd.

Ray · May 25, 2011, 16:02:34

Quote from: AzShane on May 25, 2011, 15:21:50
No, Leicester, about 100 miles away.... BT wouldn't route my in such a way surely?

I wouldn't have thought so, I'm about 12 miles south of Leicester and my BB come via the Birmingham nodes.

AzShane · May 25, 2011, 17:27:18

Think im just gonna buy a new router as its proving near impossible to find a non-cable router to test it if its just that. (been thinking about a new one for awhile anyway).

Any suggestions?

Rik · May 25, 2011, 17:28:37

It depends on your budget and your line. What's your current downstream sync speed, line attenuation and noise margin?

AzShane · May 25, 2011, 17:35:23

Budget, upto £120
ASDL2+
Connection Speed   16679 kbps   1251 kbps
Line Attenuation     26.5 db     14.0 db
Noise Margin     5.70 db     6.5 db

Rik · May 25, 2011, 17:37:04

Do you use wireless, or wired (or both)?

AzShane · May 25, 2011, 17:39:34

Both, N wireless would be good, but not a requirement.

Rik · May 25, 2011, 17:56:49

Possibly a Netgear DGND3300?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-DGND3300-RangeMax-Wireless-N-Gateway/dp/B002SK0VUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306342452&sr=8-1

Have a look through the threads in our Netgear board, that will give you a feel from people who use it. Another possibility would be the Billion 7800:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Billion-BiPAC-7800N-Broadband-Wireless-N/dp/B002TOKGL8/ref=pd_cp_computers_1

A little more expensive, but very versatile and has been found to work well with FTTC, should that become available for you.

AzShane · May 25, 2011, 21:13:42

Thanks again Rik, i ordered the billion router, should come on friday +karma

Rik · May 26, 2011, 09:39:05

Let us know how you get on.

AzShane · May 27, 2011, 12:34:09

Got the Router through this morning, set it up (omg @ the amount of settings, that's gonna take a day in itself to go through properly!).
The corruption issue I was having has gone so I do believe it was the router, however im suffering from Terrible downstream bandwidth :S
and a lower sync overall by about 1000

. I thought about updating the firmware but it says 1.06a on the router and 1.05 on the website? Am I missing something?

Details from Router (Billion 7800N)
Upstream   1191
Downstream   16391
SNR Margin(Upstream)   6.0
SNR Margin(Downstream)   6.0
Line Attenuation(Upstream)   15.2
Line Attenuation(Downstream)   26.0

From BT Speedtest

Download speedachieved during the test was - 2750 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speedsis 4000-21000 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :16391 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 1191 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 14461 Kbps
The throughput of Best Efforts (BE) classes achieved during the test is - 9.81:15.76:74.45 (SBE:NBE:PBE)
These figures represent the ratio while sententiously passing Sub BE, Normal BE and Priority BE marked traffic.

The results of this test will vary depending on the way your ISP has decided to use these traffic classes.

2. Upstream Test: -provides background information.

   Upload Speed
   955 Kbps

0 Kbps   1191 Kbps
Max Achievable Speed

>Upload speed achieved during the test was - 955 Kbps
Additional Information:
Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 1191 Kbps

Rik · May 27, 2011, 12:37:53

Different routers will perform differently, so a 6% change in sync speed isn't entirely unreasonable.

Steve · May 27, 2011, 14:22:25

The latest firmware is 1.06d

http://www.billion.uk.com/esupport/

The bandwidth issue :- was anything else using the connection whilst testing? Is that a wifi connection? If no I would check with support to see if your local exchange is congested.

AzShane · May 27, 2011, 15:10:32

The loss of syncrate isn't really a problem, it was more the bandwidth dropping to nothing. Ill try updating the firmware that Steve linked and hope that might help.

I contact support as I am the only one currently using the connection, and they told me that it was due to a 10 day training period? - Why would it be on a training period again? Would connecting a new router do this?
They also said they would contact BT about my exchange, and see if its congested.

esh · May 27, 2011, 15:44:45

I thought a training period was to do with the sync rate (may be wrong).

As I read it, you have a 16,000 sync rate with 2,000 bandwidth, which is clearly bad. I doubt that is the router, something is up. I would complain loudly if it's not fixed in a couple days.