Connection deteriorating?

[Kitty]

Hi,

I have rarely had to ask questions on here but when I do, you are all so helpful. 

My connection has been slowly deteriorating and I am trying to work out what needs to be done. The connection fluctuates a lot, sometimes completely vanishing and/or runs slow quite frequently now.

I had an email recently about upgrading somehow but doubt that will help unless I sort out what the problem is. When I phone Tech Support, they assure me that the connection is fine so I assume it is either the router or wireless connector thingy (non technical term so non technical replies would be gratefully accepted!)

How do I work out what it is?

[Rik]

Hi Kitty

What router do you have?

[Kitty]

Hi Rik

I bought it from IDnet.

Netgear wireless adsl DG834G.

[Kitty]

Hi Rik

I bought it from IDnet.

Netgear wireless adsl DG834G.

[Kitty]

Oops-see? My connection just fluctuated thus giving the impression I hadn't just already posted!

[Rik]

Don't worry. Can you login to the user interface for me and find the downstream attenuation, noise margin and sync speed?

[Rik]

Hi Kitty

I've been doing some checking with IDNet. You're in sync at 8128k, with an 11db noise margin, in other words you have a short line and are connected at maximum speed with some spare noise headroom (5db). Your profile is 7150, the top level on Max. You would be a great candidate for WBC (ADSL2+), therefore.

Your slow speeds seem likely, then, to be down to wireless networking. Can you connect to the router with a cable, to eliminate the wireless side?

[Kitty]

Sorry-don't know what you were asking me to do in reply #5 but think you checked it for me! It doesn't mean anything to me. I did try connecting my other computer ie laptop straight into the router the other day and it seemed ok.

[Rik]

It's OK, I got the answer to #5 from IDNet, Kitty. Your connection is fine, so any speed issues must be on the local network unless there is congestion at the exchange, ie too many people trying to use the net at the same time. You could eliminate that by running a BT speed test:

http://test.speedtester.bt.com:50301/

Enter your phone number on the first screen (ignore the other field), then enter your IDNet username and password on the second screen. Copy and paste the results here and that will tell us a bit more.

If you connected directly to the router, using an ethernet cable, and things improved, though, it suggests that there's an issue with the wireless side of your router or computer. The first thing to try would be to re-boot the router and see if that alters things.

[Kitty]

Thanks Rik-I will do all of that a bit later and report back.

[Rik]

We'll be here.

[quandam]

Congrats Rik, you have dealt with this post very well indeed, hopefully the thread will not be sidelined by non related posts.  Kitty is clearly relying on some basic advice and information without being 'put off' by gobbledegook and IDNetters ' in jokes/humour'

Kitty, good luck to you! Hope the lads here can sort out your problems. I am sure they will!

[Ted]

I sounds as if it may just be a poor wireless signal between the router and the computer. How far away is the computer from the router? Any large objects, walls etc, in the way?

Its worth trying a different wireless channel, this may help and is quite easy to do.

Open the router interface in your browser and go to the "wireless" page.

Look for where it says "channel" and click on the drop down list.

Choose 1, 6 or 11. If its already one of these, just choose one of the others.

Scroll to the bottom and click on "apply" or "save" whatever it is.

Reboot your computer, it will pick up the new channel automatically. See if that is any better?

[Simon]

I don't know if this will be any help, Kitty, but a relation of mine recently had trouble with the wireless signal on her DG834G, and after a lot of fiddling about, moving it around, trying it in different rooms, etc, it was put back in it's usual place, and suddenly started working again.  We came to the conclusion that just moving it a few inches may have resolved whatever wireless signal issue there was.  It was also powered off over night, which may or may not have made any difference.  Might be worth a try?

[zappaDPJ]

If you do power it down I'd leave it off for at least 30 minutes. That router seems prone to retaining bad information as far as wireless is concerned when you drop the power momentarily.

[Kitty]

Thanks everyone for the other bits of advice which I will take on board but meanwhile, the results from the test...

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.

   Download  Speed
   3354 Kbps
   
0 Kbps   7150 Kbps
Max Achievable Speed

Download speedachieved during the test was - 3354 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 600-7150 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :8128 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 7150 Kbps

[Kitty]

I sounds as if it may just be a poor wireless signal between the router and the computer. How far away is the computer from the router? Any large objects, walls etc, in the way?

Its worth trying a different wireless channel, this may help and is quite easy to do.

Open the router interface in your browser and go to the "wireless" page.

Look for where it says "channel" and click on the drop down list.

Choose 1, 6 or 11. If its already one of these, just choose one of the others.

Scroll to the bottom and click on "apply" or "save" whatever it is.

Reboot your computer, it will pick up the new channel automatically. See if that is any better?

Thanks Ted-I will try this tomorrow.

The computer is in a completely different room from the router with a couple of walls in between although the set-up hasn't changed from the outset. It has always been this way with no previous problems. i have similar probs when using my laptop in the same room as it.

[Ted]

Thanks Ted-I will try this tomorrow.

The computer is in a completely different room from the router with a couple of walls in between although the set-up hasn't changed from the outset. It has always been this way with no previous problems. i have similar probs when using my laptop in the same room as it.

Having more than one device that's having the same problem, would seem to point to the router being the cause. Have a go with the channel change and see how you get on.

The more you can rule out, the better.

[Rik]

Your throughput is also low for the profile, Kitty, so once we've got the wireless issue sorted out, we should take a look at that. I take it that it's not practical to run a cable from the router to the computer?

[Kitty]

It is difficult to connect a cable without dismantling everything and carrying it through-it could be done if necessary but would have to be next week!

[psp83]

It is difficult to connect a cable without dismantling everything and carrying it through-it could be done if necessary but would have to be next week!

You can pick up long ethernet cables quite cheap from ebay, might be worth a go. Atleast you won't have to move things around then.

[Glenn]

If a 20m network cable is long enough then Prepaymania are selling them cheap at the moment, £3.49.

[Rik]

A Paul says, Kitty, you can easily pickup long leads, and ethernet can be up to 100m long per segment (cable), so if you feel like running a cable along skirting boards and door frames, it might we worth a think. Go for Cat5e or Cat6 cable.

[Kitty]

I hope you don't mind if I come back to this next week? Thanks in advance! 

[DorsetBoy]

I hope you don't mind if I come back to this next week? Thanks in advance! 

Come back anytime Kitty,you don't have to ask permission