Internet connection dropping.

Clone

Hi,

In the last week our internet connection in the house has been dropping but comes back with a reboot of the router.

When the connection drops apps like Skype, msn and updates will still work.
Description of network:

Magnet Fibre to home switch.
D-Link DIR 300 Connected to this to run wireless and LAN.
3 PC's connect wirelessly (generally 2)
1 mac osx 10.5.7 connects wirelessly

I had encoutered this issue before with an older router and put it down to imcompatability between the router and new Mac. I replaced it with the current router and had no problems for months.

I have been trying to resolve this issue on and off for ages, it is very frustrating as the connection drops when doing this too.
The solutions I have tried:
Remove any trace of Norton Anti virus (this was a solution that helped many with a similar problem)
I've turned off Zone Alarm and AVG to see if these would have an effect, nothing.

During outage I can ping the router, other computers connected but when I try and ping an external site it doesn't work.

Everytime I adjust a setting on the router it seems to come back and then eventually goes again.

At the moment I'm beginning to suspect that the Mac is the culprit, I need to do more controlled testing when others aren't using it or the network.

Always tricky to try and troubleshoot when others are using the net and possible causes.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

BTW: I tried to contact magnet to make sure that I had all setting correct to work with the switch but they just don't want anything to do with it. Quite rude too, considering I'm a paying customer.

Clone

I've just noticed that there are external IP address's appearing in my router.

When I search for the IP it comes up as a known Dictionary Attacker IP.

How do I block this?? I presume there is software on one of the computers that is inviting this attack?

It looks like the attack is directed at the mac.

Clone

I believe I found the cause of my issue.

I suppose it is good that I was able to come to a solution myself.:rolleyes:

For those who are in a similar position see what I did below.

It turned out it was to do with AVG components not being fully allowed through my firewall (Zonealarm). I believe the last time AVG updated, some of these components must have updated and therefore needed to be re-allowed through the firewall. Normally this is an automatic process where zone alarm will warn me of a new program/updated program.

Following the instructions here:
http://free.avg.com/faq.num-1334#faq_1334

seemed to solve the problem.

24 hr's connected so far so good. (touch wood)

Clone

I spoke too soon, the problem has come back even with the PC offline and just the Mac online. :mad:

I now believe its an issue with the router and fibre optic switch.

I've spent so much time trying to trouble shoot this issue that its set me back work wise (working for myself at the moment), and off course with every router re-start (which is suggested by all diagnostic tools) it works fine for a while and then goes eventually, I could live with re-starting the router everytime it goes but others who use the network for work more than I do just won't put up with a connection that used to work fine and now has to be restarted several times a day

Its almost like the ISP has changed some setting that has thrown the router off. I really don't understand how it worked great for months and then stopped.

At this stage I'm going to re-start the fibre optic router to see if this resolves the issue. After that I think I will have to pay for a network engineer to look at it.

I'll throw it out there again, does anybody have any experience of this or have I got such a uniquie setup that no one else has experienced this?

Dardania

It's unlinkely that your anti-virus can interfere with the link between the router & fibre interface unit - more likely as you have noticed its an inherent problem between the 2 of them.

first port of call in these cases is to check the routers firmware - is there a newer one available? check: http://www.dlink.ie/cs/Satellite?c=TechSupport_C&childpagename=DLinkEurope-GB%2FDLTechProduct&cid=1197319390308&p=1197318962293&packedargs=locale%3D1195806691854&pagename=DLinkEurope-GB%2FDLWrapper

next - is your dlink configured to just get an ip address from the firbre termination unit via DHCP? does the dlink then nat the external IP access to the internal lan by routing?

following on, how are your pc's/mac configured - they should be dhcp also... are you sure that you haven't got them set with particular IP addresses and they're conflicting with each other?

Clone

Thanks for the reply.

I checked the router firmware, it has the latest version of the firmware.

Dlink connects to fibre router and has its own IP, it then issues Internal IP's for the LAN and to access the web gui.

All computers were configured to DHCP and automatic IP address aquisition.

The strange thing is the current network configuration was working fine for months. Could a change of ISP settings effect my setup.

I know it occurs when the Mac is online, I don't seem to experience it when the PC is on its own, although I haven't had the time to constantly check an internet connection until it breaks. Although It worked solidly for a day when it was just the PC.

I'm going to try Powering off everything, then power up Fibre optic switch and then wireless router. See if that does anything for me.

Dardania

Clone wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

I checked the router firmware, it has the latest version of the firmware.

Dlink connects to fibre router and has its own IP, it then issues Internal IP's for the LAN and to access the web gui.

All computers were configured to DHCP and automatic IP address aquisition.

The strange thing is the current network configuration was working fine for months. Could a change of ISP settings effect my setup.

I know it occurs when the Mac is online, I don't seem to experience it when the PC is on its own, although I haven't had the time to constantly check an internet connection until it breaks. Although It worked solidly for a day when it was just the PC.

I'm going to try Powering off everything, then power up Fibre optic switch and then wireless router. See if that does anything for me.

A change of settings at the ISP end could affect you certainly, but before you apportion blame on them be aware that if they did change something, ALL devices on your network wouldn't be able to connect, not just the Mac...

Maybe the sequential reboot idea isn't the worst...

One idea that's occured to me - is your mac doing any sort of internet sharing - acting as a DHCP server, competing with the Dlink? Like from this page: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/8156.html ?

Clone

Thanks again for your reply.

I rebooted the fibre switch and then the Wireless router.
The connection is working again, but I put this down to the router being restarted. I believe the connection will go again. (Prove me wrong connection, Please)

Internet Connection Sharing is turned off and was never on.

I did originally think that it was a spyware or DOS issue but the same thing happens when the Mac is on the network on its own. I've scanned the PC for everything, might do the same in safe mode to be sure. If I remember correctly this issue first developed shortly after the Mac was added to the network but disappeared with a router change.

I have already looked at some solutions for the mac, to no avail. It is up to date with all patches. A bit more research on the Mac and that particular version of the OS is needed. There is already problems with it needing the disk permissions fixed nearly weekly to allow Mail to send outgoing mail.

I think I need to find something that can monitor the whole network to determine what causes the failure.

Note: in some cases sites like Gmail remain temporarily accessible for a little bit

Drumpot

Hi,

Dont understand half the language used in this forum so please excuse my ignorance (not even sure if my problem is similar to OP'S)

Basically my Internet connection went very very odd earlier.

I could google talk mostly (broken line once, but worked mostly).

I could download microsoft updates (slowly)

I could look at Google main search page some of the times, and very seldom open another internet page.

But for a couple of hours earlier my Internet connection wasnt really working at all.

(checked my router which looked fine, rebooted router and pc)

The only things I can think of are:

-Norton Anti Virus Software is finished now and it kept asking me to renew
-Broadband connection was erratic because of the little thunder that I heard (not even sure this would affect it!)

I use it for work so this was an inconvenient couple of hours.

It seems fine now but does anybody have an idea why this might happen?

Dardania

Clone wrote: »

Thanks again for your reply.

I rebooted the fibre switch and then the Wireless router.
The connection is working again, but I put this down to the router being restarted. I believe the connection will go again. (Prove me wrong connection, Please)

Internet Connection Sharing is turned off and was never on.

I did originally think that it was a spyware or DOS issue but the same thing happens when the Mac is on the network on its own. I've scanned the PC for everything, might do the same in safe mode to be sure. If I remember correctly this issue first developed shortly after the Mac was added to the network but disappeared with a router change.

I have already looked at some solutions for the mac, to no avail. It is up to date with all patches. A bit more research on the Mac and that particular version of the OS is needed. There is already problems with it needing the disk permissions fixed nearly weekly to allow Mail to send outgoing mail.

I think I need to find something that can monitor the whole network to determine what causes the failure.

Note: in some cases sites like Gmail remain temporarily accessible for a little bit

hopefully this will work for you...a word of advice when troubleshooting like this - simplify everything. cut down on the number of devices, restore settings to default etc.

Regarding websites like GMail still working for a while, that's happening because GMail loads a little app (called an AJAX app) into your browser - so thats why t keeps working for a while...

Clone

Drumpot wrote: »

Hi,

Dont understand half the language used in this forum so please excuse my ignorance (not even sure if my problem is similar to OP'S)

Basically my Internet connection went very very odd earlier.

I could google talk mostly (broken line once, but worked mostly).

I could download microsoft updates (slowly)

I could look at Google main search page some of the times, and very seldom open another internet page.

But for a couple of hours earlier my Internet connection wasnt really working at all.

(checked my router which looked fine, rebooted router and pc)

The only things I can think of are:

-Norton Anti Virus Software is finished now and it kept asking me to renew
-Broadband connection was erratic because of the little thunder that I heard (not even sure this would affect it!)

I use it for work so this was an inconvenient couple of hours.

It seems fine now but does anybody have an idea why this might happen?

Hi,

You could be in luck as I have been researching this issue I have come across issues with Norton blocking the internet connection even if it does not appear to be installed. If you no longer intend on using norton then remove it completely.

First uninstall as normal then, You need to get a Norton Remover tool to properly uninstall it as it can cause problems with firewalls and internet connection when not properly uninstalled.
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039

Not sure which forum it was on now, but a google search should find more details. There were definately allot of people with this issue.

You could start there and see how you get on.


Thanks Dardania for your reply's, its always easier to bounce ideas of someone.

As for my saga the connection dropped again last night. I gave up at that point and didn't do anything. This morning it worked againg for a while and then dropped. I have since installed Cisco Network Magic to monitor the connection and hopefully diagnose the problem when it re-occurs.

I'll post until I find a resolution to this issue.

Clone

Just to update.

Since installing Network Magic I haven't lost the connection once.
Unfortunenately this doesn't help diagnose what was causing it, but at least I have a working connection now.

Drumpot

Clone,

Top man . . . Thanks for the help . .

Part of the problem was that eircom was hacked that night (but I still have the problem randomly so what you posted will hopefully help!).

Dardania

Clone wrote: »

Just to update.

Since installing Network Magic I haven't lost the connection once.
Unfortunenately this doesn't help diagnose what was causing it, but at least I have a working connection now.

interesting - must give that software a shot sounds good!

ollielaroo

Hi Clone,

I used to have a similar problem trying to share files between an XP machine (windows firewall) a windows 2000 machine (zone alarm). Everytime I put in allowed rules in zone alarm on the windows 2000 machine and if I restarted this machine it was as if zone alarm had reset itself. I was a long time ago and I don't know what happened in the end, think I changed the windows 2000 machine to XP or something like that.
I used to be convinced that my problem was with zone alarm. Now maybe my situation then is of no significance to yours now but I would assume you have tested with zone alarm turned off.

Only a thought.