FRUSTRATING!! router problem

[BrandonColorado]

Hey all,
I have a linksys wireless router. I have the strangest problem with it. There are random times, and some specific times when the router will just stop working, and I can't access it throught the normal ip I use. It is a wireless router, but I am wired in. For instance....if I am using CNN Pipeline and I change channels (T.V.) I lose an internet connection. The only way to repair it is to unplug it and plug it back in. It also seems to happen at random other times.

Thanks!

[IanS]

In Britain there are different routers/modems for cable and the telephone company - this could be the same where you are. Is it the correct type of router and/or modem for the connection you're using?

[tpoynton]

I would suggest pinging the router when this happens to see if the problem is with the connection between your your computer and your router, or your router and the modem.

for most linksys routers, i believe the router IP is 192.168.1.1, so:

1 - open a command prompt by going to start | run | cmd
2 - type "ping 192.168.1.1" in the resulting window (without quotes)

this of course assumes you are using windows...after you type the above, you should see a line somewhere stating the % packet loss; 0% loss indicates good connection, 100% loss indicates no connection.

if you have 0% packet loss, you might want to try pinging www.google.com or some other internet site to see if you have a connection outside your local network.

I had a problem a couple of months ago (similar to yours) that i swore was the router, and it ended up being the cable modem. Linksys even thought it was the router and sent me another! Unfortunately, the only way i figured out the problem was by switching hardware - if you can get your hands on another router, that could help tremendously. You could also try connecting to the internet without the router (use your software firewall!) to see if you have the same problems. again, this didnt help me diagnose my router problem, but it might help you!

[extras]

You should access the Router with browser to check the Status page, too.
http://192.168.1.1/

[BrandonColorado]

Thanks for the help.

After the router stops working.

I cannot ping it, and I cannot ping any web servers.
I have pinpointed that the exact cause is such a silly thing. It is when I switch which live internet feed I am watching with CNN Pipeline. I contacted linksys, they did no troubleshooting and told me the router was defective. Could it be that two computers are accessing the same port when I run that software or something? Would that cause this?

[tpoynton]

if you described the problem and linksys said it was a defective router, i would expect that this is something they have seen before. I am assuming that they are sending you a new router through RMA; if your router is not under warrantee, they may have been just trying to get you off the phone...i am an optimist!

do you have any trouble with other high-bandwidth applications?
do you experience the same problem if you bypass the router?
have you upgraded your firmware lately?
do you have a router you can borrow from somewhere?

Regarding what would cause this, it is very likely the router. Doing some more diagnostic work will help you isolate the problem. I have yet to have a router last more than three years personally, and then there are other people i know who have had the same router with no problems for 6 years.

[BrandonColorado]

do you have any trouble with other high-bandwidth applications? NO, in fact I can watch video on the web without trouble, just this particular application (which I pay for) causes the router to disconnect all computers.

do you experience the same problem if you bypass the router? NO
have you upgraded your firmware lately? YES
do you have a router you can borrow from somewhere? I'll give this a shot!

Thanks.

[tpoynton]

Interesting...have you tried contacting the CNN pipeline folks? Since you pay a fee, I think you can expect some form of tech support from them (I would hope!). If this is a non-router issue, they are probably aware of it.

I dont have the CNN pipeline, but I understand that you can view it through windows media player or a web-based player. If you experience the same problem when viewing through both types of players (combined with above info), I would be pretty confident that a new router is in order. switching out the router itself, if you can, might be quicker!