Losing @Home connection every 15 min. PLEASE HELP - Cox (2024)

huffaustin
@home.com

huffaustin

Anon

2000-Nov-20 7:52 pm

Hello everyone. I'm a complete newbie, so please forgive my ignorance. Two weeks ago I had AT&T @Home installed on my Macintosh G4/400 (AGP). While I love the speed, I cannot get the connection to work for more than 15 minutes at a time (sometimes less).

After starting up the computer and opening IE 5.0 for Mac I can surf, email, etc. for about 5-15 minutes. Then I begin getting "connection failure" errors. I can get it to work again by restarting the computer or (as I've recently discovered) by opening the TCP/IP control panel, changing a setting, saving the changes and closing, then changing back and saving it (so the settings in the TCP/IP control panal end up the same).

Of course for $40 a month I would prefer that the connection worked as it should. The AT&T tech has been here 4 times in two weeks trying to figure it out. He actually has an iMac at home with the same setup that works fine. No one else in my neighborhood has reported any problems. The modem I have now (the second they have tried) is a Surfboard SB3100. According to the lights on the modem, the cable connection is fine. I have tried 4 different ethernet cables with both the built-in ethernet on the G4 and an ethernet card installed by the tech. If there is something wrong with my built in ethernet, why does the connection work occasionaly?

I've reinstalled Mac OS 9.04 and Explorer. No luck.

As if this wasn't confusing enough, the first time the tech came out he hooked up his Dell laptop to my modem (an RCA cable modem at the time) and got it to do the same thing (drop the connection every so often). So I naturally assumed that it wasn't my computer. He replaced the modem on the next visit (with the SB3100), but didn't bring his laptop. He says if all of the modem lights are on steadily (except for the activity light), then it is a problem with my computer. He's now as frustrated as I am.

After reading some posts here I'm wondering if there might be something wrong with my line. All of the cable from the pole to our computer is new RG6.

I'm sorry to have gone on like this, but I am so frustrated. I've searched the internet trying to find an answer. I've even run across some posts by others on message boards who've had similar problems, but no solutions.

If anyone could help me I would be eternally grateful! I'm about one click away from a nervous breakdown.

Thanks in advance!

Amy
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· actions · 2000-Nov-20 7:52 pm ·

eakes

Member

2000-Nov-20 8:56 pm

I have AT&T@home in Texas. They request that you use DHCP for connection, however it will work set as Static (at least mine does). Write down your information and create a copy of your DHCP TCP/IP configuration and rename it 'static'. Set 'configure' to "Manually" then enter your IP, DNS and subnet mask in the appropriate boxes. Save and try the static configuration to see if you drop out. If it doesn't work you can always switch back to the DHCP configuration.

As to the claim "if all modem lights are on steadily" there is no cable problem. In my experience this is not true. If the power, cable and PC lights are all on constantly and the RX data light does not flash occassionally, then in all likelyhood, I will not be able to connect. Under these conditions there is some problem either with a router or server at their location. I have seen this condition exist for as little as ten minutes up to several hours.

good luck
ralph

· actions · 2000-Nov-20 8:56 pm ·

AllAlone0
join:2000-10-30
Oakville, ON

AllAlone0 to huffaustin

Member

2000-Nov-20 9:42 pm

· actions · 2000-Nov-20 9:42 pm ·

2kmaro

2000-Nov-20 9:59 pm

After verifying that it is or isn't a browser related problem, I think you're going to end up looking at hardware again. The three or four most likely players are the signal to the modem, the modem itself, the cat-V cable between the modem and your NIC and the NIC.

When you do get a good connection you can go to http://192.168.100.1/ and actually see your signal strength readings. Write them down or print them out.

Next go to http://www.surfboard.com and click Products and then click on the link to SurfBoard 3100 Series Data Sheet. You need Adobe Acrobat to read this. The first page has the specifications for the modem on it. Compare them to your readings. If the readings are borderline anywhere (any power or signal-to-noise readings) then you may suspect that either the signal to the modem is bad (could slide out of spec easily) or your modem is bad (attenuating the signal or adding noise to it).

For the interpretation of the lights, see the second page of the document. I will flat tell you - if the top four lights are not on, you have a connection problem. If either the receive or transmit light is blinking, it means it has lost the signal and is seeking to lock on to it again. If any of those lights blink and you are still on line, you have a broken modem!

You might have a bad Cat-V cable - mostly unlikely, but possible. More unlikely if you are not moving it between the time things go bad, get ok, go bad again. And finally there is the possibility of a bad NIC and about the only way I know of to check that, if it didn't come with built-in diagnostic software, is to try another.

True, strange story to show you how squirrely these things can be: After installation of @Home in my apartment, I kept losing the connection every few days. Had techs out 3 times. During the 3rd visit the tech actually opened up the cover where the cable comes into the apartment and examined the connector. It had been built very poorly and would somehow magically go bad every few days. It would bring the signal down below usable level for the modem, but not for the TV. He rebuilt the connector and I've had no troubles since then. I mean this was almost magical - nothing was touching or moving the cable or connection and the signal would just come and go every few days like magic.

· actions · 2000-Nov-20 9:59 pm ·

Anon

2000-Nov-20 10:15 pm

· actions · 2000-Nov-20 10:15 pm ·

Anon

2000-Nov-21 11:35 am

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Just to update, I am currently using DHCP. They tried assigning me a static address, but it didn't make a difference. The checkbox in the Options area of the TCP/IP control panel is unchecked (first thing I tried).

My friend is trying to borrow an iBook from work so that we can hook it up to the modem and see what happens. If the problem shows up on that computer, I will be more suspicious that it may be a line problem.

After re-reading my initial post I realized that I forgot to mention that we did have the connection working properly for about 4 hours one day, then most of the next day (with a few failures here and there). Then that afternoon it started acting up worse than ever (losing the connection every 15 minutes). We hadn't done anything special, it just started working one Sunday afternoon for no reason.

2kmaro - thanks for posting about the signal strength website. I did as you suggested, but frankly, I think I'm too ignorant about all of this to know exactly what I am looking for here.

Again, thanks for trying to help!!! I really appreciate it!

Amy

· actions · 2000-Nov-21 11:35 am ·

AllAlone0
join:2000-10-30
Oakville, ON

AllAlone0 to huffaustin

Member

2000-Nov-21 4:35 pm

when my NIC card went bad, the diagnostics said it was fine. And it installed in windows perfectly. Only way to find out is to get a new one, I think.

Change the IRQ its on too... might be a problem.
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Now what the hell was I doing before I started slacking off....

· actions · 2000-Nov-21 4:35 pm ·