Web Connection randomly timing out

Sci-Fi Wasabi

OK so I have Comcast, use their modem, and run it through my netgear wgr614v2 wireless router. It's currently wired.

For the last 4 or 5 days randomly my connection will time out for no reason. This happens maybe every 3 hours or so. I'll be browsing and suddenly both browsers (IE and Firefox) will just halt. So I hop into command prompt and ping these websites, and all websites that I try time out during this period. I can actually watch my connection come back if I keep pinging; eventually it will start getting responses right before my eyes.

I've tried resetting both my modem and my router, and changing physical ports and cables with my router as well. I've generally had a good experience with Comcast for the 2 years I've had it, certainly nothing like random drops every day.

Any ideas on whats going on?

Daemonion

I am in Colorado, use Comcast, and have had the same issues for almost two years at all five houses/apartments that I have lived in.

I am also paying for their premium service (like 7mbps up, 30mbps down), and almost never get anything near those speeds.

In short, their service is inconsistent and aggravating. The past few days my connection hasn't cut out or anything loading videos, which is a first. My only recommendation is to switch companies.

Sci-Fi Wasabi

That's pretty much what I had feared. The weather in Portland has been pretty shitty lately but I doubt that has much to do with it.

Daemonion

Sci-Fi Wasabi wrote: »

That's pretty much what I had feared. The weather in Portland has been pretty shitty lately but I doubt that has much to do with it.

Kinda funny - when I was in the city of Gangtok in Sikkim, India, anytime lightning struck the ground during a storm the internet would go out.

Of course, nothing like this would happen in Portland, but just thought I'd share.

Anyways, yea, Comcast is terrible. If you have other options that aren't terribly slow, go for them.

Evocati

Daemonion wrote: »

I am in Colorado, use Comcast, and have had the same issues for almost two years at all five houses/apartments that I have lived in.

I am also paying for their premium service (like 7mbps up, 30mbps down), and almost never get anything near those speeds.

In short, their service is inconsistent and aggravating. The past few days my connection hasn't cut out or anything loading videos, which is a first. My only recommendation is to switch companies.

Same experience while living here.


On a related note, try changing your wireless channels. It may be that there is a lot of traffic on the one you are using, and sometimes that can drop your connection. Turning off auto-channel and dynamic turbo may help as well.

Sci-Fi Wasabi

Worth a try, we just got new neighbors. I'll try to see if they have a network that is conflicting with mine.

locopostal

i've been running into this same problem the last week or so, using CableOne, except mine start timing out every 10 minutes or so, for about 30 seconds to a minute, before I start getting responses again. Odd because I never lose connection in hour+ long gaming sessions. I'm also on a wired connection.

bunkzilla

a squirrel has chewed into your hardwire outside. Call comcast or whoever and have them come check it out, you'll be surprised to see what the condition of the hard lines outside are like.

with all the weather and everything they should be replaced pretty regularly anyways. but seriously, it was a squirrel.

YodaTuna

Do you torrent?

I have comcast and I was using a modem they provided, but the modem firmware could not handle multiple simultaneous connections and it would just stop working for awhile. I don't know if comcast purposefully does this with modems(my previous cable modem from comcast did not have this problem).

Anyway I went a bought my own cable modem. Problem solved.

locopostal

i did buy my own, but its the same brand that cableone rents out. are there other, better modems i should look at? its a motorola surfboard something or other i think.

Daemonion

I'd be curious to get recommendations on non-rental modems, as well.