Help with internet!

[RageSaul]

Hello, I sincerely thank you if you help me and read this.

So, for about a year now, every day, my internet decides to stop working. It just turns itself off with no warning until I get disconnected from a game, or the Skype call decides to end itself. My only way to temporarily fix this problem is resetting the router, I am far away so it is incredibly annoying and it sometimes goes down again half an hour or so after it's previous fail.

So I have tried to bargain with my dad, but he doesn't want to get a different internet that doesn't always go down mainly because he can't be bothered. So, I was thinking that, if I find a different ISP or something for my house (please someone explain as I don't know how this works) for around the same price I could persuade him to change. We have a;ready tried changing the router to no avail. We have an AOL broadband router right now and that is our ISP (I think).

Now for the questions.

1. How do I find other ISPs to switch to?
2. Will it fix my internet problem?
3. How do I know my ISP? I have used speed-test and it says talktalk next to my IP, but my dad says he pays the bill to AOL? Can someone explain this?

I live in the UK, near London (hour and a half away).
If there is a website where you can enter you address and find ISPs you can switch to that would be great. A friend who lives in the sam,e village has 8x faster internet that never goes down, so I am pretty sure I can change to a better more reliable ISP.

Thanks a lot for reading.

[Saab Dastard]

TalkTalk now offers fixed and mobile telephony and broadband services to consumers under the TalkTalk and AOL Broadband brands.

Your post IP address does indeed come back with TalkTalk as the registrant.

Your options are basically a different ADSL provider, or Virgin cable if it's in your area.

Google "uk broadband providers reviews" or similar.

SD

[RageSaul]

Thanks for the answer. I have found I could upgrade.

But first, if I do upgradxe to BT or something what would we need to do? Unregister from our current AOL/TalkTalk ISP?

Also, how can I be sure its not a problem on our end in the house? Because I don't want to upgrade and still have internet gong down every so often.

Thanks

[Keef]

The problem will be that your home telephone service is probably with TalkTalk. To change internet provider will mean moving the telephone service, too.

TalkTalk is not exactly the best provider in the UK. Despite that, I don't think I would change provider because my children's games were being cut off from the internet.

You do have the option of a standalone broadband service using 3G - for example,with GiffGaff - if you are in range of a suitable cellsite.

[RageSaul]

Oh, all devices connected to the network get disconnected from the internet, so it's not just my games (or computer), it's everything.

Is there anyway to test the wires?

Thanks

[xanda_man]

Some advice as someone who works in this field and has previously worked for a large broadband provider, let's call them; Whittish Smellycom

I'm going to make an assumption here that the problem hasn't been properly troubleshooted/diagnosed in the first place? If it has I apologise but most of the time people live with these issues and tend to complain rather fix things (our wonderful British ways ) Yes you have changed the router but there could be many other factors that are causing the problem To change ISP as a resolution is a bit drastic IMO.

If there is a physical fault with the line then the problem will just follow to your new ISP and all the hassle of changing will have been pointless!

So first things first - the basics:

1. - Check your phone socket has a broadband/PSTN splitter plugged in and that the cable from your router is plugged directly into this and that the filter is plugged directly to the socket. Try getting a new one, you can get them from 99p stores now-a-days.

2 - The big question... Are you 100% sure that your line is dropping?? Or are you wirelessly connected and it loses the signal? Do all devices that are connected have the same issue? Do some digging with this one it would help diagnose the issue, it could just be a wireless issue and few tweaks to your router could really sort things out as it could be conflicting with other routers locally.

If you are certain that your line is dropping then speak to your ISP. It is their duty to supply your service and they have the relevant tools and means to be able to investigate properly! They can diagnose any faults and easily rectify (with the help of my previous employer) anything that they find.

But like I said, first things first, diagnose the issue - Is it the line dropping or the wireless dropping? If you line drops then depending on your model of router the DSL should either be flashing or off/red. If you can supply the router model I can tell you.

Feel free to message me if you need anything.

Alex.

[RageSaul]

Alright, all devices connected to this router get disconnected. And my computer is the only thing in the house to not be connected wirelessly, it is connected via powerline, which is 2 stations (1 by router and 1 by PC) that wirelessly connected to each other (faster than wireless and cheaper).

I have no idea how to check whether it is the line dropping or the wireless connection but when the internet does go down the light by internet on the router goes red (and I have to restart it to make it stop).

What do you mean by splitter? I have a small box that the router connects to and that goes into the wall if that's what you mean, same for the phone but it goes into a weird shaped box first (and then intothe splitter/filter thing).

Thanks for the help so far,

[Milo Minderbinder]

"So, for about a year now, every day, my internet decides to stop working."

Is this around the same time each day?
does it coincide with someone making a phone call?
and do you have a Skybox plugged into the phone line?

[RageSaul]

Yes it does happen around the evening, but not the exact time.

I am not sure about the hpnoe call thing, as no one has been on the landline whilst the internet has been turned itself off.#

And yes, we have 2 sort of boxes on the line of the phone, 1 is the filter, the other is something on the front of it(skybox?)

We have an AOL router btw.

------------------------------------------------------------
To xanda_man,
1. There are 2 boxes on the phone line
2 -

The big question... Are you 100% sure that your line is dropping?? Or are you wirelessly connected and it loses the signal? Do all devices that are connected have the same issue? Do some digging with this one it would help diagnose the issue, it could just be a wireless issue and few tweaks to your router could really sort things out as it could be conflicting with other routers locally.

Yes, the internet light on the router goes red and everyone gets disconnected. I use powerline, so it's a bit like wired and I also get disconnected.

We have also already replaced the filter once.

The Model number is Huawei ECHOLIFE HG532
I haven't looked at the ADSL when the internet drops, so if it happens today (it happens around 6 days a week) I'll check and tell you.

Thanks to both answers.

[The Flying Pram]

A couple of weeks ago I found our internet was slow / non-existent in the early evening. Re booting the router seemed to resolve it, but after several consecutive days I finally twigged it only happened when the sun got round to the west, and then shined in through the utility room window. The router was here, sitting in full view of said heat source, and subsequently keeled over... Re-positioning and putting some white card in between the two solved this problem!

[Milo Minderbinder]

If its happening around the same time each day that rather suggests that something in the house is triggering it.
I'd guess at a telephone or Sky box incorrectly installed upstream of the ADSL filters, so you get interference when the phone is used, or the box "phones home" each day.

[RageSaul]

And how would I go about fixing/locating that problem?

[Milo Minderbinder]

look at the phone cabling in the house
everything - including Sky boxes - has to be plugged into an ADSL filter. Sky engineers usually plug the Sky box directly into the phone socket instead. But check every phone socket in the house, and whats plugged in. Everything has to be plugged into a filter. NOTHING else directly into a socket

[BOAC]

Rage - the basic message here you are getting is that UNLESS you run only the router directly from the master socket with NO OTHER connections you will not be able to diagnose your problems. If then the broadband drops at the same frequency you need to contact your phone provider/ISP as you have a line problem - there is nothing else in your house that could be affecting it.

Assuming that checks ok, you could start restoring other connections one by one and see if one trips the broadband.

[RageSaul]

Sky doesn't go down when the internet goes down o, if it is just the wireless, how would I go about fixing it? We've tried new routers/filters but nothing is working.

Yes the Skybox phone line is connected to a little white thing which another wire comes out the end which goes off to the phone socket or whatever.

[BOAC]

Have you tried post #14 yet?

[RageSaul]

How would I restore connections 1 by 1? Sorry, I am a real noob with broadband.

[mixture]

If it has I apologise but most of the time people live with these issues and tend to complain rather fix thing

Oh I've complained to your previous employer many times, getting them to get off their backsides and fix things is a different matter.

[sitigeltfel]

I have just stumbled onto this thread and maybe someone can answer this?

I had a slow internet speed ((300 - 500) when tested at my PC. The telephone engineer tested the speed at the point where the line came into the house and said it was 5mb.
His suggestion that the old phone wiring in the house (something he was not allowed to touch) may be to blame was correct, I replaced it and I am now getting good readings.

Question: I was out when the engineer called and was wondering what piece of equipment he would have used to do the test, and is it expensive to buy?

[mixture]

Question: I was out when the engineer called and was wondering what piece of equipment he would have used to do the test, and is it expensive to buy?

Tightwad answer : Most ADSL routers will give you a sync speed read out

Mid-range answer: There are various ADSL hand-held tester gadgets of a varying quality and features (starting at around £200 up to around £600).

Upper End: Specifc gadgets such as Tracespan DSLXpert or things made by Anritsu, Fluke etc.

Most likely answer : Engineer had a laptop, ADSL dongle and had a look at sync rate and line stats on there.