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  1. #1
    Loves to help with queries radstockjeff's Avatar
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    Default Intermittent Broadband drop-out

    I have an intermittent problem with Broadband. About six weeks ago the connection dropped out and after a lot of fiddling I got it back. but it happened several times and each time it took longer to rectify. The BT Openreach engineer came and checked and tested the lines etc and eventually fitted a new modem.

    I still get a drop-out about twice a day ( a message that Local Area Connection- a network cable is unplugged) and almost immediately it reconnects and away we go. In the latter respect it is an annoyance more than anything and I can cope. Last weekend however it dropped out when we were Skyping the family in Australia and we lost the connection.

    Is this problem likely to be with the Broadband service or is it more likely my computer?

    Any thoughts would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    radstockjeff

  2. #2
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    Question

    Quote Originally Posted by radstockjeff View Post
    I have an intermittent problem with Broadband. About six weeks ago the connection dropped out and after a lot of fiddling I got it back. but it happened several times and each time it took longer to rectify. The BT Openreach engineer came and checked and tested the lines etc and eventually fitted a new modem.

    I still get a drop-out about twice a day ( a message that Local Area Connection- a network cable is unplugged) and almost immediately it reconnects and away we go. In the latter respect it is an annoyance more than anything and I can cope. Last weekend however it dropped out when we were Skyping the family in Australia and we lost the connection.

    Is this problem likely to be with the Broadband service or is it more likely my computer?

    Any thoughts would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    radstockjeff
    Hi,
    If your internet is connecting over the phone line, when the enginner came out and changed the modem did he change all the 'micro filters' that are plugged into all the phone sockets?

    They are the little boxes that plug into all the phone sockets you have and then your modem and phone/s are plugged into the box? These wear out over time and need replacing and can cause the type of problems you're describing. It's best to replace them all as it's hard to tell which one is failing

    HTH ( Hope this helps )

    Bob

  3. #3
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    You could say that the Openreach engineer has effectively ruled out any problem your end. I believe they're not slow to blame the customer so that they can charge you for the call out.

    Presumably it's a wired connection between the PC and the router? I'm not very familiar with Windows messages (I use Linux) but what is the "network cable is unplugged" message supposed to mean? My OS wouldn't show an equivalent message unless it lost the connection between the PC and the router, not if the router lost its connection with the wide world.

    I suppose you could try plugging the router into the BT test socket in order to eliminate any problem with the internal cabling in the house (warning: this may cut off any wired extension phones in the house)

    Trouble is most intermittent problems are difficult but this one sounds to me like a line problem (including exchange equipment). I recall from years ago being told that a slightly dodgy joint somewhere along the line could be OK most of the time but fall over when a heavy vehicle passes.

    Would it be possible to go through the modem manual and find out if there are any performance statistics that can be extracted? They might indicate why the connection dropped,

    I've had some helpful advice in the past from the forum in the Thinkbroadband site.

  4. #4
    Valued member of Brit-Gen
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    Hi Radstockjeff
    are you using wireless connection, if so, it is possible that your router could be in a place where it sometimes loses the connection, if it is inside computer furniture, try having it on the outside.
    Robert

  5. #5
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    A quick blast with a search engine throws up a lot of reports and advice on network cable unplugged. It all seems to be saying that the message refers to the wired LAN only - not wireless and not the ADSL internet connection.

  6. #6
    Loves to help with queries radstockjeff's Avatar
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    Thanks to all for your very helpful comments which i shall now work through to see if I can rectify the problem

    radstockjeff

  7. #7
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    So is it actually a wired or wireless connection? It would be wise to check the router stats to see that they reflect your actual experience - there should at least be registers showing WAN, LAN and wireless uptime.

  8. #8
    Loves to help with queries radstockjeff's Avatar
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    Problem now solved. After increasing bouts of drop out BT have now supplied me with a new HUB, which seems to have sorted things out.

    Thanks for all the advice.

    radstockjeff

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