Internet keeps cutting out - Advice/help?

[James2000]

Hey there.

So, for about a year (maybe more, who knows) now, my internet has randomly been cutting out for a few seconds to a few minutes. It's pretty frustrating, considering I'm a gamer- these internet drops have been the death of me more times than I care to remember.

When I troubleshoot the issue, I usually get one of two results:
a) Your broadband modem is experiencing connectivity issues
b) The DNS server is not responding

When the internet cuts out, I don't lose signal- I just lose internet access. The download speed of my internet (neatly measured by a desktop widget I have) drops to 0 completely and the upload speed is usually only a few kbit/s.

I am using Wi-Fi and I am aware that an ethernet cable going into my computer is advantageous- I am trying to sort out a way to get a fixed line into my computer.

So I guess I'll give you all some information, which hopefully should help you further troubleshoot my issue:
- I'm using Wi-Fi
- I'm on Windows 7 Professional
- My service provider is Optus (this means I live in Australia)
- My internet speed is a mediocre 20mbit/s down and 0.5mbit/s up
- I have a gaming computer, with a TP-Link TL-WDN4800 wireless adapter
- I have a Netgear WNR1000v3 router with a Scientific Atlanta 2203C modem

I haven't got on the phone with my ISP yet, and I probably should, but do any of you know what the problem could be?

Thanks for any help, it's much appreciated!

 

[BuddhaSkoota]

When the internet cuts out, I don't lose signal- I just lose internet access.

When you lose service, check the status lights on the modem. If the Online light is flashing (not steady on), it means the modem is having trouble connecting to your ISP. One easy thing to check is that there are no loose connections in the cable between the wall jack and the modem.

You may be able to log in to the router using

http://192.168.100.1

If you are able to access the modem status page, you should be able to view the signal levels. Post the results if possible.

Loose or poor quality cable connections cause many of these types of problems. You may be able to check the connections within your home, or contact your ISP.

 

[James2000]

http://i.imgur.com/15gIoh5.png
^ what it looks like when the internet is online (my internet cut out about 4 1/2 mins prior to this screenshot, which closely matches the 'Time Since Last Reset' figure).

http://i.imgur.com/0h7K9n8.png
^ what it looks like when the internet is offline.

 

[James2000]

UPDATE: Modem and router have been moved into my bedroom as opposed to the loungeroom, and there's a new problem- every few minutes or so, when I'm playing Minecraft (primary game I play), my connection will time out for a few seconds. The old problem seems to not have happened in a couple of hours though.

 

[BuddhaSkoota]

Since the problem has changed, I'd suspect a cable splitter configuration issue or a poor quality connection in your home.

Installers normally use a cable tap that allows the modem signal to bypass the TV splitter. If the signal is passing through the splitter, it will cause the signal to be attenuated or distorted. When you move the modem, you are actually changing the operating conditions, so the signal may be somewhat different since it must pass over a different cable segment. Unfortunately you won't be able to get a perfect modem signal over all cable outlets in your home at the same time.

If you aren't able to check the cable connections/splitters, you may need have a visit by a technician.

 

[James2000]

I'll get a visit from a technician soon, and post back when I get results. Thanks for the advice!

 

[James2000]

It's been a while since I've posted- the technician never came around to coming to have a look-see and the problem *predictably yet again* has changed.

My internet will, at least a handful of times every hour, 'cut out' for 30 seconds to 1 minute. After doing some poking around with my cable modem status when these problems persist, I found that the internet goes through a series of 'statuses' when it's down;
Not Synchronized -> Access Denied -> (sometimes) Params Transfer Complete -> Operational (the normal status).
Also more often than not the Time Since Last Reset figure mirrors the approximate time my internet's been down.

Looking at the logs today, I also noticed a pattern in the 'updates' that occur within the log; it's not hard to spot, you can see a repeating trend of about 4-5 results occurring a couple of times in this screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/UhoAEE2.jpg

For my next set of findings, I'll give you a layout of the lights on my modem.
Power | DS | US | Online | Link | Tel1 | Tel2 | Battery
(Tel1 and Tel2 never go on at all)

When my internet cuts out, first thing that happens is the Link light flashes a lot- keep in mind, when the internet is working fine, it also flashes, albeit not as much as when it's not working. Then all the lights, save the Power and Battery lights which are independent of the internet line switch off altogether. Slowly, one by one, the lights flash for a bit, then turn on completely.