Hello everyone!

I'm trying to resolve a problem that's affecting my internet connection. There are some days when I just can't use my internet connection because it keeps shutting down.

I'm using High Speed Internet from Sympatico. It's an ADSL connection through a SpeedStream 6520 modem. I am also using Fedora Core 6 but it happened on other linux dostros as well (and I keep my Windows computer away from the internet). What happens is the following:

The modem, like many others, have lights that turn on when the modem is active. There is a light for Power, Ehternet, Wireless, DSL, Internet and USB. The Wireless and USB lights are always off since I don't use these connections. So when everything works normally, the lights are on:
Power
Ethernet
DSL
Internet (turns on when eth0 is activated)

But there are times when I surf the net normally and then suddenly the DSL light turns off (which leads the Internet light to turn off as well) and my connection is down. This lasts only a few seconds and it gets back up (the light tun on again) but this too only lasts a few seconds because then, the connection goes gown again, and so on.

I don't know what is the cause of this problem. It was doing that with my old modem as well (don't remember the brand) and with all the linux dostros I've used (FC3, FC5, FC6, Mandrake, Mandriva). One thing that I've noticed is that this problem only appears after the distro has been instsalled and use for a while (from a few weeks to a few months); I never run into that on a fresh install.

One guess would be that it's something I caught while surfing the net but I'm really not sure. That's why I turn to your wisdom.

Has anyone encourtered something similar?

there is absolutely no way whatsoever that your pc's inside your lan will take out the dsl interface on a router. not unless that router is so so poor that it can't even handle ethernet without choking. whether that dsl light is lit is between your router, the dslam up the road and the copper between the two. you may be able to check with your isp about the dsl issues, maybe check things like signal to noise ratio on the router, normally available on there somewhere. your SNR should be above abot 12db to have a reliable dsl conneciton, lower than that and you should expect issues like this.

I have a feeling it is the wiring somehow related on the telco side. Things I would do. Run a dedicated wire from the telco box to the modem. Then verify all additional phones and phones devices like satelite recievers. Anything that plugs into the phone line has a dsl filter adapter attached.

I perfer to use a single dsl filter in the telco baox and attached all phone lines to that. Then run a dedicated line directly off the main before the filter to the modem. Use this wire only for the modem.

Brian

It sure is reassuring to know that my PC's have nothing to do with that. Thank you very much for the information Acid! I'll check with my isp.

Edit:

Hi, Brian!

I'm sorry but I'm not sure I'm following you. I have two phones and both have a filter attached to them.


Incidently, I didn't have a single connection failure since I posted my first message.