Connection Drop offs

[smiggs]

Hi All,

One of the users I support is having some difficulty with their Virgin connection (Bolton - former NTL, unsure what platform). One PC in the house is able to connect fine but the other can only connect for a few minutes before the the user is unable to resolve urls etc, since the other PC is fine the blame is being laid firmly at my door with virus and spyware trouble the main culprits. Having done various spyware and virus scans the only thing we've picked up is cookies so I'm not entirely convinced.

Unfortunately I'm doing this whole thing remotely so I don't really know much about her setup but she says she is using her laptop plugged into a set top box with a network cable. Is it possible to access the modem part of this from a web browser or application?

She also says she had to register her computers to access the broadband, how is controlled? I'm assuming MAC addresses but I wouldn't put it past many ISPs to sneak in changes to the IP stack.

Has anyone had any previous experience with a problem like this, how was it resolved?

[Paul K]

She has 2 PCs? You cannot connect 2 PCs simultaneously to the modem without further hardware or networking. Accessing the modem will get you nowhere either as there is nothing to change there. If she is switching the PCs on the connection she needs to power off the modem and PC, disconnect the PC from modem, power up the modem with the 2nd PC connected, wait for lights to lock, power up the PC. You cannot switch the PCs over without rebooting the modem.
Easier way would be a router ;)

[smiggs]

I suggested she should get a router but she didn't really seem receptive to that, I'm sure it'd all work fine and dandy but I'm not ready going to volunteer to go over to Bolton to sort it out (besides I don't think my boss would let me). She's aware she can only have one PC connected at a time so that's not really the issue as they reset the modem each time they connect.

The question on the modem was more to do with the signal and ensuring that the connection between it and virgin is right, rather than actually changing settings.

[Paul K]

If one PC works on the signal then the other would work on it. Is she on a modem or STB? If it's a modem then get her to check her lights on the modem when the connection drops. Sometimes re-setting the modem doesn't always release the current MAC infor and allow the next MAC to register.

[smiggs]

If one PC works on the signal then the other would work on it. Is she on a modem or STB? If it's a modem then get her to check her lights on the modem when the connection drops. Sometimes re-setting the modem doesn't always release the current MAC infor and allow the next MAC to register.

It's a STB unfortunately, from what you've said I suspect it may be something to do with her MAC either not being registered properly or not being picked up by the network. Would a complete power off and on have any effect?

Also what are the typical settings I should be looking for in ipconfig?

[Paul K]

That is what she should be doing, shutdown PC, power off STB, change PCs on connection, power up STB, wait for light to lock/ settle, power up PC.