WAN disconnects - router or ISP issue?

[kneo]

I have recently changed my internet connection. The provider has routed a CAT5 wire to my home which is connected to the N66. I am facing frequent drops on this connection. Strangely, the router does not reconnect again but I have to power cycle the router. It's just a 4 Mbps connection and not a high bandwidth broadband. I have read that CAT5 can be an issue with N66 but there's nothing I can do about the CAT5. I am running Merlin's latest build

How do I debug whether the issue is with my router or the ISP?

 

[L&LD]

Flash the latest RMerlin firmware, reset the router to factory defaults afterwards and then manually setup the router with the bare minimum required to get an internet connection on a single client.

If the issue continues, the router (most likely) is not at fault and you should pursue this with your ISP.

 

[kneo]

Thanks for the reply

Just a quick query. Why flash the firmware first and then reset the router. Shouldn't it be the other way around? I am genuinely curious to understand the reasons behind this.

 

[L&LD]

After a new firmware is loaded, you want to ensure that the router is configured to defaults for that version. If you reset to defaults on the previous version, that is no guarantee that the new version of the firmware has the same default parameters.

In that same vein, I forgot to recommend you use a new ssid and too or at least 'forget' and re-associate each and every one of your devices so that they use the proper micro settings with the new firmware.

 

[kneo]

Thanks for the explanation.
One more symptom that I just found out. On disconnect, even if I don't power cycle the router and just reconnect the CAT5 (unplug and plug) in the WAN port, the connection is established again. Does this mean that the router may not be the culprit here?

Here's the log. I've commented about the events within the log.

 

[L&LD]

So, what you're saying is that the router doesn't drop the connection, rather, there is no internet even with a good wireless connection to the router?

 

[kneo]

Wireless isn't in the picture. I am having an ethernet cable (2 pair CAT5) provided by the ISP which I am plugging into the router's WAN port. The router is connected to my PC via a CAT5e cable.

I am not sure how wireless or any of it's setting can affect WAN disconnects.

 

[CaptainSTX]

You may have a cabling problem. Cat 5 cabling normally has four pairs pinned to 568b . While not all pairs are used noise cancelling depends on them.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

 

[kneo]

Unfortunately I cannot change the cable as that's something which is hardwired from the apartment main cables to inside my apartment.

 

[RMerlin]

Try putting an inexpensive switch between the router and the Cat5. See if having it act as some form of buffer helps - it did for some people who had quirky modems (mostly Motorola's).

 

[sinshiva]

if the cable has any wiggle room in the jack, you might have one of the original revisions of the n66 with the STP jack. a single layer, thin strip of electrical tape around the plastic of the plug would make it fit perfectly snug if you lack the means of hacking off the connector and crimping an STP connector. i found this method to be superior to pushing the connector up or down, as it really needs to sit perfectly center in the jack

 

[kneo]

Try putting an inexpensive switch between the router and the Cat5. See if having it act as some form of buffer helps - it did for some people who had quirky modems (mostly Motorola's).

Would the switch help me in dialing the PPPoE connection?

I am sorry but I am bit of a novice to networking and it's a bit intimidating to ask n00b queries to someone as senior as you

@sinshiva - The adapter seems to be a tight fit. It's not moving so it may not be a physical issue.

 

[RMerlin]

Would the switch help me in dialing the PPPoE connection?

I am sorry but I am bit of a novice to networking and it's a bit intimidating to ask n00b queries to someone as senior as you

The switch will have no impact at all on PPPoE. However if your problem is a poor link between the router and the modem which causes PPPoE connectivity issues, then yes, it might help.

Another thing to check now that you mention PPPoE: make sure you don't have both the router and the modem set to connect with PPPoE, or they might conflict with one another (as most ISPs only allow one PPPoE session at a time).

 

[kneo]

I don't have a modem in the network at all. The provider has routed cat5 cables in our apartments from a common switch they have placed in the building.

If I have a switch, the external WAN cable would go into one of the LAN ports of the switch and another cat5e would go from the switch to my router's WAN. The router would then dial. Am I correct in this understanding?

 

[kneo]

Tried a switch. Does not help.

Does this system log help in debugging the issue?

 

[kneo]

Strangely, the connection does not disconnect if I connect it directly to my PC having a Gigabit card running at 'Auto-Negotiation' speed setting. I tried setting the router to factory defaults, but the same disconnect issue persists. I am leaning towards believing that it may be an issue with the ISP, but if that was the case, the connection to PC should not have worked at all isn't it?

 

[ca509]

I can confirm this issue. My ISP forces a re-connect all 24 hours. It worked fine for about a year, but since I flashed to firmware 378 (with factory reset), the router does not re-connect.

With firmware 374.4422 everything worked fine and the router did re-connect.

Is there any way to force the router to reconnect besides power it off and on again (not the modem, just the router)?

 

[kneo]

I can confirm this issue. My ISP forces a re-connect all 24 hours. It worked fine for about a year, but since I flashed to firmware 378 (with factory reset), the router does not re-connect.

With firmware 374.4422 everything worked fine and the router did re-connect.

Is there any way to force the router to reconnect besides power it off and on again (not the modem, just the router)?

FYI - I faced this issue with the firmware 374.xxx too. In my case, I am suspecting faulty cabling so am waiting for the ISP to change the cabling in the apartment before blaming the router.

 

[ca509]

Has more or less has to be the router.

I changed the modem -> problem persists.
I changed to an other router -> problem gone.
I changed back to firmware 374.5656 -> problme gone.

So with firmware 376.xxxx they introduced some error than prevents the router from correctly re-connecting..

 

[kneo]

UPDATE

My ISP has changed the cables in the entire apartment and have installed a CAT5e cable from the main switch to my router. The connection is stable now and the disconnect issue seems to have been taken care of.