Strange Internet Connection Issue

[MrAdam]

Hello,

Since moving to new shared accommodation a few months ago, I have noticed an issue with the wireless internet connection. Most of the time it works without problem. However, on occasion, the signal remains at full strength but fails to connect to websites, though I am still able to use Mail and MSN for Mac. The problem is only rectified by unplugging and then reconnecting the router.

I don't believe it's necessarily caused by Airport or my Mac as my housemates when I moved in (using PCs) encountered the same problem, so I guess it's a problem with the connection itself or the router (Belkin 54g). I discovered over the last few weeks that the problem seems to occur when I view "busy" Facebook profiles - ones with lots of applications, pictures etc.; the page half-loads and then the connection drops. It also occurs when I try to upload more than one picture at a time from iPhoto's 'Export to Facebook' feature. Unfortunately, my housemates are no longer here so I can't see if the problem is caused by the same thing for them.

If it helps, I am using a Macbook Pro running Tiger.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Adam

 

[merl1n]

Hello,

Since moving to new shared accommodation a few months ago, I have noticed an issue with the wireless internet connection. Most of the time it works without problem. However, on occasion, the signal remains at full strength but fails to connect to websites, though I am still able to use Mail and MSN for Mac. The problem is only rectified by unplugging and then reconnecting the router.

I don't believe it's necessarily caused by Airport or my Mac as my housemates when I moved in (using PCs) encountered the same problem, so I guess it's a problem with the connection itself or the router (Belkin 54g). I discovered over the last few weeks that the problem seems to occur when I view "busy" Facebook profiles - ones with lots of applications, pictures etc.; the page half-loads and then the connection drops. It also occurs when I try to upload more than one picture at a time from iPhoto's 'Export to Facebook' feature. Unfortunately, my housemates are no longer here so I can't see if the problem is caused by the same thing for them.

If it helps, I am using a Macbook Pro running Tiger.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Adam

Are you using DHCP to connect to your router? If so try a static IP instead and see if that remedies the situation.

It could also be a problem with your ISP (Internet Provider). When you run into the problem, immediately look at the status lights on your cable modem /dsl modem as it might be dropping the connection. I had that happen as well and when I called my cable company, they remotely examined my modem and found that it was reseting about 1200 times a day. They replaced the modem.

 

[MrAdam]

Thanks for the reply.

I don't know if I'm using DHCP or not - how could I find that out? (Sorry, this is far from my area of expertise!)

I replicated the problem and checked the lights on the modem. The power and "connected" lights remained on at all times. The only thing I noticed was that the WAN and WLAN lights flickered rapidly as the page was loading, then slowed down substantially as it stopped loading until they almost stopped flickering altogether. Safari carries on trying to load pages but, after about 2 or 3 minutes, I receive a message saying that Safari could not open the page because the server is not responding. Again, the strange thing is that I am still able to use Mail and MSN for Mac.

My landlord's away at the moment, so I'll have to find out about the ISP details when he returns. I guess it looks like a problem at their end.

Thanks again for the response, it's much appreciated.

 

[merl1n]

Thanks for the reply.

I don't know if I'm using DHCP or not - how could I find that out? (Sorry, this is far from my area of expertise!)

I replicated the problem and checked the lights on the modem. The power and "connected" lights remained on at all times. The only thing I noticed was that the WAN and WLAN lights flickered rapidly as the page was loading, then slowed down substantially as it stopped loading until they almost stopped flickering altogether. Safari carries on trying to load pages but, after about 2 or 3 minutes, I receive a message saying that Safari could not open the page because the server is not responding. Again, the strange thing is that I am still able to use Mail and MSN for Mac.

My landlord's away at the moment, so I'll have to find out about the ISP details when he returns. I guess it looks like a problem at their end.

Thanks again for the response, it's much appreciated.

If your mail and MSN are working, I doubt if you are having a problem with the ISP.

The lights you indicated flickering are normal.

To see if you are using DHCP, go to Network Prefs, click on your Airport, click Advanced and go to the TCP/IP tab.

You may be having a problem with Safari itself. You may want to "Empty your cache" and "Reset Safari", both under the Safari menu.

 

[steeler]

It could also be that your network setup (DHCP or static) doesn't have the correct DNS servers.

I use a static address at home for my computers and manually set the DNS server because I occasionally have problems with it. I haven't figured out why.

 

[MrAdam]

Ah, it appears that I am using DHCP. How should I go about changing this?

The same problem occurs when I use Firefox, so I don't think it's a browser problem.

It could also be that your network setup (DHCP or static) doesn't have the correct DNS servers.

I use a static address at home for my computers and manually set the DNS server because I occasionally have problems with it. I haven't figured out why.

You've lost me there. If it helps, this is what I have in my Network settings:

 

[merl1n]

Ah, it appears that I am using DHCP. How should I go about changing this?

The same problem occurs when I use Firefox, so I don't think it's a browser problem.



You've lost me there. If it helps, this is what I have in my Network settings:

To setup a static IP address, you need to access your router's status page.

Access this and grab a screen shot. Then post it here. We can then guide you into setting up a static IP on your Mac.

 

[MrAdam]

That's the status page, though I can't actually log in at the moment because I don't know the password. I'll have to wait until my landlord returns in a couple of days.

 

[merl1n]

To setup a static IP address, you need to access your router's status page.

Access this and grab a screen shot. Then post it here. We can then guide you into setting up a static IP on your Mac.

OK, in Network Prefs, make a new location (name it what you want) by dropping down the Location button and clicking Edit Locations. Then go to the TCP/IP tab.

Then set the TCP/IP window up like with these settings:

Show: Airport
Configure: Manually
IP Address 192.168.2.20
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.2.1
DNS Servers: 194.168.4.100

 

[MrAdam]

Done that but still encountering the same problem! I tried rebooting my computer when the problem occurred but it still required a restart of the router to get it working again. I suppose the next step is to contact my ISP unless there are any other suggestions.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[kellixo]

we're having the same problem!

we thought it may have been because we have 5 computers in the house.. along with an xbox live. i'm the only mac out of the 5 computers, so i knew it wasn't because of my computer.
we've only had comcast digital cable for about 2 months now and ever since the high school kids got done with school, we've had nothing but problems. (this has been like.. 1.5 weeks)
it will let me on for about 30 minutes and kick me off for like another 30 minutes or until we reset the router and the modem
i even bought an airport express at the store yesterday to see if it was the router and that didn't solve the problem! we use a strong d-link router..

we called comcast and they told us to contact d-link about assigning ip addresses incorrectly to the other computers.
i go through my network system prefs a lot now to see what's going on with my connection because my full signal doesn't always mean that i have a conncetion. i can stay on AIM with this kind of signal, but if i'm offline trying to sign on, it won't let me.
i wasn't sure if it was a bandwidth problem or what.. but we're going through the same thing :\

 

[merl1n]

Hello,

... However, on occasion, the signal remains at full strength but fails to connect to websites, though I am still able to use Mail and MSN for Mac. The problem is only rectified by unplugging and then reconnecting the router.

I don't believe it's necessarily caused by Airport or my Mac as my housemates when I moved in (using PCs) encountered the same problem, so I guess it's a problem with the connection itself or the router (Belkin 54g). I discovered over the last few weeks that the problem seems to occur when I view "busy" Facebook profiles - ones with lots of applications, pictures etc.; the page half-loads and then the connection drops. It also occurs when I try to upload more than one picture at a time from iPhoto's 'Export to Facebook' feature. Unfortunately, my housemates are no longer here so I can't see if the problem is caused by the same thing for them...

Cheers,

Adam

Just to be sure, are you using a "wireless telephone handset" that operates in the 2.4GHZ frequency spectrum anywhere near your computer or router? If so, that will interfere with the airport signal as the airport uses that frequency for wireless connections to your router. This will cause temporary dropouts on the airport.

I would start looking at the router as well as the router's wireless setup. It could be that the router (under heavy load) is "glitching" (dropping out for a second).

Other things to look at on the router is the wireless channel number. You may want to change it to another channel.

On the dhcp status page on the router, see what addresses have been assigned to other computers. If more than one computer is using the same address, one will be "bumped" if the other is making a request. Each computer must have its own unique address.

I would also check the firmware version installed on the router. Go to Belkin's web site, find your router model and see if there is a later version of the firmware than what yours is presently using.

Lastly, I would try another router if the above fails to rectify your problem.

 

[DoFoT9]

hello all,

i have A (meaning 1) solution that is not solvable, but still could identify the problem.

i used to have a problem viewing myspace profiles on my old router/modem, it would disconnect whenever i viewed a profile except for my own. it would literally loose conenction to my ISP. i had no idea why it did this nor could i fix it. many of my friends on the same ISP with the same modem had the same issues.

this could be your problem? im not quite sure what the actual problem is here but it sounds kind of similar to yours, when trying to view a page large in size but with many small images, text etc it just bums out...

 

[MrAdam]

hello all,

i have A (meaning 1) solution that is not solvable, but still could identify the problem.

i used to have a problem viewing myspace profiles on my old router/modem, it would disconnect whenever i viewed a profile except for my own. it would literally loose conenction to my ISP. i had no idea why it did this nor could i fix it. many of my friends on the same ISP with the same modem had the same issues.

this could be your problem? im not quite sure what the actual problem is here but it sounds kind of similar to yours, when trying to view a page large in size but with many small images, text etc it just bums out...

Yes, that sounds like it could be the same issue. Perhaps it's an issue with the modem itself then.

Thanks for the help, everyone. I'll have a word with my landlord when he returns and try and work with the modem settings once I can get the password.