Time Capsule and Speed Stream Modem

[rafterc2]

I purchased an airport express a while ago. After getting help to set it up through Apple, I started noticing that my internet connection would drop EVERY night between 8:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. - signal drops for anywhere from 5 min to 20 min several times. It appears to be okay during the day. I am an ATT user with their modem, a speed stream 5100. The power, ethernet, and dsl light say lit with the internet light flashing. After having this problem for about a month, I called ATT who sent out a technician. He said all was fine. It happened again the same evening. This was in mid-December. I purchase a time capsule as I decided the express may be faulty and didn't have time to return to an apple store. I am having the same problems. Internet fine during the day and drops in the evening. Could my modem be the problem? I have called ATT again as well as Apple and they all think it is hooked up correctly. If modem is bad, what should I buy to work with the time capsule?

 

[jenzjen]

Easy test, turn off your wireless on your Mac, grab an ethernet cord and connect directly to your ATT modem. See if you still get internet drop outs.

 

[rafterc2]

Time Capsule and Speed Stream

Thanks for the information! I'll do it tonight!. Does anyone have any idea why the internet would only go out between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.? It works fine the rest of the day.

 

[jenzjen]

Are you home all day to see if it works during the day, or do you only notice it in the evening when you get home from work and start surfing? I suspect if it is the modem, it probably goes out during the day just no one is around to notice.

 

[rafterc2]

time capsule and speed stream modem

No, I am here all day - home office. I don't find any problems during the day but for the last month I can get ready for it to go out every night between 8:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. - It is almost like a "cycle".

If I have to buy a new modem, any suggestions for one that works with AT&T? Should I switch to comcast?

 

[balamw]

I don't have a solution for you, but can tell you a similar story and what I ultimately isolated it to.

Had SBC (AT&T) DSL early on. Had similar experience to yours. DSL performance would rock most of the time, and be close to dead in the evenings.

Long story short. It was a halogen torchiere that was spewing noise onto the power lines. Lights on, poor performance, lights off, perfect. The distance from the torchiere to the modem didn't matter since the noise was conducted not radiated, and performance was degraded even on the wired network since it was the DSL link itself that was degraded.

I only noticed it when winter hit and the lights were on at home.

I got rid of the lamp and all was good in the world again.


B