AOL/Router strange connection problems

[joz12345]

I have a belkin g router w/ adsl2+ modem (built in), model no f5d7632-4 and an aol hi speed connection, and every now and then (about every 30-60 mins) i get 5-10 seconds of lag, where my internet cuts out and automatically reconnects. This is unnoticeable in a web browser, and the PC always thinks it has an internet connection, but in online games, on PC and on my xbox connected via ICS, i get "connection interrupted" or just lag for a few seconds, sometimes resulting in getting kicked.

I know it is not the client wireless connection, as when i am playing online with people on another PC in the house, we both lag simultaneously, so that cuts it down to AOL, my phone lines, my ADSL filter (came with router, i also have others on both phones in the house) or the router itself.

So, does anybody have any suspicions, and solutions bar replacing everything. Any help would be much appreciated, i have been experiencing this for about a year now, having moved my router around and searched the internet a lot to no avail, and im starting to get annoyed!!

edit: i have noticed that AOL reccommends PPPoE now, and i am connected using PPPoA, could that make any difference

[Jay]

what is your MTU set to? AOL is 1400 I think.

[joz12345]

its at 1450, which is what i found on a setup guide, a quick googling tells me that officially it should be 1400, so i will change it to that, but quite a few places say it should be 1450, and it works for them, so im not sure it will make any difference. Ill report back if i does. If you have any oner suggestions, then ill try them too. Thanks

[peterb]

AOL's network is set up for a smaller MTU than most other ISP networks.

[oddjob]

i like belkin products as they are easy to setup and most belkin things have a lifetime warranty (i had an adsl router )but i did find that every so often it would disconnect and reconnect which started of like yours but then became more frequent until it was every five minutes , not even a firmware update helped so it was sent back to belkin by RMA and replaced free of charge. Sadly the new one started doing the same thing after 6 months and again was replaced free of charge but i went out and bought a netgear router and have now had it for at least 18mths with no problems, as a suggestion do you have access to another router that you can borrow to try and see if this solves your problem , if it does great but if not at least you will know its not the router causing your problem. also Aol mtu value is 1450 compare to other isps that use 1500

[maxwilson]

Hi Joz, i notice you're running Vista and I believe this may be the problem. Something called wireless zero a configuration that searches for the best access point every few mins or so and causes disconnections.

In Xp there was a way of turning this off, in Vista this is not the case. I had the very same problem as you're describing was insanely annoying in high stakes poker games!! But I managed to fix it just before I bought homeplugs - a good option if this doesn't work.

I downloaded this http://www.martin-majowski.de/wlanop.../downloads.php try it out. It solved my problems. Or there's another program that's very similar called vista anti-lag. Some people say these work. For me they did. Best of luck, hope this helps.

[joz12345]

thanks for all your suggestions. The MTU change has had no effect. Im going to try the wlan optimiser next because it is the simplest. Im not sure how it will work because of the simultaneous lag of two systems should mean that the problem isnt with the client, but if the wireless scans are somehow linked to the system clock then it is possible, because they are both synced to the same time server, but im not getting my hopes up (just a side note - that link was to an alpha stage release, is that the most current??) From what oddjob is saying it sounds like i need a new router, which is what i suspected. I probably wont be able to borrow a router off anyone, becuase they wont be too fond of me erasing their settings, but if all else fails then i ill just buy one. If that doesnt solve it then ill get my mum to return it. Shes always been good at returning obviously used products, lol. Ive also tried changin the ADSL microfilter too, but that didnt change anything. I know about the typos, but im too tired to correct them now.

[joz12345]

update: i have recently got into PC gaming more, and WLAN optimiser has completely stopped the lag in PC games, but i still get loads of lag on my xbox, 2 or 3 "connection interrupted" periods in a match. I know it is something to do with the LAN or the ICS for the xbox, but what could i do to fix it?

edited for typos

[strike-down]

i have that router and had connection problems with it. Try updating the firmware (beta firmware, but it works well . . . for belkin.) http://www.belkin.com/uk That solved alot of issues with the wireless and the ethernet connection. It no longer disconnects me . Also, set your mtu to 1430 (its no longer 1400 iirc as aol is effectively talktalk now) once youve done the firmware update

[joz12345]

ok, i dont think you understood the question. i admit, the title has become confusing. I have solved the problem with the wireless connection, and my pc now runs fine with no disconnections, but my xbox, which is connected to the LAN port of my PC (with Internet Connection Sharing enabled), gets disconnected all the time. I have also realised that i am frequently disconnected from the new party system on the xbox, and joining other peoples games and parties can be problematic. Sometimes i have to try a couple of times for it to work, and sometimes it just doesnt work.

[Blitzen]

Hi Joz, i notice you're running Vista and I believe this may be the problem. Something called wireless zero a configuration that searches for the best access point every few mins or so and causes disconnections.

In Xp there was a way of turning this off, in Vista this is not the case. I had the very same problem as you're describing was insanely annoying in high stakes poker games!! But I managed to fix it just before I bought homeplugs - a good option if this doesn't work.

I downloaded this http://www.martin-majowski.de/wlanop.../downloads.php try it out. It solved my problems. Or there's another program that's very similar called vista anti-lag. Some people say these work. For me they did. Best of luck, hope this helps.

I have heard of this issue alot and the name BELKIN crops up more ofen that not in these threads/
As for the VISTA issue......i have been running Vista Ultimate since MSDN release, on 3 machines in my house, all connected wirelessly. The main PC is used for ALOT of gaming and this lag issue you mention has never happened

[strike-down]

ok, i dont think you understood the question. i admit, the title has become confusing. I have solved the problem with the wireless connection, and my pc now runs fine with no disconnections, but my xbox, which is connected to the LAN port of my PC (with Internet Connection Sharing enabled), gets disconnected all the time. I have also realised that i am frequently disconnected from the new party system on the xbox, and joining other peoples games and parties can be problematic. Sometimes i have to try a couple of times for it to work, and sometimes it just doesnt work.

oops my bad. should read through the thread more carefully.

are you able to run a cat5e cable to your xbox from the router?