internet connection troubleshooting
May 14, 2020 9:46 AM Subscribe
I have a new computer that is having trouble connecting to the internet. So, it's the computer, right? But, my old computer also has trouble accessing the internet. So does my phone. So does my roku. So, it's the router or the modem or the service, right? But right now, I'm using the old computer to ask this question with the same router and cable modem that doesn't seem to be enough for the new computer.
My internet service seems to be habitually less than ideal, but it seems worse lately. The new computer seems to have more trouble accessing the internet than the old computer, but I think it was working fine immediately after I got it. All of my devices seem to have trouble, but it doesn't seem random. The new computer seems to mostly not work, at least for the past day or two. The old computer seems to mostly work, but I only started paying attention to it after I was having trouble with the new one,. In the past half day, it's definitely been not working, just not as often as the new computer.
I've been poking the reset button on the back of the cable modem a lot for some time and even more often the past couple days. There's a light on the modem labelled "link" and it's always blinking and I suspect it should be on continuously like most of the others. I think it blinks even when the computers are able to access the internet. It's in a different room.
I called my service provider. I don't think tech support rep did anything, but while we were on the phone, everything starting working. He said there wasn't any point to continuing to trouble shoot while everything was working. He scheduled a service appointment, which I'm a little anxious about for both pandemic and non-pandemic related issues.
* Is there some type of problem that manifests itself in this weird, organic way? Is this evidence that my problem is really multi-faceted? Is there something I can do on my own to diagnose or fix this? Any such intervention would need to be relatively unsophisticated. I'm far from an expert, as you may have inferred.
* If the guy comes out, I'm worried that he'll want to switch the cable modem. I'm also not sure whether that's something worth worrying about. Is it? If he does, I think he'll replace it with a cable modem/router combination, which I'll rent from them just like I'm renting my current cable modem at approximately the same cost. My current router is 8 years old, so I suspect whatever they give me will be an improvement. But should I buy a new router on my own so that I can pick the best one? I don't know what features I would want in a separate router. I'm just worried that I'll get locked into something less than ideal.
Also, if the tech replaces my router, how much of a headache is that? I've got a couple cameras, a printer, a wireless hard drive, etc. . . If I use the same network name and password, will all of these things seamlessly switch over to the new modem/router or do I have to update them all individually?.
My internet service seems to be habitually less than ideal, but it seems worse lately. The new computer seems to have more trouble accessing the internet than the old computer, but I think it was working fine immediately after I got it. All of my devices seem to have trouble, but it doesn't seem random. The new computer seems to mostly not work, at least for the past day or two. The old computer seems to mostly work, but I only started paying attention to it after I was having trouble with the new one,. In the past half day, it's definitely been not working, just not as often as the new computer.
I've been poking the reset button on the back of the cable modem a lot for some time and even more often the past couple days. There's a light on the modem labelled "link" and it's always blinking and I suspect it should be on continuously like most of the others. I think it blinks even when the computers are able to access the internet. It's in a different room.
I called my service provider. I don't think tech support rep did anything, but while we were on the phone, everything starting working. He said there wasn't any point to continuing to trouble shoot while everything was working. He scheduled a service appointment, which I'm a little anxious about for both pandemic and non-pandemic related issues.
* Is there some type of problem that manifests itself in this weird, organic way? Is this evidence that my problem is really multi-faceted? Is there something I can do on my own to diagnose or fix this? Any such intervention would need to be relatively unsophisticated. I'm far from an expert, as you may have inferred.
* If the guy comes out, I'm worried that he'll want to switch the cable modem. I'm also not sure whether that's something worth worrying about. Is it? If he does, I think he'll replace it with a cable modem/router combination, which I'll rent from them just like I'm renting my current cable modem at approximately the same cost. My current router is 8 years old, so I suspect whatever they give me will be an improvement. But should I buy a new router on my own so that I can pick the best one? I don't know what features I would want in a separate router. I'm just worried that I'll get locked into something less than ideal.
Also, if the tech replaces my router, how much of a headache is that? I've got a couple cameras, a printer, a wireless hard drive, etc. . . If I use the same network name and password, will all of these things seamlessly switch over to the new modem/router or do I have to update them all individually?.
Well, if things on the internet USED to be better, it could just be that demand for internet wavelength is spirally upward with videos, zoom, etc.
posted by tmdonahue at 10:18 AM on May 14, 2020
posted by tmdonahue at 10:18 AM on May 14, 2020
* Is there some type of problem that manifests itself in this weird, organic way?
Yup, something's chewing your lines. It's happened to me twice in the 8 years I've lived in this apartment. Rats (the comcast guy politely suggested squirrels, but it's happening at a spot on the alley cable junction in Chicago, it's totes rats) chew on the cables just enough to let water get in, which can mess with your connection in exactly this way.
posted by phunniemee at 10:22 AM on May 14, 2020
Yup, something's chewing your lines. It's happened to me twice in the 8 years I've lived in this apartment. Rats (the comcast guy politely suggested squirrels, but it's happening at a spot on the alley cable junction in Chicago, it's totes rats) chew on the cables just enough to let water get in, which can mess with your connection in exactly this way.
posted by phunniemee at 10:22 AM on May 14, 2020
In the past I've had problems between the cable modem and the ISP, but the ISP should be able to check that automatically.
You can (probably) log on to your router and/or cable modem from your computer. You'd need the login credentials for them, but it's quite likely that they are either the default username/password (found by googling) or written on the bottom of the modem/router.
The point of doing this is that if you can log on to your router, you know your wireless connection is fine. If you can't, it isn't. If you can log on to the cable modem you might be able to see some (fairly inscrutable) details about how the modem is operating.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:36 AM on May 14, 2020
You can (probably) log on to your router and/or cable modem from your computer. You'd need the login credentials for them, but it's quite likely that they are either the default username/password (found by googling) or written on the bottom of the modem/router.
The point of doing this is that if you can log on to your router, you know your wireless connection is fine. If you can't, it isn't. If you can log on to the cable modem you might be able to see some (fairly inscrutable) details about how the modem is operating.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:36 AM on May 14, 2020
Yes, there's a good chance they'll change things in a weird way that is confusing, but your current situation is pretty bad so you don't have that much to lose. I would definitely change either my router or modem if things were as bad as you say.
Also, if the tech replaces my router, how much of a headache is that? I've got a couple cameras, a printer, a wireless hard drive, etc. . . If I use the same network name and password, will all of these things seamlessly switch over to the new modem/router or do I have to update them all individually?
If your new router uses the same frequency, SSID, and password, devices will transfer over seamlessly. If someone else is setting up the router for you they should do this if you ask. Otherwise you'd have to do it yourself on the router's web page which can be tricky. Your other option is to plug your old router into the new modem/router, this normally works but can cause other problems, and if your old router is part of the problem it would be bad
posted by JZig at 11:06 AM on May 14, 2020
Also, if the tech replaces my router, how much of a headache is that? I've got a couple cameras, a printer, a wireless hard drive, etc. . . If I use the same network name and password, will all of these things seamlessly switch over to the new modem/router or do I have to update them all individually?
If your new router uses the same frequency, SSID, and password, devices will transfer over seamlessly. If someone else is setting up the router for you they should do this if you ask. Otherwise you'd have to do it yourself on the router's web page which can be tricky. Your other option is to plug your old router into the new modem/router, this normally works but can cause other problems, and if your old router is part of the problem it would be bad
posted by JZig at 11:06 AM on May 14, 2020
Short term, letting the tech replace your equipment with new is fine. Long term, you are throwing money away on hardware that is probably inferior to what you could get down at Walmart (or wherever). Do what you need to do to get back online, but consider looking at The Wirecutter for some recommendations for better hardware that will pay for itself fairly quickly.
posted by lhauser at 11:06 AM on May 14, 2020
posted by lhauser at 11:06 AM on May 14, 2020
There's a light on the modem labelled "link" and it's always blinking and I suspect it should be on continuously like most of the others.
In my experience the link light on a cable modem doesn't blink. But the link light(s) on the routers do blink. I would unplug the router from the modem, pull the plug on the modem, wait 30 seconds, plug the modem back in, and watch the lights as they go through their sequence with nothing else attached.
Mine goes blinking power as the modem boots up then solid (OK, we booted up), then the WAN light blinks while the modem tries to contact the ISP and get an address and do authentication and what not and then goes solid (OK we're connected). Then the LAN light blinks as the modem turns on the actual Ethernet that you get to plug into the router. Then if you have phone service, there are a couple more lights that do the same sort of thing for the phones. My cable modem has a solid steady 3 lights on and if they were blinking then there's something wrong. That's the point of powering up the modem with nothing connected and watching it go through it's cycle of lights to determine what is 'normal' vs what isn't.
As for 'link' lights, there are sorta two types. A real wired Ethernet would probably have two lights, one for cable is plugged in and there's another machine on the other end (link-up) and the second blinks with traffic (steady on for high traffic, off/blinking for occasional traffic, orange or red for errors). But most consumer WiFi/routers only use one light that is on and green when things are OK but blinks with traffic and might change color or blink in a pattern if there's a problem of some sort.
Diagnosing blinkin' lights is a voodoo art-form.
However, the at-the-same-time difference between devices points at the router. If it's the modem, all devices would have the same issue at the same time. It's the router.
Think of it this way, the modem has cable on one side and the router on the other, it only knows about two things. It talks to the router and it talks to the cable but it has no clue about any of your devices. If at the same time you have one device working and other devices not working... it's not the modem. If it was the modem, everything would be broken at the same time always just as if you unplugged the modem or cut the cable.
Have you tried rebooting the router? There's the same watch the blinking lights voodoo to get the sense of what is OK or bad. Then logging in and poking around and such. I have yet to meet a piece of consumer network equipment that doesn't require a reboot about every month. It's really only the big expensive equipment that can run for years without turning it off and back on again.
If it weren't for the Roku I might blame Windows and some sort of IP conflict thing which still might be the case. But the sorta worked fine before (and if you didn't change anything?) but doesn't now and different devices are good/bad at the same time lends itself to being the router.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:17 PM on May 14, 2020
In my experience the link light on a cable modem doesn't blink. But the link light(s) on the routers do blink. I would unplug the router from the modem, pull the plug on the modem, wait 30 seconds, plug the modem back in, and watch the lights as they go through their sequence with nothing else attached.
Mine goes blinking power as the modem boots up then solid (OK, we booted up), then the WAN light blinks while the modem tries to contact the ISP and get an address and do authentication and what not and then goes solid (OK we're connected). Then the LAN light blinks as the modem turns on the actual Ethernet that you get to plug into the router. Then if you have phone service, there are a couple more lights that do the same sort of thing for the phones. My cable modem has a solid steady 3 lights on and if they were blinking then there's something wrong. That's the point of powering up the modem with nothing connected and watching it go through it's cycle of lights to determine what is 'normal' vs what isn't.
As for 'link' lights, there are sorta two types. A real wired Ethernet would probably have two lights, one for cable is plugged in and there's another machine on the other end (link-up) and the second blinks with traffic (steady on for high traffic, off/blinking for occasional traffic, orange or red for errors). But most consumer WiFi/routers only use one light that is on and green when things are OK but blinks with traffic and might change color or blink in a pattern if there's a problem of some sort.
Diagnosing blinkin' lights is a voodoo art-form.
However, the at-the-same-time difference between devices points at the router. If it's the modem, all devices would have the same issue at the same time. It's the router.
Think of it this way, the modem has cable on one side and the router on the other, it only knows about two things. It talks to the router and it talks to the cable but it has no clue about any of your devices. If at the same time you have one device working and other devices not working... it's not the modem. If it was the modem, everything would be broken at the same time always just as if you unplugged the modem or cut the cable.
Have you tried rebooting the router? There's the same watch the blinking lights voodoo to get the sense of what is OK or bad. Then logging in and poking around and such. I have yet to meet a piece of consumer network equipment that doesn't require a reboot about every month. It's really only the big expensive equipment that can run for years without turning it off and back on again.
If it weren't for the Roku I might blame Windows and some sort of IP conflict thing which still might be the case. But the sorta worked fine before (and if you didn't change anything?) but doesn't now and different devices are good/bad at the same time lends itself to being the router.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:17 PM on May 14, 2020
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Yes, unfortunately. Lots of them. Networking is a black art, and wireless networking isn't even art, just raw sorcery.
Is this evidence that my problem is really multi-faceted?
Probably not. Multiple causation is generally pretty rare, usually cropping up only after a single-cause problem has been left unfixed for quite some while.
I'm worried that he'll want to switch the cable modem
If his diagnostic process shows him that that's where the fault is, why would you not want to switch it? And there's a fair chance it will be. Stuff that hangs off long cables that drape through the landscape gets exposed to all kinds of electrical nastiness over the years and quite often takes damage as a result.
My current router is 8 years old, so I suspect whatever they give me will be an improvement.
Very likely true.
should I buy a new router on my own so that I can pick the best one?
No.
I don't know what features I would want in a separate router.
Hence "no".
I'm just worried that I'll get locked into something less than ideal.
No such thing as "ideal" in tech; it's tradeoffs all the way down. And don't worry about lock-in; I don't think there's ever been a combo modem/router made whose router functions can't be switched off if you ever do end up knowing exactly why you need to hook up an external router.
If I use the same network name and password, will all of these things seamlessly switch over to the new modem/router
Assuming nothing too "clever" has been done to the configuration of the old router: yes.
posted by flabdablet at 10:14 AM on May 14, 2020 [1 favorite]