[xerxesjc28]

Hello,

The reason for this post is to find out what I can do to resolve this issue that has been occuring for a very long time and that I finally decided to solve.

First let me tell you me setup.

In my home we have Dsl (about 2.3mbs download) and we share it with 2 computers. The dsl line is connected from the wall to a router that is similar to this one http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...=3307743097B01 , from there we split it to go to the two computers.

Now the problem is that when ever more than one person is on the internet at the same time, there is a risk that the internet connection will go down for a few seconds (could be less than a single second) after that we have to click the little bellsouth icon and reconnect back onto the internet.

This happens at random times could be every 5 minutes or 1 hour. It occurs even more often when my sister is on MySpace. However if there are two users playing WoW at the same time it never crashes.

No problem there, since it always reconnects. Except, that if I am playing a game online and the internet crashes the game will also end. I will then have to relog back into the game server and restart a new game.

What I am asking is if there is anyway I could share the bandwidth between the two computers. So say one computer gets 50% and the other 50% and that neither one exceeds that capacity.

Is there perhaps a program I could download to resolve this issue or do I have to buy a new router that can do this?

[spot]

I think the model DSL modem could be relevant. Might we ask the name of your ISP as well?

Some operating systems will let you throttle your up and down limits on your ethernet connection, what do the two computers run?

[xerxesjc28]

Thankyou for your reply.

My isp is Bellsouth fast access internet. Both computers run Windows Xp.

I was thinking that the only way to control/set bandwidth allocation was if the router I have allows it ( I am preety sure mines does not, it is very old). This is why I am asking here to make sure before I make any decisions.

Thanks for any help.

[spot]

I need to look up the DSL modem, that's the thing that's dropping out when you put it under pressure. That's what might be made stable. You've not said what model it is.

[xerxesjc28]

Hi,

Sorry did not know you wanted that.

I have a: .....

LINKSYS
Instant Broadband Series
Ethernet cable/DSL router
Model BEFSR41
Version:2

[spot]

Yes, you'd mentioned that box, that's the Router. I need to look up the DSL modem, that's the thing that's dropping out when you put it under pressure.

The picture's from your User Guide.

[xerxesjc28]

Yes that is it.

I just tried using the web browser-based administrative Utility that comes with the browser and read the online manual from the companies website. However I was not able to really understand it all. I feel like I would have to take a networking class to understand how to configure that. I was afraid I might mess up a setting so I just left it alone. (Never have messed with anything like that).

[spot]

xerxes, look at the picture. Between your router and the Internet there's another box marked "DSL Modem". Your home system has one, you can't get onto the Internet without one, if you follow the outgoing lead from your router you'll find it before you get to the outside of the apartment. I'm trying to find out the model number of the box you find there.

[xerxesjc28]

I think I know what you mean by "DSL Modem" however, I do not have one. The internet line I have is basically like a phone line. I just plug an ethernet cable into the wall and the other side to a computer and it works.

I know it must seem wierd, but I have even had BellSouth Employees come over to my house to do work and they have commented on how strange it was.

[spot]

That just means someone else in the building is sat next to your modem.

What we can do is look at the modem with your browser and ask it what it is, how's that?

Go to Start / Run / cmd to get a command line and type (after the >)

> ipconfig /all

and copy/paste the result back here.

Then browse to your Router. In the browser address bar type

http://192.168.1.1

and in the password pop-up type a username and password of admin

If that doesn't let you in, use your real admin password if you know it or come back and say you can't get there.

If you see the Linksys page, click the Status Tab and copy the content of the Router page here. It will show people your IP address on the Internet but I don't know of a good reason why that would upset you.

[xerxesjc28]

I do not live in a building though, I live in a house.

Anyways, this is what it says in ipconfig/all

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Juan Carmenate>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : juan
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 5:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Linksys LNE100TX(v5) Fast Ethernet A
dapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-5A-69-15-C5
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.103
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, April 01, 2008 7:28:27 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, April 01, 2008 7:33:27 PM

PPP adapter Bellsouth:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 65.3.197.144
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 65.3.197.144
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 205.152.144.23
205.152.132.23
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

C:\Documents and Settings\Juan Carmenate>

And this is what it says in the website


Host Name: (Required by some ISPs)
Domain Name: (Required by some ISPs)
Firmware Version: 1.38.5, Apr 12 2001


LAN IP Address: (MAC Address: 00-04-5A-20-FE-F3)
192.168.1.1 (Device IP Address)
255.255.255.0 (Subnet Mask)

WAN IP Address: (MAC Address: 00-04-5A-20-FE-F4)

Obtain an IP Address Automatically

Specify an IP Address . . .

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0



Default Gateway Address:

. . .
DNS(Required) 1: . . .
2: . . .
3: . . .



Login: PPPoE

NOTE: PPPoE is for ADSL user only.
RAS is for SingTel ADSL user only.
User Name:
Password:
RAS Plan: 512k Ethernet
Connect on Demand: Max Idle Time 0 Min.
Keep Alive: Redial Period 30 Sec.

[spot]

That's the right place to browse to but you've not done the "click the Status Tab and copy the content of the Router page" bit, that'll describe where the Modem is.

[xerxesjc28]

Sorry about that, it is:

Host Name:

Firmware Version: 1.38.5, Apr 12 2001

Login: PPPoE
Status: Disconnected

LAN: (MAC Address: 00-04-5A-20-FE-F3)
IP Address: 192.168.1.1
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
DHCP server: Enabled

WAN: (MAC Address: 00-04-5A-20-FE-F4)
IP Address: 0.0.0.0
DNS: 0.0.0.0
0.0.0.0
0.0.0.0

Thank you again for the help.

[spot]

Okay, I've never seen one of these before. Your ISP has actually cabled Ethernet all the way to your house - I've never seen that in the UK - and you're logging in with this PPPoE connection:

For DSL users, many ISPs may require you to log on with a user name and password to gain access to the Internet. This is a dedicated, high-speed connection type called Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE). PPPoE is similar to a dial-up connection, but PPPoE does not dial a phone number when establishing a connection. It also will provide the Router with a dynamic IP address to establish a connection to the Internet.

I think there's two oddities in what we've looked at.

Your computer is running on a client lease (that's a time window) of just five minutes before it has to ask the router to renew its permission to talk through it. That ought to be more like a day or a week.

I'd like to lower the keep-alive time from 30 seconds to 15.

So, browse back to 192.168.1.1

On the Setup - Basic Setup page,

Where you see "Client Lease Time" does it say 5 at the moment? It ought to be 0.

Tell me if it isn't 5 or if you can't find the field. If it's not 5 at the moment then maybe something else is limiting your lease time.

Where it says under PPPoeE "Keep Alive and Redial Period" click the radio button next to Keep Alive and set the default Redial Period to 15 seconds.

Click Save to store things.

I suggest you shut down the computers and restart the router, then bring the computers up, then try to recreate the problem. If it's still there do another "ipconfig /all" for me and post it here.

[xerxesjc28]

Ok now for the two options you told me to change there is one problem. I can only have one active at a time.

There is a little button next to these two options. And I must choose one or the other.
The one that was selected by default is Connect on Demand. I changed the button and choose Keep Alive, just to see if it worked better.

Connect on Demand: Max Idle Time 0 Min.
(I believe this used to be 5 but I changed it to 0 after reading the manual yesterday and it made no difference)

Or

Keep Alive: Redial Period 30 Sec
(I tried to change this to 15 like you said however it said
"REDIAL PERIOD IS OUT OF RANGE 20~180"

One more thing I want to make sure is understood is that this problem only occurs when more than one computer is using the router. If only my computer is connected to the internet through the router no problems occur.

However, as soon as my Sister and Me go both on the internet on both computers problems occur at random intervals. If my sister goes on MySpace.com it seems to occur very often. However, if both computers are online playing WOW no problems seem to occur.
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