I am really hoping somebody here (with more expertise than me) can shed some light on my problems - which appear to affect millions of people. The generic problem is that my router keeps disconnecting from the cable modem (which maintains its connection) just about daily. Unplugging the router and plugging it back in solves the problem - until the next day. If I plug my computer directly into the cable modem (eliminating the router) then the connection is fine. These problems appear common and usually people end up buying new routers (I myself have gone through 4 of them). But I suspect it is not a hardware problem at all. Here is why, along with more information:
1. I have learned that many cable networks will disconnect your router if they recognize the mac address of your private router as your router rather than one of theirs. I learned to set the router to clone the mac address of the computer - this improved things for awhile. For some reason, this is not well known but should be.
2. I don't think the issue is with channels or any other wireless settings since I lose the wired connection through the router as well.
3. I don't generally believe in conspiracy theories, but I am starting to wonder. I've tried communicating with the tech support at my ISP (Mediacom) and I asked them to tell me whether my modem has been continually connected and what mac address shows up in my account - they said they would provide answers, but then don't and simply say everything looks fine on their end. I tried communicating with tech support for my router (netgear wnr2000) but all they say is to update the firmware (mine is current) and do a factor reset.
4. Further reasons to suspect it is a communications issue between the ISP, modem, and router: I bought my own cable modem (thinking that might solve the problem) but the Mediacom people could not get the network to recognize it even though it was on their recommended list and their system showed it as connected. They finally installed a new cable modem, but it took them 2 hours to get their network to recognize that device. Seems like they have trouble with mac addresses and getting the network to recognize things.
5. I have no problems with broadband speeds. It is just the connection to the router that keeps dropping.
6. I was having many issues with "unable to display pages" and "connection reset" while browsing - but the new cable modem and changing the DNS server to Google (another thing I discovered which should be better known by people) seems to have solved that issue.
So, I have had these problems for years, with 4 different brands of routers and two different ISPs. From what I have read, the problem is common and the usual advice ends up being that you need to replace the router. I find it hard to believe that the hardware just fails this often. And I have come to believe that the tech support people for the ISPs and the router manufacturers have no idea what they are doing. Can somebody please shed some light on what might cause this common problem?
Thanks.
Generic Modem/Router issue that affects millions
Most people these days use some type of wireless NAT router in addition with their modems, so it doesn't really make sense for an ISP to interrupt your connectivity, it would just increase their technical support calls.
The most likely (and very common) issue is hardware/software limitations of the router itself, crammed in a plastic box, overheating, trying to cope with a large number of concurrent connections from P2P applications, etc.
Many older residential routers had problems with inadequate hardware, and coping with many concurrent connections. Using newer routers and third-party firmware (dd-wrt, tomato) usually fixes the issue. We do have a router configuration guide/recommendations on the main site.
What brands of routers have you used ? The most stable ones seem to be Netgear, Asus, Linksys (excuse the very broad generalization, there are others, and it is model-specific). You are correct that changing the MAC address on a router, or the first device connected to a cable/dsl modem can change the routing and improve stability somehow, in some situations. I would also suggest moving the router a couple of feet away from the cable modem (and any other possible sources of EMI/interference). I've seen people use a power outlet timer to reboot their router once a day to cope with stability issues as well, but a good router should not require this. Mine has been running for 120+ days of abuse and hundreds of Gigabytes of traffic without a reboot now.
The most likely (and very common) issue is hardware/software limitations of the router itself, crammed in a plastic box, overheating, trying to cope with a large number of concurrent connections from P2P applications, etc.
Many older residential routers had problems with inadequate hardware, and coping with many concurrent connections. Using newer routers and third-party firmware (dd-wrt, tomato) usually fixes the issue. We do have a router configuration guide/recommendations on the main site.
What brands of routers have you used ? The most stable ones seem to be Netgear, Asus, Linksys (excuse the very broad generalization, there are others, and it is model-specific). You are correct that changing the MAC address on a router, or the first device connected to a cable/dsl modem can change the routing and improve stability somehow, in some situations. I would also suggest moving the router a couple of feet away from the cable modem (and any other possible sources of EMI/interference). I've seen people use a power outlet timer to reboot their router once a day to cope with stability issues as well, but a good router should not require this. Mine has been running for 120+ days of abuse and hundreds of Gigabytes of traffic without a reboot now.
Just to name a few reasons:
A NAT router adds a layer of security (assigning private IPs not routable to the internet)
It allows for many clients (as opposed to one IP with some cable/dsl modems)
It has a built-in switch, allowing for connecting more devices
It can have a Wireless access point
It can have built-in firewall, DDoS protection, parental controls, QoS, and many other advanced customization features.
A NAT router adds a layer of security (assigning private IPs not routable to the internet)
It allows for many clients (as opposed to one IP with some cable/dsl modems)
It has a built-in switch, allowing for connecting more devices
It can have a Wireless access point
It can have built-in firewall, DDoS protection, parental controls, QoS, and many other advanced customization features.