New Laptop - O2 Broadband - Constantly Disconnecting?

JDMYOFAN

Hi all,

I've recetly purchased a new laptop which comes with Vista Home Premium.

I've also recently purchased broadband, and o2 seemed to be the best deal! I've used their supplied router, but seem to be having problems with the connection..

The Xbox 360 has an ethernet running into the router, and not once have I disconnected... However, If I ethernet or wirelessly connect via my laptop, I disconnect quite often, and sometimes it's hours before it automatically reconnect.. Also, another issue is, it's constantly trying to connect to someone elses router!?! I'm worried in case someone else realised my laptop attempts to connect to any bloody setup.

Now my laptop is an Acer Aspire, so the connection manager is where I chose my connections. I have set my O2WIRELESS as the default, and the other networks appearing I've unticked as 'connect to automatically' etc..

Any ideas why Im constantly disconnecting? Was concerned it could be the wireless card, but doesnt explain the ethernet issues..

I am downloading a lot, but it disconnects even when im not!

sleep2much

Yes my O2 also dissconnects about 10-20 times per day. The manager thing always sorts it out, but it is a bit of a pain, I hope they can sort it.

[MaccA]

Hi nj106,

when connected via the ethernet are you disconnecting from the o2 router? I assume not and you are just seeing the router disonnect from the Internet.

Connect up via ethernet. Find out the o2 router IP address by typing "ipconfig /all" in the command prompt (type cmd in the run box then hit enter). Note down the Default Gateway 4-part number listed next to your Local Network Connection settings (probably something like 192.168.x.x).

When you next disconnect go to the command prompt again and type "ping 192.168.x.x" (replacing the 192.168.x.x with the number you noted down). If you get a reply then you are not disconnecting from the o2 router, but the o2 router is disconnecting from the Internet.

This can be for many many reasons. There may be too many people using the service at that particular time, o2 may not have sufficient servers to handle the requests (hence its so cheap), or there may be a fault in the telephony cables serving your house.

I once spent 3 months arguing with BT over a very similar fault until they eventually dug up my lawn and laid a new cable to the junction in the street. Fixed my problem though!

Good luck

[MaccA]!

sleep2much

My connection is via LAN and it dissconnects, the manager even tells me it's not connected, so what's my problem?

[MaccA]

Hi sleeps2much.

Which 'manager' are you talking about? The one on your PC or the web manager for your o2 router?

Normally in XP, when a LAN connection disconnects, you get a little pop up in the right hand corner saying something like "Local Area Connection disconnected".

If this is the case then it sounds like faulty hardware on your o2 router, as the LAN should not disconnect on its own.

However, I am not familar with Vista as I am still running XP, so if you are using Vista I may well be wrong.

There is also a small chance that there is some powersaving features in effect on your PC turning off your network card when it is idle for too long or if you battery (when running on a laptop) gets too low.

Could either of these be the cause?

Good Luck

[MaccA]

sleep2much

It's the O2 broadband assistant, it always fixes the problem, I'm running Vista and the power settings are full, not powersaving, it's all set up on a PC not a laptop, the other computers in the house also get dissconected at the same time, so it does look to be the modem/router end, it doesn't overly bother me because my connection speed is 5 times faster than my old isp, I just know that next time I decide to play quake wars online, I'm going to get cut off at a good bit, I've emailed their customer support and await their reply.

[MaccA]

Hi sleeps2much,

having read a bit about the o2 Broadband Assistant I believe the disconnection it is reporting to you is between the router and the internet, not your pc and the router.

This therefore suggests the problem is the internet connection, not the PC connection and could be one of many causes.

If you can live with it then great, thats the best option. If not you could get BT to run a line test but these normally don't show anything.

I feel sorry for any non-technical person with this problem because I don't think there is a resolution. As mentioned, it took me and my father over 3 months to get BT to do something about our line, and we are both qualified networking experts who were able to take our own measurements and prove BT's responsibility. In your cases, BT will blame o2 and o2 will blame BT.

Good Luck

[MaccA]

JDMYOFAN

Hi

Thanks for the replies, the only thing I can't get my head around is why the xBox never disconnects???

It's nothing to do with power saving, but i might start timing between the disconnections... At least now the laptop appears to be reconnecting before I have a chance to look!

JDMYOFAN

Oh, and im connected via WLAN, if thats any difference?

sleep2much

Since I emailed O2 about my computer cutting off, I noticed it's not cut off since, I did a speed check and it's droppped from 3500 to 2200, I wonder if they twiddled some settings?

alafraise

Hi

My parents having the same problem now for 10 months

BT said our problem.
I changed the router, boxes, lines, cards etc etc
They are paying for 8mg but only getting 1mg (broadband speed check)

BT have now agreed it is there problem (after 100's of phone calls). They are apparently to far away from the BT exchange, so only able to get the lowest broadband.
Now they are in the process of been refunded and are going to change to cable as BT admited there is nothing they can do.

There phone line is fine, works with no interuptions as does brothers xbox360(live).

Might be worth asking !!!

Hope this helps