I've had a problem with my Netscape router for a few months: I can be working for hours, getting a decent download speed (for where I live), having no problems whatsoever, until someone uses the phone. When that happens I lose my data connection, but when I look at the router admin page it seems to show that it's connected and happy, when clearly it isn't.

If I disconnect then reconnect I get data again.

Now the obvious common component is the splitter/filter thing that's plugged into the phone socket - I've now tried 3 different ones, but still have the same result. Phone is good (not noisy) and data is good - until it fails as described above.

Can anyone suggest any further avenues I can investigate?

[Edited on 11/4/13 by David Jenkins]

Try another router -- most iSPs will renew 2 year old routers without any fuss.

quote:

---

Originally posted by David Jenkins
until someone uses the phone.

---

I had exactly the same problem in the later months of my contract with bt. It was very annoying and like being back on a dial up connection

A simple switch to sky broadband rather that shitty bt and the problem was solved. Sky's service is excellent and I now have now download limit where with bt I did


Just my two pence

Is this on your main incoming BT box or extension.
Cheers,
Bob

I'm sure you know this already but every phone or fax in the house needs a filter. Probably is the router/modem so give the ISP a call and let them try to fix it, when all else fails they'll then send you a new router/modem.

Cheers

Rich

There must be a filter in each socket that has a phone in your house including the routers connection.
Filters are like light bulbs and can fail any time for any reason, even new ones can be broken so make sure your using new ones.

Try another router, also ask you ISP to do a line test, every now and then ISP’s run tests on your line to determine what speed/contention it should be set at, this test is often wrong and requires a 3rd line support person at your ISP to look at it and set the correct values, and once in a while it runs again and breaks it and they have to do this again for you, my line came back as stable at 18meg but in reality was only stable when they dropped the line to 16meg and changed the packet size to suit what I was doing. (yes if you game you can tell the 3rd line support this and they will optimize your line for gaming, downloads or whatever you do most)

If you’re on Sky your screwed they oversubscribed their systems and this is causing problems they can’t fix, if your Virgin Media generally you’re going to be throttled to hell.
I would be speaking to the ISP first to be honest.

+ 1 for sudden filter failure. I tried swapping the filter on the main DECT phone setup several times before the penny dropped that it was actually the one on an old spare corded phone that we never used and just kept connected in case of power cuts.

It's also probably worth investing in a "REN booster".

My parents had a similar issue. They had one line coming in which was then split between the phone, the internet and 4 sky boxes! When the phone rang the internet cut out. The booster really helped.

They are now on Virgin broadband but we've had to keep the booster connected for the phone extensions to the sky boxes to work correctly.

http://www.discountelectronicsstore.co.uk/electronic_supplies/telephone-extension-booster-bt-tele-ext-booster/

[Edited on 12/4/13 by Rich_p]

[Edited on 12/4/13 by Rich_p]

Thanks for the ideas so far...

Although I have 4 sockets there are only 2 things plugged in: the router and the base unit of our cordless phone, both via the filter.

As for the router - it's my own property, not supplied by the ISP, so I doubt I'll get much joy there!

If I talk to the ISP they will tell me to plug into the master socket for a while to see what happens (I'm currently working from an extension socket). This is fine and reasonable, except my master socket is in the porch and the router will be nowhere near my ethernet cabling... I could plug everything in and work via my wireless access point, but that's just a PITA (means setting up my main Linux computer for wireless access), also it would be the opposite side of the house from my desk. There's also an issue with mains power in the porch (socket's quite a way away).

May have to do just that though.

Other info: I'm with Plusnet, who are generally quite sensible to deal with.
I've now tried 3 different filters...

[Edited on 12/4/13 by David Jenkins]

Plusnet will give you a new router if you promise to stay with them for two years.

Wireless access on Linux is pretty hassle free to set up.