[Gllug] Problems keeping internet connection.

[Chris Bell]

On Fri 22 Oct, Sharon Kimble wrote:
> 
> I'm using a D-link DSL300T adsl ethernet modem and a Macronix MX987x5 network 
> card and periodically I'm unable to get interent access. Its as if either the 
> network card, or the modem, stop working. But if i reboot into MS Windows 
> 2000 then it all works perfectly again, and I can reboot [again] and log back 
> into linux. My firewall is Firestarter 0.9.3, with one trusted host which is 
> my modem.  Kernel is 2.6.8-1.521.
> 
> I can, at the moment, at least log into the modem and check its connected and 
> working seemingly okay. But when it drops the connection then I'm totally 
> unable to gain access to it.
> 
> Is it ...
> a) my modem dying,
> b) the network card playing up [I did find back on windows a tick box for it 
> to stop it powering down but I can't find anything similar on linux [and I 
> can't find it back on windows again either]].
> c) a problem with my firewall.
> d) tiscali playing silly b*****s
> e) something else!

   It could be e)

   It could be a problem with the ADSL signal levels. This is affected by
the distance from the BT exchange and the quality of the wire between you
and the exchange, and also the route inside your building, including line
filter(s) and termination. Does your ordinary phone sound noisy?
   It is easy to get signal loss if the ADSL carrier is allowed to enter the
main internal phone wiring. By far the best method is to connect the modem
at the master box using a BT-style master box adaptor. It replaces the lower
front panel of the box, and the normal line termination is bypassed by one
high quality low-loss filter, with the ADSL carrier routed straight to the
front connector. If the ADSL carrier is allowed to enter the normal phone
wiring then a filter must be fitted to every phone or fax, which can be much
more expensive, while some cheap filter units that look like a normal phone
splitter do not have enough room inside the to insert a similar filter. The
downside is that you then need to link the ADSL modem to the firewall and
your internal network, perhaps using ethernet.
   You can get similar replacement panels from Solwise,

http://www.solwise.co.uk

-- 
Chris Bell

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