Belkin N1 and BT Broadband help....please!

[Worms]

I have been using a Belkin N1 ADSL 2+ modem router, model no. F5D8631-4 for about two years now. I have had no problems with it until I lost all internet connection last week. I contacted BT who conducted a line test and, eventually told me all was ok with the line but that my router was to blame.

 

Well, I eventually managed to access the router setup page, 192.168.2.1 and checked the settings. Al seems ok but a speedtest shows 0.20 Mb/s download and 1.00Mb/s upload speed....pretty dire....

 

Wireless reception is excellent and I can access the network with my mobile and laptop etc. The problem is that any videos just keep buffering and are unwatchable. I've experimented with settings such as WWM on/off, MTU, PPoA, PPoE, and I'm no better off. Anybody got any ideas please?

 

I'm using:

AMD Athlon IIx4 645 processor 3.1GHz

8 GB ram

Windows 7 Professional

Edimax 802.11n PCI card

[kirisute]

I have been using a Belkin N1 ADSL 2+ modem router, model no. F5D8631-4 for about two years now. I have had no problems with it until I lost all internet connection last week. I contacted BT who conducted a line test and, eventually told me all was ok with the line but that my router was to blame.

 

Well, I eventually managed to access the router setup page, 192.168.2.1 and checked the settings. Al seems ok but a speedtest shows 0.20 Mb/s download and 1.00Mb/s upload speed....pretty dire....

 

Wireless reception is excellent and I can access the network with my mobile and laptop etc. The problem is that any videos just keep buffering and are unwatchable. I've experimented with settings such as WWM on/off, MTU, PPoA, PPoE, and I'm no better off. Anybody got any ideas please?

 

I'm using:

AMD Athlon IIx4 645 processor 3.1GHz

8 GB ram

Windows 7 Professional

Edimax 802.11n PCI card

i truly doubt its your router; and BT will fob you off with various piles of crap until they eventaully find out what the real issue might be.

regardless heres what you need to do: its long, horrible and pain in the rear but its the only sure fire way to test everything properly:

 

take your router from wherever it is plugged in and hunt down your MAIN BT SOCKET. on a new socket this is wall mounted box that is split in half with two screws on the bottom section. older BT main sockets dont have this; but it will look like this:

this is the location your phone line enters your house and it has a handy trick that can quickly tell you what is at fault in your situation.

un-screw the two screws and pull away the bottom section....dont pull too hard or far because you will see some wires attached. there should be enough spare to allow you easily move the plates aside without pulling wires tight etc.

now; behind that plate, on the bottom right, you will see another phone socket! this is a direct connection to your external phone, its the "master" socket.

connect your router to this socket. this will essentially connect your router directly to your incoming phone line; it will disconnect all your phones and extension cables etc

when your router has booted up again check the speed etc

if everything is back to "normal" then the problem is inside your house...its either an adsl filter, bad wiring on an extension, or possibly your router

if everything is still the same then chances are its an external fault on your line...which could be exchange,line or other such damage.

 

now for the tough bit:

your internet speed is controlled via an IP PROFILE which in laymans terms is an upper limit of what your line can handle. this is set by your ISP and your local exchange. if your internet has, for instance, disconnected several times in a 24 hour period, for whatever reason, then the IP PROFILE will reset down to a more stable speed....in bad cases it will even drop to the base rate which is 128k!!

your IP PROFILE will "train" itself over a period of 72 hours to a suitable speed.

 

so in our test above the ideal situation would be to leave your router connected to the internal master socket for 72 hours and test your speed throughout that period. if things change considerably for the better at the end of the period then you have your answer...there is something buggering up your connection in your house. IF nothing changes then its either your router or the phone line.

 

inside the house issues= replace all extensions and ADSL filters. check phones for crackling or hissing, this will indicate either a bad phone or a bad connection. reset router to factory defualts and re-input user conenction data. (reset is done by powering off, holding pin in reset button hole at rear of unit for 10 secs then powering up again)

 

if its outside your house or router= reset router to factory defaults and re-input user data as above. contact BT and report a phone line fault saying something like your phones are crackling and you have tried several handsets. this will raise a line issue without you having to bugger about with some chap in india asking you to test everything you have already tested above!

 

i know this is alot but its the only way to truly test your set up and lay the blame on BT if it is their fault!

 

good luck and post back if you get stuck on anything.

 

if you perchance dont have the the new style BT master socket then just put your router into your main socket and disconnect everything else you possibly can.

[Worms]

Thanks mate, I'll try that. One question however...I take it I'll still need to connect the router to the master phone line via the ADSL filter?

[kirisute]

Thanks mate, I'll try that. One question however...I take it I'll still need to connect the router to the master phone line via the ADSL filter?

no need. by connecting to your master socket you wont have any phones in the loop. the ADSL filter is there to allow you to use your phone and your broadband at the same time. (they "filter" out the adsl signal noise during a phone call)

the test above will basically disconnect all your phones in the house and simply have your router connected to the line, hence no need for a filter.

[Worms]

Thanks

[Worms]

Well, I did as you suggested Kiri, and a speedtest with the router plugged into the mainline suddenly rose to 8.5 Mbps download and 1.00Mbps upload on saturday lunchtime. I have just connected the router back to the upstairs extension as normal via an ADSL filter with the 'phone reconnected and an initial test shows 9.5 Mbps download and 0.95 upload....I'm a much happier bunny now....but was it BT's line or my router?

 

Oh well, as long as it stays like this I'm happy. Many thanks for the advice mate.

[kirisute]

Well, I did as you suggested Kiri, and a speedtest with the router plugged into the mainline suddenly rose to 8.5 Mbps download and 1.00Mbps upload on saturday lunchtime. I have just connected the router back to the upstairs extension as normal via an ADSL filter with the 'phone reconnected and an initial test shows 9.5 Mbps download and 0.95 upload....I'm a much happier bunny now....but was it BT's line or my router?

 

Oh well, as long as it stays like this I'm happy. Many thanks for the advice mate.

Could have been either, but router issues are rare unless you e had a thunderstorm recently. I'd change all adsl filters just in case and keep an eye on it. If your still having line issues you will probably drop line speed again with a day or so.

[Worms]

but router issues are rare unless you e had a thunderstorm recently. I'd change all adsl filters just in case and keep an eye on it.

 

Hmm, yes, we have had thunderstorms...will replace ADSL filter ASAP. Thanks again.

[kirisute]

Hmm, yes, we have had thunderstorms...will replace ADSL filter ASAP. Thanks again.

Don't forget you need a filter per phone

Each phone unit you plug in will drop your broadband speed as well. I've seen older ones cause as much as 1.5 meg drop off. Sky boxes can be a major pain as well. If your beyond your first year then pull the line out of them if you don't use it!

Our speed dropped to 1 meg a month ago! Turned out the line under the road was water logged! Had to be dug up and replaced!

Your ip profile will drop quickly if your line in unstable....usually within hours.

So if your line stats nice and fast for the next day or so you should be ok if the problem doesn't come back.