Is ntl disabling routers?

lesrose · 26-02-2006, 16:23

About 2 weeks ago my ntl cable 2 Mbit service started playing up. Speed dropped dramatically, to the extent that email client timed out while waiting. I am using a Belkin F5D6231 router, wired via ethernet to the cable modem and 2 PCs. Speed suddenly drops to as low as 40 Mbits/sec, so I connect the modem directly to one PC and it comes up again. Back via the router and it's OK, only to drop again later on. I have replaced the router with new Belkin ones - twice! Still getting the same problem. Can so many routers be faulty? I have been running this setup for 2-3 years without problems. ntl tech support is of course pretty useless as they are not remotely interested in routers. The cable modem was replaced last week but speed problem is the same.

bmxbandit · 26-02-2006, 16:26

short answer - no, ntl aren't disabling routers.

may well not be a router problem, what are you doing (if anything...) when the speed drops out?

Stuart · 26-02-2006, 16:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesrose

About 2 weeks ago my ntl cable 2 Mbit service started playing up. Speed dropped dramatically, to the extent that email client timed out while waiting. I am using a Belkin F5D6231 router, wired via ethernet to the cable modem and 2 PCs. Speed suddenly drops to as low as 40 Mbits/sec, so I connect the modem directly to one PC and it comes up again. Back via the router and it's OK, only to drop again later on. I have replaced the router with new Belkin ones - twice! Still getting the same problem. Can so many routers be faulty? I have been running this setup for 2-3 years without problems. ntl tech support is of course pretty useless as they are not remotely interested in routers. The cable modem was replaced last week but speed problem is the same.

NTL are not blocking routers. Mainly because they do actually allow up to three PCs on your connection, and partly because they can only really guess you have a router (unless the engineer sees it).

TBH, it sounds like you have a faulty network card in the PC, or possibly a faulty network cable.

01-03-2006, 08:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesrose

ntl tech support is of course pretty useless as they are not remotely interested in routers.

And why should they. When customers would not listen to any answer they would give anyway. Lets face it you have made you mind up that NTL are somehow disabling your router anyway and if they said they have not would you believe them.

Question to you. WHY would they disable just your router and not mine as well for instance. I have a router that is working fine and i am using it now ?.

lesrose · 01-03-2006, 09:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill C

And why should they. When customers would not listen to any answer they would give anyway. Lets face it you have made you mind up that NTL are somehow disabling your router anyway and if they said they have not would you believe them.

Question to you. WHY would they disable just your router and not mine as well for instance. I have a router that is working fine and i am using it now ?.

I have not made up my mind, I am just curious. And the question was slightly tongue in cheek, as I don't think ntl would bother to do such a thing, even if they could. To answer the other replies (for which thanks), the problem is exactly the same for the 2 PCs. If I disconnect one the speed still goes down for the other, and vice versa. I have tried a cupboard full of ethernet cables, and nothing makes any difference. I have just done a download speed test and watched as it started at about 500 KB/sec and dropped to 50 within a couple of minutes. If I wait longer it goes down below 10. Rebooting the router always restores speed, but as I said replacing the router makes no difference. Very puzzling.

Neil · 01-03-2006, 09:55

Does the problem occur wthout the router?

lesrose · 01-03-2006, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

Does the problem occur wthout the router?

]
It appears to be OK without the router, yet replacing the router (twice) made no difference.

Neil · 01-03-2006, 10:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesrose

]
It appears to be OK without the router, yet replacing the router (twice) made no difference.

So if your BB performs well without the router then that surely answers your question?

The only thing to do is run it wothout your router for a set period of time (say 1 month) to narrow it down further.

Incidentally, are your uploading anything when this happens-P2P/Torrents etc?

Andy M · 01-03-2006, 17:57

Hi mate
Sounds similar to my problem, get some good quality virus software i.e mcafee or suchlike. AVG didn't pick up anything that mcafee did.

Also download adaware se to check for spyware and all that crap

lesrose · 01-03-2006, 21:09

Well this is brilliant. I installed Zone Alarm Pro and the speed has come up, but only to 0.7 Mb/sec when I should be on 2 Mb. What's more, it has disabled Firefox so I am forced to use IE. The ZA settings for the 2 browsers are identical. I suppose at least I should apologise to ntl for suggesting it was their fault, but at the same time they need to be told that this is becoming a not uncommon problem. I have spent about 4 hours on the phone while they pursued one blind alley after the other.

jtwn · 01-03-2006, 21:13

I'm sure ntl might have better things to do like maintaining their network before (if it was possible) 'maintaining' your network.

Andy M · 01-03-2006, 21:21

Ive noticed mines been slow since ive put on the antivirus and firewall, not had over 180 kB download on 2 mb

---------- Post added at 21:21 ---------- Previous post was at 21:19 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesrose

I suppose at least I should apologise to ntl for suggesting it was their fault,

I don't blame you mate, its natural instinct to think its the ISP due to the nature of the problem, i spent a week phoning NTL up thinking it was my modem, line etc

lesrose · 02-03-2006, 22:42

Zone Alarm appears to have rendered the PC virtually unuseable. It's now extremely slow, all applications take ages to load, and it frequently crashes. Is there no other way of getting protection from criminals? I didn't have all this when I was using McAfee firewall. What's the AVG one like? Maybe it works better with the AVG antivirus which I have.

BTW does ntl issue fixed or variable IP addresses?

Andy M · 02-03-2006, 22:47

Variable assigned by DHCP

AVG is IMO ****
Anything free isn't up to much, my theory is you spend x amount on broadband you might as well spend a little more protecting your pc's so you can use it. This is coming from someone who didn't use any firewall or AV 2 days ago for the past 10 years
Im using McAfee security center and its brilliant

lesrose · 03-03-2006, 08:58

So if I am on a variable IP address why has someone latched onto my computer and flooded me with spyware? Transfer rate down to 10 Kb/sec again today so something will have to be done.