Can you someone please help me with my Verizon Online DSL and Linksys Router?

I have Verizon Online Dsl since 2006 i think. I have the cheapest plan available. Its the 21.99 per month plus tax one. I have 2 home phones but i have filters/splitters on them already. Those phones are not cordless phones. They are regular telephones. Also their pretty old.

However, my dsl disconnects so much every single day. Some days it disconnects for 30 seconds whereas other times it might disconnect for 30 minutes. Today i had about 20 disconnections or so of more than 5-10 minutes unless i restarted my modem and router. Still after every 10 minutes my connection would go dead.

I live in New York City. My neighbor who lives right next door to me NEVER has this problem. We live in an old apartment building. Its probably 100 years old at least. He however tells me his internet will disconnect for maybe 5 seconds if there is a phone call. DSL isn't suppose to be like this i know. Whenever there is a rain or snow, usually this happens even more. He tells me it never happens to him.

I have a Westell Model 6100 Modem. I also have a Wireless Router the Linksys WRT54G Version 3. In my DSL modem now, the internet light does not flash whenever i am online because I think i made my internet bridge mode? I changed this recently. Before 4 lights on my Westell Modem flash but now the INTERNET doesn't have green. Verizon online support told me it would not flash because i changed the mode i am which is fine. I think you guys know what I am talking about. It's concerning bridge and unbridge mode. They told me now i am going online through my router and not my modem because of my setup.

Anyways, whichever mode i do, my verizon online dsl disconnects way too much. I do not have fax machine or any of those things. I have splitters as well.

Can someone please help? Is there a chance it can be my router? What about my settings in the router? Like the channels, or the mode... G mode, B mode, mixed mode. I really have no clue. I called Verizon and when they did the line test on me, they told me everything was fine on their end.

 

Does your DSL disconnect or your WiFi?
You can do several things.
1. Update network drivers and firmware on the router
2. Check the cable between a modem and a router
3. Run a wired connection for a while to verify that it's actually DSL disconnecting, not WiFi.
4. Run inSSIDer (freeware) to check signal quality and other neighbouring wireless networks (channel-wise)
http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider

 

Are you getting disconnected on a wired connection?

What you need to know is the modem keeping the connection or is the router dropping the connection? The DSL light on the Westell should have a green light if the modem is connected DSL. If it's blinking red or amber there is a problem. You may want to test without any phones connected, too.

You may want to do a direct connect to your pc from the westell in bridge mode. Just make sure you have your Firewall and AV current and active. You will not have the NAT firewall to protect you with a direct connect. This will confirm if there is a hardware problem with the westell.

I have done many att dsl hookup but I have always used only a modem and not there combo unit. The first thing I check is polarity on the phone lines. If these are reversed anywhere there is a phone connection you can put noise on the line. Radio Shack carries these testers for around $10. All phones will work if reversed, it's just a noise thing. On the old dialup modems this was required to get a good high quality connection.

 

Yes i do get disconnected even with a wired connection. Right now it does have a green light. Few times it would go red. Many times the Internet light would blink a lot and then i have no connection.

 

anyone can help?

 

I would probably start by cleaning up the phone wire connections. This will boost the signal strength and stop the drops. I have had to do this to homes over 30 yrs old. Copper oxidizes over time, which adds resistance, which cause power loss.

Most homes were wired after they were built. Some daisy chained the jacks. This hopping means a jack not being used can cause the problem.

 

I agree with blue68f100, that old wiring is probably the cause of the problem.
If you can (not all modems display such stats) you should log in to your modem and look at DSL line status, especially Noise Margin and Line Attenuation and take note of the values. It is possible that your ISP's claim that everything has been fine at their end meant “connection- running”, not that they've conformed that all the stats' values are within reason.