I've suffered with a poor internet connection for a few years now. I've tried switching provider, switching pokerroom, resetting my router, using both wireless and powerlines to no avail. Over the years I must have lost hundreds of dollars due to disconnecting.

What steps should I take to find the source of my disconnect problems?
My connection issues are usually intermittent losses of connection for 5-10 minutes about once or twice a week. Windows will tell me I have no resolvable IP and my browser will send tell me I am not connected to the internet.
Sometimes my connections remains but my ping rises to 1500ms and this lasts for anything from half an hour to all day.

All help appreciated.

This is a tracert I took whilst my ping was high but my connection still online. Not an ideal tracert as I was playing diablo and battlenets servers are notorious but other players where having no difficulties and my internet has remained slow since quitting Diablo.
__________________________________________________ ____________
Tracing route to www.l.google.com [173.194.78.147]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 4 ms 3 ms 5 ms SkyRouter.Home [192.168.0.1]
2 691 ms 714 ms 693 ms bm1.lvall-dhcp.isp.sky.com [94.15.222.190]
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 366 ms 406 ms 416 ms ip-89-200-132-230.ov.easynet.net [89.200.132.230
]
5 442 ms 464 ms 462 ms 89.200.131.191
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 621 ms 641 ms 643 ms 209.85.240.61
8 779 ms 783 ms 799 ms 209.85.253.94
9 896 ms 909 ms 978 ms 72.14.232.134
10 504 ms 520 ms 541 ms 209.85.251.231
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 868 ms 893 ms 897 ms www.google.com [173.194.78.147]

Trace complete.

Tested a few more things:

My SNR is 7db (I think this is too low)
My attenuation is 20.5db
The above were tested whilst the internet was working fine.

I get exactly the same problems whether I am wired directly to the router or using a powerline plug.

Try a new router / network card.

Cable or DSL?
You dont mention changing or updating your modem.

I had a router (Linksys BEFSR41) that was rock solid for 8+ years and then started exhibiting the behavior you describe, and then it became more frequent. After checking with my ISP and finding no problem on their end, I replaced the router and the problem was fixed.

DSL.

We where on cable about 6months ago. We switched our modem and router when we changed over.

I'll look into this by plugging directly in to the phone line next time I have problems. I'll check it out now actually see if i get a better SNR.


What I'm trying atm which my provider suggested was plugging my router in downstairs rather than upstairs as apparently plugging it in upstairs rather than in the "master socket" can cause interference. First I've heard of this but I'll give it a go.

I don't know alot about DSL but a buddy was having similar issues a while back. (centurylink DSL). He ended up speaking with Tech support and they ended up switching the "channel"( not for the router but something to do with DSL) he was on. They walked him through some sort of configuration page for the modem and his connectivity improved immediately.

I am getting ready to look into DSL, they just ran fiber form the CO to the terminal 100 yard from my house. The Tech/lineman that did the work said it will be capable of 40 Mb/s.

When I had DSL I was also having issues. They sent a tech out and ended up being a wiring issue on the telco end in my neighborhood

When debugging any system, remove as many parts as you can, then start adding things back until you find the problem. My approach would be:

1. Try pinging your router IP address while this is happening and see if there's a normal response time. It may be the router/modem itself which is flaking out (maybe even rebooting; also check the lights on it).
2. Try pinging another computer (if you have a LAN).
3. Ask neighbors with the same service if they have the same problem.
4. The service tech should be able to run diagnostics remotely on the modem (including network health checks), but if it only happens every so often, they may not detect anything abnormal
5. Try running ping continuously using a reliable ping host and check to see if it happens randomly, or with some periodicity.
6. When it happens, check to see if anything is going on inside the computer itself (Task Manager, process list, etc.).
7. Try using a different computer (friend's laptop, phone with WiFi) and see if it experiences the same issue.
8. You can ask the service tech to adjust the modem's parameters to make it more tolerant of signal transmission issues, but if that's the problem, they need to fix their network/equipment upstream).
9. Have them examine and test the wiring (inside & out); a bad/corroded connector or one which lets water in or expands/contracts with sunlight/heat changes could be a problem
10. If other computers are using the network at the same time, they can fill up the modem/router's buffers (ex., streaming media).
11. Bittorrent plays havoc with bandwidth (causing packets to back up and flood forward).

Thanks that's a great list. I'll try my best to work through as much of it as I can.