DSL Modem reboots itself every 60 seconds

[eternalC]

I install and maintain DSL for the local phone compnay, and I came across a possessed computer.
The eu's dsl modem kept rebooting on it's own every 60 seconds. I've come across this before, but it was a bad power transformer. I swapped out the modem, the transformer, all to no avail.
I then hooked the modem up to my laptop, and had no problems. I sat there for about 20 minutes, and the modem never dropped out. Hooked the eu's computer back up, and sure enough, bing bang boom, dropped out.
My thinking, is that there is some software sending the signal to the modem shutting it off. i've never heard of this happening or seen it happen before. Has anyone else experienced this?
The only thing i did try, was shutting off the eu's Port Magic program, and all of the 20 million AOL programs running in the background. It seemed to work, but i rebooted the coputer to test it for the eu, and we were right back to square 1!

 

[tdeg]

Well, you are more persistant the phone company around here.

Usually if they come and the connection works on their laptop they wish you a good day and leave.

I would tell the EU to go to a computer shop and get all the crap off his/her computer.

Does your DSL have a PPPoE type program? Do you have access to a router that can do PPPoE signons? My LinkSys at home has that function. If you do, try to install it between the DSL modem and EU's PC. See if the rebooting still happens. It might help to isolate a little.

 

[eternalC]

I called the eu back after reading the previous post, and had him unistall port magic. He said that it hasn't rebooted since. However, (comma, pause for effect) he said that his AOL software has been acting up on him a little bit. He says he has to try a couple of times before it will go through.
And yes, I do go further than most of the dsl techs. part of that though, is I also have my own computer business on the side. I will fix some minor issues that eu's have, but if it takes me more then 15 minutes to fix, i tell them they can take it to a local shop, or (grin, and hand them one of my own cards) I hand them my business card and tell them i also do it on the side. Win Win situation.

 

[halo71]

similiar problem

My DSL modem sometimes does the same thing. But I don't think its rebooting itself. Every now and then it just wont connect. I can be surfing for 2 hours. Close IE or Firefox (whichever one I am using at the time) come back 10 minutes later and the modem won't connect. If I reset the modem, unplug the ehternet it connects fine. I have BellSouth DSL.

Edit: I bought the computer brand new 1 week before I got the DSL. So I don't think its software related.

 

[eternalC]

Depending on what type of modem you have, it should be very apparent when the modem reboots. This has happened now on a speedstream 4100 and 5100b dsl modem. Yours sounds more like the TTL (time to live) is set low, and it connects on demand.