Internet stops working on dynamic and static IP

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Kerensky

Hi all, this is my first post on this website cos i've looked around and can't find an answer to this problem. Please be kind if i've missed anything important out cos im not very good at this and don't know really what is relevant.

I have a belkin wireless router in my house which 4 of us are using. I have plugged it in fine and run the set up CD to get it all sorted and it seemed to work fine.
The problem started when i tried to download or watch videos online. The connection seemed to drop off which stopped the download or buffering without it saying it was finished. I also could not access web pages for about a minute and then they would work again but the download would sit at whatever percentage it got too and not continue (I left it for a few hours once.)
I went on to the router ip by typing 192.168.2.1 and the belkin router setup appears. I changed the connection type to static and it restarted then worked fine. I was able to download and buffer videos fine, as was everyone else. Then it stopped working again. Pages would not load no matter how long i waited.
I went back to set up and changed to dynamic again, which worked like before, then changed to static. I worked again but a few days later, same problem.
At the moment i have to do this every 2 or 3 days and i was hoping you guys could shed some light on the problem.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks
 
Checked the latest firmware before i posted, probably should have mentioned that. Everything is up to date as far as i know.
I'll check that other link now, thanks

edit:
Just checked that link and all the pinging it tells me to do seems to check out.
only thing i noticed is that it said the router/gateway should be 192.168.xx.xx but mine says 77.97.118.1 if thats any clue?
 
When you indicate things hang/stop, could you please clarify (as want double check for sure how you did things/connect to the belkin after problem occurs)
1. When you see the problem, is there a connection problem with EVERY computer connected to the belkin? or just the ONE computer connected to the belkin?
2. When you see the problem, are you opening a new Internet Explorer window and connect to the Belkin on the problem computer ? Or are you doing that from a different computer?

btw..Is normal for a router to have two IP addresses
=> 77.97.118.1 is the WAN IP address (i.e. the routers address on the public internet)
=> 192.168.xx.xx is your LAN IP address (i.e. the routers address on your private LAN, that is the address used by your LAN devices to talk to the router)

The router maps your single WAN IP address to be shared among all your LAN devices (and your LAN devices address it via the LAN IP)
 
Ok hope i can answer everything.
When the problem occurs it effects everybodies computer that is connected and the problem has occured with all of us connected for at least an hour so im fairly sure its not that we've doubled up on IP addresses.
When it happens, everything stops working. If IE or mozilla are open and i try to load a new page it says it cannot find it, like im offline. Opening new pages leads to the same result. Downloads stop but still have the info from before the hang, i.e. 50% done, 1.0 of 2.0 downloaded at 2/s. That stays frozen until i restart the router. Videos stop buffering wherever they got up to. I get no message about lost connection and the icon says im still connected.
I change to dynamic where i get similar problems but after a minute a can browse web pages again but the downloads remain frozen.
Go back to static and after it restarts its fine for a few days.
I think it might be someone else using the same IP and when i restart mine changes but im probably wrong and im not sure if that would explain the problems with dynamic setting.

Short answers to the questions:
1. Yepp, problem on every computer
2. Doing it all from my computer, usually by opening a new window but have gone straight from a previously open one before. Im pretty sure that the router must not be set up properly even though i did it using the disc provided.

thanks for the responses so far, this has been bugging me for months now
 
Hey.. i know we'll all give it our best shot to help.

And for starters (just to make sure it's not part of the equation) [post=720728]see this post to modify power management settings[/post] and do so on each computer on your LAN. This prevents Windows from puttting any computer or computer network adapter into a power savings/sleep mode. Just in case it should relate to a bug in the way the Belkin is working.

Suggest you leave all of your computers in this changed Power Management mode for awhile
=> Just as it;s easy to change your computer's settings
=> Will help assure Power Management isn't having any affect on your problem (i;ve seen it be the root cause or contribute to network problems in the past)
 
LookinAround said:
btw..Is normal for a router to have two IP addresses
=> 77.97.118.1 is the WAN IP address (i.e. the routers address on the public internet)
Click to expand...
use http://www.whatismyip.com/ to see your WAN address
=> 192.168.xx.xx is your LAN IP address (i.e. the routers address on your private LAN, that is the address used by your LAN devices to talk to the router)
Click to expand...
use run->cmd /k ipconfig to see your LAN address

when the systems just stall, try
run->cmd /k ping www.google.com​
if you get timeouts, then you've lost the connection to
a) the ISP or
b) the DNS
 
Kerensky said:
Hi all, this is my first post on this website cos i've looked around and can't find an answer to this problem. Please be kind if i've missed anything important out cos im not very good at this and don't know really what is relevant.

I have a belkin wireless router in my house which 4 of us are using. I have plugged it in fine and run the set up CD to get it all sorted and it seemed to work fine.
The problem started when i tried to download or watch videos online. The connection seemed to drop off which stopped the download or buffering without it saying it was finished. I also could not access web pages for about a minute and then they would work again but the download would sit at whatever percentage it got too and not continue (I left it for a few hours once.)
I went on to the router ip by typing 192.168.2.1 and the belkin router setup appears. I changed the connection type to static and it restarted then worked fine. I was able to download and buffer videos fine, as was everyone else. Then it stopped working again. Pages would not load no matter how long i waited.
I went back to set up and changed to dynamic again, which worked like before, then changed to static. I worked again but a few days later, same problem.
At the moment i have to do this every 2 or 3 days and i was hoping you guys could shed some light on the problem.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks
Click to expand...

Sound like a DNS Relay issue take it back to the store you got it for and get another brand of router. Or if you don't have that option then call up Belkin and see if they can do a swap out and replace it for you.
 
Ok i checked the power management settings so they wont be a problem now if they were in the first place.
Guess all i can do is wait to see if that works and then try to ping if it breaks again.
Like i said im pretty sure its the router as i have no problems at home with that network, its just the one i set up at uni.
If it is a problem with the DNS, is getting a new router the only option?
Also any idea why static works for a few days and dynamic drops out every so often?
 
Right its happened again so i tried to ping a website and it was a no go. I've stuck it on to dynamic while i type this, then i'll be going back to static again.
Looks like it is a DNS issue but im just confused as to why this is happening other than a broken router or wrongly set up connection.
If anyone has another idea then i'm to suggestions, otherwise i might have to change it out for a different one.
 
Hmmm.....

1) Reading your current post (as well as looking back) could you be more specific about just what you're doing in switching between "dynamic" vs. "static" (i.e. which devices are you changing/what settings are you changing?)

2) And maybe an interesting data point to collect: Logon to the Belkin and capture the Belkin's WAN address, the DNS addresses it's using, etc. The next time you seem to have recovered after a hang, logon to the Belkin again and see if any of the assigned addresses have changed.
 
OK

1) As far as specifics go. I'm typing 192.168.2.1 into mozilla which takes me to the interface for my Belkin router. I then click connection type at the side and choose static, leaving all the IP and DNS settings alone. When it stops working I go back there and choose dynamic instead. It then does not ask for any settings. Once it has restarted i go back again and change back to static and leave all the settings the way they are. So i only change the router and no settings apart from the connection type.

2) I originally thought that my IP was being assigned to someone else and thats why I could not got online and changing to dynamic gave me a new IP. Looking at it though I really can not see any changes to either IP or DNS. I admit it would be hard to notice so i'll make a note if it happens again to see what changes.
 
I don't know just which router you have, but i think the main menu i show below for my example appears pretty much the same for the Belkin wireless router models i saw (If yours is different please indicate model number. It should be on a tag on your router)

Click on the thumbnail for full pic.


Based on your description of changing between "dynamic" and "static", I'm guessing you're changing the setting under Internet Settings->ConnectionType? Most internet connections use dynamic ip addresses and should remain set to Dynamic unless you are actually paying for a static connection to your ISP?

That said, i'd guess your LAN Settings->DHCP Server is currently set to Enabled THIS is where you can choose be dynamic vs static IP addressing for your Local computers. However, it may require additional setup to assure correct IP addressing is assigned. So first question is: Is it Enabled? Disabled? and do you change this settin back and forth too?
 
Ok my model is the F5D9230-4
Yeah the menu looks pretty similar.
Im changing it in the connection type yes and i would normally leave it as dynamic but then i cant download without it being interupted. Im not paying for static but it works, at least for a while and is stable so i can actually finish downloads.
Yepp DHCP is enabled and i don't change that too, only static to dynamic then back again.
I checked the WLAN MAC address on the bottom of the router too and it matches to the one on the menu. Not sure if that was relevant though
 
Hmmm...
=> I think you might try to keep an eye on the IP address assigned by your ISP
=> Also, understand that since you have dynamic IP addressing with your ISP probably best to keep Connection Type=Dynamic. We then trouble shoot it in that mode.

Here's some general info....
Dynamic IP's are, well, just that "dynamic". wrt your router and home network:
=> Your router should be set (and stay set) to dynamic IP
=> This implies your ISP acts as the "DHCP" server and is responsible for choosing/assigning/changing the router's IP address as it's seen by the rest of the world on the Internet
  • DHCP is a protocol which provides for assigning and managing IP addresses
  • There are several reasons why one might have dynamic IPs. (An example, from your ISP's prespective, they can manage a pool of IP addresses that are shared among many customers (so they don't have to have 1 IP for every customer as the case if they were all static IP)
  • Dynamic IP assignment is at the whim of your ISP. DHCP allows an ISP to change your IP address in as little as every 4 hours! (tho i don't know of a practical reason for it be done that often)
  • Important point being your ISP can be changing your router's IP address as it chooses AND the router should be handling this fully transparent to all your computers on your home LAN
  • The computers on your home LAN have their own IP address and router is (transparently) switching traffic between IP addresses on the LAN (which the router controls) and the IP assigned to the router (that your ISP controls)
Finally, note by setting your ConnectionType=Static your router/ISP connection IS GUARANTEED TO BREAK whenever your ISP may choose to change your IP address as your router will refuse to change its Internet IP address assignment.

Will review other detail provided to see if it might help provide any other info (including changes that might also occur to DNS assignments)
 
fundamental issues:
  1. The ISP is in total control of the WAN side of the router; fool with it and you're asking for trouble
  2. the LAN side is up to you
  3. Allowing all the LAN side systems to use DHCP is the simplest setup
  4. attempting to use LAN side static can be complicated and frought with pitfalls
 
Right well i understand that unless im paying for static i shouldnt use it because it wont work and that dynamic is the best way to go but that still doesnt solve the problem.
I can't download anything that will take longer than about 5 mins before it loses its connection and i have to restart it, then it happens again. This isn't a one-off occurance as i had it on dynamic for at least a week before switching to static.
At least in static i can use the internet uninterupted from anywhere between 2 days to a week or so and then it only takes about 3 mins to fix.

I'll put it in dynamic again to see if anything changes but if i can't find a solution i guess i can live with it for a bit until i can afford a new router or something
 
Kerensky said:
Right well i understand that unless im paying for static i shouldnt use it because it wont work and that dynamic is the best way to go but that still doesnt solve the problem.
I can't download anything that will take longer than about 5 mins before it loses its connection and i have to restart it, then it happens again. This isn't a one-off occurance as i had it on dynamic for at least a week before switching to static.
At least in static i can use the internet uninterupted from anywhere between 2 days to a week or so and then it only takes about 3 mins to fix.

I'll put it in dynamic again to see if anything changes but if i can't find a solution i guess i can live with it for a bit until i can afford a new router or something
Click to expand...

Hmm.. actually, if you say it works a long time when static then in fact it can't be the fact the ISP is CHANGING your IP address tho might be something involved in your router KEEPING its IP address.

In any event, even if it proved was a matter of keeping a dynamic address, it's no way anything you should have to deal with as a user (vs. something handled by the router and its firmware)

I'd suggest the best thing to try at this point: Buy a new router and try it out for 30 days. If problems continues to reoccur return it. Otherwise, keep it and toss your Belkin!

/* EDIT */
You might also try contacting your ISP to also try swapping your cable modem
 
Well i've got it in dynamic now and so far no problems though i havent tried downloading anything yet so that will be the main test.
Seems wierd that it would fix itself but i'll let you know next time i try to download or watch something online.
 
Hmmmm.... fyi...

Just for the heck of it.. i did a quick search on your belkin model F5D9230-4. I found
  • The only firmware release was 9/20/07 v4.01.09. So as you already noted, there are no firmware updates available
  • If you look here you'll find ALOT of people complaining about this particular Belkin. (30 out of 50something people rating it only one star) One person specifically complained about their downloads hanging......
So not good news about your Belkin, but probably good reason to at least try replacing it when it you can and see if your problem goes away (and buy with a return policy you can use just in case problem doesn;t go away.. but sounding more and more like it's the Belkin itself)
 
Oh ok well i guess its replacement time then.
Guess i should have checked up on the model before posting but it seemed like a network issue to me given that it was a nightmare to set up and the loss of connection.
I did have another belkin one last year that worked fine so it never really crossed my mind to see what people said because they had been good in my experience.
I'll see about getting another but until then i'll survive with the static connection.
Thanks for everyone's help
 
Just a thought. You mentioned this is part of your uni network? You sure your connection is not being traffic shaped? Video donwloading or streaming can hammer bandwidth, so if you are on a contended service where traffic shaping is in effect you'll certainly get hit by it if trying to download videos.
Most traffic shaping isp's restrict your bandwidth AND the amount you can download for a period of time, usually just a day or two. Then they give you full access and speed again.
Your statement of 'changing the ip then its fine' could fit in with this, as some isp's manage by ip and not mac address. It could also just be a coincidence.
Worth thinking about, unless its simply a borked router!
Belkin are good at borking routers! :rolleyes:
 
Sorry by uni network i meant a network i've set up in my house where i live while im at uni, probably should have made that clear.
Its a house just like any other, not halls of residence or anything. I get my broadband off Virgin who i've used for a while and never had problems with. We pay based on how much we use so i doubt they would limit us. Also from what i've seen my IP doesnt change after i've messed with the settings.
My guess is just a dodgy router. I've got another, still belkin but it worked all last year no problem. Got this new one as its a G+ MIMO and my old was just a G+. There are 4 of us this year instead of 2 and i have xbox live now so i wanted the extra speed.
The old router is away at home though and it wont be worth getting it back for the time i have left.
I'll just chuck this router after this year and remember not to buy belkin in the future
 
Well Virgin certainly do traffic shape. That's who i'm with and they put tit on my connection, until i moaned at them, cos i don't download enough to be shaped, so they took it off again.

It still could easily be a dodgy router though, Belkin have sucked hugely in the past and still do wth some of their present networking kit.
 
I was going to say that the Belkin may be dropping connection from your ISP. If when everything fails can still go to the Belkin setup screen via your browser or can you ping your router? If so then your wireless (or wired) connections are still live and it's your WAN connectivity that is failing. It could be a faulty router or a improperly configured modem (DSl or cable). You did not mention what type of broadband connection you have (unless I missed it). But unless you are paying for a static IP you need to leave it as dynamic. Also some DSL modems are set to automatically disconnect after a certain period of inactivity (may not be your problem). Next time you have this problem dont mess with the static/dynamic setting but instead re-boot your Belkin (power on and off). If this does not help re-boot your modem (assuming you have DSL or cable) wqait fro all of the lights to stop blinking (except PC Activity) and you should be good to go. It may well be you Belkin that is causing all the problems.. Have everyone pitch in and buy something else (I recommend a Linksys) They are cheap around $50 and work well. Here is one at newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124010
 
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