# Solved: Computer Causing Router to Reset / Drop Connection



## GlennMetcalf (Jan 1, 2009)

I have been fighting seemingly intermitent losses of internet connection for several months. I have tried all suggestions I received including getting a new router. My router resets and starts a new connection essentially every 30 minutes. My current set up is a desktop connected by Ethernet cable to my D-Link 625. If I turn off my laptop or disconnect the Ethernet cable my router stays connected to the internet. Otherwise it drops the connection about every 30 minutes. I tried disconnecting at 28 minutes and reconnecting at 35 (watching the Router status page from my wireless laptop) Upon reconnection the router rebooted. I have tried not running all the following things that might seem related to my problem but the problem continues whether or not I have them running on my PC: Apache Server, FTP Filezilla Server. TIVO Server, TIVO Desktop, Google Desktop, Norton Firewall, and a weather widget from ActiveAccess. I think that is the list. Now most of the suggestions I have found seem to assume there is a wireless problem before determining that when my PC is off or disconnected I have no problem I treid 1) buying a new Router 2) installing filters on my phones, 3 removing all my phones from the house 4) disconnecting the wireless TIVO boxes on my TV, 5) Uninstalling UPnP (I;m not really sure I got that done on my PC because the directions sent me to the Windows firewall which I do not use but I did uncheck the box on the router.) I think that is about the laundry list. I am open to suggestions ... I see lots of people with similar symptoms but none that say they know the problem goes away when their desktop is OFF. Thanks. Glenn


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## avisitor (Jul 13, 2008)

Do you see the router actually reboot? That is, do all the lights turn off and then reset after a few seconds? What is the make and model of the computer and what operating system and patch level is it running (i.e., Windows XP Pro SP3)

(P.S. Adding some paragraphs and newlines to your post will make it easier to read. The enter key is your friend )


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I'd download and install the latest firmware for the router, and then reset it to factory defaults and reconfigure. This will sometimes beat a router into submission.


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## GlennMetcalf (Jan 1, 2009)

I am running XP Home with SP3. The computer is an HP Pavilion

No I haven't seen the router actually reboot (lights going off). What I do see is the timer on the connection restarting at zero (after getting back to Status Page it will be near zero)

. If I am connected to the router I go from the status page to sign in screen, then router tells me to wait while it determines the speed of the link. Then I can sign back in.

On the Screen I will also get pop-up messages 1) A cable is unplugged 2) New Connection established. Incidently the status of the Lan Connection as maintained on the computer (clicking the two flashing screens) rolls on like no problem the connection time is coninuious from reboot of the PC


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## GlennMetcalf (Jan 1, 2009)

John I did down load the latest firmware but I have not reconfigured. Well the firmware update did require a reload but I had saved the old config and reloaded that and did not hit reset. If I reset should I then reload all the settings by hand?


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

That's what I'd recommend. Sometimes, new firmware moves the configuration parameters and the old config won't load properly.


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## GlennMetcalf (Jan 1, 2009)

Avistor --- I watched my router at the end of a cycle and yes all the lights went out. The clock on router was 29:20 it took a few seconds for it to jump to the "testing connection speed" but that was the next screen.


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## jpnavarrette (Jan 2, 2009)

Just out of curiosity...how many incoming connections do you see and how is your router configured to forward http and ftp traffic to this box?


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## GlennMetcalf (Jan 1, 2009)

If by "Incoming connections" you mean local LAN Connections on my router, the answer is TWO both of my TIVO boxes show up. 

IF you mean on my PC the answer is also TWO. I have the other one disabled. The hot connection is Connection TWO. I have tried to switch to connection ONE moved the cable switched all the setup stuff enabled disabled etc. That connection doesn't seem to work at all. It is presently disabled. I know if you have two connections enabled problems seem to occur.


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## jpnavarrette (Jan 2, 2009)

My apologies Glenn...I was referring to incoming internet connections that could be attempting to reach whatever services you are providing on that problem box. I noticed that you had Apache and FTP software so I figured you were providing some services to internet traffic. Is this the case or no?

If you are providing services, then you must have your router configured to forward certain traffic to this 'server'. That is if I assume correctly that you are NAT'ing public IP(s) to a local private range assigned to your home devices. I was interested to know how this 'inbound' traffic is forwarded to your server by the router.

As for the enabling of two network interfaces on one machine, you are correct that you will encounter certain issues if you dont tell the traffic which path to take for a particular interface/route. This can be useful in some scenarios but I cant think of any that would benefit one at home so I will stop this tangent before I go into something you really dont want to know about.

***Maybe I should specify I am referring to TCP connections/sessions and not actual physical connections.


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## GlennMetcalf (Jan 1, 2009)

okay I am sorry ... I didn't get a full answer to you. I have a static IP then I use the router to send FTP and web server traffic to my PC on Ethernet connection. For what it is worth that is 192.168.0.55 I use 100 to 199 as dynamic addresses. The forwarding works fine, you can check out my web sites www.MTP-iowalaw.com and www.movilleblog.com and umc.movilleblog.com all happily hosted on the PC (The blogs are self hosted WordPress. running under Apache.) It is all great fun when it is working. Other than anoyance when I get a 2 minute delay rebooting the router. I play an online game of bridge and dropping out in the middle of an auction is bad karma.


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## jpnavarrette (Jan 2, 2009)

ok...what is your keepalive set to in Apache? i wonder if your router can handle keeping track of those connections and is subsequently rebooting itself to clear up its tables...


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## GlennMetcalf (Jan 1, 2009)

I looked in my Apache conf file and can't find a "keepalive" parameter. I did go to the router and and set the PC as permanently assigned on the DHCP reservation list with Expires Never. But I get the same thing It resets every 30 minutes. 

I can get my Apache books out and look for the Keepalive parameter but I have had stable Apache server for a couple of years and this problem is a couple of months old.


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## jpnavarrette (Jan 2, 2009)

well...try running the netstat command on your server at about the ten minute mark and again at the 20 min mark. i dont suspect an issue with your server...i suspect your dlink is having a hard time keeping up with the connections being maintained by your server.


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## GlennMetcalf (Jan 1, 2009)

First, my thanks to jpnavarrette, avisitor, and JohnWill for asking the questions that kept me looking. jpnavarrette, I didn't use the Netstat command in fact I have just printed out an explanation and I'm going to play with that now for a bit. 

Here is what worked or at least killed the symptom, I don't know why and will certainly welcome an explanation. On my D-Link virtual server for Apache and FTP both mapped to my PC Apache port 80 to 80 and FTP port 21 to 21. The protocol was set to "BOTH", (TCP and UDP) I changed it to TCP about 5 hours ago and it has been stable ever since. 

Why I did that? jpnavarrette got me thinking about traffic I went to look at my log and found the router had been rejecting numerous UDP packets. I really didn't understand what UDP was so I educated my self a little and decided that while my TIVO and maybe the weather widget might use UDP there seemed to be no reason to have it on ports 80 and 21 so I reset the virtual server from BOTH to TCP and there have been no disconnects since.

As I said someone wiser may be able to tell me why and if i play around with the settings and Netstat as suggested by jpnavarrette I may figure it out. But for now I justed wanted to say thank you all. :up:


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## jpnavarrette (Jan 2, 2009)

Good find sir. UDP is definitely not the way to go in this scenario. 

Glad to hear the problem is resolved...


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Good detective work, and thanks for posting back.


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