Linksys BEFSR41 dropping connection

[r1013a]

My router is a Linksys BEFSR41 Ver2. I bought it this past summer and it work fine up until November. Ever since then it has been dropping my internet connection randomly. It may drop it twice or 20 times an hour. It may last for 30 seconds or 10 mins. +.
I noticed that when it does this that the Internet connection icon under Network Connections will disappear. Also just before it comes back the red Diag light will come on solid for about 2-3 seconds then go off.

I first called my ISP and they had be hook up the modem directly to my PC. Everything worked fine. They then said to call Linksys.

I called Linksys and they had me do the following:

First call- Set the MTU to 1492

Second call- Try decreasing the MTU.

Third Call- Under Internet options/ connections/ LAN setup/.. had me uncheck Auto detect settings

Under network connections/ local area network (my nic)/ properties/ configure/ advanced/.. set speedduplex setting to Autonegotiate for 10HD

Had me delete my cookies and clear Internet history.

After that I browsed and downloaded for a few hours and it worked fine.. I left the computer to download while I cooked super.. came back .. and its off line again...

This time some lights were off on the modem.. Rows 2 and 3 contain me and my wife.. they are usually it up.. but this time row 3 (my wife) was lit and row 4 (me) was not. then the WAN Row LINK & ACT are usually lit but they were also off.

I unplugged the modem for 30 sec's and replugged it back up.. Row 3 came back on.. WAN also came back on.. but in row 4.. the link light flickers and the other two lights for row 4 (full/col & 100) are off...... Yet me and my wife are again able to browse and download.

I'm sure it will die next time I blink or turn my back.. any suggestions or should I just call linksys again...

I posted this on another forum and I got three responses. Two said I need another router... which to me is odd seeing that I bought the router around August 2003. It wasn't used while I traveled for work September through November. So its been used just over three months. The third post said they had the same problem with the latest firmware.. which came out last summer.


Thanks
r1013

 

[JackMDS]

You can find New Routers for $10 - $30.

Skip three times Fast food outing, and you can have new Router and Better Health.

 

[Carp1812]

Have you upgraded the firmware to the latest release? If so, I'm with Jack - buy a new router.

 

[r1013a]

Yes. I upgraded to the latest firmware with no change.

 

[Paulson]

I used to have that same problem on my linksys router, but after I upgraded the firmware to the lastest one, it worked great.

Surprising that didn't work for you.

 

[r1013a]

I guess each linksys router is just different. I posted this on another forum and someone said that the latest firmware caused them to get disconnected. They went back to an older firmware and it quit disconnecting. This site last summer was just one of many sites that had post praising linksys routers.. in paticular the BEFSR41. I can even do a search now and get tons of praises... but add the word disconnect to the search line and ... their are tons of people that have this problem with little to no solution.

The first solution I seen was to manually put in my DNS numbers. I read that several people had success with this. I just have not tried it yet.

Second solution was to RMA it..

Third was to buy another brand

If I can't solve this in about 2 more days.. I'll RMA it.. But if the next Linksys router does the same thing.. I'm not sure what brand I'll get.. Any suggestions for routers that are easy to set up.. Known to be trouble free, and have good tech support (Linksys is good.. the longest I've waited is about 10 sec!!! NICE! .... they just speak very! broken english.. and broken is an understatement!).

 

[VTEC01EX]

RMA it, and buy a Netgear while you're waiting. This is what I did for my parents. They like the netgear (easier to configure on the rare occasion that they need to), and I get a backup Linksys for when mine inevitably craps out.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Originally posted by: r1013a
Yes. I upgraded to the latest firmware with no change.

ooh, there's your problem.

Downgrade the firmware, i have the exact same router, and when i upgraded to the latest firmware, it fvckin cut out every 10 minutes

Oh, and good luck finding the older firmware.

 

[SwampsterFL]

Try connecting a tester to your cable and wiggle the wire right behind the connector to see if you have a poor connection. I have run into this even on cables that were working correctly for many months.