Faulty Modem/Router or Internet?

[rowlfe]

The problem is the wireless link, NOT the hardware itself. (DSL can only fail IF there is a fault on the telephone line, which is the responsibility of your phone company to fix. Check with your phone company to have them check out your line to eliminate THAT as a source of your problems.) There either is interference OR poor quality signals OR BOTH. Wireless is a party line. One talks and all the rest listen and wait for the line to clear. When the line clears, everyone waiting tries to talk at once, and ALL lose packets. So, you wait for a reply and not getting one after a while, you try again, and collide again, and wait some more. Which means DEAD TIME with no moving data. These collisions go on until finally ONE transmitter starts talking while everyone else is still listening, and takes the floor forcing everyone else to more waiting. This slows throughput to a crawl the more users on the line. Your neighbors using wireless COUNT as users on the line, even though NOT connected to your access point. You still have to wait for the line to clear, just as they do with YOUR transmissions. The wireless access point is doing exactly what YOU would do on a party line when you no longer hear the other end, after a while you hang up. The wireless access point closes the connection if too long a period of time goes by without hearing from you. Something is causing you to lose packets, and the access point "hangs up" on you as a result. And THAT is why I no longer use wireless. I have 7 other networks around me that seriously interfered with my use, so I've gone back to wire to my router. Your problem is your wireless link is unreliable. WHY it is unreliable is a problem that only YOU can find and remedy. It either is interference, signal strength, or both. A typical cordless telephone can be a link killer since it operates (transmits) on the same radio frequencies your access point uses, and it drowns out the access point or you or both. Try going back to wire, and if THAT fails as well, only THEN do you need new hardware.