I am running two Windows XP computers which are connected to the internet through a Linksys router. The internet connection drops out frequently. I can reconnect if I disconnect the router for a few minutes and then reconnect. Can you help avoid or minimise the dropouts? I am connected to the Transact network.

Internet dropouts can certainly be frustrating so ideally we need to avoid these dropouts from occurring at all. To begin, we need to determine whether the problem is the connection between the computers and the router, or between the router and the internet. If your computers are connected to the router via wireless then we need to check whether the wireless connection between the router and computers is dropping-out rather than the internet. To check whether this is the problem, connect one of the computers to the router via wired Ethernet cable. This might not be easy, since the computers are likely located somewhere away from the router (so you may need to temporarily move a computer to be closer to the router for testing).

If you find that the problem does not occur when the computer is connected to the router via wired Ethernet then it seems to be the wireless connection causing the problem. The next step in the troubleshooting process is determining whether the problem is related to the router or the wireless card in the computer. However, since the problem occurs on two different computers it is probably fair to say that the issue is due to the router rather than the wireless cards. As such, we need to check the router configuration. As the first step, logon to the administrative interface for your Linksys router and check whether any firmware or software updates are available. It is possible that there is a known fault or performance problem with the router that has been fixed in a subsequent update of the router firmware (which is just a fancy name for the software that runs on the router).

If a firmware update does not fix the wireless dropout issue then you should next check whether anything could be causing interference with the router’s wireless signal. This may include placing the wireless router on top of a metal filing cabinet, or microwave ovens or cordless phones being used at a time which coincides with the wireless signal dropping out. Should this not yield any results, you could also try changing the channel upon which the wireless radio is transmitting. This can be done from within the wireless radio settings on the router. This can be useful as your wireless network may be transmitting on the same channel as another nearby wireless network (such as your neighbour’s wireless) causing a conflict – this is a bit like when two radio stations are transmitting on the same frequency in the same area, your car radio picks-up both stations but both don’t come through very clearly. If your router has an Auto setting for the channels, make sure this has been set, as the router should then choose the channel with the least interference. However, if the router does not have an Auto setting you may need to try manually setting the channels. You should first try running on channels 1, 6, or 11 as these are the three wireless channels which do not overlap with any other channels. If you do not have any luck with these channels then try the other available channels on the router.

Now dealing with the other scenario, where the problem is related to drop-outs between the router and the internet, we need to see why the internet connection itself is dropping. As you are connected to the Transact network I assume that you are running cable internet rather than ADSL using the phone line. If you were using ADSL, drop-outs could be explained through a number of factors, such as problems with the phone line, noise on the line and distance from the telephone exchange. In contrast, Transact cable runs over its own dedicated infrastructure so you should not have such problems. Therefore, in my experience such problems are related to the router itself. In the first instance, as detailed previously in this article, you should try upgrading the firmware on the router. If you continue to have problems after upgrading the firmware, try factory defaulting the router and then setting it back-up from scratch. To do this there should be instructions in the manual that came with the router explaining how to revert the router to the default settings, normally involving pressing a button on the back of the router combined with plugging in the power (or like). Once the router has powered back up, you need to setup the router from scratch, as you did after purchasing the router from the shop. Make sure that you have all the details for your internet account (such as username, password, etc.) as these will need to be setup once the router has been defaulted.

Should the drop-outs continue after defaulting the router we should next check whether the router is the problem at all. To do this, we will remove the router from the equation all together and connect the Transact line directly into one of your computers. The reason that we are undertaking this procedure now, instead of earlier, is because this is quite inconvenient. You will need to move your computer near to the point where Transact comes into your home (i.e. where the Transact cable currently comes out of the wall and into the WAN port of your router) and then connect the Transact cable directly into the network card on the back of the computer. Follow the instructions from your ISP for setting up a PPPoE connection through Windows, which is the type of connection required for Transact. Windows XP has the ability to setup this kind of connection so you do not need a third-party utility. Once this has been setup you can double-click the connection icon to initiate the Transact connection. Use the internet and check whether the connection drops-out. If the connection does not drop-out it seems there is a problem with the router itself. In this situation you may need to contact Linksys for a solution or alternatively purchase a new router.

In the event that the drop-outs continue even when the router is removed, it seems that something may be wrong with either the Transact broadband modem, the line itself or your ISP. I would first recommend that you contact your ISP to double-check that nothing is awry on their end of the connection and that there are no known issues relating to drop-outs. Should all seem alright at the ISP’s end you should then contact Transact and outline the troubleshooting steps that you have attempted. They will then be able to determine whether further investigation into the Transact equipment or the line is required to solve the drop-outs.