Computer/router help please
 

Hi chaps. , let me start by saying " I know NOTHING about computers" , so any reply would need to be in very small words that an idiot can understand:thumb:

We have broadband through a router with aol and have had this for nearly ten years , are happy with it, and it's always done everything without issue.

Recently it's started messing about, what I mean is , I can be sat here using the Internet one minute , then quick as a flash nothing?

The only way I can sort it out is to delete the connection on the computer/ or iPad, and re set up the connection again, then everything lasts again for a couple of hours, before having to do it again!

Any ideas ?

Is the router on its way out?

Cheers :thumb:

Does this happen while you're in the middle of using the net or if it has been left idle for a while? Sounds like the router is resetting your connection for some reason - I know fibre optic is being installed around NE Wales (I'm from Wrexham) and many people have had intermittent issues of late

If the router is as old as you say then it could be that its breaking down, not sure what router you have but my sky one was doing the same, lasted around 4 years, then I bought an aftermarket one with better coverage and cracked the sky router ( basically the codes and settings you need out of it to make the new router work) and has been fine since, I know its not allowed by sky but I don't care :lol1: they should provide me with a decent router or offered to change it when it did break, and I weren't paying them for another shít one lol, has been fine since :)

Depends on the type of router. BT Home Hub ones get automatically updated via BT using the internet connection, which can be a pain as they can do this without warning, and some cases can cause problems.
My BT Infinity 2 package has outages after BT did this FIrmware update to my Home Hub 3 on 20th November 2012, I presume this was for the unlimited trial access for not throttling users after a set time at night from the 25th November 2012. But funnily enough after the upgrade I lost internet connection on occassion. Just checked my firmware level and its still on the same version, and my fault has been fixed by a BT Engineer visiting the house and doing some cable tests.

As someone has said it could be the age of the router. From the sounds of things you may still be using Wireless G standards, and someone in the neighbourhood is using the same wireless channel perhaps? Not added anything new wirelessly recently like a cordless landline Phone?

Thanks guys, lol, although none the wiser, but like I said, no clue here:cuckoo:

The wife did get a new phone the other day, galaxy s3, and this doe seem to have happened since then now it's come to mind, so maybe it's her damn phone?:Suspiciou

@mjharper, this happens in the middle of using the net most of the time

I am having similar issues with my Netgear (sky) router , and they said the longest they last is 6 years. I am going fibre optic next week to sort it.

I have noticed on more than one occasion in the morning when i use the net , when my daughter leaves the house the signal just cuts off. Its almost like it stays with her device as long as it can until she is out of range , then cuts off !

I would say that it isn't the router dropping the connection if all you are doing is resetting your connection simply by deleting your connection on your PC or iPad. ie you've not done anything to the router like rebooting the router. If there has been an increase in the list of available hotspots near by, eg, your neighbors, chances are you're on the same channel as the other routers in the area. You need to change channel your router is using. Older routers usually have channels 1 to 7 whilst newer routers have channels range from 1 to 14. Most routers default setting is channel 7, so if you are can, go into the routers wifi configuration and change the channel that is least used in your vicinity. There is a useful application call VStumbler that can help identify what channels and their signal strength of routers in you area.

This sounds pretty plausible Jonc, although also sounds way to complex a task for a bloke like me:cuckoo::thumb: