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I have recently switched ISP because of the really bad customer support of the previous ISP. The problem was that our Internet connection often was either disconnected or dysfunctional. The remedy was simply just reseting the modem. In the beginning it seems futile to complain about having to reset an internet connection, but over time it really started to become an annoyance in our household. You just don't want to go back to the basement to again reset in the middle of an interesting Youtube.

Because of this we switched ISP. For a month live was great. Unfortunately we are back at square one, where I have to reset the router often to keep the connection running. The customer support proved as ineffective as the previous one.

I have even replaced all network hardware. Still the connection can run for 3 days without problem to then suddenly freezing three to four times a day. I suspect issues on the outside infrastructure, but I can't get through to the right level of customer support, simply because the default suggestion ("Did you reset?"), is always quite effective.

I need more insight in what is going on, so I am trying to understand what might cause these annoying disruptions and what causes an ADSL modem to freeze? I am not allowed to change modem hardware making me stuck with the ISP's hardware (I already have 5 ADSL modems in a drawer from previous ISP's who had the same disruptive behaviour.

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    Sounds like your ISP is sending your modem ineffective firmware. What you describe is either unique to the modem itself or your service provider. In other words your exerience is unique.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Oct 7, 2013 at 12:15
  • I am afraid it is not. I have already changed contracts with different ISPs in the past years. I also changed our internal home network completely. The disruption stays consistent. Days without any issues, then suddenly frequent disconnections. Always simply rebooting was enough to get the connection back on
    – Andra
    Commented Oct 7, 2013 at 12:18
  • Did you keep the DSL modem or did you get a new one? Does your DSL modem have a web interface with status/debug information? Is DSL sync lost or internet connection?
    – Werner Henze
    Commented Oct 7, 2013 at 12:21
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    @Andra - If the problem follows you from different service providers I can only assume its the actual signal on the lines within your home. I am going to guess your modem is logging lots of errors. I still maintain your experience is unique, you shoud not have to do this, the problem is unique to your situation. Resetting your modem clears all configuration data.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Oct 7, 2013 at 12:21
  • @WernerHenze I am always getting new DSL equipment with changing ISP
    – Andra
    Commented Oct 7, 2013 at 12:23

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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The root cause might be a software problem in the DSL modem's firmware. The DSL modem might under some circumstences enter a state where it cannot DSL sync anymore and cannot recover from that state. Resetting the modem puts the modem back into a good state and it works again for some time.

BTW, you are probably using a DSL router, not just a modem!? But the same applies for routers.

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  • THis was indeed the case. Disabling all router functionality and only using it as a bridge to a proper router fixed it.
    – Andra
    Commented Apr 11, 2014 at 8:11
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I offer this answer as a point of data. Most likely, you have a problem with your DSL router, but I've seen similar behaviour so I thought I'd share.

Some ISPs do (or at least did) throttle your Internet connection if you used bittorrent, even if you were using bittorrent for legitimate reasons such as to download legal Linux ISOs. In that case, resetting the modem may result in a new IP address which would lift the throttling. Simply shutting down the bittorrent client would not lift the throttling.

I'm not sure how widespread this is. Shaw certainly used to do this, though they probably no longer do so as it was anticompetitive and illegal in Canada. If your problems can be correlated to such behaviour (including 'peer-to-peer' downloading or the use of software such as Skype) within the past 24 hours, you may want to stop doing that, file a complaint, or switch to an ISP which does not engage in such actions.

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  • I am not using torrents, but I do use Skype a lot when working from home and while thinking about it, there might be a correlation between me working from home and the disruptions. Will monitor this possible link between me using skype and the disruptions more closely. Unfortunately, there is no way I can't stop using Skype, since it is crucial in my line of work.
    – Andra
    Commented Oct 7, 2013 at 13:38
  • This appeared to be the issue indeed. I asked my ISP if the throttle. Their response was that they don't but that their VDSL router can't handle p2p traffic. So indeed Skype was the culprit. Thanks!
    – Andra
    Commented Oct 9, 2013 at 8:43
  • Interesting. I understand Skype no longer does peer-to-peer, but some ISPs filter or throttle because it competes with their own VoIP offerings.
    – ChrisInEdmonton
    Commented Oct 9, 2013 at 14:05
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If this a wireless DSL modem, part of the question seems to beg for an answer. the user said "You just don't want to go back to the basement to again reset in the middle of an interesting Youtube."

Now, if this guy keeps a wireless DSL modem in the basement, and watches Youtube in the attic, you might expect problems right there, as the signal has to get through two ceilings and several walls, possibly.

Just guessing, of course

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