Router looses internet connection after 5 min.

[Tophinator]

Im having a major problem with my router that I cant figure out. Its a netgear wireless router that has 3 desktops connected to it. One is with a cable the other two are wireless. Its a basic wireless Netgear router connected to a Toshiba cable modem. And when I connect everything it works, for about 5 minuts, then stops. The computers can still access the router but can not access the internet unless everything gets reset and even then it sometimes doesnt work. Iv tried everything I can think of, like encrypting, and declairing the devices and forwarding ports. I dont know what to do. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. TIA.

[doctorgonzo]

Have you checked the manufacturer's website for firmware updates?

Does this affect all the computers, just wireless, just wired?

[Tophinator]

ya its the updated version. and yes it effects all computers.

[doctorgonzo]

Could there be interference from some other electrical device nearby? Have you checked the cable between the modem and router? Could you try a different modem?

[Tophinator]

I dont have another modem to test it with. But I know the modem works, if I connect a computer directly to a modem it works perfectly fine. Thats what I am doing right now to go on this forum. I also checked for overheating as well, and I know thats not it either.

[doctorgonzo]

The modem may work fine with your computer but not with your router; I've seen it myself. Have you tried switching the cable between the modem and router? I had a very similar issue and the problem turned out to be a bad connection.

[Tophinator]

Yep tried that aswell. And it has worked fine before. For months it worked just fine but recently its been doing this. I have checked all the cables and everything. Im 99% sure its something to do with the router itself. Also when the connection drops the modem says it still connected to the internet and so does the router.

[thefultonhow]

Routers have been known to break. Our old Linksys worked fine for a few years, and then we started having hte same problem as you are. We replaced the router with a D-Link and the wired worked great -- but the wireless gave out after a couple of weeks. So when there was a really good deal on a Belkin router, I went out and got one, and now both wired and wireless work flawlessly.

[Tophinator]

Really, a friend of mine has a Belkin Router and hes never had any problems with it either. When setting the thing up tho its like Belkin speaks a whole different language. But its not my router it is my mothers, Im home for the summer for college and so now I have to now fix it because it effects me . I was going to give there customer service a call and see what they have to say if I dont get it fixed soon.

[Stuey]

I kind of had similar issues with a Linksys router. I would sign on to AOL instant messenger and I would lose the wireless connection after like 2 minutes. I'd reset and then it would happen again. Some routers have kind of a forced idle setting. I was about to return the router to the store but somehow I was able to make things work by either triggering every port or forwarding every port. I don't have my router nearby to check so this is the best I can offer. If it's affecting every computer, the culprit is most likely a router setting. Additionally, there is sometimes a setting which limits the number of computers which can access the router. If you're trying to use three computers when only two are allowed, that might create anomalous results.

[Panama Red]

Have you tried a hard reset on the router? There should be a small reset button on the bottom that you access with a pen or paper clip. Push and hold for 5 seconds while it is powered up. You may have to reconfigure the router afterwards.

[Tophinator]

The hardreset is one of the first things I tried. And that didnt work either. I have tried forwarding every port, not triggering every port im not to sure what that means or if thats even an option. And I looked through all the settings and everything several times and I dont see anything that would cause this. It kind of seems like the modem is stopping the connection. Everytime I try to renew the connection in the router it wont do it. The ISPN and everything is just blank.