Router vs Cable modem

[ponderingturtle]

We are having problem with out internet cutting out regularly, and are having disagreements as to if it is the cable modem or the router. What techniques would be the best for determining which is at fault.

 

[DickK]

Disconnect the router from the cable modem, take one PC and connect it straight into cable modem. If fault does not persist, your router is at fault.

 

[Little 10 Toes]

Disconnect your home network from the internet. See if the computers on the home network can access each other and copy/move files between them. This is assuming that you were able to share files previously. If you can, it's the modem.

I think all the steps given so far are for wired networks. If you're doing things wireless or using a combo of wired/wireless, it'll be a whole new ballgame.

 

[Yalius]

Disconnect your home network from the internet. See if the computers on the home network can access each other and copy/move files between them. This is assuming that you were able to share files previously. If you can, it's the modem.

This wouldn't necessarily be sufficient to give the router a clean bill of health. If the issue was with the WAN side of the router, the LAN and switch side could still be functional, but have intermittent or worse internet access.

 

[Little 10 Toes]

I'm just giving some basic troubleshooting. If the modem gets replaced and still there are problems, then we can look more into the router.

 

[dasmiller]

It's not necessarily the case that either is broken. ISTR a problem I had, many years ago, when my ISP went from relatively static IPs (never re-assigned while connected) to changing the IP every hour or so. And every hour or so, I'd get dumped offline, and resetting either the modem or the router would bring me back online. Eventually I changed some setting in the router (I think) and the problem went away.

 

[ponderingturtle]

It's not necessarily the case that either is broken. ISTR a problem I had, many years ago, when my ISP went from relatively static IPs (never re-assigned while connected) to changing the IP every hour or so. And every hour or so, I'd get dumped offline, and resetting either the modem or the router would bring me back online. Eventually I changed some setting in the router (I think) and the problem went away.

That sounds like it might be it

 

[fetchbeer]

Most of the cut out problems I've seen the last couple years have nothing to do with either the router or the modem. They've all been something happening because of the provider, and I would complain to them first about any problems before looking at hardware. Unless of course it's something obvious like the wireless keeps dropping out.

 

[JWideman]

Most of the cut out problems I've seen the last couple years have nothing to do with either the router or the modem. They've all been something happening because of the provider, and I would complain to them first about any problems before looking at hardware. Unless of course it's something obvious like the wireless keeps dropping out.

I would agree. Unfortunately, the first thing the ISP is going to do is tell you that the problem is at your end. It's never their fault, you know.

 

[CynicalSkeptic]

I would agree. Unfortunately, the first thing the ISP is going to do is tell you that the problem is at your end. It's never their fault, you know.

Well, the first thing they'll tell you is to reboot your equipment and see if the problem goes away.