Curse

Junato · Jan 29, 2014, 10:27 PM // 22:27

So I have been looking in the 'web of lies' to explain to me why connection time outs occur. I am having some difficulties trying to get answers to these questions.

-Do connection time outs occur when there is too many people using the internet?
-Can routers cause connection time-outs? If yes, how?
-Do factors like phone interference and overlapping wifi hotspots result in connection timeouts?
-Does having a 15mbps have anything to do with time-outs

I am trying to isolate the problem

So, what I have been doing to solve these questions was to do some research on 802.11 g, n, c and whatever other consonant. I know that N is the best and I have my router settings as mixed n and g, WPA setup and a TKIP cipher type. The reason why I have my Dlink Dir 615 3.13NA setup this way is because the home network has:

-1 main computer wired to the router
-1 satellite connected to the router
-1 computer using wifi
-2 windows laptops using wifi
-1 mac that is a 10.5 version of apple software

I have been doing some guess work over the past weeks and the connection time-outs have been happening a lot last week. Some time when I am on the internet and my sis uses her mac the time-outs would happen several times, but lately when we use the internet like before there would be no connection time outs. So now, I don't know what to think. Someone told me it could be the server the ISP owns but all of this is just speculation.

NOTE: several times the modem internet light would not turn on and in one instance a replacement modem had its power light red and I had to get another new modem. BTW I am with primus and on BBB it has a A+ and only 13 complaints.

**cosyfiep** · Jan 30, 2014, 12:48 AM // 00:48

I cant explain most of it...but I KNOW that where I used to live we had big issues (dsl) with our phone line since it shared a line with the dsl--any time we got a phone call--it would disconnect the dsl.--nid(?) splitter solved that.
Our next dsl had new issues---my hubby used to download torrents, when we reached a point (usually just 2-5 minutes of max download kbit/second), it would cut out and stop all internet traffic. Still have issues if he downloads that no one else can use the internet (even if he is only downloading bits...) sometimes....no reason why.

Our current set up has about 5-7 computers on it (all with internet abilities), and we can all use the internet at the same time (minus the downloading issue)...no cutouts....so usually the issue is not the computers on it.

You do only have a pipe of a certain size and only a xyz amount of traffic can get thru at a time if you exceed this you can get slow downs or cutouts (like we do)--like any highway computer or car.

but you probably know all of that already (since I am no techie

)

Bristlebane · Jan 30, 2014, 12:47 PM // 12:47

To put it simple.. the very core of internet transmissions are UDP, an unsecure delivery system with no guarantee of data ever reaching it's destination. Any sign of damage between delivery routes and the data is discarded without mercy or notifying the sender or receiver. Data loss could happen due to signal loss, damaged cables, or any unsecure transmission.

Advantage of UDP is that they're very fast and it's the main transmission done by games or any communication that could cope with occational loss of data in return for higher speed.

TDP, also a core of internet transmissions, works very much like UDP. Difference is between each delivery route, sender is notified the package was received successfully. If data arrive damaged, sender will know and can resend the same data. TDP is slower because it has to make sure the data is intact on each route.

TDP requires establishing a transmission channel before data is transferred, which also takes time. UDP have no such requirement, it send the data blindly out on internet towards a destination with no concern there's a receiver at other end.

This is a simplified explanation trying to avoid too much of the technical jargon. But in short UDP is common in games because of the shorter delays between games and clients. In a game like GuildWars it could work like this:

1. Game client sends your login data to server and the actions you do.
2. Server is now aware there's a game client at your location and starts pumping out encrypted UDP data towards your destination.
3. On regular intervals the data between clients and servers are checked, and measures taken if there are inconsistency. This is the very delay that cause effects like rubberbanding.. client think you're running, server haven't properly told client something is blocking your path. The measure could be that server tells client that you're in fact standing still further down the map and not running.

4. In the cases the inconsistency is too big, or to avoid any risk of faulty data, the server tells client to reconnect and any recent data server has from you is discarded. This is also to avoid possible exploits like duping items which generally abuse this sync delay between client and server.

I hope this helped clarify things a bit.

Gill Halendt · Feb 03, 2014, 09:41 AM // 09:41

Most of the above is correct. Still:

- It's TCP. When compared to UDP, TCP data segments are also sent with a sequence number which is needed to reassemble them at destination.

- TCP is used when full integrity of information is strictly necessary.

- That said, login processes most likely are handled through TCP due to the fact that login data MUST be precise and exact, not to mention security (SSL runs on TCP for example). UDP is likely the choice for raw data streaming, as data consistency and coherency is then handled client-side, on higher layers.

- In client/server interactions, connection timeouts are handled by a server and occur when no activity is detected between the client and the server for a given time.

Down a notch in the TCP/IP stack is the IP level (Internet Layer). In the IP datagram header, a field called TTL (Time To Live) indicates the maximum number of routers/hops a packet can go through before it's discarded (which usually happens when destination is unreachable). When connectivity issues impede destination arrival of a significant number of packets, the server never gets communication from the client, or is never able to communicate with it. After a certain time connection is considered dead and forcibly closed.

Junato · Feb 14, 2014, 11:23 PM // 23:23

Thanks, I kinda forgot about this post... hehe...

Eitherway, I understand the question I asked and you all provided the exact answer. Thanks. I was hoping to ask why my internet is going down every 2 hours and within 2 minutes. Right now, I have DHCP setup connection and I wonder if that may be the issue with my connection.

Thoughts?

Gill Halendt · Feb 18, 2014, 10:43 AM // 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junato

I was hoping to ask why my internet is going down every 2 hours and within 2 minutes. Right now, I have DHCP setup connection and I wonder if that may be the issue with my connection.

Thoughts?

I doubt it's caused by DHCP. You shouldn't get disconnected when the lease time is renewed, be it for a LAN DHCP or ISP DHCP. If you happen to be online when the lease time is expiring, you'll likely receive the same address again.

It could be an issue with your device, or even with your ISP.

Can you enable logging on your router? Paste the log as soon as the connection is dropped so we can check it out.

Perkunas · Feb 18, 2014, 04:16 PM // 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gill Halendt

It could be an issue with your device, or even with your ISP.

I had similar issues with router resetting itself after 2 to 3 hours of active use. Turned out to be an issue with the router itself. Someone loaned us one as part of the process of elimination. We then bought an inexpensive one and have had no such issues since. The first router was provider provided.