RT-N66U causing modem/WAN connection issues?

[dyce1980]

This is in fact more of a general DSL-related question, but since I having been using the N66U with asuswrt-Merlin since I got it, I thought I would ask here first.

For the past week I have been having a strange issue with my connection dropping out intermittently. Everything will work for a couple minutes, then the DSL light on the modem will start flashing slowly and the connection breaks off. Then after maybe another minute, the DSL light will light up constantly, and then after a bit data transfer will start and the light will flash rapidly. Then I will have a working connection for a couple minutes until all of a sudden the light goes out, flashes slowly, and the cycle repeats.

Now my ISP is looking into the issue from their side, but I was wondering if the router can - from a purely technical standpoint - cause the modem to get disrupted? This started happening around the same time I took the plunge and updated from the older version of the firmware (2xx to 3xx) where I had to completely re-setup the router.

I have done another factory reset since then, but I'm also not sure where to look for more info...the system log doesn't really provide much information (compared to say the syslog of my Watchguard firewall at work :-D)

Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RMerlin]

The DSL light flashing indicates that the modem lost sync with the DSLAM. This is definitely independent from the router, and usually indicates either a modem or a phone line issue.

 

[joegreat]

Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,

CAT5e or CAT6 cables in use?
CAT5 might be causing the WAN drops when used to connect to the modem...

With kind regards
Joe

 

[stsalkit]

I seem to be facing a very similar issue since upgrading from 270 to the newest stable fw. I say similar since I don't experience any change in the modem's lights I.e. no apparent disconnect but the rest of the behavior is exactly the same. I maybe operating at maximum speed downloading / streaming and suddenly my speed drops dramatically even to zero for some seconds and then it comes back - not at full speed necessarily. The speed is Verny erratic. This is true for both wired as well as wireless conditions. Any ideas?
It might be just a coincidence that I experience this issue as soon as I upgraded my rt-n66u, but I don't understand what else might caused it.

 

[stsalkit]

Hi,

CAT5e or CAT6 cables in use?
CAT5 might be causing the WAN drops when used to connect to the modem...

With kind regards
Joe

Are 5e ok? Are you talking only between modem and router?

 

[RogerSC]

Are 5e ok? Are you talking only between modem and router?

Yes, cat 5e cables are fine. Your router has Gb. ports, your computers probably do as well, so you should have cat 5e pretty much everywhere.