Ahhhhhhh network collisions...caused by new cable modem?

So I'm on shaw, that's a Canadian ISP. Although they're rolling out Docsis 2.0 (which should be available in my area by summer) I was one of the last people on the old Docsis 1.0 standard used by my old ISP before shaw bought them out...the modem died...I got switched to a Terayon modem (shaw only uses these non-docsis modems now)

Now I should first explain how my network is plugged in. I have 2 IPs from shaw, so the modem goes into a switch, the switch leads to MY PC, and to a router. The reason my PC is on it's own, because I like having my own IP and not behind some retarded firewall that doesn't work 90% of the time

Anyways, ever since we got this modem, the switch has been detecting collisions...for normal internet useage like downloads and chatting it's okay, but for gaming it lags and drops connection sometimes, I'm guessing this has something to do with the modem. The collisions are probally causing some sort of packetloss somewhere, because the only traffic goes from my PC to the modem, the router to the modem and vise versa, I never touch the router, I don't even see it. We're not networked, we just share it this way...it's complex why I want my IP and why what I do doesn't work behind the router.

My reasons for this:

The with the old modem, there WERE no collisions, everything was smooth and fast.

The old modem was a Motorola Surfboard, the eithernet port on the modem was FULL DUPLEX at 100mbps
The new modem is HALF DUPLEX at 10mbps and I think that's attributing to the collisions

What do you guys think? Any solutions? any suggestions?

It's probally something to do with the modem...although I REALLY can't do anything about it as that's the ONLY modem they use...could it be a bad modem?

I think your new modem is too smart for your network. Similar to the difference between a hub (dumb) and a switch (smart), your new modem is receiving packets for both IP's and is confusing your network by sending them to two places at once. Furthermore, it could be that your new modem has some routing feature built in and while it's trying to aid your traffic it is actually causing problems because of your current configuration.

You can get the same result if you connect two switches with two ethernet cables. The switches go crazy trying to figure out which line it should send the information down.

I would recommend putting your computer on the DMZ of your router. The DMZ will get unadulterated (total free flowing) traffic both incoming and outgoing from the IP you specify and the rest of the traffic will go through the firewall into the rest of your network.

If your router doesn't have a DMZ you can purchase a SOHO router/gateway from D-Link, Netgear, Linksys, Belkin etc etc that has a DMZ feature.

Your network path would then be the following:

Modem >> Router/Gateway >> Switch with your computer you want with it's own IP hanging off of the Router/Gateway by being plugged into the DMZ port.

With this setup you will still be able to share file with your stand alone rig on the DMZ and your network by setting up some rules in the firewall, just make sure to lock it down (no incoming traffice) like creating the rules:

LAN to *.* allow all
*.* to LAN deny all
LAN to DMZ allow all
*.* to DMZ allow (fill in the blank depending on what you want to run)

Wedo

The modem is acctually worse than my old one.

I have 2 IP addresses, and For various reasons I'd like to keep them both, and have my personal PC have it's own, since running DMZ won't be good enough.

The modem has no built in routing, but it's worse off in the fact that it's half-duplex and 10 mbit vs full duplex and 100 mbps which what my old modem was. My theory is that the two computers when sending packets to the modem, since it's only HALF duplex (which means it can only go one way or another at one time not both) is that the modem can't handle the packets fast enough so everything goes whack...

It could also be that the router and my PC are both set to 100mbps full duplex...hmmm...but I can't change the router's WAN port speed

PS the Motorola Surfboards (old modem) are from a technological point of view superior to the Terayon I have now...they were acctually FULL duplex and ran at 100mbps...which is why after shaw adopts the docsis 2 standard, the Terayons will be phased out with Motorola Surfboards again...

I understand completely the difference between half/full duplex and I read that in your first post. However, not being familar with your specific equipment I took a shot in the dark as to why there could be issues with dumb vs. smart switching in the modem.

Either way, I still think you could solve your problem by putting your computer on the DMZ. It is a standard IT "best practice" to seperate two subnets (or two IP's) onto different networks, such as using a DMZ, and linking them through firewall rules.

Just an idea, take with it what you will.

Wedo

So how could I "seprate" my two IPs without doing what I'm doing?

Because from my limited knowledge, the only way I know how to have my computer have it's own IP is through the way I'm doing it :/

Because going through a router which has one IP would cause some conflcts wouldn't it? Say if I were to play a game online, and they wanted to play on the same server...having two connections from the same IP would be wierd...

Same thing with Bittorrent...and one IP on the same tracker for the same file...

DMZ!!!!

It stands for demilitarized zone making a reference to various borders around our troubled planet who have grey zones between countries that do not get along.

On the back of a router/gateway with DMZ capabilities you would have two out going RJ45 ports, one labeled LAN, the other labeled DMZ. You'd also have one incoming marked WAN that would connect to your modem.

You plug a cat5e, or cat6, cable into the LAN that goes to your switch and another into the DMZ port that goes directly into your computer that you want in front of your firewall.

On the other hand, you could have a router/gateway that uses configuration to send allow a single computer on your network to be exposed to the Internet.

Here is a pic of the DMZ setting page on my D-Link 624+:



Either way it would solve your problem because right now you are having major routing issues due to the fact that your router is behind your switch. You might have the DMZ capabilities on the router you have now, worth having a look.

Wedo

I have 2 computers hooked up to my router. So it looks like this:

Computer 1
....................--- Router --- Modem --- ISP
Computer 2

Computer 1 is set on DMZ and Computer 2 isn't. When we both play SWG at the same time the only time I see lag is if I am doing a time intensive macro. Otherwise its smooth sailing. While surfing there is virtually no lag at all.

Sharkman said:

I have 2 computers hooked up to my router. So it looks like this:

Computer 1
....................--- Router --- Modem --- ISP
Computer 2

Computer 1 is set on DMZ and Computer 2 isn't. When we both play SWG at the same time the only time I see lag is if I am doing a time intensive macro. Otherwise its smooth sailing. While surfing there is virtually no lag at all.

Click to expand...

Exactly what I was trying to say, guess I wasn't being clear....

Wedo

Wedo said:

Exactly what I was trying to say, guess I wasn't being clear....

Wedo

Click to expand...

Well I am only using 1 IP address since the ISP server normally only sees the MAC addy of my router. I'm sure if they went in further they would see the two comps. Thats the beauty of a router though. If you have a fast enough connection your not going to see a lag problem with two comps using the same line.

Shift_ said:

The modem is acctually worse than my old one.

Click to expand...

As for your modem I would, if possiable, give it back to your ISP and just buy one. I bought my RCA of eBay and love it. Plus its saving me $10usd a month on rental fees. In the time I have had it, it's already payed for itself

Buying a new modem isn't even an option.

We're not on a Docsis network anymore, my OLD ISP was on docsis, but that's been slowly abolished to be replaced by some propitary Terayon network...so only their modems will work.

But they've been having troubles with that as well, so they've decided to start switching over to the Docsis 2.0 standard (which is 6 times faster than Docsis 1.0) (the max speed of Docsis 1.0 was 5 mbit/sec roughly) (the max speed of docsis 2.0 is 30 mbit/sec it's also a cheper network to maintain, and is more efficient.

However that still doesn't get past the point that I NEED two Ip addresses, both me and my brother use remote desktop, and Bittorrent.

So behind the router my bro gets remote desktop stuff fowarded to his comp. With Bittorrent, it makes it really ****y when two clients from the same IP address are trying to access the same file off the same tracker, thus giving us both a ****ty connection...I'll ask the BT experts about that however.

D-Link DI-704P that is my router it DOES have DMZ. But I'll try that when I get home

PS our cable fees in canada are so cheap compared to the majority of services in the US and faster...it's not even funny. Currently I'm paying $35 Canadian a month for 2 ip addresses and my cable connection

[edit] I have just been informed that because it IS halfduplex collisions are to be expected. [/edit]

But I'm going to try other games, as I was just informed by my brother that this one game has always had problems like this.