Packets Dropped.

Here is how my story begins. From the ancient of the times our VoIP phone started dropping calls, having problems talking or hearing and stuff like that.
After a month of such non-sense we got angry and decided to fix it.

Here is my general connection scheme.

Internet -> Comcast -> Cable Modem (SB5120) -> Wireless router -> VoIP phone.

Now, here's what I did. I set my PC to "ping -t google.com". It totally dies for about 4-12 seconds every 5-15 minutes. So then I removed the VoIP and wireless router from picture. Same thing happens. Now, do I blame Comcast and start calling them up or do I check my modem first?

Check your router by pinging it. first ping the inside IP wireless, then wired (assuming you are wireless in the first place on this computer), then if all goes well ping the router's gateway, in other words the other end of the line from your WAN port. That should be the packet dropper. If it is, then you have the smoking gun and can call comcrap. If not, then you need to do a traceroute outwards and ping the next hop, etc. I'm going to put my money on your router's gateway@ISP though.

if you removed everything from the modem and it still happens I would call comcast

how do you know it's comcast and not one of the hops between comcast and google (which they don't own or have control of).

When you are having these voip problem can you surf?

DirtSandwich said:

how do you know it's comcast and not one of the hops between comcast and google (which they don't own or have control of).

When you are having these voip problem can you surf?

Click to expand...

Nope. Also, my trillian/aim contacts sign off for a couple seconds.

I wouldn't pay any attention to trillian for diagnostics. I know exactly what you mean with it because I use it too, but it sometimes will show you online for 30 seconds after you really aren't. It's very buggy when it comes to connections.

same thing is happening to me now

Plug in right to the modem and run a ping -n 1000 comcast.com or whatever, that will fix it. Ensure that your ping is within their network so you can nail em to the wall.

ShadowPho said:

Here is how my story begins. From the ancient of the times our VoIP phone started dropping calls, having problems talking or hearing and stuff like that.
After a month of such non-sense we got angry and decided to fix it.

Here is my general connection scheme.

Internet -> Comcast -> Cable Modem (SB5120) -> Wireless router -> VoIP phone.

Now, here's what I did. I set my PC to "ping -t google.com". It totally dies for about 4-12 seconds every 5-15 minutes.

Click to expand...

When it dies, does Windows display "A network cable is unplugged" or complain about anything related to the cable? It may be a bad ethernet controller.

I have saw that message occur with a Biostar M7VKQ motherboard, IIRC, but dunno what it was. That balloon would appear then disappear.