# internet often disconnects when walking near the router



## hedgehog90 (Oct 15, 2009)

This is driving me up the wall right now.
For the last year or so, my expensive netgear router has been acting up like this and it's bloody annoying because I can't understand what is physically happening, therefore I cannot fix it.

The router is situated on a small table in a corridor and the floor is hardwood.
The wires are on the floor hugging the wall. I make sure to never step on them.

However, there are periods when the router starts to act in this strange way. 
When people walk past it, the internet cuts out, and only the internet. The network remains intact and wi-fi works too, it is just the internet that for some reason fails.

Some people trigger it, some people don't. If you tip toe past it, it usually won't disconnect (sometimes it does). If you have a heavy step and clunk about, it cuts out, even from several metres away.
But bizarrely, if I go up to it and start stamping my feet trying to trigger it to cut out it doesn't cut out.
I'm not sure what it is about routers, but I swear they are made with some sort of black magic. When they act up, the act up in the most mysterious way.

The router is adsl and the phone wire is long but undamaged, and works perfectly fine in an old router (which I tested recently for a week to see if the problem persisted)

My only guess of what is happening is the adsl connection in the back of the router is a bit wrong, but when I wiggle it around it does not disconnect.
It seems to only do this when people nonchalantly walk past it. Bloody weird if you ask me.
I've been having this problem for over a year now, and it is not a coincidence. It cuts out ONLY when people walk near it, not interference or some faulty wiring.

I've tried taping the phone wire to the router, I've tried moving it slightly (can't movie it much though because it's wired and the wires are only so long), and I briefly tried a new phone wire and this didn't seem to work either.
Maybe I should open up the router and have a look inside.

Suggestions?


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

Nothing for you inside the router. It does sound like perhaps there is a hairline crack in the PCB board or tracing. I would suggest putting it on a layer of foam to see if that makes a difference.


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## Dennis_Fused (Feb 3, 2010)

Definitely an odd issue.
If it were interference due to an obstruction, you should see the signal fluctuate.
If it were interference (Maybe carrying a cellphone? Even though it wouldn't be transmitting on the same band). 

If it were a fracture in the PCB, I would assume that stomping your feet near it would cause it to drop.

Typically on a PC, it may take a minute for it to notice an actual change in the wireless strength, causing it to drop before the computer knows why.

Have you considered moving the router to a different part of the house, or bringing it away from the wall some?


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

I've recently bought a small DAB radio and when in one part of the house when I walk past it (on carpet) - I momentarily blank the signal out but it's fine in another part where it's sited higher.

As it only occurs with certain people then it could be because of the amount of static in each - but that's just a guess.

Perhaps you should try re-siting it as pootio has suggested.

I've never opened a router up but you could check out how the antenna are located if internal antenna, but may not be adjustable if they are nailed to the board.

There's one thing to bear in mind before opening it and that is it will void the warranty if that's still valid.


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## hedgehog90 (Oct 15, 2009)

I'll open it up and have a gander.
The problem remember is not with wi-fi or the network itself, it's just the internet, so it's not because of the antennae (also my PC is wired to the router any way, but others use wi-fi and we experience the same drop out of internet)
It's over a year old now so I can't return it, so there's no harm I guess in opening it up.


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## Tomken15 (Dec 7, 2011)

hedgehog90 said:


> I'll open it up and have a gander.
> The problem remember is not with wi-fi or the network itself, it's just the internet, so it's not because of the antennae (also my PC is wired to the router any way, but others use wi-fi and we experience the same drop out of internet)
> It's over a year old now so I can't return it, so there's no harm I guess in opening it up.


You may want to check the warranty details as some have a 2yr warranty.


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## Dennis_Fused (Feb 3, 2010)

When dealing with a wireless router, the Internet and the signal do how separate signs.

While you may notice that the internet drops out, you would also see the lights start to flicker under the "INTERNET" slot, or turn off completely.

If it were the internet dropping, then I would assume that it may be a very short loss of connectivity. If it was the WAN dropping, it may take up to 1.5 minutes for it to reconnect each time.

Is the router hooked into a wall jack perchance? Or is it hooked directly into a modem nearby.

If it was plugged into a wall jack ethernet port, It's possible there may be a wiring short there. I would take a look at that as well, as if the cords run through the wall, or under the floor, perhaps either a short, or maybe a chewed cord may be the culprit?


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## hedgehog90 (Oct 15, 2009)

it's a router with an inbuilt modem. I put the ADSL cable directly into it and that's it, so the problem either lies with the router or the cable.

I've put a folded towel underneath the router and for the last 3 days there hasn't been a single drop out.
This might have done the trick... weird router eh?


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## TheCyberMan (Jun 25, 2011)

Its not surprising it is not te router part but the DSL modem Part.

Wande3r3r I feel is right hairline crack in PCB board putting a Towel underneath cuts any vibration.

New Router I think.


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