Netgear support have suggested reducing my MTU from 1500 to 1300 to try and resolve an issue with my router randomly dropping the adsl connection.
Surely reduzing the max packet size will reduce the effective throghput as it will be spending more time splitting up packets. Will this make any real world difference to the max speed of my connection?
Btw, my isp recommend using MTU of 1500, so I'll be massively surprised if this affects the router dopping the adsl connection.
You'll not notice the difference of reducing the MTU.
Dropping the MTU is a standard practise when troubleshooting network connectivity issues. It's generally to rule out the possibility of some other device in line giving you a problem. try it and see what happens.
Cheers samuri. I'll definately give it a go, just wanted to try and understand the effects.
you can find out the max MTU size for your line quite easily.
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/695
i was going to outline MTU but since wikipedia is [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_transmission_unit ]back[/url]
🙂
The max MTU using any tool (or manually pinging with different packet sizes) on my line should be fine with 1500 according to previous tests I've done, and this is what O2 recommend.
This is why I'll be massively surprised if reducing this will make any difference. I should add that my router will work fine for several days until it drops it's connection and stays dropped until I reboot it.
spare router to test the line?
It's not MTU then. That would give you issues all the time.
Far more likely to be a dodgy connection to your house.
The old O2 provided router keeps it's adsl connection fine. It's just otherwise featureless and so I needed a new router with more control over my internal network.
My money is on my new netgear router, but I think I'm going to have to jump trough some hoops before being able to confidently say either it is faulty or not suitable by design.
edit: Thanks for the info guys. Much appreciated.
The old O2 provided router keeps it's adsl connection fine
Don't see any hoops to jump through in this case?
Good point Falperon.
Check the firmware on the router, if I remember I had to upgrade my firmware some time back as it was doing similar. It wasn't just the router as such it was it was another device, maybe the PS3, causing it but updating the firmware fixed it.
What model of Netgear have you got? DGNB3300??
yep. On Latest firmware.
Router is : dgnd3700
I think I'm probably going to get a refund on it and but a draytek. I know they are expensive but they supposed to be good.
Draytek are pretty good, can be a bit sensitive where other routers aren't. Try it and see.
I've a similar problem with a client who had a top spec Netgear dropping the connection and not connecting back up again.
sam_underhill - MemberI think I'm probably going to get a refund on it and but a draytek. I know they are expensive but they supposed to be good.
Check the reviews for that particular model first. We've got 3 different drayteks at work, and I seem to rebooting one of them every day. Loads of firmware bugs, memory leaks, VPN problems, wrong/inconsistent output from SNMP, etc.
So.... Netgear and Draytek are off the menu. Is there actually a good router out there?
Netgears are fine other than the PS3 issue mine has been flawless now for about 7 years.
