Internet disconnecting

[lonigan257]

I have been using a new router, Wiflyer broadband router running OpenWrt for a couple of months. At random the internet connection drops and I have to reset the interface. I haven't been able to figure this out, sometimes it is every five minutes or so, then stable for hours. Some days, no problems at all or maybe once or twice. Other than this, the router works great. Has anyone seen this before?

[Terryl]

How is the router connecting to the internet, (WAN input) cable, fiber, WIFI, Satellite, what?

[lonigan257]

Sim card, it works like a hotspot. I am using Red Pocket (MVNO) and am on AT&T network, the same as my cell phone. At first I thought it was the signal strength, I get about 2-3 bars on the phone and the router meter says 38-40%. So I have been watching to see if the signal is weak when I get a disconnect, no change in signal strength. I set a ping and watched the times (about 75-100ms), so it happens at slow speeds and at fast speeds. No problems with my phone accessing the internet when the router quits.

[lonigan257]

I meant to start this in Router Discussions, sorry, you can move it if you want.

[Terryl]

So the router has it's own internal receiver (with a sim card) for the AT&T cellular network, I have an AT&T hotspot (works on 5G) and have been getting random internet interruptions the past two weeks, I think it may be due to the large Solar flare's we have been getting.

They have been causing problems with radio/ TV and satellite for a bit, if it doesn't clear up then it could be low signal strength at times.

How far are you from the local cell tower? And where is the router mounted/located in the house?

Here is a link to the Solar Proton Flux, click on the 7 day data tab.

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/goes-proton-flux

If the blue and green lines get above the dotted line we are in trouble.

It could also be local RF interference, like other cell traffic or other things.

[lonigan257]

You're right! I had forgotten that the solar flares were going on, and it seems to coincide with when the problems started. I'll keep watching to see if it continues. I have always had some sort of problem with low signal, I live in the mountains, I bought this router because it has antennas it is a beefier device than the Netgear hotspot that I was using.

After moving the router around the house, I put it on the other side of the room from my computer, where the signal is stronger. It didn't make a difference as far as the dropped connections, however. I am about 5 miles from the nearest tower in one direction, no line of sight, and about 10 miles from another tower that I can see. I may look into putting some sort of external antenna on the roof, this router is supposed to be able to connect to an external antenna, or maybe even changing to another provider.

I'll live with it for a while and see how it goes, thanks for your help.

[Terryl]

Ahhh, no line of sight...That can cause problems, have you ever seen what looks like water on the road, but when you get there its gone? The is called an mirage effect, this can also happen to radio waves, when the temperature of the ground is just right, and the angle of the signal is just right the radio waves will bounce, this bounced signal is 180 degrees out of phase with the main signal, this causes a drop out on the main signal.

One other possibility is a knife edge effect, this is were the signal is just coming over the top of a hill or mountain top, this signal can be affected by the weather, it gets hot it can go away or get weaker, it gets cold the same affect.

You mentioned that the router can be connected to an external antenna, this may help but the router should be as close to this antenna as possible, the coax from the external antenna will diminish the signal if it's too long and your back to square one.

[auggie]

the other thing that might have a bearing on dropped connections is Heat, is the router getting "HOT"

I had one TP-Link I believe that would act up (dropped-connections) soon as it got warm/hot to touch even, soon as i put

Some Cooling Fans under it blowing cold air up through it keeping it cool it quit doing it.

[Terryl]

You also must remember that this is a two way street, the signals from the cell tower may be strong enough, as they are transmitting at several hundred watts, but the router only has a couple hundred mill-watts of return signal back to the cell tower, this could cause dropouts in the internet.

[Terryl]

Also what is the model number of your router?