[Johnny5]

I have a small workgroup, with 6 PCs running Win XP Pro. One is used as a gateway and a file server, the rest connect to the internet via ICS (and it's rudimentary DHCP) and we use an 8port 10bastT switch. We have software firewall. There is also a Ricoh 2035s/p scan copier using a scanRouter software and a static IP. This setup seems to work fine, except for the fact that I want to get a faster throughput (than 10baseT) and I want to get a more powerful firewall.
On two occasions, I have installed an 8port router - one time an SMC and the other time a Linksys. Both times the same thing happened: The connection went smoothly for about 10 minutes. Workstations could see eachother's shared resources, print to the Ricoh, and get email and internet. Then out of nowhere, the external side loses connection. The router interface cannot renew an IP, and no one can get out to the internet. However the internal communications are still up and running. If I cycle the power on the cable modem, and let it go through it's startup and discovery process, it gets an IP on the internet side again, for a short time (anywhere from a few seconds to 30 minutes or so). Then it drops again.
My thought is to get a 10/100 switch rather than the router, and purchase a more powerful firewall software. Then let the XP Pro PC handle DHCP using ICS and stay with the setup I already have. However, this is my second choice, and I wonder if anyone has any idea what could cause this [roblem?

Thanks,
Johnny5

 

[Rockn]

Have you asked your ISP about this disconnect problem when using a router? If the WAN interface is losing it's IP address they may be using MAC address filtering and seeing more than one connection coming from your location. The IP address on a WAN interface from most ISP's I have seen that give a DHCP address will stay until the modem is power cycled. I think theat you probably need to set the router up to do MAC address spoofing so it will appeear to your ISP that there is only one connectioncoming from your side. Just ask them, couldn't hurt.

 

[Johnny5]

Thanks, I asked them, and they said there should be no problem using a router, but that they do have MAC address deal, so I tried that option on the router interface, and it still does drop the connection. I called the ISP again and am having them replace the cable modem and re-register the MAC address on their network - we will see if that helps.