Internet Crashing

Every day around 5pm my internet has been crashing, usually right in the middle of something

It's suddenly stopped doing it for the past few days, ever since Mr Shouty across the road moved out.

Could something he'd been running have brought down the whole neighbourhood?

 

Neighbour's internet TV is supposed to be able to interfere with your internet access and if so you need to change your internet 'access codes' (or whatever they're actually called).


EDIT I meant to say change log into router and change channel.

 

@Zigs

Are you using wifi or "wired" internet to your computer/s?

 

I had a problem similar to this and, upon investigation, it turned out that someone else was using my internet access.

 

@Lea

Exactly why I asked if Zigs was using wifi or not.
Even if a password is set, it also makes a difference as to what encryption method one is using "WEP" or "WEP2", with the latter being more secure.
Either way, there are programs out there than can be used to crack peoples wifi passwords.

Another possible cause (if wifi is being used) is that wifi only has around 11 channels and most people leave their routers/APs set to the factory default meaning that depending on proximity f the two users, there will be interference between the two (as they are on the same channel) and the result is lots of corrupted data which looks to the users as the internet has "crashed".
Same as two radio stations on exactly the same channel/frequency.
You can imagine what the result would be.

There are also other causes such as "contention ratio" that the ISPs use but that would mean that both users would need to be using the same ISP.

 

Is it technically possible? Yes. There are a number of things that could cause it.

If you are on wireless: If he switches something on that generates a lot of RF interference, especially if its at a close frequency to that used by your wifi, then that could cause your router to do a very clever thing they do. On realising that they are dropping a lot of 'packets' (small chunks of data that make up the bigger chunk), they will automatically do a channel sweep, looking for the channel that has the least trouble. Unfortunately your computer doesn't know its done this until it realises its lost the signal, then your computer will also do a sweep to find it again, but if your computer starts looking while your router is still scanning, it will take a while (several seconds or even a minute or two) for your computer to find the signal again. Another thing that happens is the router will start reducing the data rate until it finds the fastest speed it can do without dropping packets. Again, your computer has to 'handshake' with it and they have to negotiate the best possible setup. This can take several seconds.

Also, there is the possibility that he is attempting (whether or not he succeeds) to use your broadband. If he succeeds, then obviously he's going to pinch some of your bandwidth, but even if he doesn't, lots of things could happen. Your router could detect repeated attempted unauthorised access, and start getting all defensive with temporary lock-down (depending on which router you have). It could even be something innocent. If he has a wifi enabled device (eg his smart phone), that could be handshaking with your router, dropping lots of packets because of the range, and causing your router to do the channel scan and speed drop mentioned before.

If you're not on broadband, it is still possible, but less likely that he could cause problems with your interweb. From what I can gather, you're not in the most built up area, so the chances are the phone lines to his and your houses are old and a long way from the exchange, so of very limited bandwidth. If that's the case, and he downloads something big, there's a good chance he's going to get all of the bandwidth, and you lose your connection.

So, its very possible, but the next question is is it likely? I'd say probably not unless he is really an alien trying to use alien technology to call home.

 

He did look a bit like an Alien

His wifi was open and accessable from my house, not that i've ever used it

Mines got a long password.

 

Since he has now returned to his planet, your problem with the internet should be a thing of the past.


If it does happen again, as a quick test, log onto the routers web interface and go to the wireless menu and make a note of the channel you are using.
If it's around channel 11 then change it to channel 4 (or vice versa), save the changes and try again.
If the problem goes away then you know it was interference, if however it remains then it will be something else.

B.T.W. microwave ovens can create lots of interference to nearby wifi networks as they both use the same frequency band (2.45GHz).
You can to a certain extent minimize this interference by trying different channels but microwave ovens normally generate quite wideband interference and are are much, much higher power than your wireless router meaning that they tend to "swamp" the wireless router and cause it to lose the signal from your computer.

 

It was an event, after years of him using a JCB every weekend and running a business with upto seven vans all along the street in a quiet residential area, he packed his entire house into a shipping container and sodded off to Thailand

 

As an aside, I knew a chap years ago who took the door of his microwave apart to clean between the two sheets of glass they had then (back in the days before the gauze was integral to a single pain of glass). When he put it back together, he forgot to put the gauze in, and when he realised, he just decided it didn't matter as it didn't do anything. He then reported at work that every time he stuck his face close to the glass to see how his food was getting on inside, his whole face felt tingly and weird and he had to pull away. I laughed so hard. I probably ought to have told him that the gauze is there to keep the microwaves in, so omitting it and sticking his face close to it, he was effectively microwaving his face.

 

Were there any unexplained super bright lights from above, or strange noises when he left?

 

Never interfere in natural selection

 

It was a bit like this but with a Pickfords Lorry

 

Did he have a permanent sun tan?

The better microwave ovens also have carbon embedded into the rubber seals around the door to further attenuate microwave leakage.