phil6666 <phil6666@adelphia.net> hath wroth:

>I have a brand new Belkin 802.11g router which is connected by cable
>to one PC and wirelessly to a laptop.

Any particular model number Belkin router?

>90% of the time things work fine.
>10% of the time, NEITHER computer will connect to the internet.
>(connection is via a cable modem)

Ask Belkin for a 10% discound and you'll break even.

>1) Is it safe to assume that a new router will typically function 100%
>of the time or not work at all?

No. Bottom of the line routers are not 100% reliable. There have
been products that will stay up and functional literally forever.
There are also losers that hang and have to be rebooted (power cycled)
either regularly or erratically.

Your activities also have a big effect on stability. If you're using
a file sharing program (BiTorrent based), and have not bothered to
limit the available number of connections or traffic, chances are good
that you will crash the router. For example, each connection requires
allocating some buffer space. If you open too many connections, the
router runs out of buffer space. Same with table space for things
like the routeing table, ARP table, etc.

There are also internet based exploits that tend to crash routers. Try
the test at:
<http://www.pcflank.com/exploits.htm>
Most modern routers will pass just fine, but I have some old losers
that will hang.

>2) If there is a router problem, will the pc connected via cable also
>lose it's connection?

Yes. Everything goes through the router. If the router crashes or
hickups, every device connected to the router is also disconnected.
You can simulate what will happen by simply turning off the router.
Does the PC work? Probably not.

>PS: Roadrunner always tells me that there is no problem with the
>signal they are sending me. (BIG surprise!!!)

So, do your own testing. The cable modem probably has a build in web
page with diagnostic output. It will give signal levels and
connection statistics. The lights on the front panel will also give
you a clue. It could be a problem with the Belkin router, the cable
modem, or the RR service. Hard to tell from here.

>Perhaps this belongs in another newsgroup, but is there a way for me
>to help diagnose WHY I lose my connection and/or if it's a Roadrunner
>problem, a cable modem problem, or a router problem???

This is NOT a wireless problem. Try a Roadrunner support forum:
<http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cable,rr>


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558