What is a dropped connection?

[#1]

Are you basically saying that your connection from the router to exchange doesn't drop, but your computer drops the connection to the internet?  From this end I'm seeing a sustained connection of 5 days.
I'd recommend looking into your ethernet cabling and ethernet device inside your computer.  It doesn't look to be a connectivity issue at our or BTs end.

[#2]

Quote from: PJ

Are you able to reach your router web management interface when the internet drops? This can probably be reached at http://192.168.1.1/ or http://192.168.0.1/

Don't know, I'll try the next time it drops.

Quote

I'd recommend looking into your ethernet cabling and ethernet device inside your computer.

I'm using a USB connection just now but new high spec PC on order, maybe when it's via ethernet the problem might go away 

[#3]

FWIW I've had a Voyager 210 connected for over 12 days with no dropped connections whatsoever.  Both connections (Ethernet and USB) have been used during that time - singly and simultaneously - with the computers on the connections turned off overnight and swapped around.
The only time the 210 needed me to reconnect was prior to these 12 days when re-sync occurred to a lower speed due to low SNR (the speed it went down to was what I regard as sustainable for the line).  That simply required my to browse to the router's web interface on 192.168.1.1 and click Connect.

[#4]

[quote author="Scurv-aceous" Hubert Hacke link=topic=1428.msg15419#msg15419 date=1190135534]
Are you able to reach your router web management interface when the internet drops?
Yes, no problem but after being out this afternoon from 3 until 5.30 that was all I could do, there was no internet connection via either IE7 or Netscape and the repair trick didn't work this time  either  I had to reboot the PC to get back online?

[#5]

Sorry for late reply - been away for a couple of days.
Dropped again today after being left on for about 4 or 5 hours untouched. Email still worked perfectly by the way.
Keyed in your last set of numbers and it worked immediately. Two tries of my repair right click did nothing again this time - maybe it was just coincidence the time it worked?
Anyway, where do I enter the numbers you quoted, what will it do... and why is it doing it?
Thanks by the way 

[#6]

Just click the link PJ gave above the numbers for MS info on setting DNS manually.
You can also set them within your router instead of it picking them up automatically, windows will then use those.
Note: Your router will automatically be assigned one of the following DNS IP groups:
212.159.6.9
212.159.6.10
212.159.13.49
212.159.13.50
Or you can try non-PN DNS servers like openDNS which I use.
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

[#7]

No luck...
tried these -

Quote

Or you can try non-PN DNS servers like openDNS which I use. 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.220

but dropped connection on return from work again today.
Usual outcome, email working OK but not web. Repair sorted it this time though, didn't have to reboot 

[#8]

Anybody got any other suggestions (other than give up and admit that I don't have 'always on' broadband )
Lost it again today - out in the sun grass cutting for a couple of hours or so, connection gone when I got back. Had to reboot this time too, repair didn't work 

[#9]

Login to your pc using a Admin account and have a look in "Device Manager"; Look at power management settings for your network card and/or USB devices.
It may be that power management is switching the device off and it is not waking up properly when you commence using your pc.

[#10]

OK, found device manager after a bit of a hunt but nothing about  power management that I could find in there.
Clicked on Power Options (also in Control Panel) but nothing specific about USB connections 
Where exactly should I look 

[#11]

Are you using an Admin account on the pc?
You should see a "Power management" tab when viewing a devices properties in "device manager".

[#12]

I'm the only user so I guess I am Admin? It's Windows XP by the way, and I'm getting to it via -
start/control panel/system/hardware/device manager/the + at network adapters/right click on 2 wire gateway USB but then nothing about power - just general/driver/details tabs
Sorry to be thick, where exactly do I look?

[#13]

The Power Management tab appears for Ethernet network cards but not for USB connections.
Sorry that doesn't contribute to solving your problem.

[#14]

Is there an instance of the device within the "USB Controllers" < may be named something else on yours?
I'm going from memory tbh, as I used to connect via a USB modem (now use ethernet) and remember having a similar prob to yours, that was down to power management of the device.
There was a box - accessed via "Device Manager" - that I was able to un-tick that read - "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".
Un-ticking this box stopped the prob.
So I just wondered if it might be the same for you.
Sorry can't be more help than that.

[#15]

In device manager go to "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" and click the +
For each entry that says "USB Root Hub" right click and go to Power Management.  You should find the setting you want there.