Wireless router interrupting Internet connection?

[maggielg]

My husband and I are having an issue with our cable Internet connection.

We use his PC desktop as the "main" computer, with a wireless router hooked up that my Macbook receives Internet from. Recently, we started noting that our Internet connection would randomly disconnect, and reconnect within a few minutes, for both of us at the same time. However, if we unplug the wireless router, the connection to his computer is nearly seamless. We thought at first that it may be an issue with my Linksys router, as it's a few years old. We picked up a new Netgear model yesterday to see if that made any difference. It worked fine last night, but has hiccuped on us this afternoon - so that so far, no difference.

This has been happening mainly within the past couple of months - around the time he started playing a game online (NWN2) that I'm sure is using a ton of bandwidth. We're usually home (and online) at the same time, so I've never noticed whether the problem exists if I'm online and he isn't.

Is there anything that we can do in order to solve this problem so that we can both access the Internet? I've heard of Ethernet splitters - would an inexpensive one work to sustain a decent connection both to his computer and to the wireless router? Could it be something simpler than that? I'm comfortable going in and changing a setting or two. Any guidance towards what's going on and what can be done (if anything) would be very helpful.

[johnwill]

An "Ethernet splitter" is called a router, and you already have one.

What kind of security have you configured on the wireless router? You may have someone using your bandwidth without your knowledge.

[maggielg]

I have WPA-PSK2 security set up on the router.

When I say "network splitter" I had meant something along these lines - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...nnorswebguidec - but in reading further, it seems like just a severely antiquated version of what we currently have, if even that. I realize that splitting internet bandwidth isn't the same as, say, a cable TV splitter.

It sounds like it may just be strictly a not-enough-bandwidth issue - but if something in our router setup is hindering the connection, that certainly sounds fixable.

[johnwill]

All that device does is allow you to run two Ethernet 10/100 connections over a single CAT5 cable. It has nothing to do with bandwidth, and it just a wiring bandaid.