Site lookup failures

This isn't the usual problem
I have recently been getting multiple site lookup failures so I tried the usual options - change DNS servers, set DNS servers in the computer - but it still happened using Firefox and IE on my Win 7 system
This morning the better half came in complaining about problems accessing sites and sending emails - this is on Win XP
So as a last resort I switched from my Netgear DG834G v4 to a cheap Dlink and the problem seems to have gone away.
So I have two questions
Is it possible that the Netgear has developed a fault although the connection is rock steady
Is it possible that the TBB quality meter is swamping the Netgear with the pings. I notice that the base ping is reporting a bit lower on the Dlink

My guess would be that the Netgear is gently dying, my (limited) experience of Netgear is that they're not built for longevity.

In reply to a post by Oldjim:

Is it possible that the TBB quality meter is swamping the Netgear with the pings.

Nothing's impossible, but unless it's gone wrong the tbb kit only pings once a second- I'd hope that even a Netgear could cope with that!

I notice that the base ping is reporting a bit lower on the Dlink

Could just be that it responds to a ping quicker than the Netgear.

Unfortunately I think that you are correct
So now I need to think about a new router - and it must be broadcom based as the other chips seem to drop my speed by a couple of hundred kbps (that may not sound much but it gets me a bit too close to the limit for HD streaming)
Of course I could just get a free (except for P&P) TG582n from Plusnet but I really don't fancy that one given the various horror stories - the Netgear is so easy to tweak and set up

Edited by Oldjim (Mon 11-Feb-13 11:50:16)

I've always thought that my TGN582n supplied about a year ago was slightly better than my DGN2200 on my 63db loss line. Both boxes came FOC from Plusnet.

I'm a fan of Asus routers, my RT-N66U is brilliant, but it's purely a router, no modem.

The DSL-N55U is a combined modem/router version, but it's not cheap:

Amazon

Tbb review

I think they use the Broadcom chipset, but I'm not 100% sure, and as I'm on FTTC I've no experience of its ADSL performance.

If you want to you could always try a factory reset and then use a different ethernet cable port at the back of the v4 to connect to and see what happens.

As it was happening on two PC's - different ports and different cables - it is probably a lost hope
However will try a factory reset tomorrow and see what happens as i can't lose anything by trying

Yes that doesn't sound too good at all.

Early days yet - only 1h 40min - but the hardware reset has made an enormous difference
Internet is much snappier and no site lookup failures
Only one problem - while switching routers i snapped the retaining clip on the RJ45 plug so it is now held in with string and a new 10m lead is on order at vast expense (£2.06 delivered for 10m Cat5e cable)

EDIT - now 8 hours and still good - who would have thought it

Edited by Oldjim (Tue 12-Feb-13 22:30:59)

That didn't last long - despite being connected and supposedly having internet no sites will load
Obviously the router has given up