Stalled internet

Hi

Odd recurring problem.

Using Mac OSX 10.6.5 and a Draytek Vigor 2820 router for my Zen connection.

Over the last 5 / 6 weeks, I've repeatedly had a problem with the internet "stalling".

The router reports the connection as working and I can download pop 3 mails via OS X Mail, but if I open Firefox or Safari I cannot get pages to load. This doesn't happen all the time, but maybe once or twice a day I just cannot get pages to load even though the router is connected and I can still email or use an FTP client.

I can either wait 5 / 10 minutes and suddenly everything will work normally again, or I can tell the Vigor to drop and then redial the PPPoA - in which case the net will work again within half a minute.

I have checked the DNS settings and reset the router, but I still have the same problem once or twice a day. Not a biggie as I can get back online again reasonably quickly . . . but if anyone has any ideas, I would be grateful to hear them.

TIA

Finn

What are your DNS settings?

I'd try changing the settings on the mac to use, say, Google's DNS servers (8.8.8.8 and 4.4.4.4 if I remember rightly).

Next time it happens, see if you can browse the the router's web interface and check the status of the connection.

I'd guess that it's a DNS problem and that the router is causing it... but that's only a guess.

In reply to a post by xela:

I'd try changing the settings on the mac to use, say, Google's DNS servers (8.8.8.8 and 4.4.4.4 if I remember rightly)

8.8.8.8 is OK

but 4.4.4.4 just times out.

and it is worth remembering that Google already tracks enough about what we do, without just giviing them data on a plate. Still worth it to track down the problem though

right you are

8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

May be worth upgrading the 2820 to the latest firmware to rule the router out. I'm running it with no problems (3.3.4.1)

Many thanks for all the replies above.

I have tried Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) but without luck.

I read @Pipexer and was perplexed because I thought I was running the latest 2820n firmware - version 3.3.5.1, which I had got from:
http://www.draytek.com/user/SupportDownloads.php

However, after reading @Pipexer's comment about the latest firmware being 3.3.4.1, I went to
http://www.draytek.co.uk/support/downloads.html
where 3.3.4.1 is the latest UK firmware release.

So I've now got that installed, but have still had the same "stalling" problem this morning.

Appreciate all the help and advice. I'll keep trying and will post here if I finally find a solution.

Cheers

Finn