I have a NetGear Nighthawk R7000 router that I’ve had for well over two years. For the last 6 months or so my internet has been dropping randomly throughout the day. It usually comes back on itself after a minute or so but it sometimes takes longer than 5 minutes where I’ll just go and reset it.
I called my ISP and they said on their end I haven’t lost connection in over two years and blamed it on my router. I’ve used this ISP for over six years and no issues so I do think it’s something on my end, although they did they selling me on using one of their routers but I’m not paying another monthly fee.
Things to note:
- I reset the router multiple times a week if not more
- I ran a factory reset on it a month or so ago and issue seemed to subside for maybe a day
- I do have the latest router firmware
- It’s only me and my fiancé using the internet
- As far as I know there isn’t a modem in this setup. There’s just an ethernet cord going from wall to router and that’s it
Any idea what could be causing this? If the fix is to just get a new router that’s fine but currently I’m entirely convinced that’s going to resolve the issue.
Check with your ISP if you have a static IP rather than a dynamic one. If the IP isn’t static, you more than likely will drop Internet connection intermittently.
Sometimes routers just get faulty. I’ve found it just makes more sense to replace them. Repairs aren’t likely or worth getting repaired.
Also the expensive gaming routers don’t make much sense. Mesh is generally better than a single fast router for WiFi. A balance of multiple access points get a more reliable speed all over than a single fast point.
You can get a decent TP-Link Deco setup for pretty cheap. Wired for any stationary devices. Wired backhaul is better for Mesh if possible, otherwise at least a separate wireless backhaul channel.
If you want to spend the money. There’s more professional solutions which are really rock solid. With a managed switch and matching access points. But these are complex to configure. They also have good built in VPN functions.
Replace your router. It can be the ISP equipment, but my money is on your router. Router get flaky and unreliable when they start to fail. Have you ever felt how hot a router gets? Overtime routers just fail. I had a Netgear Nighthawk as well that I got on clearance. It was always flaky from the start.
Check the power cord or try plugging the router into an uninterruptable power supply which will maintain power for brief outages.
Good luck