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Is it the R8300 router or the Modem or ????
I have a problem that I believe is related to my modem, router or perhaps ISP and I can’t figure out which it is and hope that you can help me identify the troublemaker. Here’s the background -
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been having trouble with sending/receiving emails in Outlook 2016 on my laptop. I first noticed the issue with my backup program - Acronis True Image. I backup my personal folder daily to my external hard drive. The backup is set to send me an email when finished with the results. Occasionally, I wouldn’t receive an email. I’d open ATI and check and the backup had run with successful results. I found a setting within ATI that allowed me to send an email from online when my backups ran. Sometimes I would get both emails and sometimes just the new online one. Then I started noticing that when I clicked on Send/Receive All Folders I’d get an error message - <see attachment A>
After receiving the error message if I clicked on Send/Receive All Folders again sometimes it would repeat with the same error message and sometimes it would respond correctly. It’s intermittent throughout the day. So that started me off checking all of my settings in Outlook. In the past, Microsoft has changed the server names for the POP and SMTP settings along with the Port numbers. I verified that all settings were current and correct. I ran SCANPST, I checked the size of my PST file, I made sure that all software updates were current for everything. I checked my network adapter, connected to Ethernet. Everything was ok. Then I started noticing trouble accessing different websites online occasionally – it couldn’t find the site – then it would resolve itself and access the sites fine. I considered reinstalling Windows, however, for a variety of reasons decided to hold off on this route. I’ve also turned off my antivirus program with no difference.
I had to go up to Seattle (from Oregon) for a week and took my laptop with me. I had absolutely NO problems while there. I even set up my backup software to backup my folder to my desktop in lieu of my external drive. I received both emails every day. No problems accessing websites online. (ISP was Comcast). I come back home and sure enough the problems are back. So now I’m looking at the hardware outside of my laptop. I have verified that the software on my router is current. The modem is from my ISP and was replaced earlier in the year due to increased internet speeds from them that the old modem couldn’t handle.
Here are my specs:
System:
Lenovo Thinkpad P70
Intel Xeon CPU E3-1505M 8M Cache, 3.70 GHz
64.0 GB installed memory
Samsung 1 TB SSD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 Network Adapter
Netgear Nighthawk X8 – AC5000 Tri-Band WIFI Router Model R8300 – Purchased 08/2017
Netgear AC750 Dual-Band WiFi Range Extender – Model EX6100 – Purchased 08/2017
Spectrum DOCSIS 3.1 Modem Model EU2251 -- Replaced 03/2023
ISP – Spectrum
Software:
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 10.0.19045
Microsoft Office Professional 2016
VIPRE Advanced Security
Acronis True Image 2018
Then I started getting the following error message from Outlook: <see attachment B>
I started looking online for anything that might help me figure out where the problem is. But I admit this is getting outside of my comfort zone. A lot of articles start with Pinging, NSLOOKUP, Powershell, all of which I did. When I had trouble, I’d run these commands.
<see attachments C, D, E>
C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping smtp.office365.com
Pinging EAT-efz.ms-acdc.office.com [52.96.166.34] with 32 bytes of data
Reply from 52.96.166.34: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=236
Reply from 52.96.166.34: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=236
Reply from 52.96.166.34: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=236
Reply from 52.96.166.34: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=236
Ping statistics for 52.96.166.34:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 26ms, Maximum = 27ms, Average = 26ms
C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping outlook.office365.com
Ping request could not find host outlook.office365.com. Please check the name and try again.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping outlook.office365.com
Ping request could not find host outlook.office365.com. Please check the name and try again.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping outlook.office365.com
Ping request could not find host outlook.office365.com. Please check the name and try again.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping outlook.office365.com
Pinging EAT-efz.ms-acdc.office.com [52.96.164.66] with 32 bytes of data
Reply from 52.96.164.66: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=237
Reply from 52.96.164.66: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=237
Reply from 52.96.164.66: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=237
Reply from 52.96.164.66: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=237
Ping statistics for 52.96.164.66:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 27ms, Maximum = 28ms, Average = 27ms
Please NOTE: not all commands were taken at every problem arising
Then when Vipre went to update security definitions I received this message:
<see attachment F>
Never had a problem before with Vipre unable to update. I looked around for some network tools that might be able to help me but after looking at some of the screenshots and discussions it’s all above my head and seems more suited for business or larger networks than mine.
There are 2 laptops, 2 iPhones, 1 Sony TV, 1 Sony Soundbar, 2 Epson Printers, 1 Netgear Extender, 1 Rabbit Air filter system, and 1 iPad on the network. Time of day doesn’t seem to matter – though my ATI backup always occurs daily at 7:00 pm. All other issues have been at random times – including 2:00 am. There has been no new software or hardware added. I cannot tie it to any update. I have no problem replacing the router/extender if need be. I see that routers generally seem to have a life-span of 5 years or so and mine has been active for just about 6 years. It is not on Netgear’s End of Life list (though I see that the extender is) but it is not on their website for sale either. I just don’t want to replace the router if that’s not the problem. BTW, yes, I have reset the modem and router several times. The modem is only 3 months old and no noticeable connection to its install to the problems arising. One troubleshooting article said to connect the laptop directly to the modem to access the internet. I’ve tried two different ethernet cables and I get no response from the modem when directly connected to it. However, if I insert the router back into the mix the ethernet connection works fine with either cable to my laptop.
I’m not sure what to try next. If you have any thoughts or suggestions for me, I would really appreciate you sharing them with me. Also, if your suggestion is to replace the router do you have any recommendations for my type of network.
css17 wrote:Yes, the DoS attack entry was in the router log file and has only happened the one time. It looks like it was related to Google and I do use Chrome as my browser.
Still no logs being sent via email but at this point it's not worth it to me to try and track it down. I did change the email in the router settings back to my Outlook one as I really don't want anything tied to an ISP email again if I can help it. Had that task of changing our emails from Comcast when we moved from Seattle to Oregon and only had Charter (Spectrum) to choose from. What a pain....
I am definitely a list maker and identifying the devices attached to the router and putting them into Excel with their pertinent information is a good idea. I will do this and be sure to check out each new device that I add to the network in the future. Since the "Device Name" issue is known and kicked around I'm not going to worry about it. I just thought if it was an easy thing to do I'd stick a name in there that meant something to me. I just wish that everybody would play nice together. It was so much easier when it was just IBM hardware and software. I'd just call our IBM system rep when I needed help. Now, in the PC arena there are so many different hardware and software components it's hard to know who to contact or even how to drill down to the right piece of hardware/software causing the problem.
Which brings us full circle. I started here not knowing whether it was my modem, router or ISP that was causing my Outlook and Acronis issues. I never would have figured out the different settings within the router and things to try without all of your help. If I had gone out and bought a new router and/or replaced the modem I'd more than likely still be experiencing the same problems. The send/receive errors in Outlook 2016 have disappeared and all of the emails sent from Acronis have arrived just as they should. And I've learned a bit more about router settings and how all of this stuff works together (or, at least is supposed to). I've documented everything I've changed so I have it as a reference point in case this pops up again.
I want to thank you both for helping me out and explaining things to me. I may not have been in the right spot but intuitively knew that someone here would have the knowledge to help me work through it. Thanks for sharing your time and experience with me.
All the best - Carol
An ongoing education is why this place exists, and it goes both ways. Good luck!
30 Replies
Some thoughts. Specifically what is the brand name and model number of your ISP modem? Is there a possibility it is a combination device that is both a modem and a router? Check to see if there are multiple LAN output ports on the back when you look for the model number. Does it also broadcast a Wi-Fi signal?
On your computer, go to Settings -> Network & Internet -> Status and confirm the Network Profile is set to Private and not to Public.
In your router configuration, go to the Advanced tab -> Advanced Setup -> IPv6 and confirm IPv6 is enabled. Internet connection should be set to Auto or possibly DHCP. Do you know if your ISP supports IPv6?
Hello, I checked the modem which actually doesn't have a brand name on it other than Spectrum. I've attached the spec sheet from Spectrum. It's a DOCSIS 3.1 Modem Model EU2251. No, it's not a combination device. When I plug an ethernet cable from the modem directly to my laptop nothing happens. There is no connection at all to the internet. There are two phone jacks, one power and cable outlets and one ethernet jack.
Yes, the network profile is set to private.
Spectrum does support IPv6. The router was set to Disabled for IPv6. I poked around on the Spectrum site about IPv6. They had a link to "test your device's compatibility" to connect to IPv6. (http://test-ipv6.com/ ). I changed the settings on the router to Auto Detect with Auto Config for the IP Address Assignment, and to DHCP with Use the DHCP Server for the IP Address Assignment and then DHCP with Auto Config for the IP Address Assignment, etc. After each change on the router, I ran the "Test your IPv6 Connectivity". The results are at the end of the Spectrum document. There were some errors initially. I’m not sure if that points us in a direction or not.
css17 wrote:Hello, I checked the modem which actually doesn't have a brand name on it other than Spectrum. I've attached the spec sheet from Spectrum. It's a DOCSIS 3.1 Modem Model EU2251. No, it's not a combination device. When I plug an ethernet cable from the modem directly to my laptop nothing happens. There is no connection at all to the internet. There are two phone jacks, one power and cable outlets and one ethernet jack.
Yes, the network profile is set to private.
Spectrum does support IPv6. The router was set to Disabled for IPv6. I poked around on the Spectrum site about IPv6. They had a link to "test your device's compatibility" to connect to IPv6. (http://test-ipv6.com/ ). I changed the settings on the router to Auto Detect with Auto Config for the IP Address Assignment, and to DHCP with Use the DHCP Server for the IP Address Assignment and then DHCP with Auto Config for the IP Address Assignment, etc. After each change on the router, I ran the "Test your IPv6 Connectivity". The results are at the end of the Spectrum document. There were some errors initially. I’m not sure if that points us in a direction or not.
The Spectrum branded modems are manufactured by Hitron. Yes, it is a modem only.
To check your internet connection just through the modem to your computer, you would need to power down both and boot them up in sequence. Power up the modem first with no Ethernet connections and allow plenty of time to stabilize, then connect to your computer and boot the computer. It may take several minutes for your ISP to assign an IP address to your computer.
E-mail send and receive goes through your Domain Name Servers to find the mail server addresses. IPv6 is part of the DNS system at the ISPs. If you have access through your ISP, use it.
Many of the free e-mail address outlets, Google for gmail and Microsoft for hotmail to name two and some ISPs, have cut off access to their mail servers by iOT devices and other sources. Too many devices like cameras, thermostats, weather stations and etc. sending e-mail. If you use a gmail domain for your received e-mail, you will have to go in to your gmail account and specifically generate a special password to allow access to send e-mail by third party devices or programs. Comcast has similar settings for their e-mail accounts.
Different internet access on the road as compared to at home.
What is the domain (part after the @ symbol) for the e-mail address where you are experiencing the issues?
I am having a hard time understanding what is going on here, not helped by the generic subject and a long and complicates message that doesn't seem to have much to do with sending email from Outlook which is, I gather, the issue.
This bit stood out:
css17 wrote:
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been having trouble with sending/receiving emails in Outlook 2016 on my laptop. I first noticed the issue with my backup program - Acronis True Image.
What has Outlook got to do with sending email in Acronis?
I found a setting within ATI that allowed me to send an email from online when my backups ran. Sometimes I would get both emails and sometimes just the new online one.
Acronis neither know nor cares about your email client. It does need to know how to work with the SMTP service for your email service. Not all email operators are happy to let other services use their SMTP servers.
In my case, I use smtp-mail.outlook.com. (I have an Outlook 365 subscription, but I gather that Outlook also has free email.)
I have also used GMail's SMTP servers for log reporting.
When it comes to Netgear routers, they seem to vary in the SMTP servers that work.
As I said, this is all wild guesswork on my part, based on not understanding why you think Outlook is involved in whatever is going in at your end.
My guess is that Kitsap is equally puzzled and has pointed to the usual problems with routers.
