Keeping internet up at home

[braumeister]

We were out of town last week and our internet went down.
I like to check the security cameras and the Nest thermostat occasionally when we're away, and it was kind of frustrating not to have them available.

At first I thought there might have been a power outage, but I checked our electric company's website and nothing had been reported. So I had to conclude that it was the cable modem. That happens occasionally, and I always just reboot it to get back online.

Since it's kind of hard to reboot something when you can't connect to it and you're hundreds of miles away, I started thinking about what I might do to preclude this from happening again.

Seems to me that if I put the modem and router on a timer that would shut them off and turn them back on again once a day (like in the middle of the night), that would do the job.

Then after doing a bit of research, I found this gadget. Supposedly, you can plug your modem and router into it, and it pings a server periodically. If it can't connect, it reboots your machines by turning their power off and back on, doing the same thing as a timer, but only when necessary.

Have others gone this route, and is this a reasonable solution or is there something even better?

MSNSwitch Internet Enabled IP Remote Power Switch with Reboot

 

[RetiredAt49]

We were out of town last week and our internet went down.

I like to check the security cameras and the Nest thermostat occasionally when we're away, and it was kind of frustrating not to have them available.



At first I thought there might have been a power outage, but I checked our electric company's website and nothing had been reported. So I had to conclude that it was the cable modem. That happens occasionally, and I always just reboot it to get back online.



Since it's kind of hard to reboot something when you can't connect to it and you're hundreds of miles away, I started thinking about what I might do to preclude this from happening again.



Seems to me that if I put the modem and router on a timer that would shut them off and turn them back on again once a day (like in the middle of the night), that would do the job.



Then after doing a bit of research, I found this gadget. Supposedly, you can plug your modem and router into it, and it pings a server periodically. If it can't connect, it reboots your machines by turning their power off and back on, doing the same thing as a timer, but only when necessary.



Have others gone this route, and is this a reasonable solution or is there something even better?



MSNSwitch Internet Enabled IP Remote Power Switch with Reboot

I’ve never had to reboot my routers in decades… but I use professional grade equipment…

 

[njhowie]

I've used a simple timer in the past and it does the job. It seems this device you've found would be more effective as it could do the reboot if it were to sense the connection going down. However, is it worth $100 to you?

Also, you might check if your ISP provides any utilities to facilitate doing a remote reboot. With Xfinity, in my online account, in the devices section, there is the ability to issue a reboot command to the modem through Xfinity. I tried this as an experiment once and it did work.

I'd also have the modem (or this device) plugged in to a UPS, as it could keep the modem up for 30 minutes or more in the event of a power outage.

 

[MichaelB]

We were out of town last week and our internet went down.
I like to check the security cameras and the Nest thermostat occasionally when we're away, and it was kind of frustrating not to have them available.

At first I thought there might have been a power outage, but I checked our electric company's website and nothing had been reported. So I had to conclude that it was the cable modem. That happens occasionally, and I always just reboot it to get back online.

Since it's kind of hard to reboot something when you can't connect to it and you're hundreds of miles away, I started thinking about what I might do to preclude this from happening again.

Seems to me that if I put the modem and router on a timer that would shut them off and turn them back on again once a day (like in the middle of the night), that would do the job.

Then after doing a bit of research, I found this gadget. Supposedly, you can plug your modem and router into it, and it pings a server periodically. If it can't connect, it reboots your machines by turning their power off and back on, doing the same thing as a timer, but only when necessary.

Have others gone this route, and is this a reasonable solution or is there something even better?

MSNSwitch Internet Enabled IP Remote Power Switch with Reboot

Interesting option. Not sure it will solve your problem, though. Most modems reboot automatically after going offline. Are you sure the issue isn’t the router? They tend to be more finicky and are more susceptible to other device interference.

We have nest cams and thermostats in two locations, and this past year both suffered failures. In one, cameras regularly went offline for short periods many times per day. In the other, the outdoor cameras went offline for a couple of months. In both cases the wifi router was replaced with an upgraded product and the performance went back to 24/7 availability.

 

[braumeister]

Interesting option. Not sure it will solve your problem, though. Most modems reboot automatically after going offline. Are you sure the issue isn’t the router? They tend to be more finicky and are more susceptible to other device interference.

I wish I could answer that; it's a good question.
When I got home, both were offline.

In the past, it has always been the modem that went south, not the router. If I rebooted the modem, the router got religion and started functioning normally again. In any case, I normally reboot both of them, just because. This happens several times a year.

FWIW, I use a fairly standard cable modem, an Arris SB6141 SurfBoard. The router is also fairly standard, a Netgear Orbi mesh system.

 

[njhowie]

FWIW, I use a fairly standard cable modem, an Arris SB6141 SurfBoard. The router is also fairly standard, a Netgear Orbi mesh system.

Two points:
1. When we had the timer set up on the modem because we needed to recycle it (did it at 2AM daily), it was also Arris - I think it was the same model as yours, but also had wifi built in.

2. That modem is not very current. You might look into replacing it with something a bit newer. Over time, ISPs do upgrade/enhance their networks and though the modems are still compatible, they may have problems like you're experiencing. You can probably pick up a better modem on Ebay for under $100. Check on your ISPs website for compatible devices for the service level you have. There's also no harm getting a device which supports faster speeds than your service level.

When Xfinity gave us better service, though the Arris was compatible, it was not giving us the full bandwidth, and not even its advertised max. I picked up a newer Motorola on Ebay which could do 980 Mbps (still much more than we needed) and we rarely have to reset it.

 

[JoeWras]

I used the professional rack mounted grade of what OP posted in my j*b. Since I developed firmware for our devices, it was easy to create code that would hard crash the device. Power recyclers were a necessity if we wanted to work from our desk (not in the lab) or work from home.

Agree with others to make sure everything is up to date before attaching hammers to your equipment.

 

[MichaelB]

I wish I could answer that; it's a good question.
When I got home, both were offline.

In the past, it has always been the modem that went south, not the router. If I rebooted the modem, the router got religion and started functioning normally again. In any case, I normally reboot both of them, just because. This happens several times a year.

FWIW, I use a fairly standard cable modem, an Arris SB6141 SurfBoard. The router is also fairly standard, a Netgear Orbi mesh system.

Unusual for the modem to remain offline after a power interruption, but I recall having a similar issue a few years back, and my tech advisor (aka my brother) suggested a power switch to reboot, like the one you are considering, but much more DIY - built from components. He also suggested a power switch with a cell connection so I could reboot on demand from a remote location, but that was too complex for me.

Njhowie’s suggestion to replace the modem also makes sense.

The router I replaced here was a 4 year old Netgear Orbi mesh. Both satellite units went offline and I was unable to remedy or get either one to reconnect with the nest cams. I expected more than 4 years for such a pricey system, but just replaced it with an Asus ZenWiFi mesh.

 

[RunningBum]

Interesting option. Not sure it will solve your problem, though. Most modems reboot automatically after going offline.

Do they? I've never heard of this. I don't believe mine does (relatively new modem for fiber internet), but I may not have checked it in time.

OP, I'd probably go with a simple timer that reboots the modem and router daily or weekly in the middle of the night. A connection could be so poor from errors and frequent retransmits that a ping may work but the connection is nearly useless. A reboot should clear this.

Caveat 1: My networking knowledge is not at all current.

Caveat 2: A reboot likely gives you a new IP address and you may need to do 2FA on accounts every day even though you've told it to remember your computer. So you may not like this. But also, see Caveat 1.

 

[braumeister]

I think I'll start by upgrading to a newer modem. I looked at my ISP's website (thanks for the suggestion, njhowie) and found that it's pretty far down the list and only rated for up to 100 Mbps.

 

[Car-Guy]

If you can reset it yourself while at home why not use this option when you are away?

https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/give-a-key-to-a-neighbor-i-dont-know-well-116100.html

 

[easysurfer]

We were out of town last week and our internet went down.
I like to check the security cameras and the Nest thermostat occasionally when we're away, and it was kind of frustrating not to have them available.

At first I thought there might have been a power outage, but I checked our electric company's website and nothing had been reported. So I had to conclude that it was the cable modem. That happens occasionally, and I always just reboot it to get back online.

Since it's kind of hard to reboot something when you can't connect to it and you're hundreds of miles away, I started thinking about what I might do to preclude this from happening again.

Seems to me that if I put the modem and router on a timer that would shut them off and turn them back on again once a day (like in the middle of the night), that would do the job.

Then after doing a bit of research, I found this gadget. Supposedly, you can plug your modem and router into it, and it pings a server periodically. If it can't connect, it reboots your machines by turning their power off and back on, doing the same thing as a timer, but only when necessary.

Have others gone this route, and is this a reasonable solution or is there something even better?

MSNSwitch Internet Enabled IP Remote Power Switch with Reboot

About a month ago I got a similar product. One of those I want one of those purchases. In fact, the rebooter did a reboot middle of last night as I was sleeping. Supposedly, the one I have is a a set it up once and forget it type of thing.

 

[ERD50]

I think I'll start by upgrading to a newer modem. I looked at my ISP's website (thanks for the suggestion, njhowie) and found that it's pretty far down the list and only rated for up to 100 Mbps.

100Mbps is far more than most people need. I sure wouldn't use that as a reason to 'upgrade'.

As long as it is supported, what more do you need for your purposes?

-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

Originally Posted by MichaelB View Post
Interesting option. Not sure it will solve your problem, though. Most modems reboot automatically after going offline.

Do they? I've never heard of this. I don't believe mine does (relatively new modem for fiber internet), but I may not have checked it in time.

OP, I'd probably go with a simple timer that reboots the modem and router daily or weekly in the middle of the night. A connection could be so poor from errors and frequent retransmits that a ping may work but the connection is nearly useless. A reboot should clear this.

Caveat 1: My networking knowledge is not at all current.

Caveat 2: A reboot likely gives you a new IP address and you may need to do 2FA on accounts every day even though you've told it to remember your computer. So you may not like this. But also, see Caveat 1.

I was wondering this too. I'm not aware of any auto reboot function, other than "pull the power".

We've had just a few outages over the past 1~ 18 months with Xfinity, and their website (using cell data), often leads to "reboot your modem".

If the modem can't connect, I don't think they can command it to reboot either.

edit/add: I can think of a case where you would not want auto-reboot on loss of internet - if you are doing transfers of data on your local network (LAN), you don't need the WAN. Constant rebooting would interfere with your internal transfers.

-ERD50

 

[Chuckanut]

100Mbps is far more than most people need. I sure wouldn't use that as a reason to 'upgrade'.

As long as it is supported, what more do you need for your purposes?

-ERD50

I have 30 bps and that works fine for me. Perhaps if I streamed a lot of 8k TV it might be different.

 

[RunningBum]

Online gamers would want more.

 

[ERD50]

Online gamers would want more.

But OP wants to keep his security camera and Nest thermostat up. Those probably don't need more than a few Mbps. If someone is playing online games when he's away, he's got bigger problems .

I was on a 10 Mbps connection for years. Streaming HD is no problem. 100 Mbps is way overkill for 'basics'.

-ERD50

 

[pb4uski]

We snowbird and I don't like the idea of paying $30/month for internet only for security system and wifi thermostats while we are gone, so I cancel internet and use Solis Skyroam cellular hotspots for off season security (Blink cameras).

The only problem is if the power goes out for an extended amount of time it drains the UPS battery and the Skyroam internal battery and it won't turn back on automatically so I have to have a friend go in and turn it back on... but that doesn't happen very often.

I can buy 1GB of high speed cellular data for $8 that never expires. The security system doesn't use much data so 1GB can last me a few months.

A little hassle but decent $$$ savings.

 

[cyber888]

Have you tried calling your Internet provider ?
My internet provide is able to reset my Cable Modem and Reboot it Remotely. I just go to their website and chat with tech support.

We were out of town last week and our internet went down.
I like to check the security cameras and the Nest thermostat occasionally when we're away, and it was kind of frustrating not to have them available.

At first I thought there might have been a power outage, but I checked our electric company's website and nothing had been reported. So I had to conclude that it was the cable modem. That happens occasionally, and I always just reboot it to get back online.

Since it's kind of hard to reboot something when you can't connect to it and you're hundreds of miles away, I started thinking about what I might do to preclude this from happening again.

Seems to me that if I put the modem and router on a timer that would shut them off and turn them back on again once a day (like in the middle of the night), that would do the job.

Then after doing a bit of research, I found this gadget. Supposedly, you can plug your modem and router into it, and it pings a server periodically. If it can't connect, it reboots your machines by turning their power off and back on, doing the same thing as a timer, but only when necessary.

Have others gone this route, and is this a reasonable solution or is there something even better?

MSNSwitch Internet Enabled IP Remote Power Switch with Reboot

 

[JackJester]

This thread is very timely. I have T Mobile 5G gateway as my Internet and it is spotty up in the Cascade foothills where I live. Sometimes I simply lose my Internet and the only solution is to do a reboot of the gateway box and then all is good; at least until the next loss. I was on vacation for a week and we lost connection, but I had no way to reboot the gateway, and then of course I could not access my security camera to check on things. I think I might give this a try. The Amazon reviews are good.

 

[Ronstar]

I don't remember losing our internet to the point where a manual reboot was necessary. At least since we got our newest modem several years ago.

I'm not sure if it makes a difference, but our modem, etc is on backup generator when the power goes out. But the generator doesn't stop the internet outage that likely goes with a power outage.

I'm not an internet / IT guru, but OP's plan to replace his modem first sounds good to me. Then if that doesn't work, get the switch that he found online or something similar.

 

[target2019]

I've used simple UPS battery backups for many years. One is in the basement for the modem and router. The other is in my office for switch and desktop computer.

This addresses most of our power problems: low voltage, momentary outages.

On the data side it is possible that only a reboot of modem will set things straight again. But a battery backup will prevent some of that. It also is true now that some cable modems are not able to keep up. It's easier to replace the modem to the latest standard and then know that is up-do-date.

 

[RunningBum]

But OP wants to keep his security camera and Nest thermostat up. Those probably don't need more than a few Mbps. If someone is playing online games when he's away, he's got bigger problems .

I was on a 10 Mbps connection for years. Streaming HD is no problem. 100 Mbps is way overkill for 'basics'.

-ERD50

I don't think that's their sole purpose for having internet. We don't know their other uses. And someone else mentioned what their speed and usage was. I'm just making a general point that some people benefit from having 100Mbps or more speed, online interactive gamers being one of them.

 

[Sunset]

I had the same modem as OP, it was fine for years, then started disconnecting and needing a reboot. It was a pain, as I didn't know if it was the modem/router/wires chewed by mice/squirrels.

So I upgraded to a new modem and everything returned to normal.

That device looks interesting, but if it only rarely happens a timer can reboot a device multiple times per day, doesn't have to be once per day.

 

[ERD50]

I don't think that's their sole purpose for having internet. We don't know their other uses. And someone else mentioned what their speed and usage was. I'm just making a general point that some people benefit from having 100Mbps or more speed, online interactive gamers being one of them.

Sure, but it's unrelated to the OP's question :

"I like to check the security cameras and the Nest thermostat occasionally when we're away,".

-ERD50