I have been having a recent problem that has only been occurring for the last 3-4 months. Where the router (Netgear DG834PN) is connected to the internet (i.e. all lights are on as they should be), but when I launch the browsers (Firefox 2 with latest patches or IE7) they do not connect first time.

Often I have to close the browser sometimes 2 or 3 times before it connects to the homepage. I cannot launch Outlook Express unless I have a browser window open and connected, otherwise it fails to find the smtp host?

This occurs with a desktop (wired to DG834PN) and a laptop connecting wirelessly. Therefore the only common theme is the router.

I have connected the router with an RJ11 cable directly to the master socket in the house with new cable.
I have increased the MTU size to 1500 on the router's admin page.
I have even taken out the lines 3 and 4 in the phone sockets as advised at http://www.dslzoneuk.net/socket.php

I cannot understand why this has started happening? I am tempted to roll back the firmware upgrade to the router from Nov 06 to May 06 - but this did not start happening until long after I upgraded the firmware.

Has anyone had similar issues?
Thanks for any help in advance... (Netgear forums have not been much help)

First, if you haven't done so, recycle the modem and router, i.e. unplug the modem and router and turn off the computer, wait about 4 o5 minutes, plug in the modem and wait 3 or 4 minutes, then plug in the router, wait again and then turn on the cocmputer. I'd turn off the firewall and see what happens. If that's not it, I'd connect both the computer and laptop directly to your modem. It's sounds like it's timing out

I have recycled the router on countless occasions. Also the computer is connected directly to the router via ethernet cable only the laptop connects wirelessly.

What causes it to time out?

Timing out means that for some reason the system quits trying to connect if it cannot make a connection with in a certain period of time. I ran into this this a while back and had to change a setting in my registry. I found the solution on the Microsoft site or googling, sorry forget which. The reason I thought it might be timing out is because you said sometimes after starting you browser 2 or 3 times you get a connection. If the router has a built in firewall, it could be affecting the connection or it could be the firewall you have on the machine. Whenever I have a network problem I always start by turning off the firewall, which is often the culprit. If you can connect with no problems when directly connected to the modem, this confirms the issue is with the router or your computer. Given you can connect to the Internet after 2 or 3 tries, it really sounds like it is either the computer or the interaction between the computer and the router. There are other things you can do like reinstall the modem, i.e., start from scratch and follow the router set up directions, run the Network Connection Wizard, make sure that all the network settings are adjusted so the addresses are assigned automatically, etc. At this time I think you're best fixing the PC and then work on the laptop, which may or may not be the same problem. Again, given you can connect I'd start with calling your' ISP and if that doesn't work, search Microsoft help and then google restating the problem until you find something about Registry settings but be sure to include whether you're broadband is cable or DSL.

Cheers for that - getting more help.
There is no install process on the machines as they do not 'see' the modem/router as a Netgear DG834PN - just a network/wireless connection, but I will re-do the install process with the router anyway.

I do not run a firewall on either machine as I am behind the router - but I may turn that one off temporarily to check.

Have google lots - hence now trying with forums.
Cheers so far
EViL

I believe this may have been what I used to correct the problem but if not it does explain the problem. How are you connecting, cable, DSL, phone line?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311070

Connections from the PC are:
Ethernet to the Netgear ADSL modem/router
RJ11 from the modem to the master socket in the house (directly into the splitter.

Sorry, I thought you were using a separate modem and router but I see it's all in one. Found this on the Netgear support site, which seems to cover about everything except the Registry setting discussed in the Microsoft site listed above. Don't know if you've been through all of this Troubleshooting. Again, the fact you can connect after several tries suggests something is blocking/significantly slowing your connection. Have you tried turning off all of you security software? Norton in particular has a reputation for causing problems
http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/dg834v3.asp

I have no security software other than AVG, binned Norton years ago.
Have tried the M/soft KB article and upped the time from 1500 to 3000 (1.5 to 3 seconds) and this has not worked. Am going to have one last stab before buying a different modem/router.
Thanks again

It's sounding like there may be a problem with the router. You may want to consider sending it back. Does your DSL provider charge a rental fee for the modem? Even if they do and there is no contract re how long the rental is, you could get the modem and once you get the new router return the modem given it will likely be a couple weeks to get the router back. Have you talked with your ISP support?

I have possibly found the daftest solution ever last night.

It was my intention to do a full factory reset and re-input all my settings, so I pressed a match into the little hole on the back panel, but when it rebooted it found the ADSL connection (which I wasn't expecting as I thought it would reset my log in) and connected first time.

I was also now able to connect with Outlook Express without having the internet open?

Is early days but the laptop also worked first time....
Will report if this changes

I had totally forgot you can physically reset the router, recycling is not the same thing. Hope this does it, let us know

Generally with DSL connections you want an MTU of 1492 set on the router and you may want to try lowering the MTU on your PC to something like 1380.

You can download the program Doctor TCP from www.dslreports.com. Just go there and click the Tools link in the top right and scroll down to download the program. Once you have it just set the mtu for the correct connection in the drop-down list.

I had increased the MTU to 1500 (from 1492) based on previous advice, so I will investigate this latest fix as it appears that my fix has not worked