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We are having a problem with our internet connection not running as fast as
it should. The technician at our ISP is saying that it could be because we
have our 1720 router hooked up backwards. At the moment, our internet
connection comes in on fibreoptic, through a media converter to Ethernet and
the connects to the WIC 1ENET card on our router. The router is then
connected via its integrated Ethernet port to our LAN.

Is the setup considered backwards? I find it hard to believe the router
cares or even knows which way is in and which is out. It just routes that
data stream. However stranger things have happened. I just don't want to
take too much time reprogramming our router if the change will have no
effect.

Thanks
Brian

Your setup is not 'backwards' your ISP is just trying to fob you off.

One thing that could cause this kind of problem is if speed or duplex
is not autonegotiating correctly. Check the interface that connects
via ethernet to the fiber converter. There could be a duplex problem
there. 'sh interface x/x' Check for any errors incrementing and check
what the speed and duplex settings are running at.

You can do the same for the inside interface also.

You can also check if any errors are being reported by looking at
'show log'

Other than that you can test to see if any packets are getting
dropped. Send large pings to the router and back - Problem? Send large
pings to the next hop router and back - Problem? etc...

Or from a windows command line you can do a useful command:

pathping www.google.co.uk

This will tell you where abouts in the path packets are being dropped
(May take a while)

Other than that its an ISP problem and they need to sort it out.

Simon

Hi Brian,

Brian wrote:
> We are having a problem with our internet connection not running as fast as
> it should. The technician at our ISP is saying that it could be because we
> have our 1720 router hooked up backwards. At the moment, our internet
> connection comes in on fibreoptic, through a media converter to Ethernet and
> the connects to the WIC 1ENET card on our router. The router is then
> connected via its integrated Ethernet port to our LAN.

The physical port usage will make no difference as long as the port
Speed and Duplex settings are the same. If they ARE identical, then
he/she is probably not a technician.

However, if one side of the Router is 10Mb and the other 100Mb, OR you
have a duplex mismatch somewhere, then it is possible this could be
causing a problem, but this situation is not usually called a
"backwards" configuration......

> Is the setup considered backwards? I find it hard to believe the router
> cares or even knows which way is in and which is out.

The only time a Router might care about this is if the interfaces
offer different performance capabilities and the unit operation is
dependent on them being used in a specific way. Without details of the
actual router config and how many units are being serviced locally its
hard to say much more.

Regards............pk.

--
*** Replace SOMEONE with prk ***

Hi Brian,

Brian wrote:
> We are having a problem with our internet connection not running as fast as
> it should. The technician at our ISP is saying that it could be because we
> have our 1720 router hooked up backwards. At the moment, our internet
> connection comes in on fibreoptic, through a media converter to Ethernet and
> the connects to the WIC 1ENET card on our router.

I just had another thought... about 3-4 months ago we had trouble when
upgrading a 10Mb Ethernet link delivered over Fibre via Media adapter,
up to 100Mb. It performed worse than the 10Mb service, and the result
was that the ISP had an issue with the Fibre switching node at the CO
(they had to move us to a different port to get the new speed).

Their Switching Node was falsely determining the DUPLEX setting and
giving them HALF duplex, when it was reporting that it was FULL
duplex. They had to patch the Fibre to another port on the node to get
around that one, but we had a hell of a job convincing them the
problem was at THEIR end.

Regards...........pk.


--
*** Replace SOMEONE with prk ***