Roadrunner connection problems

[bnormal]

My System: XP Home (all xp updates installed), 512mb ram, NAV 2002 (updated), Motorola SB4200 Cable Modem, Roadrunner


I have had roadrunner installed for the last month. When I enabled XP Firewall I noticed my connection would randomly disconnect. I called TW who said that the XP Firewall has some problems and TW isn't sure of a fix. They told me to disable. I then downloaded Zone Alarm. After it was installed I still was experiencing random disconnects. TW came out and inspected the cable line and said everything seems to be ok. As it stands now I uninstalled Zone Alarm and am not running a firewall.

TW, is pretty worthless when it comes to stating their policy regarding a firewall.

My question is this: Are their particular settings within either firewall required to retain the connection? Or is TW just blowing smoke because they really are either unsure of the answer or just aren't willing to do anything to fix it?

Here are my speed results when it is working:

2002-06-25 15:57:56 EST: 2107 / 334
Your download speed : 2107105 bps, or 2107 kbps.
A 257.2 KB/sec transfer rate.
Your upload speed : 334196 bps, or 334 kbps.
Seems like broadband .. above the 1mbit barrier!

Here are my TCP/IP analyzer results:

TCP options string = 020405b40103030201010402

MTU = 1500
MTU is fully optimized for broadband.

MSS = 1460
Maximum useful data in each packet = 1460, which equals MSS.

Default Receive Window (RWIN) = 256960
RWIN Scaling (RFC1323) = 2 bits
Unscaled Receive Window = 64240
RWIN is a multiple of MSS
Other values for RWIN that might work well with your current MTU/MSS:
513920 (MSS x 44 * scale factor of 8)
128480 (MSS x 44 * scale factor of 2)
64240 (MSS x 44)

bandwidth * delay product:
Your RcvWindow limits you to: 10278.4 kbps (1284.8 KBytes/s) @ 200ms
Your RcvWindow limits you to: 4111.36 kbps (513.92 KBytes/s) @ 500ms

MTU Discovery (RFC1191) = ON

Time to live left = 53 hops
TTL value is ok.

Timestamps (RFC1323) = OFF

Selective Acknowledgements (RFC2018) = ON

IP type of service field (RFC1349)= 00000000

Thanks

[Phatty2x4]

Actually dude - It's kinda hard to expect TW to even be able to support let alone recommend a firewall for you to use. Think about it for a minute - they would have to keep up on all the firewall products, the O/S's those firewall products run on, how the firewall products interact with their own systems let alone with what you have, not to mention being able to trouble shoot your setup of the firewall with all the things you may or maynot have on your system - yelch!

Way to much to hope for let alone expect!

I don't thiink they're blowing smoke - I think they just can't answer anything beyond the relm of what they have.

Coupla questions though

1) Without any fire wall enabled - do you have disconnection issues?
2) Have you considered a hardware firewall option (ie like a linksys or netgear or what ever)?
3) Do you have any antovirus software running?
4) Have you tried swapping out your NIC for a new one or just swaping the slots the nic is in?
5) Do you have all of your equipment plugged into a UPS? (I know with my rig - the sllightest power spike or drop and I loose connectivity)

[bnormal]

In response Phatty, what I hoped TW could tell me other than to "disable" any firewall is whether their product (roadrunner) requires any special considerations while running any firewall. I don't expect them to be firewall experts just that their technical support knows more about it than me...

In answer to your questions....

I still lose connection when my firewall is disabled
I use NAV 2002
The nic is integrated
Not thought about a hardware firewall (do you have a pix for sale cheap?)

Have everything plugged into a surge protector...

This seems odd to me but when I'm kicked off of the web the cable modem still acts like it is online. Meaning the appropriate lights are still on the modem (TW always ask about the lights). And according to my network icon I still have an IP. It's just that I cannot access email or the web. I am disconnected. TW told me today when I called that they showed I was losing about 80% of packets. I was in shock that one of their phone techs actually saw something that confirms my disconnects!

As it stands now they are coming out tomorrow (2nd time this week). At least they are responding!

p2x4, thanks for taking the time to respond!

[Technoid]

Yeah, just so you know though. I've same modem / RR setup, Xp with firewall and Win98 with Zonealarm, no problems.
Something other than the firewalls.