hi, i'm on Tiscali broadband and since the storms a few days ago i keep getting disconnected and have to reconnect a lot. also i find it going back to the previous page without prompting.
I can hear a faint crackling noise from somewhere but i don't know if that's it.
On windows xp, a modern PC, virus checks ok, any suggestions anyone?

Could be lightning damage to the modem, seen it happen before. Id ring Tiscali and ask for a new modem, or go out and buy one.

Could also be an earthing problem on the phone line. Had this several years ago in pre-broadband days and it was a pain in teh arse.

If the rain was heavy then it can basically cause a poor connection.

If you plug a phone handset in to the same socket as the modem (with the modem unplugged) can you hear any hissing or crackling? If so, is almost certainly the line from that socket to the nearest network junction box. If you can, use teh socket where the line enters the house and unplug EVERYTHING else from it.

Your line provider - BT assuming you're with BT for your phone - should be able to run a basic test from their end but for these faults you often need an engineer, so only call them out if you're sure the line is dodgy, 'cos they will charge you if the fault's 'in house'.

If there is no crackling, then plug stuff back in until the cracking resumes. The last item plugged in is the problem one. If you have multiple devices on the phone connection - here at The Towers we have satellite TV, phone and a broadband connection on one line - then any of the devices may have been zapped.

Hope this helps!

Joe

It's common for these types of problems to occur after heavy rainfall. Somewhere along the line from your house to the exchange a leaky junction box lets in water and the noise on the line increases causing connection problems, once it dries out the problem goes away.

My router gives figures for Signal to Noise ratio and Line Attenuation. These figures change with the weather although not enough to cause me problems. I'm not saying this is the cause in your case but it's a possibility.

If you're using the modem that Tiscali gave you then it's unlikely to provide these figures for you to check. If I'm wrong and you can get these figures from your equipment then please post them here.

Alternatively, you could contact BT and ask them to check the performance of your line.