Okay firstly I'd like to point out that I am a regular of 'technical googling' and rarely find that I have a need to post my own query as there's always someone out there that will have posted already.
This time however I cannot find a darn thing about it anywhere!
So, PC hardware I think is not particularly important here apart from that I am using Fedora 11, Windows 7 and Windows XP on various single and dual core P4 PC's around the house, both wired and wireless. NIC cards are on board and drivers are all up to date. Ethernet cables are all tested and in good condition. Modem connected to Virgin broadband at 10Mb are tested and both are working fine.
I using the Linksys WRT54G 1.x with Firmware: DD-WRT v23 SP2 (09/15/06) std - it is set up with no port forwarding or any other non-basic setting. Minimal security over WPA2 - I am using it as basic as I can to try to evaluate exactly what the problem is.
The problem.
I have been using Bittorrent clients for some years now and have never had a router crash because of it. I have always known about Usenet but have been put off by the prices, however I recently found out that my Virgin account has free access to a Virgin Usenet newsgroup server - so of course I want to use it to download my MP3's, movies etc at full bandwidth rather than the meager speeds that the bittorrent community has been reduced to in recent times.
I have set up my Usenet server, Newsreader (Pan for linux) and subscribed to various NZB sites - all is fine.
Yet once I've downloaded one large file I then experience some strange problems. If my network is still alive after the first file, I can sometimes download another, more often I cannot and will get a stream of errors in the newsreaders log file claiming no connection. Usually, my network/Internet dies completely resulting in needing to reboot all PC's on the network and a hard reset of the router. It can fail completely and lose connection to my ISP. In one instance the wireless radio stopped working completely and I had to return to my old router. That router is now being used as a door stop :o( the wired service is working OK on it but not the wireless (I'm not that bothered about that one as long as I can sort this one out).
Now I've tested everything, all hardware and cables and I find no problems. I've tried various different router configurations with no joy.
I'm left thinking that it's something to do with my router settings. As I stated, I am a new Usenet user so still learning what's what.
So can someone please suggest some correct settings for my router so that after downloading something I won't need to manually reboot everything?
Or otherwise suggest another avenue that I may have failed to notice?
I did think along the lines of excessive speed possibly causing the router to hang, but in all seriousness, using bittorrent can open hundreds of connections simoultaneously, whereas my Usenet service merely uses 4 connections hence why I can still browse while downloading at 99% full bandwidth while using Usenet.
I appreciate all and any help here so thanks in advance.
Actually feel a little bit less of a tech nerd having to ask for help in a tech forum /fail
