DSL issues- could malware be at fault? Maleware I can't detect?

[Diosoth]

I've been having internet issues since roughly January, which started at night between midnight and 6 AM, but has become more frequent. I generally suspect an ISP issue, or maybe a modem going faulty(it's a Netopia modem my ISP gave me 6 years ago). I have a technician coming out Tuesday to check the modem and lines in the house. I've even wired a new phone jack into the house with no improvement. Now I'm prone to cutting out every 2-5 minutes.

BUT.... could this be a malware issue? Something all my scans have been unable to find? I run Microsoft Security Essentials, Windows Firewall, Spybot with full immunizations and Tea Timer and I also have Malwarebytes free version and a Hitman pro trial. I've run multiple scans by multiple programs and find nothing at all. Since I installed Spybot I've not noticed any actual infections and the immunizations seem to have helped. But then again... could this be something that's dodging every scan? It's possibly paranoia at work but who knows? I know some malware can be very nasty and I have to run multiple scanner programs because many things found by one program are ignored by another.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Mate give these a burl


http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/< download from bleeping computer


http://www.superantispyware.com/

TDSSKiller Download < download the .exe sorry the main sever seems to be down but this site is ok

 

[DavidE]

I don't know what ISP you have, but do ask if ANY changes have been made in your neighborhood "recently".
That is a question I didn't think to ask when I had a problem...

I had a similar issue a while ago where my internet to slow to a crawl every evening (and weekends).
I had the top of the line DSL package at that time, and it would slow to speeds at or below dialup.
Every ISP department/group/tech checked everything for MY DSL and said everything is fine with THEM - it's YOUR problem.
The ISP said the issue is MY HOME wiring, and even had technicians here seeing the problem, trying a new modem, re-wiring, ...
I said "How can this be?, it works fine until the evening...MY MOME wiring does not change at night!"
The tech in my home that saw the "evening slowdown" agreed with me...and told the "ISP Guru's" so...

FIBER OPTIC cable had been added to my neighborhood sometime before this saga started...
So I finally said - OK switch me to FIBER OPTIC and if the problem is not fixed I'll switch to another internet service provider.
Well, the tech that came to install FIBER OPTIC said to me "FIBER OPTIC does not work at YOUR HOUSE".
I asked why, and was told "Not sure now...we may have to dig up lines to find the problem!"
It turns out it was a wiring problem in a "neighborhood box" when FIBER OPTIC was added to the neighborhood...

The problem for me didn't start when FIBER OPTIC was added to my neighborhood.
It started when someone else in my neighborhood signed up for for FIBER OPTIC internet!

Sad but true story

 

[Diosoth]

I actually have TDSSkiller on hand after I got hit with Alureon.A in 2011. I'm coming up clean as far as that program goes, I just ran a scan and found nothing but "Switchboard" which is apparently an Adobe file that the program tends to flag but everyone says is legit. I ran another full Spybot scan this morning and came up totally clean as well.

My ISP/phone company is upgrading this area to fiber optic this year, I think we have no choice in the matter but to get it. I'm wondering if their installation of the lines is interfering with the phones- I've heard line static as well, even during phone calls when the modem was shut off. I'll run maybe 1 or 2 more scans but I think I can rule out malware as the cause of my disconnections. I haven't had any Google redirect malware for a long time and Spyboyt's immunizations seem to really help- the last couple I got hit by were through Firefox browsing.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

I don't know what ISP you have, but do ask if ANY changes have been made in your neighborhood "recently".
That is a question I didn't think to ask when I had a problem...

I had a similar issue a while ago where my internet to slow to a crawl every evening (and weekends).
I had the top of the line DSL package at that time, and it would slow to speeds at or below dialup.
Every ISP department/group/tech checked everything for MY DSL and said everything is fine with THEM - it's YOUR problem.
The ISP said the issue is MY HOME wiring, and even had technicians here seeing the problem, trying a new modem, re-wiring, ...
I said "How can this be?, it works fine until the evening...MY MOME wiring does not change at night!"
The tech in my home that saw the "evening slowdown" agreed with me...and told the "ISP Guru's" so...

FIBER OPTIC cable had been added to my neighborhood sometime before this saga started...
So I finally said - OK switch me to FIBER OPTIC and if the problem is not fixed I'll switch to another internet service provider.
Well, the tech that came to install FIBER OPTIC said to me "FIBER OPTIC does not work at YOUR HOUSE".
I asked why, and was told "Not sure now...we may have to dig up lines to find the problem!"
It turns out it was a wiring problem in a "neighborhood box" when FIBER OPTIC was added to the neighborhood...

The problem for me didn't start when FIBER OPTIC was added to my neighborhood.
It started when someone else in my neighborhood signed up for for FIBER OPTIC internet!

Sad but true story

Sort of vaguely what I have to put up with David only mine cuts out altogether sometimes. Problem is I am out in the country and although they are rolling out what is laughing called the National Broadband Network (NBN) I can't imagine it will be in my lifetime that the copper will be gone and the local clapped out system replaced with anything as sophisticated as optic fibre - you are talking to someone who in some respects lives in a third world country. Ok if you in the major cities but out here the best alternative is satellite.
Next problem is that that means changing provider and the discounts I get from using all services with them evaporates. They don't miss a trick out here I can tell you in fact I think they invent them

 

[DavidE]

I do see the pain you ICit2lol and Diosoth are going through.
I posted what I did because of my similar experience...and what i learned in the end.
While every ISP Corporate Department, Tech, etc. checked into my problem, they all said it's your problem.
Well, the "Fiber Optic Department/Tech" didn't check until they tried to install it in my home...
I was using twisted pair copper wire for DSL and Landline phone (for many years)...no need for the Fiber Optic folks to test anything...RIGHT!!!
It ended up when one particular home signed up for their Fiber Optic access, it caused ME a problem.
Some "Fiber Optic connection(s)" were installed incorrectly in a neighborhood box...
A painful experience for me I'd rather forget, but this thread reminded me of it :shock:

 

[UsernameIssues]

I actually have TDSSkiller on hand...

Just to be clear, you should download that tool just before you use it. Don't use an old copy.

Not that you said that you used an old copy - but I could not be sure given the wording I quoted.

 

[Diosoth]

TDSSkiller updates itself if it detects it's old.

I downloaded and ran ESET Online(full scan, took 2 hours) and Super Anti Spyware(quick scan and critical point scan) and found nothing. I ran Malwarebytes and TDSSkiller again, nothing. At this point I'm saying with 99% certainty I'm clean and the DSL issues are phone line related. If between MSE, TDSSkiller, MBAM, Hitman Pro, Spyboy, ESET and SAS I can't find anything I doubt anything is getting undetected. Anything that could dodge all 7 of those would probably be more malicious than random DSL dropping.