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[Trollstormur]

So I've been disconnecting from the internet randomly for a couple months. Does anyone know how I can find out what's wrong with my computer/network/router?

[Entilzah]

What OS are you using?

What are you doing on the computer when it happens?

Wireless or networking card being used?



EDIT: try this site for a network scanner, maybe it'll be able to help you

http://search.techrepublic.com.com/search/network+connection+and+monitor.html?&c=1&s=0&m=20&o=2&i=0&t=0

[Melodic]

Doubtful that this is a network issue, although it could definitely be related to a faulty router. I think the most important question is, who is your ISP?

[Entilzah]

even with a shitty ISP you should still be able to maintain a low connectivity rate...

I say it's either the OS or the network...though there is a possibility that it's the network card/software itself

[8ilbo]

Reinstall drivers, always a good starter. If you've made any hardware changes recently, reverse them and see if it goes away. Also, ISPs can just drop your connection because they suck - worth ringing them up and giving them an earful (even if it doesn't acheive anything, its fun  )

[Will]

Well, according to Adelphia, the problem is always solved by unplugging the router and the cable modem and rebooting them.  And after you do that once and it doesn't work, try it again.  And again.  And again.  Then call back to tech support and get a completely different person on the phone, who will tell you "Okay, have you tried unplugging your cable modem and router and rebooting them?"

[Trollstormur]

okay, I probably shoulda provided some specifics.


I'm running windows XP SP1 Professional ed. it's pirated.
I just did a fresh install of it because my hard drive crashed, I updated my network card drivers and it's still going on. it's most noticeable when I'm playing wow but that's just because wow has to be connected constantly, and a webpage won't kick you to a starting screen once it's loaded if you lose your connection. I'm pretty sure it happens regardless of what happens.
I've rebooted my router and modem dozens of times. I use a network card.

[8ilbo]

if its not your ISP, then it could be dodgy drivers, or a dodgy card, or a dodgy powersuply, thought thats pretty unlikely as a network card will draw power through PCI, so it would be a mobo fault then etc etc but that is unlikely.

If you can scrounge a network card of someone try it and see if it improves (to test hardware) - if you've just done a fresh install its unlikely do be drivers, but again see if you can find some old drivers to test.

[Melodic]

From personal experience with honest-to-God the worst internet service in Canada, I recommend giving your company a call. Explain to them the problem, explain you've done everything on your end to correct the problem, and that you believe it's something on their end. Ask if they've been doing maintenance on anything that would affect you, or if they haven't done maintenance on lines that you use in awhile. At worst, they'll look into it, and at best, they'll send an engineer down to inspect the lines and the connection.

Hell, your modem could even be frying. My old one actually overheated.

[dennis]

It sounds like your random disconnect issue is from the modem back, rather than anything to do with your computer.

Who is your provider? Are you on DSL or cable or something else? When it disconnects, what are the lights on the modem saying?

We were using comcast cable here for a while, and we had intermittent connectivity problems. It turned out that the problem was that one of our neighbors had spliced into our line (legally or not, we're not sure), and that basically cut our signal level in half. We called in a tech after a lot of cajoling, and they fixed the issue. Then another neighbor spliced into our line. Repeat.

Then, we had a completely separate problem of really awful lag, which, according to tracerts, was due to some comcast router in the area dropping lots of our packets. Other people in Chicago had this same problem, and Comcast refused to acknowledge that it was their fault, so we switched to RCN, where we get 10mbits down and about a megabit up.