Trouble maintaining connection (wired) on Alienware M11x

Question

Hello, first of all let me explain I recently bought an alienware m11x from Dell. The laptop is in perfect working order as expected. For the first few days I used only wireless connection. This connection was perfectly sound and worked a treat. However upon returning to my halls of residence I have been forced to use an ethernet connection, as they charge extra for the wireless. I had used the ethernet connection for a long time with my previous netbook (Aspireone) and had no problems with connectivity.     This is typically how the connection works:   1. Laptop turned on 2. Connected to internet (fast connection) 3. A short time later still connected to internet (slower / broken up connection) 4. Disconnected from internet (says cable unplugged) 5. Laptop restart fixes this issues (or restarts it to stage 1)   I am not technically great, but a flatmate of mine has attempted to solve the issue with no success, and recommended i contact dell. I understand more details are probably required, so if you could reply what details you need I will ask my friend to post them for you.     Thanks in advance, Michael.

PudgyOne · Answer

Michael,

You can also try this tweak on yout ethernet connection, under network.

Start, control panel, device manager. Click on Network and then right click on your wireless adapter, left click properties, power management. Uncheck the box, allow computer to turn off this device to save power.

Rick

iMikeH · Answer

Sadly I had already done this so it hasnt solved the problem :/ I might just ring up Dell since its obviously manufacturing set up (I've basically only just started using it)

PudgyOne · Answer

iMikeH,

Places to look to see if your Connection is enabled

Hit the Windows Key and the R keys at the same time. Type

systeminfo.txt

REMOVE THE PRODUCT ID and post the rest of the information back here. (Preferred)

or an ipconfig /all log and maybe it will reveal something.

Rick

iMikeH · Answer

When i did the systeminfo, there was no txt file only a cmd file, which terminated before i could copy any details.

This is my ipconfig /all

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]

C:\Users\Mike>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mike-PC

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : 18.rialto-court.mezzino.co.uk.

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 3:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter #

2

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 74-E5-0B-B0-5B-BD

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 74-E5-0B-B0-5B-BD

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 9C-B7-0D-52-91-FB

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : registration-ap.rialto.mezzino.co.uk

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) WiFi Link 1000 BGN

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 74-E5-0B-B0-5B-BC

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : 18.rialto-court.mezzino.co.uk.

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR8151 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Con

troller (NDIS 6.20)

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D4-BE-D9-1B-A5-80

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::1b2:6ab0:2ff5:acae%11(Preferred)

IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 10.211.12.28(Preferred)

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.192

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 17 March 2012 15:51:30

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 17 March 2012 16:01:30

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.211.12.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.100.100.11

DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 248823513

DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-16-E7-DC-3C-D4-BE-D9-1B-A5-80

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.100.100.10

10.100.100.11

NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter isatap.{51E30A30-4E00-4371-AD69-1F0FD181A553}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 14:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.registration-ap.rialto.mezzino.co.uk:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{ECF373DF-4B99-4161-9CE0-3B412115DA95}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #3

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:5ef5:79fb:3442:2dfe:ac20:2be5(Pref

erred)

Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::3442:2dfe:ac20:2be5%21(Preferred)

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::

NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter isatap.18.rialto-court.mezzino.co.uk.:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : 18.rialto-court.mezzino.co.uk.

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #5

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{4E73374F-815C-4DE2-BBD5-91D765281489}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #4

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Thanks again.

iMikeH · Answer

By cmd file i meant exe sorry.

iMikeH · Answer

It did not have antennae diversity, but its the wired connection (ethernet) thats failing, not WiFi

PudgyOne · Answer

iMikeH,   Did you try the power management in the device manager for your Atheros AR8151 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Con     Rick

PudgyOne · Answer

iMikeH,

I see you have the...

Intel(R) WiFi Link 1000 BGN

Try reading...

Intel® WiFi Products — Power Save Polling (PSP) causes connection issues with some access points

Not sure if your adapter has this, but it's work looking.

Start, control panel, device manager, network, double click on Intel(R) WiFi Link 1000 BGN, click on advanced. Look and see if this adapter has antenna diversity. It may or may not have this. If it does, try changing the antenna diversity from auto to aux. Also click on the power management tab and uncheck the box, allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Save and exit.

Restart your computer and try connecting. What happens?

Rick

iMikeH · Answer

Yes, with no change to the connection

PudgyOne · Answer

iMikeH,

I was going to suggest to download the drivers from Drivers & Downloads but Dell's website is down. If you have the etehrnet drivers as a backup if needed, in case the system cannot find the drivers, then they can be installed manually. Should be on a drivers disk.

Make a system restore point, that way if this doesn't work, you can come back to what you currently have.

Start, control panel, network, right click on Atheros AR8151 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet, left click uninstall. Tell it to remove the drivers.

Restart your computer. When you log in, the new hardware wizard will find the adapter and install the drivers again.

Rick

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

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