Keep Losing Internet Connection

Question

Hi.....

I’m running an XPS 8300 (purchased May 2003). Have IE 6 SP2, and a high speed internet cable service. For the past couple of years I’ve had sporadic internet connectivity drop-offs while online, or unable to connect to the internet at all. Dell told me it was my cable service, but my cable company has been quite thorough (several times), testing the equipment outside my home and inside at the computer. Nothing wrong was ever found and cable felt it was a network adapter problem and instructed me to either reboot or go into Control Panel and do a simple "disable-enable" manuever in "Network Connections". That maneuver usually worked and sometimes I would go for months without losing the connection, that is until a week ago when I started to lose the connection a few times per day. Today, it appears to have gone kaput because I cannot keep my connection for more than 5 minutes.

I just got off a two hour phone marathon with a Dell tech (really, a nice guy). He really tried to help me and put my computer through dozens of tests. He said NO NO NO to a network adapter problem and said it was a software problem. The network adapter is not a card, but embedded in the motherboard. He had me download Ad-Aware which got rid of 113 objects negatively affecting my computer. He tried to access my computer through DellConnect, but couldn’t, probably because the internet connection kept dropping off. So, after two eye-blurring hours and a million reboots, he felt the problem was cured. We hung up with my internet connection working at that moment, but five minutes later, I lost the connection again. He said he would call me tomorrow evening to make sure everything was ok, and if not, the only solution would be to reinstall the operating system. I shudder at that thought because the backup job I would have to do would kill me. I have a 4 year in-home service contract with Dell, but that only covers hardware replacement once the problem has already been diagnosed on the phone.

Does this problem ring a bell with anyone? I could call in a troubleshooter like Geek Squad (there’s a Best Buy down the block from me), but that gets expensive and I’m wondering if it pays to fix this 3-1/2 year old computer or consider springing for a new one.

Thanks guys.....if anyone knows what I’m talking about, I’d appreciate some advice. By the way, I had to type all this in my word processor and quickly paste it here before I lose my connection again.

Marilyn

xcator · Answer

well it could be one of many things...   do you use a router?    have you tried turning off all software firewalls...(XP, Norton, McAfee zonealarm etc)?   when you lose connection can you still get into your router? and modem?   is you nic set to Auto Select?  have you tried it set to 10Mb full duplex?   did you test your ethernet patch cables? or try new cat5e cables?   you could try and rebuild you tcp/ip stack with winsockxpfix (google it)   MS has a patch for a loop back problem with sp2 (KB884020)...you could try and install it   or just get a cheap new nic card and install it and see if that fixes problem if all else fails

legality · Answer

Thank you for your response. I’m sorry, but I should have prefaced my post by saying that I am a "dummy" when it comes to the inner workings of a computer. I will, however, attempt to answer a few of the questions you pose.......

well it could be one of many things...

do you use a router? NO

have you tried turning off all software firewalls...(XP, Norton, McAfee zonealarm etc)? I HAVE NORTON, BUT THE DELL TECH HAD ME TURN IT OFF AND I STILL LOST CONNECTION. NO ZONEALARM INSTALLED. WHERE DO I LOOK FOR THE XP FIREWALL STATUS??

when you lose connection can you still get into your router? and modem? AS ABOVE, NO ROUTER. YES, I CAN GET INTO MODEM BECAUSE I CAN DIAL UP AOL (I KEEP A MINIMAL ACCOUNT FOR EMERGENCIES)

is you nic set to Auto Select? have you tried it set to 10Mb full duplex? PLEASE TRANSLATE AND TELL ME WHERE TO LOOK.......DOES "NIC" MEAN NETWORK INTERFACE CARD?

did you test your ethernet patch cables? or try new cat5e cables? HOW DO I DO THIS? CABLE SERVICE HAD ME CHECK BACK OF COMPUTER WHERE ETHERNET CABLE IS CONNECTED...THE LIGHT INDICATOR WAS BLINKING ORANGE AS IT’S SUPPOSED TO.

you could try and rebuild you tcp/ip stack with winsockxpfix (google it) AGAIN, PLEASE TRANSLATE.

MS has a patch for a loop back problem with sp2 (KB884020)...you could try and install it. NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BY A LOOP BACK PROBLEM.

or just get a cheap new nic card and install it and see if that fixes problem if all else fails. I’VE NEVER OPENED THE COMPUTER COVER, LET ALONE FIDDLE WITH SOMETHING INSIDE. DELL SAYS MY NETWORK ADAPTER IS NOT A CARD. IT’S EMBEDDED IN THE MOTHERBOARD.

Thanks again, I admire your knowledge and look forward to your reply.

xcator · Answer

ok..you connect directly to a cable modem, no router.  What brand/model cable modem?  The cable modem line is a direct run from only one splitter, correct?  and no splitters after the cable modem? (check the line if you're not sure).    MAybe start with the easy stuff first, check your network cable...a bad cable can cause intermittent problems (replace it with another cable to test it).   Go into Control Panel - Security Center and check status of firewalls.  What does it say?  You have no router, so you only want this off for a short time while you're testing/connected.   Hate to put you on wild goose chases, but you need to make sure you have no malware running that would be affecting your system.  So you need to make sure NAV is up to date definitions and you run a full system scan.  Also scan online (if you can) at TrendMicro housecall.  Are your windows critical updates all current?   try this stuff first and see..

legality · Answer

Xcator......thanks for your reply and being so patient with me.   The Dell tech said the same thing about the cable wire.  I will have to call my cable company and have them bring another cable wire since I don't have an extra one.  However, as I said previously, this problem has existed off and on for a couple of years and my cable modem was recently upgraded with new cable wires.  So, I'm not really hopeful that's the problem. Yes, you're right, no further splitters......the cable line from the wall goes directly into my modem (Terayon TJ 715) and then out to my computer.    There are NO firewalls activated.  The Windows firewall is 'off' and I didn't realize it because I see that the recommendation is that it should be 'on'.  I will change that after this problem is solved.    I have NAV active at all times and my definitions are right up to date (I renew my subscription every year).  It did catch trojans a few times, so I know it's working.  It does a full system scan once each week and it doesn't allow installation of any new programs without my consent.  In addition, I believe I mentioned that yesterday the Dell tech had me download and run Ad-Aware and that got rid of a lot of excess baggage my computer didn't need.    My Win updates are current.  I have it set on automatic and it activates quite often as a matter of fact. When I check the programs listed in add/remove programs in the control panel, there is a list of Win updates a mile long.   I think I take pretty good care of my computer, I'm just not savvy about the mechanics underneath the sleek black cover. I can't even imagine how much dust must be inside. I'm always afraid that if I get the cover off, I won't get it back on.   Today I decided to chat a bit with another Dell tech online (don't ask me why, but for some reason old Betsy here hasn't lost connectivity today.....but the day isn't over yet).  Last night I couldn't keep the connection going for more than 1 minute.  The chat tech gave me some steps to reset the system setup defaults and then to clear the system setup memory. I believe I did the system defaults last evening with the other tech, but not the system setup memory as I don't recognize those steps.  The chat tech then gave me instructions to run a diagnostic on the motherboard, but told me not to do that until I change the cable wire. He told me to note any error messages and will call me back Tuesday evening to follow-up.  In the meantime, the other tech from last night will call me this evening and I have nothing to report to him.    So, that's where I'm at.  What do you think?  As I said before, my cable company really thinks it's the network adapter, but the Dell tech says nothing we ran last night indicated a problem with it.  We did not do the motherboard diagnostic. I would dearly love to get this solved and not have to reinstall the operating system, or worse, spring for a new computer.    However, before I would even consider reinstalling XP, I would go out and buy an external hard drive for backup purposes. I would need one anyway if I get a new computer to transfer all my data over.  Can you suggest a decent, but not expensive one to get, or what you would consider to be the best type of backup medium?  I don't need a huge one because I don't have videos or games, but I do have photos.  To illustrate how little of my hard drive is used, my computer has a 60gb hard drive and the system information says 40gb are free.  My son says I could partition my hard drive, but with my limited knowledge, I would rather leave it as one drive. He can't help me since he's in Shanghai on a 5 year assignment.    Many thanks for your input.  Sorry for being so wordy, but I needed to explain what little I do know.

xcator · Answer

It would be good to rule out the cable, if you could get a known good one just to try out. Of course check all your cable connections to make sure they are snug.

With your modem, go to http://192.168.100.1/diagnostics_page.html . The password is icu4at! See if that gets you into the diagnostics for the modem and report what it says.

Go into System Properties/Hardware/Device Manager and click on the network adapter. Under media type does it say Auto Select?

A quick and simple way to check your onboard nic would be to buy a cheap new pci nic card and install it and see if that fixes the problem.

As I said there are other things to try such as rebuilding your tcp/ip stack, patching MS KB884020, reinstalling your nic drivers.

Basically you want to first rule out your isp, cable/wiring, cable modem, router (if you had one), software firewall(s), win xp/drivers, then last, hardware. Intermittent issue can be perplexing.

edit: also, when you lose connectivity, go into Event Viewer and check the Application and System logs to if there are any errors around that same time.

Message Edited by xcator on 11-12-200607:45 PM

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Keep Losing Internet Connection

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