Intermittent Internet...never stays connected

[Guest]

I've searched all over the net for weeks now and I haven't been able to find
a solution to my problem. I have tried everything in the book that I know of
to try and correct this problem. I know it has something to do with SP2
because I have 2 computers running SP2 and they are the only ones effected by
this. My main computer (XP SP2) constantly gets knocked off of it's internet
connection. My IM profiles constantly get disconnected and then reconnected.
During FTP transfers to my websites the file gets cut off mid upload.
Websites take FOREVER to load. Like I said I have tried everything I can
think of to try and fix this problem.

Main Computer Specs:
Windows XP SP2
MSI K8T Master 2 Motherboard (onboard gigabit LAN)
Dual AMD Opteron 242 1.6 Ghz Processors
1 GB Corsair Registered Memory
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500
Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet (onboard LAN)
Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS
Raptor 75 GB SATA Hard Drive (Main Windows Drive)
250 GB SATA Hard Drive (Storage)

I also have an older Sony Vaio that also has SP2 and has the same problems
as the above mentioned computer, but not as bad.

I have Adelphia Cable internet running through a Linksys WRK54G wireless
router. I have updated the router's firmware and it is in working order.

I also have a Mac G4 Dual running on the network, which has no internet
connectivity issues (but has a lot of issues with being a piece of crap
Mac...I work in video production and hate Macs...I have to have it to work
with my collegues who have them). But the Mac has no problems with losing
internet connectivity.

I also have another PC running Windows 2000 and a laptop running XP SP1 that
both have no problems staying connected.

At this point I only care about getting my main computer from losing it's
connection. Websites take forever to load all the time...it drives me nuts.
I've run registry scans, spyware scans, and antivirus programs constantly and
nothing helps.

I have Norton Anitvirus 2005, SystemWorks 2005, Xoftspy Spyware Remover and
Registry Mechanic...all run on a regular basis. I also update Windows every
time it prompts me to.

I have checked with the ISP and they said everything should be good...plus
if it was an issue with the ISP my other computers wouldn't be on the
internet.

I'm just wondering if there is something I can tweak or run some kind
diagnostic on my main SP2 machine that will fix this problem or at least tell
me what the problem is. I have seen a lot of people online with similar
problems, but I've never seen anyone find a real solution. Surely someone
has found a way to fix this or has at least something I can try.

PLEASE!!! can anyone help me out with this? I am not a computer illiterate
person as I run a network here of 5 computers, but I have tried everything I
know of to fix this problem. Thank you in advance to anyone who thinks they
can shed light on my problem!

 

[Quaoar]

I've searched all over the net for weeks now and I haven't been able to find
a solution to my problem. I have tried everything in the book that I know of
to try and correct this problem. I know it has something to do with SP2
because I have 2 computers running SP2 and they are the only ones effected by
this. My main computer (XP SP2) constantly gets knocked off of it's internet
connection. My IM profiles constantly get disconnected and then reconnected.
During FTP transfers to my websites the file gets cut off mid upload.
Websites take FOREVER to load. Like I said I have tried everything I can
think of to try and fix this problem.

Main Computer Specs:
Windows XP SP2
MSI K8T Master 2 Motherboard (onboard gigabit LAN)
Dual AMD Opteron 242 1.6 Ghz Processors
1 GB Corsair Registered Memory
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500
Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet (onboard LAN)
Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS
Raptor 75 GB SATA Hard Drive (Main Windows Drive)
250 GB SATA Hard Drive (Storage)

I also have an older Sony Vaio that also has SP2 and has the same problems
as the above mentioned computer, but not as bad.

I have Adelphia Cable internet running through a Linksys WRK54G wireless
router. I have updated the router's firmware and it is in working order.

I also have a Mac G4 Dual running on the network, which has no internet
connectivity issues (but has a lot of issues with being a piece of crap
Mac...I work in video production and hate Macs...I have to have it to work
with my collegues who have them). But the Mac has no problems with losing
internet connectivity.

I also have another PC running Windows 2000 and a laptop running XP SP1 that
both have no problems staying connected.

At this point I only care about getting my main computer from losing it's
connection. Websites take forever to load all the time...it drives me nuts.
I've run registry scans, spyware scans, and antivirus programs constantly and
nothing helps.

I have Norton Anitvirus 2005, SystemWorks 2005, Xoftspy Spyware Remover and
Registry Mechanic...all run on a regular basis. I also update Windows every
time it prompts me to.

I have checked with the ISP and they said everything should be good...plus
if it was an issue with the ISP my other computers wouldn't be on the
internet.

I'm just wondering if there is something I can tweak or run some kind
diagnostic on my main SP2 machine that will fix this problem or at least tell
me what the problem is. I have seen a lot of people online with similar
problems, but I've never seen anyone find a real solution. Surely someone
has found a way to fix this or has at least something I can try.

PLEASE!!! can anyone help me out with this? I am not a computer illiterate
person as I run a network here of 5 computers, but I have tried everything I
know of to fix this problem. Thank you in advance to anyone who thinks they
can shed light on my problem!

You have five computers running on this network. What are the three
that remain connected doing? If you are uploading at high rates from
these other three, you could be saturating your upstream signal, leaving
the two problem computers no way to communicate either up or down. It
looks like a problem but is really an artifact of a pipeline that is
full. Cable internet is a half-duplex communication system. The
upstream and downstream signals are shared. If the upstream transfer
rate is more than about 70% full, downstream will be affected since the
upstream cannot acknowledge receipt of downstream packets.

Otherwise, swap ethernet cables between a working and non-working
computer. Swap router ports. Take the working computers out of the
router, leaving only one non-working computer connected at a time.
Power cycle the router and modem, then bring computers on line one at a
time.

Access the modem's web interface, 192.168.100.1, from Internet Explorer.
If information is available, record upstream and downstream signal to
noise ratios and power levels in dBmv. Consult the cable modem faq at
www.dslreports.com and see if the data are within the operable levels.

Google for the application winsockxpfix.exe to fix a corrupt TCP/IP
stack. Reset the router if all else fails.

Q

 

[Kent W. England]

lotus182 wrote on 16-Jan-2006 10:06 PM:

I have Adelphia Cable internet running through a Linksys WRK54G wireless
router. I have updated the router's firmware and it is in working order.

Sorry to hear you live in Adelphialand.

I have a similar wireless setup using a Linksys WRT54G wireless router,
Linksys USB wireless adapter, and wired connections to the same router.
Cable modem to Cox cable.

I was unable to make the wireless connection stay up until I switched my
computer from DHCP to static IP addressing. I didn't disable DHCP on the
Linksys router, I just switched the host adapter to using a static IP
address from the same subnet (192.168.1.x). Note the subnet and default
gateway from the DHCP assignment and duplicate those in your static setup.

I updated the USB adapter drivers to no effect. I don't think I tried
updating the router firmware, but avoiding DHCP is the only thing that
makes my wireless connection stable. Give it a try.

 

[Guest]

You have five computers running on this network. What are the three
that remain connected doing? If you are uploading at high rates from
these other three, you could be saturating your upstream signal, leaving
the two problem computers no way to communicate either up or down. It
looks like a problem but is really an artifact of a pipeline that is
full. Cable internet is a half-duplex communication system. The
upstream and downstream signals are shared. If the upstream transfer
rate is more than about 70% full, downstream will be affected since the
upstream cannot acknowledge receipt of downstream packets.

Otherwise, swap ethernet cables between a working and non-working
computer. Swap router ports. Take the working computers out of the
router, leaving only one non-working computer connected at a time.
Power cycle the router and modem, then bring computers on line one at a
time.

Access the modem's web interface, 192.168.100.1, from Internet Explorer.
If information is available, record upstream and downstream signal to
noise ratios and power levels in dBmv. Consult the cable modem faq at
www.dslreports.com and see if the data are within the operable levels.

Google for the application winsockxpfix.exe to fix a corrupt TCP/IP
stack. Reset the router if all else fails.

Q

Thanks Q and Kent...

I tried the Winsock Fix and it works perfectly for about 5 mintues and then
back to the same old sluggish intermittent internet. I had a problem with a
Trojan or a worm a long while back stopping up my bandwidth, but I got rid of
it and everything has been fine for months now.

It is starting to act like it's back, but all scans fail to detect anything.
Plus I got rid of it so I doubt it could just spontaneously reappear. It's
not the cable because I unplugged the other computers and it still does the
same thing. It's an issue with the computer itself.

Haven't tried the changing from Dynamic to Static IP, but I'll give it a
try. I still think it's something else though because this is the same setup
I've had for a year now and except for the one problem I had a few months
ago, the dynamic IP has worked fine. I will try the static to be on the safe
side.

Thanks again guys!