Wireless laptop keeps losing Internet connection??

[Searcher22]

Hi All

Again like the intermittent printer issue I experienced this issue only started recently about 4 days ago??? NB the printer issue predated this event

I had setup various connected devices with static IP's including the laptop in question...............now oddly even static IP'ed devices show up in the DHCP list, that seems funny to me because the static devices have IP's outside the DHCP range.

What has been happening is that after about an hour the laptop still shows as being linked to the 7800DXL but there is no access to the Internet? I found that is I ipconfig -release it within 10 seconds before I can use the ipconfig -renew command is reconnected to the 7800 and Internet is fine. Now for a test I removed it's static IP and let DHCP take it over but the problem persists

Just what the heck has changed and/or going on that the wireless connection is behaving so strangely and for the record (so far) no other device wireless or Ethernet has shown the same problem.

Many thanks in advance for any support & insight on the problem. maybe needs an

[billion_fan]

Hi All

Again like the intermittent printer issue I experienced this issue only started recently about 4 days ago??? NB the printer issue predated this event

I had setup various connected devices with static IP's including the laptop in question...............now oddly even static IP'ed devices show up in the DHCP list, that seems funny to me because the static devices have IP's outside the DHCP range.

What has been happening is that after about an hour the laptop still shows as being linked to the 7800DXL but there is no access to the Internet? I found that is I ipconfig -release it within 10 seconds before I can use the ipconfig -renew command is reconnected to the 7800 and Internet is fine. Now for a test I removed it's static IP and let DHCP take it over but the problem persists

Just what the heck has changed and/or going on that the wireless connection is behaving so strangely and for the record (so far) no other device wireless or Ethernet has shown the same problem.

Many thanks in advance for any support & insight on the problem. maybe needs an

Are you on firmware 2.32c?? Have you changed the 'Bandwidth' to 20mhz??

As the issue seems to be isolated to one laptop have checked to see if there is a updated wireless driver for your laptop?

[Searcher22]

Hi

Yes, its is FW 2.3.2c and No I am not on lower bandwidth at the moment. As for the updated driver I have yet to check but as mentioned the oddity is that when I first installed & used the 7800 his was not an issue.

Now as the other computer(s) are accessing the Internet I would have thought it was unlikely that one computer alone would suddenly not resolve the DNS server(s) of the ISP...............but could it be that for some obscure reason???

[billion_fan]

Hi

Yes, its is FW 2.3.2c and No I am not on lower bandwidth at the moment. As for the updated driver I have yet to check but as mentioned the oddity is that when I first installed & used the 7800 his was not an issue.

Now as the other computer(s) are accessing the Internet I would have thought it was unlikely that one computer alone would suddenly not resolve the DNS server(s) of the ISP...............but could it be that for some obscure reason???

You can always try the google DNS servers 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 and set these as static DNS servers on the laptop if your ISP DNS servers are causing issues.

[Searcher22]

Have you checked the laptop NIC settings and use the /flushdns switch?

Yet to check for any NIC driver updates (NB settings wise unchanged so why the different performance with the loss of Internet but still 'connected' to the 7800DXL) and flush DNS did not help. The only thing that works is release and as noted I do not even have to renew.

[Tomken]

If the driver update doesn't resolve then open a command prompt as an administrator by going Start - type cmd.exe then right click on cmd and select Run as administrator.

At the cmd prompt enter these commands (assuming at least Win 7) -

netsh winsock reset catalog
netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log
netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log
exit

Now reboot the computer.

While another electrical device such as a cordless phone base near the router could disrupt all devices, do you have anything near the affected computer that could have the same effect and does the connectivity problem still occur when wired to the router ?

[Searcher22]

If the driver update doesn't resolve then open a command prompt as an administrator by going Start - type cmd.exe then right click on cmd and select Run as administrator.

At the cmd prompt enter these commands (assuming at least Win 7) -

netsh winsock reset catalog
netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log
netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log
exit

Now reboot the computer.

While another electrical device such as a cordless phone base near the router could disrupt all devices, do you have anything near the affected computer that could have the same effect and does the connectivity problem still occur when wired to the router ?

The laptop in question runs XP, there is a DECT phone nearby that one is one of the remote ones and the base station is about 30ft away...............but as I said nothing has changed since I go the 7800 and for first many days (couple of weeks?) there was no issue.

I have noted the disconnection seems to happen approx. once an hour!!! Also as mentioned it is only the connection to the Internet that is lost, ipconfig -all shows them connection is there and the 'connection manager' shows likewise. I must remember next time it drops to see if I can access the 7800 GUI as that is something I have yet to check???

What do those commands do that you think will be cured by doing so???

Edit ~ happened again (right on time!!!) and tried to reach the 7800 GUI and it fails

[Tomken]

Those commands can help with loss of connection, rather than intermittent but thought they may help in this case and the following two articles will explain their functions.

The second one gives the slightly different cmd for resetting the TCP/IP stack in XP.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811259

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357

As it doesn't appear to be caused by local interference, it could be due to power saving and changing the Power Plan to High Performance could help as well as ensuring that the wireless adapter doesn't have its Power Management set to turn off to save power.

This can be checked by right clicking on the wireless adapter in Device Manager/Network adapters, select Properties and under the Power Management tab ensure that the box to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power is unchecked.

Also is your clock keeping good time ?

[Searcher22]

Those commands can help with loss of connection, rather than intermittent but thought they may help in this case and the following two articles will explain their functions.

The second one gives the slightly different cmd for resetting the TCP/IP stack in XP.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811259

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357

As it doesn't appear to be caused by local interference, it could be due to power saving and changing the Power Plan to High Performance could help as well as ensuring that the wireless adapter doesn't have its Power Management set to turn off to save power.

This can be checked by right clicking on the wireless adapter in Device Manager/Network adapters, select Properties and under the Power Management tab ensure that the box to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power is unchecked.

Also is your clock keeping good time ?

Hi Tomken

I will check all those to be sure and read up/act on the commands settings you advise..............but as I said there have been no changes so subject to how well all the checks go et al the oddity is that it repeats approx. once an hour

[Tomken]

Increasing the Lease time and ensuring that the system clock is sync'd may help and as you are running a XP machine, the CMOS battery could becoming a little tired ?

I have the Power Management box unchecked in mine, but this can default to being checked although I've never nailed that down as to why, unless it occurred after updating the drivers.