Intermittent internet connection

S

sad99

New Member
I built my first computer a couple weeks ago and everything went pretty well considering my lack of experience. A few days ago, however, I started having occasional trouble connecting to the internet. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes I can't connect. Plugging the modem into my old computer always works, so I know that part of the setup is fine. If I do connect, everything's good. I've never lost the connection. Also, when I plug into the new computer, I get a solid green light and flashing amber light from the motherboard, so I know it's live. And if I unplug it, the Windows connectivity icon gives me the red X indicating I'm not plugged in. I checked with my ISP to see if they've had any compatibiity problems with Windows 7 or if they had any other suggestions, but that was a dead end, so I'm not sure what to look at next. Any suggestions?

Here's my setup:

Gigabyte H55M-USB3 motherboard
Intel i3-530 Clarkdale processor
4GB G.Skill ram
Corsair 400w power supply
WD Caviar Black 750GB hard drive
LiteOn DVD/CD writer
NZXT Lexa S case
Windows 7 Home Premoum 64-bit
Norton Internet Security 2010
 
Try updating your network card driver first. If that don't work then its possible you have a faulty network card, then get a dedicated pci network card and try that.
 
Hey sad99,

It sounds like you're connecting with an ethernet cable directly to your modem. Is that correct?

Have you downloaded the correct LAN driver for your board? Get it here: http://www.gigabyte.us/Support/Motherboard/Driver_Model.aspx?ProductID=3320&ost=windows+7+32bit. There is also a "Realtek Ethernet Diagnostic Utility" - perhaps that will shed some light on the issue? (I have no idea what it does - "diagnoses" problems somehow, I'm sure).

The problem may possibly be a bad ethernet cable too, but I find that unlikely since you're able to connect sometimes and not others. But it wouldn't hurt to use a brand new cable if you're not already - that way we can eliminate that.

Sometimes it's fine, sometimes I can't connect. Plugging the modem into my old computer always works, so I know that part of the setup is fine. If I do connect, everything's good. I've never lost the connection.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by "can't connect"? On my setup, if I plug the ethernet cable into the modem or router, and connected automatically. Does it just not acknowledge that you've even plugged the cable in or what? Then, to get it to "work" what do you do? Just unplug it and plug it back in until it gets a signal? Please elaborate a little on that part...

Post back - we'll get to the bottom of the trouble. ;)
 
Yeah, I'm connecting with an ethernet cable from my modem. When I use the same cable to connect to my old computer, it works 100% of the time, so I've pretty much ruled that out.

When I first turn the new computer on, I check the Windows network icon. If it's going to connect, it does so almost immediately. Otherwise I get the little spinning blue disk as it's trying to connect, then after a minute or so, a yellow exclamation mark appears, saying there's no internet connection. If I go to the network page of the control panel, there's a red X between network and internet, but the path is okay from the computer to network.

Unplugging the ethernet cable and plugging it back in has never fixed the problem. I have to shut down the computer and turn it back on. Sometimes it connects on the second try, sometimes it doesn't. This morning I tried three times with no success, and finally fired up the old computer instead (I wanted to catch the Photoshop CS5 launch info). About two hours later I plugged back into the new computer and it connected right away. I've been up and running ever since.

I'll get the new LAN driver tonight and check out the diagnostic utility you mentioned, too.
 
Try disabling Norton when its not connecting and see if it opens it up. I had a similar issue on mine when I first installed Vista and it was the Norton trial that I had doing something wonky at startup that would mess up my ability to get online. I switched to AVG and eventually to Microsoft Security Essentials and it solved the issue.
 
It sounds like Windows is acknowledging that there's a cable connecting like it should, but it's failing to grab an IP from your modem. If you go into your Control Panel and right-click on your LAN connection and left-click on renew, this should fix the problem. If that doesn't work, there are some specific C:/ prompt commands you can use, but the "renew" option should do the trick. (I know I have to do this from time to time when my computer comes back out of sleep mode...)
 
DCIScouts said:
If that doesn't work, there are some specific C:/ prompt commands you can use, but the "renew" option should do the trick.
Click to expand...

This?
Code: 
ipconfig /renew
;)

I am curious to know what a simply DHCP renew request gives you. Also, have you tried the Win7 troubleshooting agent? Right-click the network icon in the system tray and choose "Troubleshoot problems."

On second thought...after re-reading the original post, it sounds like you are plugging your computer directly into the modem, correct? If that is the case, then this is most likely a case of rebooting the modem when the new computer is plugged in. Since your old computer can go online just fine and the new one cannot, the modem has your old computer's MAC address registered and is expecting that MAC address in order to assign an IP address to the computer. Rebooting the modem while the new computer is plugged in should fix that.

By the way, is this a Cable or DSL modem? (Sounds like a Cable setup.)
 
Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I appreciate the help. I've tried the Windows 7 troubleshooter several times and it hasn't found any problems. And it's DSL -- satellite DSL, actually. I'm way out in the middle of nowhere.
 
It's connected perfectly three times in a row. Kind of like a car that won't make the noise you keep hearing when you take it to a mechanic. I'll report back in the morning.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top