[SOLVED] Another dropped connection problem!

[allnew2me]

Hello guys, seasons greeting to you all. I have a problem that, judging by this forum, a lot of other people are having but here goes. I have a brand new PC - Emachine, running Vista home premium 32 bit. Prior to that I had an HP running XP SP2 for 4 years on a Virgin Media cable, 2Mb broad band connection with no problems. 3 months ago, I set up a network using a D-Link DI-524, hard wired via ethernet cable to my desk top and wirelessly to my sons lap top. This ran with no problems. Since installing the new machine (a week ago) I have been suffering an intermitant drop in connection every day. Possibly ISP related but want to make sure it's not my set up first.

I have taken the router out of the system and I am currently running direct to the modem with an ethernet cable. The connection is there when I first boot up (between 1pm and 2pm each day) and stays for anything up to four hours (today it kept the connection until 1045pm!), then starts to drop the connection. The modem (Webstar DPX100) lights show power = solid, cable - solid, PC = flickering and data = intermitant flicker, as per normal. The Network Sharing Centre in Vista, shows the connection as OK. However, I can't load a new page or go to any other site on the web. If I recycle the modem (no reset button!) I get the connection back but it's a gamble for how long. Sometimes 10min, sometimes 25min with maybe 4 or 5 recycles till I get fed up and go to bed! Today only one recycle (at 1045 and the connection has lasted 2hrs 30m so far).

This is all by way of an introduction to a new thread. I have seen, from other peoples threads, that you would like as much info as poss and so, here is an IPCONFIG/ALL from a working connection. When the connection drops again, I will post the results of a PING 216.109.112.135 and PING yahoo.com and another IPCONFIG/ALL for comparison!

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6000]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\David>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : David1-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet
NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1B-B9-A6-C0-AF
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::444f:845b:1d65:a0e3%8(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 77.98.47.87(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 24 December 2007 22:20:18
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 28 December 2007 22:26:46
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 77.98.47.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 62.30.192.113
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 201333689
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 62.31.144.39
195.188.53.175
62.31.112.39
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4136:e38a:2035:29fc:b29d:d0a8(Pref
erred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::2035:29fc:b29d:d0a8%9(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{284DA540-2DE5-4746-82C2-1C7E00232
5CD}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::200:5efe:77.98.47.87%10(Preferred)

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 62.31.144.39
195.188.53.175
62.31.112.39
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 9:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Temporary IPv6 Address. . . . . . : 2002:4d62:2f57::4d62:2f57(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 2002:c058:6301::c058:6301
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 62.31.144.39
195.188.53.175
62.31.112.39
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

C:\Users\David>

In anticipation.......................

[johnwill]

Since power cycling the modem seems to be the ticket here, I'd be looking at the modem or the ISP service as the problem.

[allnew2me]

Johnwill, I am pretty much in agreement with you. I have suspected ISP from the start. Just wanted to get a second opinion from someone better acquainted with the media than I. My point of contact with Virgin Media will be in India, unfortunately, and at 25p per min I want to be sure that I am on firm ground that it is their problem! Another indicator of ISP responsibility I have noticed, is the, rather, high power level (10.20dBmV) on the downstream channel! Many thanks for your reply - it droped again as I was typing this reply. Lasted some 8 hrs today but came straight back with a recycle. Thanks again..............David

[johnwill]

It really sucks that you have to pay for the calls to support. None of the ISP's in the US have toll numbers, any support calls here are at least free calls. That doesn't mean we get more satisfaction from the calls, just that we pay less for the annoyance!

[allnew2me]

Just a quick follow up for anyone with the same problems. Noticed that the downstream freq on my Webstar modem was 331250000Hz, it should be - and changed to - 331000000Hz. NO dropouts since

Johnwill, saved me having to pay for any support.

[johnwill]

Did you actually have to manually change the downstream frequency, or did the ISP do that?

[allnew2me]

Manually! On Mon 17 Dec, my ISP had a major problem. Routine maintenance resulted in everybody losing their connection and the consequent, automatic, retry by so many people overloaded their servers. That was the first day after I had set up my new PC and when all the problems started. I am assuming (we all know what assume means?) that, in the rush to get us all re-connected, I got asigned a slightly different freq. All seems to be OK now but will keep my eye on the freq for a while. Downstream power level still seems a bit high at 9.37dBmV but it's always been around the 9 level so, again, I will keep my eye on that too. Hopefully! a happy surfer once more Thanks once again!

[johnwill]

Glad it's all sorted out.