temporarily dropping internet connection ALL THE TIME!!

[KaraMoo]

Ok, I'm definitely no computer expert, but something is seriously up!

This is the 3rd modem that this computer has been through in less than a year!!!

Just as I'm typing this it's doing it again...the power button will start blinking and all lights will go off temporarily. The little connectivity display in the corner says it's acquiring the network address, you can't do anything on the internet while it's doing this, obviously. Sometimes if you try to, when it's done acquiring the address the browser won't work at all. It goes to a page that says the connectivity problem has been resolved and I must close down the browser and open a new one before I can surf the web again. On that page it says if the problem persists to click the reboot button, i've done that, it tells me to wait for a few minutes and then says it's fixed...but it happens again a few minutes later...and all of this happens about every 10-15 minutes! It didn't do it for quite awhile when we first got the modem and it seems to get progressively worse.

When the lights come back on some of them blink for awhile and then eventually come back to solid.

I've checked all of the cables, tried rebooting, called AT&T Tech support...what help they were! =[

I don't want to just get another modem, it has to be something else that I just don't know how to fix.

Please someone help!

[johnwill]

Well, this is clearly a modem or ISP issue.

If you've had three modems, do they solve the issue for a period of time? If so, are you sure you aren't having some power issues that is taking out the modems?

[KaraMoo]

I don't think we have a power issue...everything else in the house works just fine...no flickering and whatnot.

and the new modems will work fine for a short period of time...the last one only made it about 2-3 days without it starting up again.

it really pisses me off...and especially since no one at 'tech support' from DELL or AT&T have any idea what's wrong.

If I buy a battery backup surge protector, that would rule out the power issue if I got a new one and tried it on there huh?

I was thinking...you know how you have to put those things on all the phone lines in the house and whatever? Well...we have those hooked up but do you think the satellite TV could be interfering? Even though it doesn't have a phone line hooked to it because we don't do PPV, but could it be confusing it?

hell, i dunno. i guess I could just have AT&T keep sending new ones every week!!! =[

thanks!

[johnwill]

I can't imagine the satellite TV having anything to do with this issue.

The one issue that could be a factor is some sort of power supply ground issue with the machine, and/or the NIC in the machine is somehow cooking the modems.

Other than trying a new NIC, I'm at a loss...