Recent Connection Dropouts

[gatsu_kun]

Hi everyone,

Here is my problem: I run on DSL and my connection always has been fluid up until a few days. I started experiencing connection flaws and dropouts while trying to play Icewind Dale 2 online with a friend. I was running Gamespy Arcade and Skype at the time.

When it happened I noticed I was hearing my friend but he didn't hear me back for a few seconds before Skype ended our conversation, without however totally disconnecting. The game soon kicked me out of the multiplayer session. I called him back on Skype and it would boot up a conversation just fine so I went and tried browsing internet right away to see if it worked, and it did. But as of now, when I type an address and press enter, the browser once in a while displays a "can't reach server" error after a few seconds of search. Though I only need to refresh and the page loads and I never get a "connection lost" icon from Windows.

Even when the page loads, I often get a small lapse between when I press enter and when the page displays on the browser while the status bar displays "Waiting for [...]". Like the connection is struggling when it used to display a page almost instantanously. When the page starts displaying though, it's just as fast as it used to be.

It's like the connection drops for a few seconds only. And it's erratic, sometimes I play for an hour and it's fine while it can also happen twice in a 10min span. I doubt very much that it would be caused by overheating of the modem or network adapter since I shutted down the computer and modem for a whole night before trying everything again to no avail.

I also tried reformating and it did seem to solve the problem... for a few hours. It seems to happen less often but I'm guessing it has nothing to do with the formating. Also, the person with whom I was playing has the same Internet service provider as I do and doesn't seem to have that problem.

Thanks for helping!

[johnwill]

Try this test a few times, and post each result URL here. Maybe we can trap something happening on the link.

Register at DSLReports and run their Line Quality Tests. Post the results link from the top of the test display page here.

The link to post is near the top of the page and looks like:

If you wish to post this result to a forum, please copy/paste this URL
http://www.dslreports.com/linequality/nil/2357195 <- sample only, yours will obviously be different!
and your IP will be disguised.

Copy/paste that link here.

Note: You will have to enable PING (ICMP) request response either in your router (if you have one), or in your computer's firewall for direct modem connections. This is very important to get the most important part of the test to run.

[gatsu_kun]

Here is the link:

http://www.dslreports.com/linequality/nil/2370574

Hope it helps.

[johnwill]

Well, you're right, you have connection issues! Time to call the ISP and complain. Run a couple of these tests and have them available when they make the service call. I'd suspect bad phone lines.

One issue here is that it could be interior wiring, you can also test for that. Run a wire direct from the modem to the telco service entrance and temporarily disconnect ALL the phones there and just have the modem connected. Do some testing with that configuration and see if the dropouts still occur.

[gatsu_kun]

I've stacked 4 more tests and am planning to make a call to my ISP as soon as I have the time.

There is something else I should've said. I tried connecting to XBox Live through my Xbox360 and experienced no problem at all. Is it possible the problem is caused by my on-board network adaptor dying on me?

[johnwill]

Yep, it could be on-board hardware issues.