connection cuts out frequently for 10-20 minutes at a time[MOVED FROM WINDOWS]

jumm · 04-13-2008, 05:35 AM

like the title says, im happily connected playin my games and then the connection just dies, i ran the msn connection troubleshooter which checks various connection based things, says my hosts file and DNS arent right, but that means nothing to me, i find a good old-fashioned off/on on the router and modem usually gets the connection back quicker but not always, if it matters i built the pc myself and just used automatically detect settings for my internet connection and it just -worked- , however my old pc was storebought and that had the problem, is it something to do with my router or ISP perhaps?

**ThorXP** · 04-13-2008, 06:15 AM

Have you ever had dial-up on this computer?

TheShadowFl · 04-13-2008, 06:33 AM

With several hundred customers to support with computer service, I see this quite often. Off hand, I can't think of a single case where the problem could be traced to the computer itself. All my customers computers are kept Clean and free of malware.

In many cases, it took repeated calls to the ISP to get the problem fixed.
It seems to make NO difference whether the connection is Dial Up, DSL or Cable...... connections corrode or break and line amplifiers fail. It's just the "nature of the beast" so to speak.

In one case where a dial up connection was intermittently failing, the phone co. repairman found the problem in a junction box a block down the street. Another case in point, a Cable connection kept dropping and the fourth service tech found a failing splitter in the persons' attic.

I personally found a cable connection that kept dropping at the modem.
I found there were eight connectors and two TV sets between the outside cable box and the modem. A service tech ran a dedicated cable from the outside box to the modem and the problem was solved.

In none of those cases, was there anything wrong with the PC.

I'm not saying it can't happen, but in my own experience, it's most likely the ISP and not your computer.

It would be foolhardy at best for me to say that it can't be the modem or router. Both have been known to fail. Can you bypass the router and connect your PC directly to the modem?

I lost my own connection one day and a reboot of the router fixed it.
Why? I haven't the foggiest idea! It's even on a UPS, so I was unable to explain the problem. That was several weeks ago and the problem has not reoccurred since. One of life's little mysteries, I guess.

But, clean up your computer anyway. Windows own "Disk Cleanup" program is a good place to start. Follow that with a Defrag.

There's a lot more to get your computer cleaned up and running at peak performance, but that's a good place to start.

Good Luck,
The Shadow

jumm · 04-13-2008, 10:26 AM

ok thanks ill get my mum to give them a ring XD never had dialup on here, its only a year old machine only problems ive had with it is the infamous vundo malware and the random loss of connection. i belevie the junction box goes to my NTL box, which goes to the modem, (both very very old ones, 5years+ id say) and that goes to the router, also quite old, 3 years or so, which goes to my pc and the other pc downstairs, so likely culprits r the out of date ntl box, modem and router, and possibly the cable between router and pc? its about 20 metres long :P i was told u wudnt notice any issues due to length of cable unless it was incredibly long like 500m+ perhaps we should order a new modem from them, or just get a new isp anyway i hate ntl (now virgin of course) i wanna get sky but what mum says goes ¬_¬ what have u guys heard about skys service?

04-13-2008, 05:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
jumm Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 12 OS: XP sp2	connection cuts out frequently for 10-20 minutes at a time[MOVED FROM WINDOWS] like the title says, im happily connected playin my games and then the connection just dies, i ran the msn connection troubleshooter which checks various connection based things, says my hosts file and DNS arent right, but that means nothing to me, i find a good old-fashioned off/on on the router and modem usually gets the connection back quicker but not always, if it matters i built the pc myself and just used automatically detect settings for my internet connection and it just -worked- , however my old pc was storebought and that had the problem, is it something to do with my router or ISP perhaps?

04-13-2008, 06:15 AM	#2 (permalink)
ThorXP Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2,205 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3, Kubuntu 8.04.1	Re: connection cuts out frequently for 10-20 minutes at a time Have you ever had dial-up on this computer? __________________ Mentor I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one. Heaven goes by favorites, If it didn't then your dog would get in first. Amen.

04-13-2008, 06:33 AM	#3 (permalink)
TheShadowFl Retired PC Builder Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Central Florida Posts: 237 OS: XP-SP3, Vista Ult.	Re: connection cuts out frequently for 10-20 minutes at a time With several hundred customers to support with computer service, I see this quite often. Off hand, I can't think of a single case where the problem could be traced to the computer itself. All my customers computers are kept Clean and free of malware. In many cases, it took repeated calls to the ISP to get the problem fixed. It seems to make NO difference whether the connection is Dial Up, DSL or Cable...... connections corrode or break and line amplifiers fail. It's just the "nature of the beast" so to speak. In one case where a dial up connection was intermittently failing, the phone co. repairman found the problem in a junction box a block down the street. Another case in point, a Cable connection kept dropping and the fourth service tech found a failing splitter in the persons' attic. I personally found a cable connection that kept dropping at the modem. I found there were eight connectors and two TV sets between the outside cable box and the modem. A service tech ran a dedicated cable from the outside box to the modem and the problem was solved. In none of those cases, was there anything wrong with the PC. I'm not saying it can't happen, but in my own experience, it's most likely the ISP and not your computer. It would be foolhardy at best for me to say that it can't be the modem or router. Both have been known to fail. Can you bypass the router and connect your PC directly to the modem? I lost my own connection one day and a reboot of the router fixed it. Why? I haven't the foggiest idea! It's even on a UPS, so I was unable to explain the problem. That was several weeks ago and the problem has not reoccurred since. One of life's little mysteries, I guess. But, clean up your computer anyway. Windows own "Disk Cleanup" program is a good place to start. Follow that with a Defrag. There's a lot more to get your computer cleaned up and running at peak performance, but that's a good place to start. Good Luck, The Shadow __________________ A person with experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument. Last edited by TheShadowFl : 04-13-2008 at 06:40 AM.

04-13-2008, 10:26 AM	#4 (permalink)
jumm Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 12 OS: XP sp2	Re: connection cuts out frequently for 10-20 minutes at a time ok thanks ill get my mum to give them a ring XD never had dialup on here, its only a year old machine only problems ive had with it is the infamous vundo malware and the random loss of connection. i belevie the junction box goes to my NTL box, which goes to the modem, (both very very old ones, 5years+ id say) and that goes to the router, also quite old, 3 years or so, which goes to my pc and the other pc downstairs, so likely culprits r the out of date ntl box, modem and router, and possibly the cable between router and pc? its about 20 metres long :P i was told u wudnt notice any issues due to length of cable unless it was incredibly long like 500m+ perhaps we should order a new modem from them, or just get a new isp anyway i hate ntl (now virgin of course) i wanna get sky but what mum says goes ¬_¬ what have u guys heard about skys service?