Net connection "dies out" after 15min

GB452 · 06-30-2008, 10:15 AM

So I recently had some troubles, which appeared to be fixed before.

However now have a new issue... I've been using the net on the XPS 630 for a good portion of the day, and during the evening hours I noticed that while I was listed as connected, I wasn't able to load any pages. Disconnecting and reconnecting after powering off the modem didn't solve the problem, however a restart did. But then it would seem to last about 5-15min and then the same problem would occur. I'm not sure if this is something involving Vista, my connection, or the phone jack I have in this room (a different one then I used on my old Dell 8200). Is there some way to determine what is causing this and how to fix it?

**af3** · 07-01-2008, 08:28 AM

When this happens again, do a tracerout of google.com to see where the breakdown is. If it fails alltogether, it may be the computer, or at least it's NIC.

start > run > cmd > ok
tracert google.com

Please take a screenshot of the results and post it here. Please be sure to stretch the window so we can see all of the information.

To make a screenshot, press "Print Screen" on your keyboard and then:
start > run > mspaint > ok > ctrl+v > file > save as > choose PNG or JPG.

This forum has an image attachment feature when you post a reply.

GB452 · 07-01-2008, 11:10 AM

The other night I located another phone jack, so I tried it out. I left the connection sit for a couple of hours in the evening and returned later on to test it. It was still working nicely... until a half hour or so passed then the problem occurred yet again. I restarted, and it happened even sooner (about 10min). I would have thought if any jack were to work correctly, it'd be the main one... so... guess it's not the phone jack.

As of this afternoon(when I just started up the computer since last night), my homepage and this page loaded up fine, but now things are going extremely slow (only 5min into browsing online).

Attached are the results of the tracert.

**af3** · 07-01-2008, 12:24 PM

The connection looks solid. Did you do this tracerout right after the connection "died out"?

It could be problems with the phone lines. Do you have any pops, clicks or hums, buzz's, or static in your phone?

Is it windy, or is the weather bad when it happens?

GB452 · 07-01-2008, 12:38 PM

Yes, that I did.

Not really, though they are rather old (this apartment building was built in the late 1920's, the electrical wiring doesn't look like it has been updated, so I doubt the phone wiring was either...).

It's currently nice and sunny out. Was pretty decent last night as well.

Here's another bit I noticed... it might be Firefox 3. I tried another application (Spybot S&D) that utilizes the net, and the updates ran fine. In fact after "dying out" I tried IE and it seems just fine. I've also noticed that despite exiting Firefox, it's still in the task manager, and trying to end the process does nothing. Or maybe not, IE just slowed to a crawl and isn't loading at all now (though that still doesn't explain why Firefox isn't completely closing.... and checking the task manager now... neither is IE). Oh and when they stick around in the task manager, restarting or shutting down seems to take forever (meaning it can take ten minutes just to get to the shutdown screen, at times I've had to power it off manually... which I know isn't good to do, but what else can I do?).

**af3** · 07-01-2008, 12:56 PM

Is the problem limited to just that computer?

Does anything else slow down? Menu navigation, mouse movements, text scrolling?

To force a process termination, I found that "start > run > tskill firefox > ok" as an example works better than struggling with the task manager.

It sounds like this computer is a bit gumed up.

GB452 · 07-01-2008, 01:04 PM

Yes, my other Dell (a dimension 8200) had no problems connecting and staying connected to the internet along with everything closing properly.

Nope, nothing else seems to slow down.

It wouldn't suprise me... there are lots of notes on the Dell forum noting various issues... I just thought I'd get a decent computer that worked fairly well. Hopefully I can resolve these issues somehow, or I might just have Dell send me a replacment (that may or may not work as it should...).

06-30-2008, 10:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
GB452 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 5 OS: Vista Home Premium	Net connection "dies out" after 15min So I recently had some troubles, which appeared to be fixed before. However now have a new issue... I've been using the net on the XPS 630 for a good portion of the day, and during the evening hours I noticed that while I was listed as connected, I wasn't able to load any pages. Disconnecting and reconnecting after powering off the modem didn't solve the problem, however a restart did. But then it would seem to last about 5-15min and then the same problem would occur. I'm not sure if this is something involving Vista, my connection, or the phone jack I have in this room (a different one then I used on my old Dell 8200). Is there some way to determine what is causing this and how to fix it?

07-01-2008, 08:28 AM	#2 (permalink)
af3 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 757 OS: Windows XP SP3 My System	Re: Net connection "dies out" after 15min When this happens again, do a tracerout of google.com to see where the breakdown is. If it fails alltogether, it may be the computer, or at least it's NIC. start > run > cmd > ok tracert google.com Please take a screenshot of the results and post it here. Please be sure to stretch the window so we can see all of the information. To make a screenshot, press "Print Screen" on your keyboard and then: start > run > mspaint > ok > ctrl+v > file > save as > choose PNG or JPG. This forum has an image attachment feature when you post a reply. __________________ You are currently using 0 MB (0%) of your 7171 MB, what's wrong with you?

07-01-2008, 12:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
af3 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 757 OS: Windows XP SP3 My System	Re: Net connection "dies out" after 15min The connection looks solid. Did you do this tracerout right after the connection "died out"? It could be problems with the phone lines. Do you have any pops, clicks or hums, buzz's, or static in your phone? Is it windy, or is the weather bad when it happens? __________________ You are currently using 0 MB (0%) of your 7171 MB, what's wrong with you?

07-01-2008, 12:38 PM	#5 (permalink)
GB452 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 5 OS: Vista Home Premium	Re: Net connection "dies out" after 15min Yes, that I did. Not really, though they are rather old (this apartment building was built in the late 1920's, the electrical wiring doesn't look like it has been updated, so I doubt the phone wiring was either...). It's currently nice and sunny out. Was pretty decent last night as well. Here's another bit I noticed... it might be Firefox 3. I tried another application (Spybot S&D) that utilizes the net, and the updates ran fine. In fact after "dying out" I tried IE and it seems just fine. I've also noticed that despite exiting Firefox, it's still in the task manager, and trying to end the process does nothing. Or maybe not, IE just slowed to a crawl and isn't loading at all now (though that still doesn't explain why Firefox isn't completely closing.... and checking the task manager now... neither is IE). Oh and when they stick around in the task manager, restarting or shutting down seems to take forever (meaning it can take ten minutes just to get to the shutdown screen, at times I've had to power it off manually... which I know isn't good to do, but what else can I do?).

07-01-2008, 12:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
af3 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 757 OS: Windows XP SP3 My System	Re: Net connection "dies out" after 15min Is the problem limited to just that computer? Does anything else slow down? Menu navigation, mouse movements, text scrolling? To force a process termination, I found that "start > run > tskill firefox > ok" as an example works better than struggling with the task manager. It sounds like this computer is a bit gumed up. __________________ You are currently using 0 MB (0%) of your 7171 MB, what's wrong with you?

07-01-2008, 01:04 PM	#7 (permalink)
GB452 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 5 OS: Vista Home Premium	Re: Net connection "dies out" after 15min Yes, my other Dell (a dimension 8200) had no problems connecting and staying connected to the internet along with everything closing properly. Nope, nothing else seems to slow down. It wouldn't suprise me... there are lots of notes on the Dell forum noting various issues... I just thought I'd get a decent computer that worked fairly well. Hopefully I can resolve these issues somehow, or I might just have Dell send me a replacment (that may or may not work as it should...).