Internet connection unstable/keeps dropping

eBrain

New Member
Messages
2
Hello everyone.

I am an IT guy and long time Internet user. Recently bought 3 laptops for the household (1 HP Envy TouchSmart m7 Sleekbook, and 2 Gateway NV570P10u Touchscreen Laptops)

Laptops came with Windows 8, I immediately upgraded to Windows 8.1 so I cannot say if things were working when I had Windows 8

I have all these laptops connected to the Internet via DLink-Dir655 Router. Additional devices connected to the router/internet are a wireless printer, server running Windows Server 2008, laptop running Windows XP Professional, and a laptop running Windows 7 64-Bit Home Premium (along with couple cell phones running Android). All other devices have absolutely no connectivity issues ... Only the 3 laptops running Windows 8.1 keep giving us headache to a point we can hardly connect to the Internet using these (Winows 8.1) laptops

Interestingly, when I connect laptops via Ethernet cable connection is "little more stable" but I still get disconnects ("page cannot be displayed" errors) which leads me to the conclusion that it is not Wireless card always but Router or its settings are also playing a role.


We can focus on HP laptop to address this issue. It has Intel Centrino N-2230 as its built-in wireless card. Was having lots of disconnects or pages partially displayed but when I attached an old MediaLink Dongle (USB WiFi Card), internet connection became lot more stable. It is atleast 10x more stable compared to built-in wireless card but I still gets disconnected even with this dongle (and Ethernet cable as mention before)

Have spent lot of time on this issue already from changing router channels to updating wireless card drivers, power settings of Windows 8.1 to keep wireless card alive but nothing is working for me. Please help me fixing this issue; it is very frustrating for the family and kids as these were supposed to be their laptops.

PS: I tend to believe it is router's compatibility ... Otherwise why Ethernet Cable is giving the connectivity issue? But router is listed as compatible with Windows 8 on MS Website and Ethernet connection is 10x more stable than Wireless connection. Very confusing.

Thanks in advance for all the help! Family and kids will be very thankful to you all!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
Hey,

Update the router's firmware to latest.

Then, you will be best off setting the DNS server in WAN settings of the router to any OpenDNS address (usually faster/more reliable than ISP.)

Here is an example of how mine is set:

Capture.JPG

Alternatively and even better than that, use the tool in my attachment to find the quickest DNS server for you and use that in your router's settings.

If any of your machines have Atheros wireless and/or wired adapters, update the driver(s) from here: ATHEROS drivers for Microsoft Windows (Atheros?????)

Use Vistumbler to find the most open radio channel in your area and set the router to use that channel.

If you are using some kind of 3rd party security application such as a firewall, that may be a culprit in all of this. I would uninstall completely (not just disable) to test, if necessary.

Scan the machines for malware with Malwarebytes.
 

Attachments

  • DNSBench.rar
    154.5 KB · Views: 205

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7601.18247.x86fre.win7sp1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built Intel based
    CPU
    Pentium D 925 3.0 GHz socket 775, Presler @ ~ 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel DQ965MT
    Memory
    Hyundai 2 GB DDR2 @ 333 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS DirectCU II HD7790-DC2OC-2GD5 Radeon HD 7790 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Hard Drives
    1 Seagate Barracuda SATA II system/boot drive 80 GB, 2 Western Digital hdds - 1 is SATA II Caviar Black 1 TB attached to card (assorted media, page, temp), other is SATA I 420 GB (games, media, downloads)
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W
    Cooling
    stock Gateway cooling, extra large fan in rear of case
    Keyboard
    Alienware/Microsoft Internet kb
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    Optimum Online, fast for US
    Browser
    Pale Moon
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky integrated into ZoneAlarm+Antivirus
@MasterChief: Thanks for quick reply:


  • Router channel I have already set to channel 11 (not being used by anyone in the neighborhood). It did not help
  • Router Firmware is up-to-date
  • OpenDNS or using any other 3rd party DNS is not an option because I work for a healthcare company (from home) and their VPN wont connect if I am using any 3rd party DNS like OpenDNS (due to patient/HIPAA Laws, etc.)
  • There are no security or anti-virus s/w or malware on machines since machines are barely used. I did clean bloatware that came with Windows 8.1 but maybe I missed something that I am not able to find.
  • 2 Gateway Machines have Atheros but mine HP has Intel Centrino N-2230. Just updated driver on Gateway machines but no luck :-(

Any other ideas?

Thanks!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
Yes, temporary test with OpenDNS server set then.

It could just be your ISP crapping out, since it is even happening with wired.

But I find that odd, that VPN won't connect. VPN (in and of itself) is like a tunnel between you and remote machine. It does not rely on or use DNS at all. (There are ways to configure VPN usage though, for traffic through the VPN and separately for traffic not through VPN - if that is of any interest.) Also, is there really a law on the books that strictly says you must use an ISP's DNS server? It would surely be the first I have ever seen of it, if it did actually exist.

But ya, all I can suggest then is a temporary test to see if there is a difference and based on the results ruling things in or out, make decisions from there.

Other good testing to do is to see how very large file transfers behave from one of your machines to another, through the router. If they work well without timeouts after much testing, then that is even more evidence to support that the ISP could be to blame.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7601.18247.x86fre.win7sp1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built Intel based
    CPU
    Pentium D 925 3.0 GHz socket 775, Presler @ ~ 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel DQ965MT
    Memory
    Hyundai 2 GB DDR2 @ 333 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS DirectCU II HD7790-DC2OC-2GD5 Radeon HD 7790 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Hard Drives
    1 Seagate Barracuda SATA II system/boot drive 80 GB, 2 Western Digital hdds - 1 is SATA II Caviar Black 1 TB attached to card (assorted media, page, temp), other is SATA I 420 GB (games, media, downloads)
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W
    Cooling
    stock Gateway cooling, extra large fan in rear of case
    Keyboard
    Alienware/Microsoft Internet kb
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    Optimum Online, fast for US
    Browser
    Pale Moon
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky integrated into ZoneAlarm+Antivirus
Come to think of it, it could be your VPN software causing problems.

2 things: Either uninstall temporarily (better) or update, to test.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7601.18247.x86fre.win7sp1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built Intel based
    CPU
    Pentium D 925 3.0 GHz socket 775, Presler @ ~ 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel DQ965MT
    Memory
    Hyundai 2 GB DDR2 @ 333 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS DirectCU II HD7790-DC2OC-2GD5 Radeon HD 7790 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Hard Drives
    1 Seagate Barracuda SATA II system/boot drive 80 GB, 2 Western Digital hdds - 1 is SATA II Caviar Black 1 TB attached to card (assorted media, page, temp), other is SATA I 420 GB (games, media, downloads)
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W
    Cooling
    stock Gateway cooling, extra large fan in rear of case
    Keyboard
    Alienware/Microsoft Internet kb
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    Optimum Online, fast for US
    Browser
    Pale Moon
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky integrated into ZoneAlarm+Antivirus
Hello everyone.

I am an IT guy and long time Internet user. Recently bought 3 laptops for the household (1 HP Envy TouchSmart m7 Sleekbook, and 2 Gateway NV570P10u Touchscreen Laptops)

Laptops came with Windows 8, I immediately upgraded to Windows 8.1 so I cannot say if things were working when I had Windows 8

I have all these laptops connected to the Internet via DLink-Dir655 Router. Additional devices connected to the router/internet are a wireless printer, server running Windows Server 2008, laptop running Windows XP Professional, and a laptop running Windows 7 64-Bit Home Premium (along with couple cell phones running Android). All other devices have absolutely no connectivity issues ... Only the 3 laptops running Windows 8.1 keep giving us headache to a point we can hardly connect to the Internet using these (Winows 8.1) laptops

Interestingly, when I connect laptops via Ethernet cable connection is "little more stable" but I still get disconnects ("page cannot be displayed" errors) which leads me to the conclusion that it is not Wireless card always but Router or its settings are also playing a role.


We can focus on HP laptop to address this issue. It has Intel Centrino N-2230 as its built-in wireless card. Was having lots of disconnects or pages partially displayed but when I attached an old MediaLink Dongle (USB WiFi Card), internet connection became lot more stable. It is atleast 10x more stable compared to built-in wireless card but I still gets disconnected even with this dongle (and Ethernet cable as mention before)

Have spent lot of time on this issue already from changing router channels to updating wireless card drivers, power settings of Windows 8.1 to keep wireless card alive but nothing is working for me. Please help me fixing this issue; it is very frustrating for the family and kids as these were supposed to be their laptops.

PS: I tend to believe it is router's compatibility ... Otherwise why Ethernet Cable is giving the connectivity issue? But router is listed as compatible with Windows 8 on MS Website and Ethernet connection is 10x more stable than Wireless connection. Very confusing.

Thanks in advance for all the help! Family and kids will be very thankful to you all!

I'm running the same router as my gateway but I'm seeing no such problem using 8.1, I'm using Nvidia board with onboard Ethernet and a D-Link DWA-130 USB adaptor, I don't normally see compatibility issues with this router.

It's more likely that Windows installed the wrong driver for the Centrino N-2230 so installing the latest one from the Intel site may help. Msoft changed how DNS was acquired so just about everything requires a Windows 8.1 specific driver. https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Se...oductProduct=Intel®+Centrino®+Wireless-N+2230

As for the bloatware, I'd check to see if there is any type of third party anti virus software installed, then I'd uninstall it using the special tool for which ever A/V may be installed.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro WMC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built
    CPU
    Q9650 @ 4.05 GHz
    Motherboard
    Gforce 780i SLI FTW
    Memory
    8GB Gskill DDR2 1200Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    GTX-480
    Sound Card
    Asus D2 Xonar
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HannsG
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    Gskill 120GB SSD
    PSU
    Thermal Take 1000watts
    Case
    Thermal Take Xtreme
    Cooling
    9 fans air cooled
    Keyboard
    G15 logitech
    Mouse
    G9 logitech
    Internet Speed
    50mbps
Check to see if you have placed a user limit on your router settings.
It may be that you have locked yourself out at max users = 4, for example.
Or you may have allocated only four IP addresses for connected devices.

You may find what you're looking for in your router settings at http://192.168.1.1 .
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II 3-core 2.3 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4A785-M (AM2+)
    Memory
    4 x 1GB Crucial DDR2 1066 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    onboard ATI HD 4200 256MB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell ST2421L
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    SSD Mushkin Chronos 120 GB (24 GB system partition)
    PSU
    Rocketfish 500W
    Cooling
    redundant
    Keyboard
    wireless
    Mouse
    different wireless
    Internet Speed
    12 MB/s max, 1 to 2 MB/s typical
    Browser
    Opera 20.0.1387.91 stable
    Antivirus
    Yes, I've got one.
no internet

hey

i have the same problem,problem started when i updated to 8.1 update.have 4 others pc running win7 without any problems, i have 3 diff connections with diff isp.

All this talk about config router , dns is bullshit. MS needs to fix this problem end of discussion.


rab
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1 pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Hello everyone.

I am an IT guy and long time Internet user. Recently bought 3 laptops for the household (1 HP Envy TouchSmart m7 Sleekbook, and 2 Gateway NV570P10u Touchscreen Laptops)

Laptops came with Windows 8, I immediately upgraded to Windows 8.1 so I cannot say if things were working when I had Windows 8

I have all these laptops connected to the Internet via DLink-Dir655 Router. Additional devices connected to the router/internet are a wireless printer, server running Windows Server 2008, laptop running Windows XP Professional, and a laptop running Windows 7 64-Bit Home Premium (along with couple cell phones running Android). All other devices have absolutely no connectivity issues ... Only the 3 laptops running Windows 8.1 keep giving us headache to a point we can hardly connect to the Internet using these (Winows 8.1) laptops

Interestingly, when I connect laptops via Ethernet cable connection is "little more stable" but I still get disconnects ("page cannot be displayed" errors) which leads me to the conclusion that it is not Wireless card always but Router or its settings are also playing a role.


We can focus on HP laptop to address this issue. It has Intel Centrino N-2230 as its built-in wireless card. Was having lots of disconnects or pages partially displayed but when I attached an old MediaLink Dongle (USB WiFi Card), internet connection became lot more stable. It is atleast 10x more stable compared to built-in wireless card but I still gets disconnected even with this dongle (and Ethernet cable as mention before)

Have spent lot of time on this issue already from changing router channels to updating wireless card drivers, power settings of Windows 8.1 to keep wireless card alive but nothing is working for me. Please help me fixing this issue; it is very frustrating for the family and kids as these were supposed to be their laptops.

PS: I tend to believe it is router's compatibility ... Otherwise why Ethernet Cable is giving the connectivity issue? But router is listed as compatible with Windows 8 on MS Website and Ethernet connection is 10x more stable than Wireless connection. Very confusing.

Thanks in advance for all the help! Family and kids will be very thankful to you all!

I oo have an HP envy touchsmart laptop with the same wireless adapter and keep losing my connection to the internet. We have several other computers and tablets that haven't been experiencing this same problem. Two of the computers that don't have this issue are using windows 8.1, same as my envy computer. My disconnect problem has been going on for a few weeks now. I've had the computer since January without any internet connection issues using Windows 8.1 so I'm not really sure why this problem started unless it had something to do with windows updates. After having the problem for awhile, I noticed there was a new driver for the adapter so I figured updating the driver would fix the problem but it didn't.
Hp had me uninstall and reinstall the drivers and software for the adapter a couple days ago and it worked fine the rest of the day but it's back to disconnecting so I'll be calling HP again.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP/Envy 15t Quad Touchsmart
    CPU
    4th generation i7-4700mq
    Memory
    12 gb ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce GT740M
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