Internet Network Issues

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
When you are having this issue, open up a command prompt (Windows Key + R, CMD) then type ipconfig and see if you still have a valid IP address. If you do, ping the ip address of your router. Do you get a response? If so, it isn't your network card. If not, do ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew and see if it is able to renew its IP address.

If you can't renew your IP address, move the ethernet cord from the port you are plugged into on your switch to another port. Does the connectivity return?

If the connectivity does not return, go into the properties of your adapter again, give yourself a static IP address outside the DHCP scope, set all the other parameters accordingly (SNM, Gateway) and then see if you have connectivity. If no, then we can conclude that it most likely has something to do with the NIC or drivers.


So I was logged into my modum looking at settings, and I got the network glitch - couldn't communicate with the modem or internet. I'm on my phone typing this post.

I went into the DOS command window and did a ipconfig command. Shows "Media disconnected" for everything listed.

Did a ping 198.168.0.2 command and got sent and received packages. 192.168.0.2 shows as my IPv4 address, and is what I use to log into the modem. Is that the address to ping? I'm assuming so, and that addresd does show when I did the ipconfig command.

Did a ipconfig /release command and then ipconfig /renew command. Then did a ipconfig, and got the same results of everything showing "Media disconnected". Ping still works.

Swapped the Cat5 ethernet cable from the network card to port #2 on the modem and repeated the above commands, and got the same results.

Lost you OVERKILL on your last paragraph.

 

[ZeeOSix]

If I can't see the internet, and my modum and network card were working right, shouldn't I still be able to log in to my modum?

I can't even log on to the modem when this network glitch happens. And when in the DOS command window, if I do a ping command to my modem it shows a good ping test.

What now?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by shanneba
You may just need to turn on IPV6 in the modem.

It looks like your modem has Gig ethernet ports.

You may just need to turn on IPV6 in the modem.
http://www.centurylink.com/home/help/internet/modems-and-routers/actiontec-c1000a/ipv6-turn-on.html

http://www.centurylink.com/home/help/internet/modems-and-routers/actiontec-c1000a.html

I would try a "Speed & Duplex" set to: 100MB full duplex or specify GB
(I wonder if your install of the updated driver may have defaulted to "Auto Negotiation")


Would it hurt to enable IPv6 in the modem? IPv6 is enabled on the network card, but not in the modem (I checked as shown in your links, thanks).

My computer can also connect wireless to my modem. I disabled the LAN (kills Cat5 connection) and connected wireless to see what happens. Have PC connectivity at this time.

 

[Garak]

Someone who's much better at hardware than I am will have to chime in to see if it's possible, but could it be the NIC? I wouldn't think so, given that you can ping the modem. My experience has been a NIC is dead or not; maybe for others they've died slower deaths.

In addition to pinging the modem when connected, what happens if you try to ping something else beyond that?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Question about the wireless computer connection to the modem. Does it use the same network card as the Cat5 Ethernet cable connects to, or some other hardware/card (besides the radio antenna)? I notice the wireless network connection has it's own unique settings for IPv4 than the wired LAN connection.

 

[Garak]

That we need someone far better with hardware than me to answer for sure. I'd think it's the same card, but have no idea on the failure modes of these things.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
I went into the DOS command window and did a ipconfig command. Shows "Media disconnected" for everything listed.


FYI - also did a ipconfig command when I had wirking internet connectivity, and it also showed "Media disconnected" for everything listed, so apparently that's a normal ... ?

 

[Garak]

That's strange, but my Windows experience is minimal. What about pinging something like BITOG?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by Garak
That's strange, but my Windows experience is minimal. What about pinging something like BITOG?


I didn't try pinging anything but my modem when I lost internet connection. Next time it goes down I'll try pinging some internet sites.

As I mentioned earlier, it actually went down when I was logged into my modem, and I couldn't communicate with the modem at all - same as when I lose communication with a website. But in the DOS command window I could ping the modem and it would respond back with no errors.

 

[Garak]

Sheesh, that's pretty strange. Fortunately, my few Windows experiences with connectivity haven't been so perplexing.

 

[Garak]

Which brings me to my next point. When it's down, I wonder what would happen if you ran some Linux LiveDVD and tried to connect to the net.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by Garak
Sheesh, that's pretty strange. Fortunately, my few Windows experiences with connectivity haven't been so perplexing.


What's strange is that it doesn't always come back with a computer re-boot. I'd think if it was a software glitch causing the LAN to crash, it would always reset with a re-boot. Sometimes it comes back with a re-boot, and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it will run for 10 hrs with no lock-up, and sometimes it only goes 20 min before a lock-up.

I'm wondering if it's an intermittent problem with my internet provider, but I don't think so because I can stream my TVs and surf the 'net with my phone through the wireless side of the modem. Not sure if those devices use the IP connection the same exact way (protocals) or not.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
If the connectivity does not return, go into the properties of your adapter again, give yourself a static IP address outside the DHCP scope, set all the other parameters accordingly (SNM, Gateway) and then see if you have connectivity. If no, then we can conclude that it most likely has something to do with the NIC or drivers.


Can you elaborate on this part?

Here are some more observations I've noted when my connectivity is lost.

1) I can successfully ping my modem or any outside websites.

2) Switching the network between wired Cat5 and wireless doesn't fix it.

3) Disabling and re-enabling either the Cat5 or wireless connection doesn't fix it. At one point I enabled both wired and wireless at the same time while I had connectivity, and it worked fine. Did that just as a test, then resumed running it in the wired Cat5 configuration only.

4) Re-booting the modem only doesn't fix it.

5) Re-booting the computer without re-booting the modem sometimes fixes it.

6) it seems if it does work after a computer re-boot it crashes in a short time now. Over the last 2 days it has lasted many hours after a computer re-boot.m, but today it locks up within 5 to 10 minutes.

7) My modem firmware is up to date.

8) I've scanned for viruses and malware, even in Safe Mode. Nothing found.

9) The status lights on the modem look normal even when I lose connectivity. Also, in the "Network Status" in Windows, it still shows some "Bytes Sent" and "Bytes Received" activity, but the level of activity is very low because I can't communicate with websites. Why would it still show some activity when I can't see the internet?

10) Windows network diagnosis never sees any network problem when I lose connectivity.

11) I was going to enable the IPv6 on the modem, but I lose connectivity too fast to make the setting changes. Probably wouldn't help anyway.

Since it seems to lock up faster and faster, I'm leaning towards the NIC card dying off. I need some test that can verify that. Or I can buy a new NIC card and install it into an empty PCI express slot (verified it has 2 of those).

Suggestions ??

 

[ZeeOSix]

More Info. Finally got a stable connection (for now) and got into my modem and ran the diagnostic tests in the modem and all came back good. Also enabled the IPv6 ... guess it can't hurt to see if that helps anything. I also ordered a new NIC card on Amazon that looks like it will plug in to my mother board and work with Windows 7. It was only $16, so no big loss if it doesn't work. All I know is without connectivity to the internet you're basically screwed these days and can't even function (ie, banking, bill paying, purchasing, communication,etc, etc).

 

[Garak]

It seems you have narrowed down a lot of things. I'd agree that replacing the NIC is not a big deal, given the cost. I had one blow up on me before; it was pretty easy, and I don't like playing with hardware. The only other thing I'd suggest is to run a LiveDVD Linux for a while, as mentioned before, and just see what happens. That will at least help determine whether it's hardware or software. If it's working perfectly well under a Linux LiveDVD for an extended period, then it's probably a software (Windows) matter. If it's dying on you even under a LiveDVD, we've got some sort of hardware issue (i.e. NIC, cabling, modem). The other thing you could try is a different device plugged into the net on the same plug (i.e. a laptop, PS, or whatever) and see if it maintains connectivity or dies off, but it looks like you've already eliminated cabling and the modem as potential issues.

You know me, though, when in doubt, blame Windows.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by Garak
It seems you have narrowed down a lot of things. I'd agree that replacing the NIC is not a big deal, given the cost. I had one blow up on me before; it was pretty easy, and I don't like playing with hardware. The only other thing I'd suggest is to run a LiveDVD Linux for a while, as mentioned before, and just see what happens. That will at least help determine whether it's hardware or software. If it's working perfectly well under a Linux LiveDVD for an extended period, then it's probably a software (Windows) matter. If it's dying on you even under a LiveDVD, we've got some sort of hardware issue (i.e. NIC, cabling, modem). The other thing you could try is a different device plugged into the net on the same plug (i.e. a laptop, PS, or whatever) and see if it maintains connectivity or dies off, but it looks like you've already eliminated cabling and the modem as potential issues.

You know me, though, when in doubt, blame Windows.

Yeah, I think I hit most of the trouble-shooting unless someone else reading this thread can suggest something I haven't tried. Since my computer connected and worked fine (for a while) via the wireless connection that pretty much rules out the Ethernet cable path unless it's intermittent and flaky without touching or moving it (unlikely). Plus, my cell phone and two smart TVs steam fine through the wireless side of the modem - so seems the modem and connection to the outside world is healthy.

And since rebooting the modem never brings it back, it sure seems it's most likely the NIC card - might also explain the randomness of it all, and why it seems to die faster now than 2 days ago. I'm thinking if it was software the loss of internet connection wouldn't be so random. Like mentioned above, the only way I could get it to come back is with a computer reboot - and once it did regain internet connectivity it might last 5 minutes or 12 hrs ... very random.

 

[Garak]

I would say so. The only things I can think of for completeness sake are a different OS on the same computer and a different computer hooked up exactly the same way, with the latter being less likely, at least in my view.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
When you are having this issue, open up a command prompt (Windows Key + R, CMD) then type ipconfig and see if you still have a valid IP address. If you do, ping the ip address of your router. Do you get a response? If so, it isn't your network card. If not, do ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew and see if it is able to renew its IP address.

If you can't renew your IP address, move the ethernet cord from the port you are plugged into on your switch to another port. Does the connectivity return?

If the connectivity does not return, go into the properties of your adapter again, give yourself a static IP address outside the DHCP scope, set all the other parameters accordingly (SNM, Gateway) and then see if you have connectivity. If no, then we can conclude that it most likely has something to do with the NIC or drivers.


So I was logged into my modum looking at settings, and I got the network glitch - couldn't communicate with the modem or internet. I'm on my phone typing this post.

I went into the DOS command window and did a ipconfig command. Shows "Media disconnected" for everything listed.

Did a ping 198.168.0.2 command and got sent and received packages. 192.168.0.2 shows as my IPv4 address, and is what I use to log into the modem. Is that the address to ping? I'm assuming so, and that addresd does show when I did the ipconfig command.

Did a ipconfig /release command and then ipconfig /renew command. Then did a ipconfig, and got the same results of everything showing "Media disconnected". Ping still works.

Swapped the Cat5 ethernet cable from the network card to port #2 on the modem and repeated the above commands, and got the same results.

Lost you OVERKILL on your last paragraph.



1. If 192.168.0.2 is the address of your modem, then it isn't your IPv4 address unless you've managed to set your adapter with a static IP address that's the same as the router. If that's the case, that would cause all kinds of issues.
2. "Media disconnected" means exactly what it sounds like it means: It doesn't see a link. Can you confirm that you still have link lights on your NIC and your switch where you connect when this is happening? Are the activity LED's flashing?
3. Given this issue with you plugged into the switch, is it possible that the next time this takes place that you plug into your router? I assume it has a few ports on it. Just to isolate the switch.

When you run the IPConfig commands, if you've got no link, it isn't going to renew the lease, because it can't communicate with anything. Is this a built-in NIC on the computer or is it a PCI or PCI-E card?

IPv6 is going to have zero bearing on this problem, if it isn't seeing a physical link you aren't dealing with a software settings issue, it is either hardware or drivers.

 

[ZeeOSix]

OVERKILL ... your quotes are in blue, and my responses are below them.

1. If 192.168.0.2 is the address of your modem, then it isn't your IPv4 address unless you've managed to set your adapter with a static IP address that's the same as the router. If that's the case, that would cause all kinds of issues.

The properties in the IPv4 settings says "Obtain an IP address automatically".

2. "Media disconnected" means exactly what it sounds like it means: It doesn't see a link. Can you confirm that you still have link lights on your NIC and your switch where you connect when this is happening? Are the activity LED's flashing?

If I do a 'ipconfig' when it's up and running fine I see the same "Media disconnected" messages.
Yes, the lights on the NIC card look normal (top light is orange, and the bottom light is flashing yellow). From what I found, this looks to be normal NIC card light status.
All the status lights on the front of modem also look normal when I lose connectivity.

This is the modem I'm using - Actiontec C1000A.
http://www.centurylink.com/home/help/internet/modems-and-routers/actiontec-c1000a.html

Spec Sheet:
http://www.centurylink.com/asset/home/help/downloads/internet/c1000a-datasheet.pdf

3. Given this issue with you plugged into the switch, is it possible that the next time this takes place that you plug into your router? I assume it has a few ports on it. Just to isolate the switch.

This is a modem with a built in Hub and Router. It has 4 Ethernet Cat5 cable ports on the back. I've tried the Cat5 cable in all the ports and it doesn't fix the issue.

When you run the IPConfig commands, if you've got no link, it isn't going to renew the lease, because it can't communicate with anything. Is this a built-in NIC on the computer or is it a PCI or PCI-E card?

Yes, as mentioned ... when I lose connectivity I can't even communicate with the modem.
Yes, this is a Dell desktop with a built in NIC. It has two PCI express card slots.

IPv6 is going to have zero bearing on this problem, if it isn't seeing a physical link you aren't dealing with a software settings issue, it is either hardware or drivers.

I think it's probably the NIC card going bad since this issue seems so random in behavior ... as you'll see after reading beyond this post you replied to. It's been up an running fine for 5-1/2 hours now without a lock up.

ordered this NIC card from Amazon for $16, which will run on Windows 7 (32 or 64 bit) and plug into my PCI express slot. Tons of customer reviews and high review scores.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-TG-3468-Gigabit-Ethernet-PCI-Express/dp/B003CFATNI

So when installing a stand along NIC to the motherboard, I assume I'll have to go into my BIOS settings and disable the built in NIC and enable the add in NIC?

 

[OVERKILL]

OK, I think you are not seeing what you need to see in IPConfig. This is what you are looking for. If you run it right now, while you have a connection, you should see something similar. Notice that it does NOT say "media disconnected" under "Ethernet Adapter Local Area Connection":