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dsl disconnects

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occas

Technical User
Jan 14, 2004
164
US
my dsl loses its juice several times a day. it just dies. i can always get it going again by rebooting. but wonder if there is something else i can try in lieu of that.
ty.
 
I had the same problem, but it wasn't actually my computer's fault, but it was my ISP fault.
So you'r better off asking your ISP support center what's going on.
 
Before you go tot he ISP, double check to make sure that your NIC isn't to blame. XP sets the default power save setting to "Allow the Computer To Turn Off the Device"

I really love Microsoft but they blew it on this one. You can verify the settings by Right Clicking on your Internet Connection and Click Configure on the top of the screen. Then click the Power Management Tab and see what you have set. If checked, uncheck it, say a few curse words and see if the problem goes away.



 
I wouldn't think that it would be powering down because it can't renew it's ip. Not a couple times a day anwyays.
Most ISP's lease an ip for quite a long period of time.
 
And some only lease it for an hour....
the firewall issue seems to be the most plausable
six3077
The PC is not powering down, occas is only loosing his DSL connection.

***************************************
Looking for the best answers:
faq222-2244
Keeping your system clear of malware:
faq608-4650
***********************************
Dont forget to post back with the eventual resolution.
***************************************
 
I know that it is up to the isp to configure how long an ip is to be leased for, just trying to say that it is more than likely not a problem with that seeing as he stated it happens a few times a day. All I meant by powering down was that it was shutting off.
Come to think of it, I have had this exact same problem with my external dsl modem shutting off about every 2 hours of continuous use.
Turns out that that my drivers needed to be updated.
 
there are 3 lights on the dsl "modem". power, dsl, and ethernet. i have noticed that usually when the connection is good, all are solid green in color or the ethernet may blink a tad.
when my connection dies on me, the ethernet green light is blinking fairly rapidly.
i never get disconnected. just start getting blank pages anywhere i try to go(page on the web). rebooting solves it. but i will be posting about my reboot time, something i have been having a problem with. it happened about 6 or 8 times yesterday. i am on normally about 7 or 8 am to past midnight.
ty.
 
When you lose the ability to open webpages, run cmd, tpe ipconfig /all and see if you still have an IP address

***************************************
Looking for the best answers:
faq222-2244
Keeping your system clear of malware:
faq608-4650
***********************************
Dont forget to post back with the eventual resolution.
***************************************
 
Also,
when you are in the command prompt and if there is no IP information type:
ipconfig /renew
This will manually renew your IP address and IP information.
If this works then the DHCP side of the DSL setup is not working correctly.

***************************************
Looking for the best answers:
faq222-2244
Keeping your system clear of malware:
faq608-4650
***********************************
Dont forget to post back with the eventual resolution.
***************************************
 
Six3077: I was referring to the system powering down just the NIC, and I have seen that happen quite frequently. MS introduced this feature to help save battery life on notebooks, but it is a setting I just can't figure a real use for, especially in desktops. Why on earth would anybody want their NIC to power down and loose its connection in any form of a client server application? It causes more havock than good.

Occas: The fact that the ethernet light is blinking rapidly means that either the DSL Modem has a problem OR that it has lost communication with the PC. I'd still suggest you check this setting out. Other things to check out would be the lease on your DSL provided DHCP address. As was suggested above you should do a IPCONFIG /ALL to see what IP you have. I have "cheated" DSL in the past by giving myself a static address based on their DHCP Provided addresses. You still run the risk of the IP being taken by another DSL user, but that seemed to help me in the past.

I hope you find this post helpful. Please let me know if it was.

Regards,

Mark
 
i will for sure let everyone know. this has been a valuable thread. i am waiting for the old boy to lose its zip sometime. of course, be nice if it didn't. ty.
 
six-
i looked at that article. how would you know what values to use for ip, mask, etc?

it did lose its juice a bit ago. i did an ipconfig and all the info was the same as when i was having a "working" connection.
 
This does not depend on what type of modem you are using but how the ISP configures its clients.
If its DHCP you should not edit these values as they are assigned by the ISP.

***************************************
Looking for the best answers:
faq222-2244
Keeping your system clear of malware:
faq608-4650
***********************************
Dont forget to post back with the eventual resolution.
***************************************
 
ok. i called my isp. we tried this. assigning an ip directly. the lady told me that if that didn't work, i could try using a usb connection vs. ethernet. that(assigning a static ip) didn't work.
before i try the usb thing, i thought i would post this. ty.
 
Having lease renewal issues on a DSL modem is not unheard of. Try using a static IP. (I warn you, they may charge you more for this monthly).

If it still dies, and there is no firmware upgrade offer, ask for a line test and a service call to test the wiring completely between the modem and your computer.

This is not a Windows XP "software" issue. Either your NIC is bad, your cable is bad, your modem is bad, your line is bad to the DSLAM or the DSLM is mis-configured. (I deny that an outdated NIC driver anymore is a first guess). All of the above five are likely causes for your issue with a NIC that shows a valid IP/Config and intermittent connectivity.
 
bcastner i appreciate this. if i didn't have a computer that took 4 to 5 minutes to boot at times, it would be a little more bearable. the speed is so much nicer as you know. it's funny. obviously i would love to have the boot problem and connection fixed. but at this point, one would be soooo nice. lol and tyvm.
 
A Present for you:

Most of the startup time is likely spent waiting for a non-existent DHCP server (through your modem) to not respond until XP times out and applies an APIA or automatic IP to the machine.

If your ISP offers to allow you to set the static IP addresses rather than having the adapters set to "Obtain an IP address automaticly" this is great.

The delay waiting for the non-existent DHCP server averages 20 seconds and can be more, and using a static IP avoids this.

2. See my last paragraph in this FAQ: faq779-4017
Apply the Group Policy change I mention even under single user workstation for certain network settings.

Eventually XP is aggressive enough to figure this stuff out, by why wait?

Bill Castner


 
i thought i would check in. i don't know if i can mention the isp so i won't.

this thing is driving me crazy. as of last tuesday, i talked to a tech person that said it could be one of two things. the modem and an adapter card. he said they would send me a new modem, overnight. well, it still isn't here.

this is a big outfit and i am very disappointed with the tech people i have had contact with. and i am not a complainer at all. had one that was actually rude. i felt like i was being chastised.

one other thing i have noticed. yes, it is fast. most of the time. but it goes through spells where it isn't much faster than my trusty old dialup.

i just thought of something i can ask. could i possibly have success with another dsl company? if this is a wire thing then i assume it doesn't matter. probably a dumb question.
 
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