[SOLVED] Constant Disconnects - "Default Gateway Not Available" after every fix I've attempted

[deviousplant4]

So I got a new Network adapter (Netgear AC1200 Wi-Fi USB Adapter USB 2.0 Dual Band), and for the most part it works after some troubles getting it to connect in the first place which required changing the channel of the 5GHz network I was connecting to.

But now, every hour or two, I'll lose Internet. The network is still connected, the "No Internet, Connected" message comes up. The fix for this is... unplug the USB and plug it back in. Or use the Windows troubleshooter which does the same thing, basically just turns the USB off and on again. The Windows troubleshooter explanation is "Default Gatway Not Available - Fixed". But then it disconnects again an hour later.

So the fixes I've tried include uninstalling and redownloading the adapter driver (can't be updated), uninstalling and reinstalling every wifi driver, changing power settings so the USB can't be turned off, restarting and rebooting my Wifi modem, changing the adapter settings to only work for 5GHz networks, switching to static IP which if anything increased the frequency of disconnects, except this time "DHCP is not enabled"... every suggested fix I see online does nothing.

Please help me out, this is insanely annoying

 

[Ralston18]

Does the adapter get very warm or even hot?

Feel the adapter before starting the host computer. Then continue checking (carefully) to see if the adapter gets very warm or hot.

Windows 10? Look in Reliability History to see if there are any error codes or warnings that correspond with the wireless adapter's disconnects.

Likewise the router's logs (if available and enabled) may provide some clue as to what is happening. Who has full admin rights to the router? You will need help from that person.

Unless there are specific reasons to have a static IP you should not do so. Use DHCP and let the router provide the wireless adapter with a DHCP IP address.

Are you able to run and post the results of "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the command prompt?

 

[Ketchup79]

What software version are you using? Driver version 1.0.0.0.3.6 fixed an issue similar to what you are describing. If you are using the later driver, you might want to try the earlier one.

If that doesn't work, what kind of USB port are you using? If using a 3.0 port, might want to try a 2.0 port, for example.

 

[deviousplant4]

Does the adapter get very warm or even hot?

Feel the adapter before starting the host computer. Then continue checking (carefully) to see if the adapter gets very warm or hot.

Windows 10? Look in Reliability History to see if there are any error codes or warnings that correspond with the wireless adapter's disconnects.

Likewise the router's logs (if available and enabled) may provide some clue as to what is happening. Who has full admin rights to the router? You will need help from that person.

Unless there are specific reasons to have a static IP you should not do so. Use DHCP and let the router provide the wireless adapter with a DHCP IP address.

Are you able to run and post the results of "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the command prompt?

https://imgur.com/gS14YbN

View: https://imgur.com/gS14YbN
- here is the ipconfig /all

My router hasn't been logging events but I just enabled it, I don't think it's related to the router because, I forgot to mention in the original post, the network still works on other devices.

I was using static IP as it was one of the suggested fixes for this issue, but it definitely doesn't help.

Nothing mentioned in reliability history.

USB doesn't heat up very much at all.

What software version are you using? Driver version 1.0.0.0.3.6 fixed an issue similar to what you are describing. If you are using the later driver, you might want to try the earlier one.

If that doesn't work, what kind of USB port are you using? If using a 3.0 port, might want to try a 2.0 port, for example.

The port is a USB 3.1 port, I assumed it wasn't causing the issue since it works most of the time barring the disconnects, but I don't know enough about this to say conclusively. No previous drivers have worked.

 

[Ralston18]

Reinstall the USB drivers.

https://www.lifewire.com/install-usb-3-drivers-windows-10-4588096

If that does not work do you have another computer on which to test the wireless adapter?

Determine if the problem stays with the current computer or follows the wireless adapter.

 

[deviousplant4]

I used the adapter on another computer for 2-3 hours without a disconnect, but given the random nature of the disconnects in the first place I can't be sure if it would have disconnected. As for the USB drivers, I updated them and, same thing. No disconnects for probably 5 hours. But I can't be certain, I will update if it happens again/if it's a permanent solution in case anyone has the same problem.

Thanks either way!

 

[deviousplant4]

Reinstall the USB drivers.

https://www.lifewire.com/install-usb-3-drivers-windows-10-4588096

If that does not work do you have another computer on which to test the wireless adapter?

Determine if the problem stays with the current computer or follows the wireless adapter.

So I didn't have any disconnects for about 2 days and then had about 10 in one hour afterwards. Was just luck to not disconnect for a bit.

I got my hands on another adapter and... same issue immediately.

One thing I'm considering is that I'm too far away from the router, and that's what causes the disconnects. But if that were the case, I would have assumed it wouldn't be working perfectly one second into disconnected the next. I don't know enough about this to say.

Here are the driver settings -

https://imgur.com/OAowzPf

View: https://imgur.com/OAowzPf
. Maybe one of these needs to change? This is really boggling my mind.

Nothing of note in the router error displays, so I don't think it's an error in that, but possibly it's a configuration error. Here's the 5GHz settings

https://imgur.com/UevIn7f

View: https://i.imgur.com/UevIn7f.png


I'll try to update further if anything changes.

 

[Ralston18]

Leaning towards interference.

Going to take a step back - is that USB wireless adapter plugged into the back of the host computer? Try using a USB extension cable to raise the USB wireless adapter up and about to get the adapter away from the back of the computer.

What make and model router? Antennas? How far is the router from the PC and what all is in between the router and PC?

Try using 2.4 GHz just to determine if connectivity stabilizes.

Overall with respect to the wireless adapter configurations try using manual settings if set to "auto". Or try using auto if set to "manual".

Remember to change only one thing at a time and be ready to undo a change that goes wrong.

This:

"So I didn't have any disconnects for about 2 days and then had about 10 in one hour afterwards. Was just luck to not disconnect for a bit."

Can you think of anything that happened around the end of those 2 days? Started to rain, got windy, another device got connected to the network... Did any other network connected (wired or wireless) have problems?


Sidebar - for future consideration:

Change the DNS server to Google. I.e., 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. May help with overall network performance when connectivity is working.

Easily googled for more information. E.g. the following link:

https://www.brontobytes.com/blog/advantages-google-public-dns/