Internet Connection randomly dropping

[Elso Valager]

I'm not entirely sure what is even happening with this.. I've been having this problem for the last 24 hours and while going down the path of the diagnostics I'm starting to think something is wrong with my connector to my router.

So the issue I have is relatively simple (Yet not). My connection is running just fine, sometimes for an hour, sometimes for five minutes, sometimes for anything in between. But then it just, completely conks out, then instantly comes back. If it was a slight drop, I'd be fine with that, but this is just a total, sudden loss of connection, then it goes back like nothing happened. But it disconnects me from literally everything instantly, no hang-time or anything on any of my programs.

I'm currently using Virgin as my ISP, and I am connected wired, using a pair of Devolo dLan boxes to connect up to my router on the opposite side of the house. I've had these boxes for a year without too many faults, especially nothing like this, but I'm completely unsure if this is an ISP issue or what, but I have learnt the following things;

-I have a friend in Scotland (I'm in England myself), who is also on Virgin, who has also been experiencing strange (But not 100% similar) issues. This is mostly what's causing me to think it might be an ISP issue, UNTIL..

- The connection has been (Supposedly) fine for the other occupant of the house. Although they are not overly using programs that require a persistant connection that they'd notice. So that particular point might be null and void and they just haven't noticed.

- Speed and ping tests seem to show my connection is Grade-A Perfect, and when these disconnections are not happening, the connection IS just as perfect as it's always been.

I've also tried to restart my router, restarting my computer, and I would try to connect by some other means to the connection, but I lack a 30m ethernet to test this any other way.

I'm a little out of luck but my main query is if any other users on Virgin Media Broadband in the UK are experiencing these kinds of issues?

 

[JimF_35]

Could be a virus.

If you have something that is transmitting too many packets out (like a virus) then your modem may be setup to throttle it. This depends on your ISP's usage policies. Some ISP's don't care about how many packets you transmit and don't do this but some do and to try to keep the bandwidth down they throttle or even reboot your modem when too many are sent out.

Other things it could be is if you are using WiFi. It could be the wireless channel your computer is set on. If you have more than one device using the same channel they could interfere with each other and cause packet loss. If you are using WiFi (looked like you said it was wired) then try going into your Wireless Settings for your Router and change the channel. I doubt this is your problem because you said other computers in your house were working just fine.

Hope this helps.

 

[Elso Valager]

Could be a virus.

If you have something that is transmitting too many packets out (like a virus) then your modem may be setup to throttle it. This depends on your ISP's usage policies. Some ISP's don't care about how many packets you transmit and don't do this but some do and to try to keep the bandwidth down they throttle or even reboot your modem when too many are sent out.

How would I be able to find out how many packets are being sent out, and if it's too much? I mean I've downloaded very little, lately, and this is a fresh new setup of, well, near enough everything, almost all the parts I've installed, and the installation of Windows and the programs within, themselves, are all freshly installed. But this IS Virgin, and they have been known to be oddly stickler-y about things like this..

In response to the Wi-Fi, I'm directly connected by wired to the router.

But this is good so far, I'll poke my nose into the packets thing once I know how to, thank you~

 

[JimF_35]

You can use a packet monitor...

http://www.paessler.com/info/free_bandwidth_meter

I would start with a virus scan first just to make sure. Also NETSTAT -b is useful for seeing what programs have open connections to the internet. If you see a pogram that you are not sure about the Google it and see what it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlKxI8HcdWI