Internet Hangs, Burps?

[tsuko]

Hi all,

I'm at the end of my rope here. I don't have a clue where to go from here. I'm computer savvy, I've trained in networking, and I just don't know what to do anymore...

My internet is, for lack of a better word, hanging, or burping, when I'm trying to do just about anything on the web on my laptop. It'll run just fine, good speeds, and then suddenly, all at once, all webpages I'm trying to load, all programs that use the internet, etc, just seem to stop. They "hang", eternally loading; even though the loading icon in on-screen, no progress is actually made. More portions of the site don't load, images don't slowly load, nothing. It just sticks there. I usually have to stop everything that's loading (in the case of websites) and reload them, which usually works. This is also starting to affect gaming, video streaming, and worst of all, uploading large files. Even though the uploads eventually proceed, they arrive broken and unusable.

I have DSL, which I access through a wireless Linksys WRT54G router and TP-Link TD-8616 ADSL2+ Modem. My router has all security features enabled, MAC Address filters, a complex password, and no one else is popping up on the DHCP client list. I've run speed tests and I'm within a normal threshold for my internet speed... About 2.5Mbps DL and .40Mbps UL, on average. I've run packet loss tests and ping tests and they come up clean and normal. I've contacted my provider, ATT, multiple times and they've run line tests that have come up clean. My computer is malware free and is running a firewall. The only other desktop in the house is so old I can't tell if it's lagging or not. My phone (on the wifi) occasionally has problems with video streaming and sites loading slowly but it doesn't seem to be as severe as what's happening on my main laptop. And of course, I've done the usual... reset the router and modem. No dice.

I haven't made any changes lately. No new phone lines, no new tech (I installed the "new" modem about 5 months ago with no problems). I procured a new wireless mouse which is plugged in somewhat near the router/modem, but even when that computer is off I still have problems so I doubt the signal is interfering with the router.

I am at my wit's end here. I'm going to try connecting directly to the router with a physical connection tonight to see if that changes anything, but I don't know what else to do... can anyone advise me? I'm starting to think it's a problem with the laptop, not the internet connection itself, but I don't know... The laptop is an Alienware M11x (the original).

Processor 1.4GHz Intel Core i5-2537M
Memory 4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3
Hard drive 500GB 7,200rpm
Chipset Intel HM67
Graphics Nvidia GeForce GT 540M (1GB) + Intel HD 3000 (Nvidia Optimus)
Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

 

[maxwellmelon]

I would bypass your router for a little bit and hook your computer directly to the modem. and try it for a little bit.

im guessing its an att side issue because I have had them issues sometimes (usually when it was raining) funny thing is same thing I had no packet loss or anything like that, but bypassing your router for a little bit solves the issue then its a router config thing going on. else its the modem or att themselves.

 

[mzinz]

When you encounter these hangs, it's only network related? Or is your entire computer hanging?

Next time you encounter a hang, we should ping both your local router, and a host on the internet. If you know your default gateway IP, then ping it during the hang. Also ping 4.2.2.2.

That should give us an idea of what's going on.

 

[mzinz]

I would bypass your router for a little bit and hook your computer directly to the modem. and try it for a little bit.

im guessing its an att side issue because I have had them issues sometimes (usually when it was raining) funny thing is same thing I had no packet loss or anything like that, but bypassing your router for a little bit solves the issue then its a router config thing going on. else its the modem or att themselves.

I'm not a fan of this solution, because more times than not, it IS the customer router that is the issue. Anecdotal evidence does not provide good proof.

 

[tsuko]

When you encounter these hangs, it's only network related? Or is your entire computer hanging?

Computer doesn't lag or freeze. I can click through tabs, change screens, switch programs, but everything internet-wise is stuck perma-loading.

I tried plugging it in directly to the router today. I didn't do enough browsing to know if it fixed that issue, but I just uploaded one of my large videos with no problems. So I'm guessing it's either the wireless transmission from the router or the wireless card in the laptop. Is there a way to test to see if the card is failling? I don't really want to buy a new router only to find out it was the card, or vice versa.

 

[mzinz]

When you encounter these hangs, it's only network related? Or is your entire computer hanging?

Computer doesn't lag or freeze. I can click through tabs, change screens, switch programs, but everything internet-wise is stuck perma-loading.

I tried plugging it in directly to the router today. I didn't do enough browsing to know if it fixed that issue, but I just uploaded one of my large videos with no problems. So I'm guessing it's either the wireless transmission from the router or the wireless card in the laptop. Is there a way to test to see if the card is failling? I don't really want to buy a new router only to find out it was the card, or vice versa.

Use your laptop while directly connected to the router for a couple days to rule out wireless. If you're only encountering the issue when using wireless, then it's likely an issue with either the wireless NIC in your laptop, or the router itself.

Does anyone else use wireless on this network?

 

[tsuko]

Use your laptop while directly connected to the router for a couple days to rule out wireless. If you're only encountering the issue when using wireless, then it's likely an issue with either the wireless NIC in your laptop, or the router itself.

Does anyone else use wireless on this network?

Ok, I will and report back. (I discovered that my particular DSL modem can't be hooked up directly to a computer, so that's out of the question.)

At this time, the only other thing on the wireless is my cellphone and occasionally a 3DS, but I leave the 3DS off at all times I'm not actually playing (off, not in standby) and my phone doesn't have any extraneous apps or anything that should be eating up the network. I've tried turning off the wifi on it anyway and that didn't clear up the problem.

Are network cards failing on laptops fairly common occurrences? I use a cooling mat at nearly all times on max speed, so I doubt overheating is an issue.

 

[mzinz]

It's not common for NICs to go out in laptops, but it can happen.

Router failure is far more common.