[SOLVED] Windows 10 Keeps Dropping Network Connection

DeltaTaco

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Feb 6, 2016
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Hopefully you can help me out with a bug I've been having in Windows 10.

Every once in a while (every few hours or so, sometimes more often) my computer will drop the WiFi connection out of nowhere. It goes from showing the signal strength in the taskbar to the 'globe' picture and saying "Connected, no internet". I know it isn't the network because no other devices do this and the network is still up for other devices when this happens. The solution is to disable and re-enable WiFi in Windows, and the computer quickly reconnects with no connectivity issues.

Side note - the PC is running a Minecraft server, which I don't believe is the issue but it does make it all the more annoying to deal with. This bug happens whether or not the server is running with players on it, and often happens when I'm just browsing the web on the computer.

Any ideas why this is happening / what the fix may be?

Edit: System specs as follows:
CPU: AMD FX 8320E
GPU: dual AMD Radeon RX480s
Motherboard: ASUS 970 PRO
16 GB RAM
PCIe network card (FebSmart FS-AC86)

OS info:
Windows 10 Pro
Version 1903
OS Build 18362.900
 
Last edited:
Solution
maybe update the FS-AC86 PCIe network card drivers first.
try 12.0.0.938 or higher (google search for "qualcomm atheros driver 12.0.0.938")

if newer driver does not help, then maybe replace the network card with a different one

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Update your post to include full system hardware specs and Windows 10 version.

Did you set up a static IP address for the Minecraft server?

What wireless network adapter is the Minecraft server using? USB by any chance? PCIe?

Are you in an environment where there are other surrounding wireless networks?

Make and model router? The router's logs if available and enabled may provide some error code or other related information.
 

DeltaTaco

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Feb 6, 2016
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Update your post to include full system hardware specs and Windows 10 version.

Did you set up a static IP address for the Minecraft server?

What wireless network adapter is the Minecraft server using? USB by any chance? PCIe?

Are you in an environment where there are other surrounding wireless networks?

Make and model router? The router's logs if available and enabled may provide some error code or other related information.
Updated with system specs.

1. The server has a set IP. I reserved the IP in my router to be the same as the server is set to, however I just checked and within Windows it is set to obtain automatically (automatic IP is the correct IP however since it is reserved and static in router). I tried to manually set an IP within Windows and for some reason, even with the same information given by running ipconfig the network doesn't have internet access if I set the IP and DNS manually. I do this pretty regularly for work so I don't think I'm screwing up the settings, especially since they match IPconfig.

2. The server is using PCIe network adapter. I don't have wired internet so it's using the wireless card added to original question. Not USB (anymore, I upgraded the wireless card from a USB dongle - oddly enough the dongle was more reliable)

3. It's a residential area, so a few surrounding networks but nothing crazy. We have two in the house, 2.4 and 5GHz.

4. The router is a Sagemcom F@st5260. I'll look into the logs...
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Doublecheck as if you did not know what to do:

Change the server's IP to a Static IP that is outside of the DHCP IP address range allowed to the router.

Reserve the server's static IP address in the router via the server's network adapter's MAC.

Run "ipconfig /flushdns" via the Command Prompt on the Minecraft server.

Then run "ipconfig /all" via the Command Prompt on the Minecraft server.

Verify that all as you expect.

Are you using any antenna extension cables to move the antenna's up and away from the back of the host server?
 

DeltaTaco

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Feb 6, 2016
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Doublecheck as if you did not know what to do:

Change the server's IP to a Static IP that is outside of the DHCP IP address range allowed to the router.

Reserve the server's static IP address in the router via the server's network adapter's MAC.

Run "ipconfig /flushdns" via the Command Prompt on the Minecraft server.

Then run "ipconfig /all" via the Command Prompt on the Minecraft server.

Verify that all as you expect.

Are you using any antenna extension cables to move the antenna's up and away from the back of the host server?
Ran through those steps, everything settings-wise seems to be in order.

No antenna extensions, just the regular antennas that came with the PCIe network card. I still seem to be getting very good signal and the cut-off is very abrupt so I don't think it's a range issue
 

DeltaTaco

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Reading into some reviews for the network card I bought it looks like other people have had issues with the connection dropping out. I'm going to switch back to the USB dongle and see if I still have issues, and if not I'll pick up another brand of card.
 

noel_prg_la1979

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Jan 29, 2018
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maybe update the FS-AC86 PCIe network card drivers first.
try 12.0.0.938 or higher (google search for "qualcomm atheros driver 12.0.0.938")

if newer driver does not help, then maybe replace the network card with a different one
 
Solution