Internet disconnects when 2nd user is on Solved/Closed

Question

Hello,

I have a strange problem. I have a modem integrated with wireless router. I'm sharing it with my housemate. My laptop is currently connected directly to the modem via a LAN cable. When I'm the only one using the internet, the connection works well. However, once my housemate's laptop connects to the wireless network, internet disconnects regularly throughout the day (and night) and will either reconnect within 2 mins or never, at which point I have to manually restart the modem. Also, he has confirmed that the problem persists even he is the only one using the internet i.e. I'm offline.

I have tried the folllowing but didn't work:
(1) Connect his laptop directly to the modem via LAN cable
(2) Connect the modem directly to the phone socket i.e. removed the microfilter
(3) Get him to scan for virus.
(4) Get him to scan for spyware using Ad Aware.

I'm incliined to believed that it is his laptoip's problem, rather than the ISP or the modem but I don't know what the problem is.

Any suggestion is much appreciated. Thank you.

gbs · Accepted Answer

i want to share something that solve my problem using vista, win7, and winxp on a network. I simply made a crossover lan cable connection from the modem to router thus eleminates internet disconnection. I tested this method on 3 routers which is not compliant to win vista and win7. and it works great. hope this could help to others with similar problems...

xpcman · Answer

Vista has problems with some routers - you should download and install an router "firmware" that the vendor has.
below is additional information:

Numerous perplexed Windows users have discovered that attempting to connect their PCs (especially Vista) to their existing networks or Wi-Fi hotspots results in flaky or nonexistent connections.

One reason: a change by Microsoft in Vista's Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) is causing conflicts with some networking hardware, which can require a Registry edit to fix.

The many reports of Vista networking snafus range from the gravest of symptoms â€” no Internet connectivity at all â€” to occasional connection drops:

No-Fi when in power-saving mode. Microsoft acknowledged last year that wireless connections on portable computers running Windows Vista would slow down or disconnect completely when battery management kicks in.

The culprit is that, unlike Windows XP, Vista assumes that all wireless routers correctly implement Wi-Fi's power-save protocol. Unfortunately, many access points don't support this spec. The solution? Plug your laptop into an AC outlet or modify the notebook's power-saving plan, as described in Knowledge Base article 928152.


Vista insists on the "broadcast flag." The same skewed reasoning led the wizards of Redmond to another infuriating decision, which Microsoft only belatedly explained. You bring home your new Vista computer, or you upgrade your XP system to Vista, only to discover that the machine won't connect to your local network or the Internet.

You try everything to fix the problem. You waste hours â€” days, even â€” tweaking settings, plugging and unplugging, resetting, rebooting, and rehashing, but to no avail.

The problem? Windows Vista assumes that your router's DHCP server â€” the one that hands out dynamic IP addresses to computers and other devices on the network â€” supports the DHCP broadcast flag. Again, many routers don't support this flag.

The solution requires a Registry edit to toggle off Vista's broadcast-flag expectations. Refer to the Resolution section of KB article 928233 for step-by-step instructions.


Two network adapters spell trouble. Yet another kind of network malfunction afflicts PCs running Vista or Windows Server 2008 that have more than one network adapter installed. The multiple adapters befuddle the Network Location Awareness service in those OSes. This causes the service to disable Internet access to both adapters and label them as Local only.

KB article 947041 explains the problem but provides no solution. The only cure at this time may be to disable one of the network adapters. Thanks, Microsoft.

How to troubleshoot XP and Vista network woes 

Network-connection problems are infuriating. Finding their source requires a step-by-step approach. Before editing your Registry for the umpteenth time or tossing your router into the trash, run through this network-troubleshooting checklist:

Temporarily disable your software firewall. It sounds dumb, but often it's your firewall that's blocking your network connection. Even if the firewall has worked flawlessly for months, a small configuration change or automatic update could have caused a problem.

At least twice this year, Windows XP users of Check Point Software's ZoneAlarm personal firewall have lost their ability to connect to the Internet due to a Windows update. Windows Secrets contribtuing editor Susan Bradley described this problem in her Oct. 16 Patch Watch column (paid content).

This alone is not a good reason to stop updating, though. It's true that patches can introduce problems with firewalls, but subsequent fixes that remedy the issue will often appear within 24 hours.


Check the physical connection. Make sure the router, modem, and other network devices are plugged in and powered on. Are the network cables between PC and router still connected firmly? With a device's power switch off, it doesn't hurt to unplug the component and then plug it back in again to make sure the contact is solid. If weak power-cable connections are ruled out, simply powering the devices off and back on can sometimes be all the resetting your network link needs.


Renew your connection. Changes elsewhere on the network can sometimes knock out your connection. To reconnect quickly, click Start, Run in XP (or press the Windows key in Vista), type ipconfig /renew, and press Enter.


Update your firmware and drivers. Makers of routers and network adapters may be caught unawares by patches to operating systems (such as the ones in Vista noted above). But the vendors often issue firmware or driver updates that fix the problems. Check the support pages of your router and adapter manufacturers' sites for downloadable updates.


Return to default settings. Often, we are our own worst enemies as we poke around the configuration settings of our routers and network connections. You may not remember that you turned on your router's MAC filtering, but doing so could have blocked all of your devices from connecting, just the same.

In general, it's best to change settings one at a time and observe the results of the change before making any other alterations to your system. If you don't see an obvious way to return your hardware and software to their default settings, you may have to uninstall and reinstall the device or program to regain its original settings.

In all fairness, Vista isn't the only version of Windows that experiences network glitches. XP has its own series of connectivity aggravations, as you can see by a search-engine query of Microsoft's support center.

If your connectivity problems aren't resolved by using the points discussed above, you may be suffering from an even more obscure issue. If so, ruling out the tricky configuration problems I describe here may at least help you isolate the real problem and restore your network link.

Taurean · Answer

xpcman,

Thanks for the information. Actually, my laptop is using Vista while my housemate's laptop is using XP and as described earlier, it would seem that it is his laptop that's causing the problem.

mflem920 · Answer

Same issue, GF is playing Lotro on a Vista machine.  I log onto Lotro and she locks up and eventually loses internet connection.  I have tried ALL of the resolutions listed in the Windows KB updates with no success.  I've tried all of the other solutions I could find online with no success.  The odd thing is that she is only kicked offline when I try to play Lotro.  We can both browse the internet either together or independently, and she can play Lotro and I can browse the internet.  But the moment I try to log on, it kicks her off completely.  It should be noted that on Comcast using a Linksys router, everything worked fine.  The issue started when we upgraded to FIOS, the new Actiontech router is almost certainly the problem, I just don't know what specifically.  

Please, any ideas?

spidey · Answer

i have the same problem...i can turn on my router and use my laptops( xp and mac) with no problems but once I put the cable back to the desktop so I can access internet it disconnects. desktop is running on xp as well.  I don't think its ip address issue since the last time I checked they're getting different addresses. any solutions to this?

jon · Answer

My issue was with the modems ATT shipped with DSL service.  Both the 2-wire modem/router combo and the plain motorola modem-only box.  I upgraded to an actiontech aftermarket DSL modem w/ router from best buy and never had the trouble again.  

Good luck, it is a very frustrating issue.  I think the original modems just were not designed to handle the demand from two people running online games with lots of uploads and downloads going simultaneously.

brodiego · Answer

I think it may be an issue with the router settings.  If one of the computers has a static IP and the other one does not, you could be kicking one another off.  Then, whe you reconnect, the computer is obtaining a new IP.  Check to see if you have static IPs and try disabling it.

EaZy · Answer

same problem here. the internet disconnects even when I am using LAN. I also have the same problem so I hope someone comes up with an answer quick or i'll have to ditch this laptop for a new desktop.

nani · Answer

Refer to the my article in the above link about download automation.This might give you some idea about good downloading at night and about auto-reconnection if line is disconnected..

Second problem(disconnection)-If you are using IE,go to tools>internet options>connections>settings>click advanced(beside the password field)

check, if the box says disconnect after 60 or 90 minutes is unchecked or not.

For download speeds use any download manager like DAP or IDM instead of direct download from http.

PM me if any more queries.Happy downloading.

mark · Answer

I had the same problem for a long time. Here is the answer that worked for me. You have to install a switcher in between your router and your modem. I have Hughesnet and the Hughesnet modem was conflicting with the wirless modem. It would work fine for awhile then drop out. After going though about 4 wireless modems I found this fix givien to me by a computer repair man. 

He said by adding the switcher it causes the modem to see the wirless router as just another computer. Sounds to good to be true but it works. The switchers cost around 20-30 dollars. Cheap fix for such a large heartache.

Internet disconnects when 2nd user is on

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