Connection Randomly Dropping
 

I'm on NTL:Home 2mb, connect via cable modem with ethernet.

Basically, it started happening about 2/3 months ago, the connection would just hang if I stayed on a particular site for any more than 10 minutes. It was usually just that site, but these days it's very random, I can't pin point any specific thing I'm doing to make it hang it just seems completely random. I usually have to switch the computer off, unplug for 2 minutes then turn back on to resolve the problem. In the last few days, the connection seems to be dropping about 10 times a day!

Another computer is networked to this one via wireless connection, (Belkin Router) but we've been networked for quite a while before the connection hanging problem occured, so can't see it's that problem.

Also recently did a complete reformat of both computers, still no avail.

- Don't have cable TV.
- Contacted customer support who told me to switch the computer off, unplug blah blah and proceeded to say "if it happens again, just ring back". Despite the fact I already told him it'd been going on for a couple of months.
- I'm in Manchester.
- Windows XP Home, with SP2.
- Running Zone Alarm, tried turning it off and uninstalling but the problem still occurs.

Any help on this problem will be very much appreciated, it's driving me insane!

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

:welcome: to Cable Forum :D

Couple of things worth clarifying / checking first of all:

Disconnects can be a result of the upload stream being saturated, Are there any prolonged downloads (P2P filesharing) running?

You have tried Zone Alarm settings. Can you confirm you also have a current antivirus and antispyware protection in place?

When you say you turn the computer off and reboot, do you also have to reboot the router and modem, or just the PC. If it's just the PC, it is unlikely to be an ntl based issue.

Does the problem repeat itself if you connect a PC direct to the modem, without the router?

I'm not trying to point the finger at your network, indeed direclty the opposite, it's just that needs to be ruled out, so as to confirm the problem lies in the modem or ntl network.

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

- No P2P running when it disconnects.

- I have Norton Anti Virus (had it for years now) running and no anti-spyware software on.

- If I just reboot the computer, the connection will still not come on. I have to unplug the cable modem for about 2 minutes in order to get it working again.

- I've not tried the option without connecting via the router yet, I will give it a go though.

Not sure how it could be that as I had the router for a while before the connection hanging problem suddenly started to occur.

Will get back to you though, thanks for the reply!

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

Tried to no avail I'm afraid. It didn't actually drop all day yesterday but dropped twice this morning.

Looked at the lights which go off and 'ENET' and 'RDY' stay on whilst 'D/S' flashes on and off slowly.

Any suggestions?

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

Intermittent faults are the hardest to track down and resolve. As you've done the obvious stuff now with your home network, it points to the ntl service. Possibly the signal level is slightly out. Suggests a call to faults, to see that they will agree to get an engineer to check it out.

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

Been a bit busy recently so haven't got round to ringing them just yet, but I took a look through Event Viewer and found some interesting things which possibly might be related to my problem:

"The IP address lease 192.168.2.2 for the Network Card with network address ************ has been denied by the DHCP server 192.168.2.1 (The DHCP Server sent a DHCPNACK message)."

"TCP/IP has reached the security limit imposed on the number of concurrent TCP connect attempts."

Quite a few of these with 2/3 other errors.

Any of these mean much?

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

Lots of other people have been getting random connection drops since early August, so far no solution has been found(replacement modem's and engineers called out havent helped)

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

Grrr! Anyone any ideas on the errors I posted before?

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

My bold and size up, points to your router at 192.168.2.1 not letting the computer at 192.168.2.2 have a new DHCP lease, in other words the router cant talk to the computer.

Have you tried yet 'without' the router in the equation as suggested earlier?

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

reset your router and set it up again

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

DHCP lease is your router denying the issue of a lease, not an ntl router.

TCP/IP... blah blah is a security feature in XP Service Pack 2, and can be removed (which accelerates P2P programs as well).

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

I'm connected directly to the internet without the router now, and it's just hung... I find this bizarre as I'm now thinking it is to do with the router!

Went in to the event log again and it came up with quite a lot:

Warnings:


"Your computer was not able to renew its address from the network (from the DHCP Server) for the Network Card with network address ***********. The following error occurred:
The semaphore timeout period has expired. . Your computer will continue to try and obtain an address on its own from the network address (DHCP) server."
-----

"The server could not bind to the transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{228273F6-040F-42F2-92DB-3E20C3BA9CA6}"


Errors:


"Your computer has lost the lease to its IP address 192.168.100.3 on the Network Card with network address ************."

These came from the time when the router isn't even plugged in.

Appreciate the replies.

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

Erm without the router plugged in the PC has no business getting a 192.168.100.3 IP address.

Your machine is a real mess.

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

I know why now, that problem's resolved. Human error :o:

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

Connected without any trace of a router now and it was completely fine for a very long while until a few minutes ago when it dropped. Rang Customer Services and the lady said she could see that we've had indifferent connectivity for the last week (understatement!) and she's pretty sure it's a fault with the modem. An engineer is coming tomorrow (pretty quick for NTL) to replace it, so fingers crossed.

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

Please can you post the answer , because I'm getting same sort of error mgs in my event log ( since 3rd of Oct ) . My connection is straight into stb , no router .:confused:

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

Sorry mate, I just looked at the wrong date like a plonker. What I did was completely get rid of the router and then did a complete reformat to eradicate 1 or 2 other annoying errors. You're better off asking one of the experts on here, I might not be any good.

The engineer came round yesterday at about 1pm, checked signal levels and they were fine and installed the new modem (ntl:250). It didn't hang all did yesterday and hasn't dropped today, so after months of frustration hopefully (touch wood) the problem is solved!

Bought a new router (Linksys) but not installing just yet. Thanks for everyone that replied, much appreciated.

Re: Connection Randomly Dropping
 

I've just looked @ event log and haven't had the error msgs for past 2 days so hopefully they have sorted it out :shocked: we shall see . Now I just need the p/l issues sorting out & I'll be happy . Glad u got your probs sorted , gl with the new modem :)