Windows 7 and internet access issue (a lot of details provided)
This is yet another report of unreliable internet access when using a router and a computer with Windows 7. To put it blunt (if you haven't personally experienced it), internet access disappears randomly for relatively short intervals (affects both LAN and WAN connections). If you start to download a large file, in under a minute you will (no exceptions) lose internet access for an indefinite amount of time. Connection to router (and LAN access) is not lost. Disconnecting and reconnecting (or plugin cable out and back in) recreates internet access. The issue has been detailedly reported in many (let's say tens of thousands) different threads in different forums and/or newsgroups. Since I have seen a request at one such thread to keep it one report per thread, I decided to post details about my home network. WAN Connection: 100 Mbps (still not upgraded) standard ethernet cable connected to a generic linksys ethernet 16 port switch (can try to provide more details, yet I believe it's irrelevant). Computer one (workstation): This computer does not qualify for windows 7. Intel D915PGN chipset (discontinued). Relevant drivers: BIOS CY91510A.86A (version 0040) (9/28/2006) INF files provided by INF Update utility for series, version 8.3.1.1009 (8/7/2007) Integrated Audio: Realtek ALCxxx Driver 5.10.0.5377 (3/19/2007) Integrated Network Card: Intel PRO Network Connections LAN driver 11.2 (12/7/2006) Advanced Options: All defaults provided by Intel PROSet 11.2.0.69 Adapter settings: DHCP is enabled. This connection uses the following items: Client for Microsoft Networks File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks QoS Packet Scheduler Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Operating system: Windows XP Professional x86 SP3 (Version 2002), at the moment completely patched via microsoft update. Comment: This computer never had any internet connection issues. Still hasn't. It is connected to the router with a standard 100Mbps ethernet cable. Computer two (laptop): Mobile Intel® PM45 Express Chipset. Relevant drivers: INF files provided by INF Update utility for series, version 9.1.1.1025 (12/22/2009) BIOS F.21A (9/4/2009) by HP. Network cards: 1. Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN. Driver version 13.2.1.5 (7/2/2010) by Intel. Advanced options: 802.11n Channel Width for band 2.4 = Auto 802.11n Channel Width for band 5.2 = Auto 802.11n Mode = Enabled Ad Hoc Channel 802.11b/g = 11 Ad Hoc QoS Mode = WMM Disabled Fat Channel Intolerant = Disabled Mixed Mode Protection = CTS-to-self Enabled (only other choice is 'RTS/CTS Enabled') Roaming Aggressiveness = 5. Highest (nothing changes when using '3. Medium') Transmit Power = 5. Highest Wireless Mode = 6. 802.11a/b/g Power options: Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power = False (unchecked) Allow this device to wake the computer = Grayed out Adapter settings: ICS is disabled. This connection uses the following items: Client for Microsoft Networks VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver QoS Packet Scheduler File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks Internet Protocol Version 4 Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper I/O Driver Link-Layer Topology Discovery Responder DHCP is enabled. 2. Realtek RTL8168/8111 NIC (NDIS 6.20). Driver version 7.2.1127.2008 (release date unknown) by Microsoft. Advanced options: Auto Disable Gigabit (PowerSaving) = Disabled Flow Control = Disabled Interrupt Moderation = Enabled IPv4 Checksum Offload = Rx & Tx Enabled Jumbo Frame = Disabled Large Send Offload (IPv4) = Enabled Large Send Offload v2 (IPv6) = Enabled Network Address = Not Present Priority & VLAN = Priority & VLAN Enabled Receive Buffers = 512 Speed & Duplex = Auto Negiotation TCP Checksum Offload (IPv4) = Rx & Tx Enabled TCP Checksum Offload (IPv6) = Rx & Tx Enabled Transmit Buffers = 128 UDP Checksum Offload (IPv4) = Rx & Tx Enabled UDP Checksum Offload (IPv6) = Rx & Tx Enabled Wake on Magic Packet = Enabled Wake on pattern match = Enabled Power options: Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power = False (unchecked) Allow this device to wake the computer = False (unchecked) Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer = Grayed out Adapter settings: ICS is disabled. This connection uses the following items: Client for Microsoft Networks VirtualBox Bridged Networking Driver QoS Packet Scheduler File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks Internet Protocol Version 6 Internet Protocol Version 4 Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper I/O Driver Link-Layer Topology Discovery Responder DHCP is enabled. All these drivers are retail and WHQL'd. Operating system: Windows 7 Professional x86 (from MSDN AA), at the moment completely patched via windows update. Connection order: Wireless Network Connection (Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN) Local Area Connection (Realtek [...]) Wireless Network Connection 2 (Virtual) Wireless Network Connection 3 (Virtual) VirtualBox Host-Only Network [Remote Access connections] Router 1: Linksys WRT54GCv2 (discontinued) with 1.00.16 firmware, released on 11/12/2009, latest to date. Configured for Static IP, WPA2-PSK wireless in 802.11g mode, several port-forwarding and port-triggerring rules. No advanced configuration has been done, except a single static DHCP lease (no MAC filtering, no WiFi transmittion finetuning, no VPN, no internet access restriction timetables, no DDNS). Comment: This ancient model works fine with both computers in the network. Router 2: Canyon CNP-WF514N3 (Hardware: Rev. A, Boot Code: 1.0, Runtime Code: 1.01), the model is new, so no firmware updates have yet been released. Configured for Static IP, WPA2-PSK wireless in 802.11 b+g+n (n primarily) mode, several port-forwarding rules, same single static DHCP lease. No MAC filtering, no QoS, no internet restriction timetables, no DDNS, no firewall, no 802.1d spanning tree, no UPnP, no virtual servers. WiFi settings: Fragment threshold = 2346 RTS threshold = 2347 Beacon interval = 100 DTIM period = 3 Data rate = Auto N Data rate = MCS 0 Channel Width = Auto 20/40 Mhz Preamble type = Short preamble Broadcast Essid = Enable CTS Protect = None WMM = Disable WPA2 (AES) Pre-Shared Key security. Comment: This new model will cause the laptop to suffer from the issue described at the beggining of the post, no matter if a wired or wireless connection is used. Connecting directly to WAN will not cause any issues. Using router 1 will not cause any issues as well. I'm looking forward to any suggestions on how to solve this issue. Changing the OS is not an acceptable solution (except if it's Win8). Also, I will not change the router, because I strongly believe it's Win7 that "broke" something.
July 16th, 2010 10:57am

Hi, The first step is to eliminate the ISP. Power off the computers, then the routers, then Power off the gateway\modem. Wait 2-3 minutes. Then power on the gateway\modem,let it start and stabilize, then router 1, wait, then router 2, wait and finally the computers. The ISP's frequently change their network, so it's a good idea to reset\restart everything when you get a glitch. The other issue could be your LAN configuration. Do you have just a gateway\modem or a modem router from your ISP? What is the physical connection arrangement? Asssign the DHCP ip ranges in each router to avoid confilct with one another or conflict with the built-in router. Choose either ProSet or Windows to control LAN connections on the notebook. Uninstall the ProSet software from the notebook and let Windows control the connections. Doesn't impact the drivers.
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July 16th, 2010 3:28pm

Perhaps I've provided too much details and didn't clearly state the important things. Physical connection arrangement (I had posted it in my previous thread, somehow forgot to put it in here): I am using EITHER router 1 (which I don't want to use, but which works flawlessly) or 2 (connection via which has issues on Win7 and Win7 ONLY). Both routers were bought personally (not from ISP and not by ISP). Computer one is connected to the router with a wire (as I already said, standard 100 Mbps ethernet cable). Computer two connects via WiFi (preferrably), even though for testing I've unplugged computer one and used the same wire to connect to the LAN (I've disabled the WiFi adapter prior to doing so). Internet is provided via cable (see WAN connection part in the first post). It's not Fttx, just standard ethernet cable. It's not ADSL/ISDN/whatever, no modems or signal decoders are involved. I am NOT using ProSET on the laptop, that's why I specified it ONLY on the workstation. The advanced settings are provided by windows. Once again, sorry for the confusion. P. S. When I start to download a large file and lose internet access (can't load websites, can't continue download, can't ping non-LAN IPs), I still have the proper IP address (192.168.1.10 - as configured with static DHCP lease), proper gateway address (192.168.1.1), and Win7 network diagnostics reports no issues?). And if I disconnect from the access point and instantly double click to connect, Internet access is magically restored (without any delay). Same happens with wired connection (unplug + replug = back to internet).
July 16th, 2010 4:52pm

If I understand correctly, the issue does not occur in Router 1. If this is the situation, the issue should be related to router settings or router itself. You can refer to the user manual or contact the router manufacturer directly to check this issue.Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.
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July 19th, 2010 11:59am

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