Frequent disconnects with Windows XP SP3

anluu133anluu133
edited September 2011 in Science & Tech
Hello. The title is so broad..

Lost manu. XP install disk for father's computer.
Installed Windows XP OEM SP3
Systemax gave us a link to download all of the drivers for the motherboard (P5GC-MX)
Have only downloaded and installed the LAN and audio drivers.

Hardwired to the broadband router.
2 more desktops and laptop run on wireless. these computers have a beautiful
internet connect.
Father's computer disconnects frequently and we have to click repair in network properties in order to connect again. alot.

This was not a problem before we clean installed.
What do I do?

Thank you for your time. This is my first post on this forum. I hope I did this correctly...

Comments

  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    Ok, try going back to thee same link, and get the newest BIOS flash file they have and then try going into BIOS and disabling any builtin-on-mobo wire-only LAN chip. Then go into networking and make a new LAN connection that uses DHCP. Also see if Systemax will tell you what wireless/wifi card was used and search on Google for that name and model number and stick the word driver after it before clicking search. Google will probably give you a link right to the right manufacturer and even zero in on where the download for the right driver is in the top ten links.

    If you still have problems, think about it this way: See if you can find out if the wireless/Wifi card has a weak signal to it. A stronger signal is likely to help the Wifi card stay connected also, so the company that made the card probably also makes and sells a signal booster you can put between the computer and the router.

    If you are poorer folk (what is, is) and really do not want to pay for a signal booster or that is not an option, it is possible to make a cantenna and use that to amplify a weak signal at the computer's end-- this is harder for some than for others (those who cannot solder well might have trouble with this). Another way to fix a weak signal is to make the computer and router be closer together (as an experiment at first) by moving either one to make that so and see if the computer's wireless card then stays connected better. If it does stay connected better you have proven the wireless card had a weak signal and/or too small an antenna or too little signal strengthening stuff on the card.

    If none of that works, then you very probably have a defective wireless card and you need to get a new one that is the same brand as the router (for best results). That is cheaper than a signal booster by a lot, good ones are in the 30-40 dollar range at a computer store or electronics store, cheaper ones as little as 20 dollars. If you tell me what brand the router is, I will look and see if I can find you a deal on a wifi card of same brand. You might search Newegg if you want to find a deal yourself, lots of people that hang out here like it a lot (If you live in the US or Canada).
  • anluu133anluu133
    edited September 2011
    Straight_Man wrote:
    Ok, try going back to thee same link, and get the newest BIOS flash file they have and then try going into BIOS and disabling any builtin-on-mobo wire-only LAN chip. Then go into networking and make a new LAN connection that uses DHCP. Also see if Systemax will tell you what wireless/wifi card was used and search on Google for that name and model number and stick the word driver after it before clicking search. Google will probably give you a link right to the right manufacturer and even zero in on where the download for the right driver is in the top ten links.

    If you still have problems, think about it this way: See if you can find out if the wireless/Wifi card has a weak signal to it. A stronger signal is likely to help the Wifi card stay connected also, so the company that made the card probably also makes and sells a signal booster you can put between the computer and the router.

    If you are poorer folk (what is, is) and really do not want to pay for a signal booster or that is not an option, it is possible to make a cantenna and use that to amplify a weak signal at the computer's end-- this is harder for some than for others (those who cannot solder well might have trouble with this). Another way to fix a weak signal is to make the computer and router be closer together (as an experiment at first) by moving either one to make that so and see if the computer's wireless card then stays connected better. If it does stay connected better you have proven the wireless card had a weak signal and/or too small an antenna or too little signal strengthening stuff on the card.

    If none of that works, then you very probably have a defective wireless card and you need to get a new one that is the same brand as the router (for best results). That is cheaper than a signal booster by a lot, good ones are in the 30-40 dollar range at a computer store or electronics store, cheaper ones as little as 20 dollars. If you tell me what brand the router is, I will look and see if I can find you a deal on a wifi card of same brand. You might search Newegg if you want to find a deal yourself, lots of people that hang out here like it a lot (If you live in the US or Canada).

    Thank you for the response. I will download and install the bios to see if there will be any improvements. Also, my father's computer has always been wire-only (before clean xp install and after). The other computers in the house run perfectly fine on wireless connection. The challenge is that my father's computer is directly connected to the router which is right beside his computer and he is the only one encountering frequent disconnects.

    I will post with an update on that bios install.
  • anluu133anluu133
    edited September 2011
    anluu133 wrote:
    Thank you for the response. I will download and install the bios to see if there will be any improvements. Also, my father's computer has always been wire-only (before clean xp install and after). The other computers in the house run perfectly fine on wireless connection. The challenge is that my father's computer is directly connected to the router which is right beside his computer and he is the only one encountering frequent disconnects.

    I will post with an update on that bios install.

    I installed the intel chipset drivers for the motherboard and I have a feeling that my dumb butt should have done that in the first place. I will post back if there are any more problems. I feel as if this fixed it!
  • anluu133anluu133
    edited September 2011
    Everything seems to be going fine so far...He only had one moment when he had to click "repair connection".

    is there a specific way to accurately measure the internet speed/rates that our router is giving?

    Thank you for your time
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    Well, you can trry this:

    http://speedtest.net/ is a link to a website hooked to a world-wide speed test network that will try to link you to a local speed test server and measure how fast the computer linked to it is getting data and sending it out onto the web(downloading and uploading). It will send both larger and smaller packets of data to the computer, then have the browser send them back.

    Don't bother with the Windows Error scan, just click the Begin Test button on the picture of a laptop. Do this from a Wifi'd laptop also, see the difference. Average those two number sets. This will give you what the router is getting and sending to the computers pretty much, on average for network lines and via Wifi.

    John.
  • anluu133anluu133
    edited September 2011
    Thank you for that link John. I have used them before but was not sure if they were that reliable.
    The tests have averaged ~17mbps download and ~4mbps upload speed for wireless and hardwire. (very small differences in numbers from all computers in household)

    After streaming the debate last night, my father still encountered moments of disconnect where he had to once again click repair connection to be connected again. I streamed the entire debate along with golf channel with no problems whatsoever. Is there anything that could be happening (or missing) on his computer that causes such a thing to happen?

    Is it possible for my laptop to stream 2 videos and hinder his connection speed since he is streaming at the same time?
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    Well... Ok, I'll talk a little about interference fields (RF interference fields). RFI field is a Radio Frequency Interference field.

    In your case, Wifi Radio signalling too close to a computer can invade what is inside the case with an RFI field. In your case, a Wifi router/modem real close to a computer and active in Wifi mode is making a quite strong RFI field around itself.

    Let's say someone got a good cable for networking but it was too long. Let's further say the cable got coiledd. This coil will act like an RFI antenna, and the network chip on motherboard or on a card can be interfered with simply by the RFI field traveling up the network cable wires.

    What happens? The radio field overcomes the normal orderly network signal from the router. The network connecting stuff(NIC) inside the computer will slow down iif it is getting lots of RFI to try to figure out what is noise to it and what is true data.

    How to see if that is happening in your case and possibly fix? Two things to try: move router away from computer to 5-6 feet away and/or make cable shorter to eliminate coils in cable. You may do both.

    That probably will solve the disconnects in your dad's computer.

    If your dad were also getting a weird looking screen sometimes while streaming and/or a lot of the streaming looked jerky, THEN it is time to start thinking about two or more people streaming causing router overload. If the router is overloaded, you would both be getting motion jerkiness in streaming too.

    John.
  • anluu133anluu133
    edited September 2011
    Straight_Man wrote:
    Well... Ok, I'll talk a little about interference fields (RF interference fields). RFI field is a Radio Frequency Interference field.

    In your case, Wifi Radio signalling too close to a computer can invade what is inside the case with an RFI field. In your case, a Wifi router/modem real close to a computer and active in Wifi mode is making a quite strong RFI field around itself.

    Let's say someone got a good cable for networking but it was too long. Let's further say the cable got coiledd. This coil will act like an RFI antenna, and the network chip on motherboard or on a card can be interfered with simply by the RFI field traveling up the network cable wires.

    What happens? The radio field overcomes the normal orderly network signal from the router. The network connecting stuff(NIC) inside the computer will slow down iif it is getting lots of RFI to try to figure out what is noise to it and what is true data.

    How to see if that is happening in your case and possibly fix? Two things to try: move router away from computer to 5-6 feet away and/or make cable shorter to eliminate coils in cable. You may do both.

    That probably will solve the disconnects in your dad's computer.

    If your dad were also getting a weird looking screen sometimes while streaming and/or a lot of the streaming looked jerky, THEN it is time to start thinking about two or more people streaming causing router overload. If the router is overloaded, you would both be getting motion jerkiness in streaming too.

    John.


    aye thank you John.
    sidebar: I noticed that I had a 1 minute lease time and changed that to where it is now 1.5 days.

    I have been streaming Fox News and Golf channel with only 1 interruption (while my laptop is downloading a torrent). Instead of having to click repair connection though, I just refreshed the page and it streamed fine.

    The router is indeed only 3 feet away from my father's desktop. I will continue streaming to see if there any any more disconnects, then if necessary I will move the router farther away (a tedious project).

    Thank you for your time! You have been a great blessing!!
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    anluu133 wrote:
    aye thank you John.
    sidebar: I noticed that I had a 1 minute lease time and changed that to where it is now 1.5 days.

    Thank you for your time! You have been a great blessing!!

    Welcome any time.

    John.
  • anluu133anluu133
    edited September 2011
    Ok...So We moved the router 7 feet away from the desktop and we still encounter these freezes with the connection with his computer forcing us to click repair connection. Is there any such thing as a DNS cache error or anything? What exactly does this repair connection button do and why must it be the only way to have a connection again?
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    Well, repair connection button relinks to networking software in the computer and can refresh what connection the driver has specified. If you have tried to give a DNS server specification in networking, set your networkiing driver to DHCP. If your dad is streaming through internet explorer, get into the internet options and tell internet explorer to automatically detect settings. If you are using streaming software, it may be trying to use internet explorer settings.
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