Internet Issues

[blackeagle603]

hmmm, never heard 'em called that. Esthetician daughter can help with that.

[308Mike]

I bet you're using the wired network adapter from your motherboard. Try a quick check by picking up a plug-in slot network adapter from one of your geek friends (along with the correct drivers - if needed), then move the cable over to the new card plug-in and try it. Or, you might even be able to find one that plugs into your USB slots, just to try it out - but personally, I'd prefer plugging one into one of your adapter slots inside the computer.

Network adapters can go bad, more often than you might believe.

Go for the cheapest solutions first. If you can, plug another machine in to see if it has the same connectivity problems. I doubt it will, but it might, and then you'll have a better idea where the problem lies.

[Kommander]

Mike I think your right. I was hoping that was not the case but I think it is. If that is the case I wonder if I should replace the MoBo or just get a wireless USB dongle. I still need to look into this network stack thing though.

[308Mike]

Mike I think your right. I was hoping that was not the case but I think it is. If that is the case I wonder if I should replace the MoBo or just get a wireless USB dongle. I still need to look into this network stack thing though.

If you replace your screwed-up NIC (Network Interface Card), you don't have to worry about your stack unless it has been invaded by programs which insert themselves into your stack (malware/adware) to intercept your network communications (sometimes generating pop-up ads) before sending them on to the next hop to their destination.

IF the NIC is mother-board based, you should be able to go into the BIOS and disable it - AFTER you verify that is the problem by installing another NIC and having it work correctly, and you connectivity IMPROVES. Otherwise you might have other places to look for the continuing errors. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the errors continue, but connectivity is MUCH better, so perhaps you might STILL have a problem with the router - OR YOU MIGHT NOT.

It all depends on what you see as symptoms and what troubleshooting you still have to do to determine the source of the problems. Replacing the onboard NIC *might* get rid of all your problems, or it might not. Keep your mind open and realize the more complicated things become, the more likely something might fail and finding the failure might become the REAL problem (as far as geeks are concerned).

Remember, if you use a USB NIC, you'll be taking up one of your USB slots on your computer - so you might want to use one of the REAR slots if you plan on using a plug-in NIC.

YMMV

[Kommander]

Thanks mike. My tower is 11 years old at this point. All it has is rear USBs. Does anyone know how good WiFi speeds compare to wired internet?

[308Mike]

Thanks mike. My tower is 11 years old at this point. All it has is rear USBs. Does anyone know how good WiFi speeds compare to wired internet?

Wired will have better speeds, better connectivity, more security, but wireless will have FAR MORE convenience. If you're on a tower PC, and have no problem running the wire, that's the way *I'd* go. There's simply a LOT less to go wrong (providing you have a quality CAT 5/6 cable). If you go the cable/wired route, do yourself a favor and DO NOT make any sharp bends in the cable. If you need to bend the cable 90 degrees or more, make sure you keep a decent radius to the bend to ensure it doesn't get kinked. The SAME THING GOES for when you shove the case back against the wall and all your cables/power cords wind up jammed against the wall. Make sure they don't have any sharp bends in them. Just treat them as having water going through them between your machine and the wall outlets, and the greater they're pinched, the less info is going is going between them and your machine.

Also, keep your data cable away from any tracks of multiple power lines to reduce the incidence of signal interference due to induction interference. If you need to run the network cable near those power cables, try and keep a couple of inches between the them (the network cable and power cables). A single power cable or two (one for the tower and one for the monitor) should NOT present any difficulties or problems at the data rate you need for your Internet connection. If you were running a Gigabit connection, I might not be saying the same things regarding the power cables unless you had shielded cabling.

I'd say: Replace your NIC, update your drivers, and try the connection again. Don't be surprised if everything works fine again. If your old NIC is one which you can remove, I'd recommend removing it rather than leaving it in your system even if you're not using it. Give the Gremlins less stuff to mess with in the first place!!

YMMV

[Kommander]

Just because I could I got a new cable but it solved nothing. No one I know has a spare NIC that I can get ahold of immediately so at this point it looks like I'll be looking for a PCI NIC. I have the spare slots so I should be able to get this to work. I am also considering a windows reinstall as it has been 3 years since my last wipe and my computer is starting to chug a bit. I did try the network stack reset but it did not work.

[mekender]

Thanks mike. My tower is 11 years old at this point. All it has is rear USBs. Does anyone know how good WiFi speeds compare to wired internet?

The real question to me is, how old is the hardware IN it?

If you are using hardware that is 11 years old, it is time to upgrade... You are basically using the equivalent of a 25 year old car.

[Kommander]

The MoBo (im using the integrated NIC) is from 2007. Other parts are the same age while some are newer. The only thing 11 years old is the case it's self.

[mekender]

The MoBo (im using the integrated NIC) is from 2007. Other parts are the same age while some are newer. The only thing 11 years old is the case it's self.

6-7 years old is marginally better than 11 years old in terms of hardware. IIRC, the expected lifespan of a motherboard is 3 years according to most manufacturers.

A modern ~$300 PC is going to be tremendously faster than one built 2 years ago, let alone one built on 6 to 7 year old hardware.