Windows 7 and loss of Internet connection

Anonymous
2009-10-30T23:58:23+00:00

In our home office we have a desktop system running Windows 7 as well as an iMac.  Both are connected to Apple's Time Capsule, which serves as a router as well as a backup hard drive for the iMac. (our Internet connection is cable-Internet, by the way.)

Ever since upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7, the Windows 7 desktop is encountering frequent Internet connection errors.  It generally loses the Internet connection several times per day.

Today is the worst manifestation we have seen thus far (since upgrading to Windows 7 last week).  We generally only have an Internet connection for about 2-3 minutes, then it is lost and must be repaired.

We go into Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Troubleshoot Problems > Internet Connections

We allow Windows 7 to automatically diagnose and repair the problem.

Each and every time it goes through the steps of diagnosing and repairing, it ends up "resetting the local area connection adapter."

At the end of the process -- after everything has been repaired -- we get the following report:

"Default gateway is not available - fixed."

What steps do we need to take to permanently solve this problem?

By the way, the iMac is NOT experiencing any Internet connection problems whatsoever.

Thanks in advance!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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Anonymous
2009-11-09T19:53:05+00:00

I don't know what you are using to assign addresses, so I am assuming it is a router of some sort. You will need to go to the manufacturers site, look at the manual and find out how to limit the DHCP address scope. I changed mine to limit the assigning of DHCP addresses to 192.168.1.200 through 192.168.1.250. Your router may use the 10. subnet, so your addresses may be different, depends on the router manufacturer, or if you use a DHCP server, the scope set with the DHCP server. That gives me 50 IP addresses for any guests that may want to use wired or wireless connections, and should be more than enough. This allows me to assign 192.168.1.1 through 192.168.1.199 to a device and not have to worry about the DHCP server trying to use one that is assigned permanently to a device (Printer, switch, PC, Server, Virtual Server, etc).

Once you have that setup in your router, you will now need to assign a static ip to your PC. This is all done from the network adapter.

From the start menu:

Control Panel

Network and Internet

Network and Sharing Center

On the right hand pane of Network and Sharing Center

Change adapter settings

Double Click your network adapter

Select the "Details" radio button

Write down the following lines:

Connection Specific DNS (May or may not exist, depends on provider)

IPv4 Subnet

IPv4 Default Gateway

IPv4 DNS Servers

Once you have written those down, you can close that box.

You should be back at the "Local Area Connection Status" box.

Choose the "Properties" radio button.

Select the "Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4)", which will be in a blue box when selected. 

Now select the "Properties" radio button

The "Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties" box should have popped up. If so:

Select the following:

"Use the following IP address"

In the IP address box, enter an IP address. Example: 192.168.1.20

Press the tab, the subnet should fill in automatically, if not, enter the value from "IPv4 Subnet" you wrote down from the above step. Examp,e: 255.255.255.0

In the dafult gateway, enter the value from the steps above. Example: 192.168.1.254

Now to move on to the next 2 boxes, DNS Servers. You may have only 1 DNS server entry from the DNS entry you wrote down from above.

Enter the DNS servers you notes above.

If there was "Connection Specific DNS" entry or entries, do the following (If not skip the "Connection Specific DNS" sections:

Select the "Advanced" radio button.

The "Additional TCP/IP Settings" windows should open

Select the "DNS" tab

If there is more than 1 "Connection Specific DNS" entry, do the following:

Select the "Append DNS suffixes (in order):"

Select "Add..."

In the "Domain suffix", enter the first Connection Specific DNS entry.

Select the "Add" radio button.

Add all the DNS Specific suffixes you wrote down. You can only enter one at a time.

When finished sleect the "OK" radio button

If you only have 1 entry in "Connection Specific DNS":

In the box labeled "DNS suffix for this connection", type in the entry you noted above for the "Connection Specific DNS".

When finished sleect the "OK" radio button

Check the "validate settings upon exit" box.

Select the "OK" radio button.

Select the "Close" radio button

You should see the 'Windows Network Diagnostics" open, and check for any problems. Hopefully all is well and it states "Troubleshooting could not identify the problem", and choose "Close the Troubleshooter".

Close any additional boxes or pop-ups that are open, and check and make sure allis connecting. If not, go back and verify any steps. the most common are the IP addresses and gateways.

Good luck. Post back if it resolves the issue.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-02-08T22:29:27+00:00

    BRAVO!!!! I couldn't (and didn't) say it better! This is absurd, it is SO obviously a win7 problem! I upgraded, (clean from XP Pro) to 7 Pro, no internet, formatted drive, (1TB WD caviar), tried 7 Home PRemium SAME problem, finally after spending TWO DAYS trying this and that, drivers, firmware, chipset, motherboard, ALL supposedly "compatible" or "certified for w7" I just got tired of playing with it, and not being able to do any work, so FINALLY I formatted AGAIN, and you know how long that takes for 1TB, reinstalled XP, reinstalled ALL programs, drivers, preferences, set up network, restored files, WHEW! I'm tired again just thinking about it!

    SO, XP Pro with SP3 back, everything working just fine, and I have the XP machine while all those who depend on me for IT and upgrades, help desk, etc. "have the latest and greatest" Go figure. Again, get back to work Bill, or M$ is going to ____!!

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-02-08T22:18:17+00:00

    mine says DNS server unavailable or wrong, yet under XP it is "Right" and "available" I wonder why? Hey MS! Anybody awake over there?

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-02-08T22:17:02+00:00

    My goodness! This is most certainly NOT a driver or chipset or motherboard  or NIC issue! So many people have posted the same or similar problem, i.e. "Unidentified Public Network-No Internet Access" that is MUST be a Win7 issue!

    I've upgrade and had no problem with a dozen machines here  in my office, only this one (so far) a Dell Optiplex 745 2GB RAM 1TB HDD, Broadcom NIC, Intel Chipset, ALL latest drivers, ALL listed as Win7 Compatible, yet NO connection. XP had no problems or issues, (same IP, same DNS, same location, same cables, same EVERYTHING, Win7 would NOT connect to the internet even though it DID connect to Homegroup, and allowed file and printer access.

    I actually had to go BACK to XP Pro SP3, and again NO issues, connected immediately, fast, no hang, no problem. So you tell ME, HOW on earth could this be anything BUT a Win7 issue?

    I truly wanted to upgrade, I like the OS, it is on most of my other machines, and I am liking it, using it, and not having issues, yet, THIS machine, one of the newest by the way, at less than 1 year, will NOT connect. WHY?

    Any and ALL help will be greatly appreciated!!!!

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-02-08T13:22:54+00:00

    Already solved this problem by moving my PC next to my router (FritzFon 7150) which enables me to connect both via LAN and WLAN with my PCI-card without any problem. It seems this is a sensitivity issue. Whilst under Vista Home my PC was away perhaps 7m connecting through   an identical FritzFon 7150, configured as a repeater, I got a strong flawless connection, this then did not work under Windows 7, even after upgrading the drivers to allegedly Windows 7 compatible ones, turning Windows Firewall and Gdata Antivirus Off etc. even installing another PCI-card from D-Link, no luck. Drove me nuts. Perhaps the Microsoft testers have their PCs also near their routers? Should try this at a distance through walls and see if it works. Probably not. So they need to look at something in their respective softwares, which works for Vista but not for Windows 7. Hope this observation helps some of you and especially Microsoft. Upgrading the D-Link PCI driver is a must, otherwise blue screen with lovely stripes J

    Whilst I am much impressed with the new Windows 7 Ultimate US software, now I got it to work even for WLAN, I am considering joining Microsoft Masochists Anonymous, where people like myself can try to talk to each other to rid themselves of their obsession   trying to put right what Microsoft obviously did not finish AGAIN. Same story for every bloody new software release from Microsoft. They never finish the job. The users have to find their bugs. Spent a whole Sunday and nearly got a nervous breakdown ;-) Anyway, good luck to any of you and especially the Microsoft testers.

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