Windows 7 Loses Internet Connection but not Network Connection.

Here is some basic information:

My Machine:

Custom built Intel Pentium D Machine 3.06Ghz, 4GB Ram, 3.0TB storage.

Intel  PRO/1000 PM Network Adapter.  On-Board

Windows 7 Ultimate. (All updates applied)

All Hardware has up to date drivers all around.

Environment:

Connected to a Windows Small Business Server 2003. (Wired)

The Server has been patched for Windows Vista Integration and ran Windows Vista for over a year without issue.  I have read that to use Windows 7 you need to have all of the Vista Patches applied to the SBS 2003 server.  I have done this.

My Router:

Linksys  WRT54GSV4 with Firmware 1.06.3 (Up to date)

My Problem:

It seems my internet goes down whenever it feels like.   I do not lose network connectivity.  In other words I could be streaming an audio file or movie file from my server when I lose the internet.  It just goes away.  IT seems this is more during long downloads then anything, but has been rearing its ugly head more when just browsing.  My only solution is to go into the network adapters and disable it, then re-enable it, and then I regain internet connectivity for an undetermined amount of time.  Could be 5 minutes, could be 5 hours.  It’s never the same thing twice.

I can see what it does more when downloading a larger file.  I use a download manager so I can see the status of each file being downloaded.  (This is from many locations so it’s not just one location that’s causing this problem.  It all over the board)   While downloading, I can see the download speed fluctuate    a little and then eventually goes to zero.  I can stop and then restart the download.  It will go full speed for about 30 seconds and then drop back down to zero.   Once I go in and disable and re-enable the network adapter, and I can run full speed once again without an issue for a undertermined amount of time.

All the while this is going on; I do NOT lose connectivity to my server which I basically use as a file server and domain controller.  Once I lose my internet connection, I’ll click on a connection to the server and bring up an audio file or video file and it’s just fine.  I can stream it from the server while I still can’t browse or download anything.

This tells me that the connection itself it OK, but there is something IN the connection that connects me to the internet that is faulty.  IT kind of scares me since this could be a MAJOR flaw in an important part of Windows 7.

 Have other machines on the network.  One Laptop that has Windows 7 (Same thing happens with it), another Laptop with Windows Vista (Never Happens), and Desktop with Windows Vista (Never Happens) and a Laptop with Windows XP (Never Happens).   So the ONLY machines that are having this problem are the ones with Windows 7.

What I have done:

Tried using another brand of Network Adapter.  Same thing.  No change.

Reinstalled both Windows 7 machines.   From a clean install with no other software or AV software or ANYTHING, same thing.  The exact same thing happens from a clean install to a fully loaded system.

Tried using Generic Drivers, the exact drivers, Windows 7 drivers.  – No Change

Disabled all IPV6 in the network card. – No Change.

Rebuild the IPSTACK in case it was corrupted. – No Change

Turned off IP HELPER Service – No Change

I have turned off the Power Saving Features of my Network Card so it can not be turned off.  -  No Change.

Turned off “Receive Side Scaling” in network Adapter – No Change.

Turned off “Remote Differential Compression” – No Change.

As you can see, I have tried almost everything that has been suggested to fix this problem.

I even reinstalled Windows Vista on this machine to make sure it’s not my machine.  Once Vista is on, it works flawlessly.  Once I put Windows 7 back on the system, I am back to dropping the internet over and over and over again.  Same thing with my laptop that is a much newer system.  Intel Core Due and so on...

So in my mind, this is most defiantly a Windows 7 bug that needs to be fixed.

Does anyone have any other suggestions as to what to try to fix this problem?  This is extremely annoying in that I can’t even use this machine for any reliable internet usage.  Be it browsing, e-mail or downloading.  Like I said earlier, I’m shocked to see that such a basic function of Windows 7 seems to have a MAJOR bug in it and that all past versions NEVER had this problem.

I look forward to hearing from you to see if I can come up with SOMETHING to fix this problem.

Thanks for your help!

Tom.

"The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." Scotty - Star Trek