Windows 7 Loses Internet Connection but not Network Connection.

Anonymous

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

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hello all,

To avoid confusion and to help with troubleshooting we ask that you create your own thread in the appropriate forums below. Please be sure to supply all the previous troubleshooting done and details of the issue you are facing.

Windows 7

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7network/threads

Windows Vista

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistanetworking/threads

Windows XP

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/xpnetwork/threads

Thanks,

Keith

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi,

I was mentioning Windows update optional patch in Windows 7 list called "Intel - Network - Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection", but I think it won't be relevant for you first because you are running 2003 and secondly because I SOLVED MY PROBLEM in another way...

I just removed Symantec Endpoint Security (SEP11 MR4 MP2) and all my problems disappeared.. Magic, no?

For those of you who have the same piece of software installed, try to remove it. I chose to install AVIRA (Free at http://www.free-av.com/) eventhough I believe that SEP is a better product.

Cheers and good luck if your are in a different case.

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194 additional answers

Anonymous

2009-12-24T12:52:48+00:00

I should of mentioned that during the two weeks of working with my internet service provider to resolve this issue, over 100 speed tests were conducted at varios wed sites, and the results were always consistent and logged. When ever the problem surfaced, the speeds for downloading dropped down to dial up modem speeds, while the upload speeds remained at their dsl levels. We consistently recorded in every test upload speeds of 1.2 to 1.3 mbps while the download speeds went from 1.4 mbps down to 150 kbps then back up to 1.2 mbps when problem disappeared, and even during the speed tests during the download, the test would stop or freeze all together for 2 to 3 minutes, then would resume and complete the test.

When the problem was not occurring the typical download/upload test would take less then a minute to complete, and when the problem was occurring the same test at the same server would take up to 5 minutes to complete.
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Anonymous

2009-12-24T12:40:23+00:00

Frustrating isnt the word for it. I am having the same problems, but in my case it effects both computers on the network alike. I have read the forums searching and trying everything suggested to no avail. I even scheduled a service call with my ISP provider thinking it was an issue with their service to no avail.

My new computer came with Vista with the upgrade uption to seven when iy was released. Both computers on the network, and XP and a Vista worked fine until the SEVEN upgrade disc arrived and I installed it on the VISTA computer.

Now both computers lose their internet connectivity for brief moments all the time, and it is random. They will work fine for hours some times then the problem starts, but clears itself up in relatively short period of time. Running multiple speed tests, you can see the download speeds drop to dial up speeds of around 100kbps then shoot up to 1.4 mbps etc. This is why I first thought it was a service provider issue and contacted my internet service provider. That and the fact it was effecting both the windows seven and the windows xp computers in the same manner.

After two weeks of speed tests, daily phone calls with ISP, purchasing a new WINDOWS SEVEN compatable router(I highlighted this since some are suggesting its a router compatibility issue), doing clean install of the ops starting with the windows vista disk, then the seven upgrade disc, disabling all firewalls, and not adding any other programs to include no anti-virus software, and yet through it all the problem still persists.

It appears that windows 7 takes control over the WAN at different times for some reason, and doesn't allow anything on the network access to the WAN during those intervals. maybe its something as simple as its checking for updates or something, but a fix needs to be found quickly.

I might add that my service provider even assigned me a new IP address thinking they may have inadvertently assigned my address to another customer, thus creating a conflict if both were trying to access the internet at the same time.

All these forum fixes I have read thus far, seem to work at the moment, but the issue resurfaces. So what seemed to work was not a solution, because the issue is sporadic, so by the time you apply the supposed fix, the problem has already corrected itself temporarily, but you feel like what you just did fixed the problem.
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Anonymous

2009-12-24T10:14:12+00:00

JC

Sorry for delay - not too well atm.

I think you'll need to take a look at the traffic between the router and your pc and work out what is not communicating then.

I should have said that my fix worked with wireless but don't go buying wireless receivers just for that. Wired is untested so I'll try that when I get back later.

Disabling the firewall doesn't open any more ports, it only leaves the port configuration as it was.

I assume DHCP-out is open too then. I also assume you used the admin route for firewall adjustments rather than the simple interface you get from cp.

Perhaps your connection is built up differently to mine (you are using dual adapters) but I think you've provided another clue there for MS, i.e., they fixed the problem in Vista.
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