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

2010-07-16T12:33:07+00:00

I had the same issue and i found out i had filled a static ip adress in the Alternative Configuration tab of my ipv4 connection property of the local connection. i reset it to Automatic and for the last 30 minutes, the internet has not disconnected. i am keeping my fingers crossed.

perhaps some of u had done the same with their ip4 configuration.

hope this helps.
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Anonymous

2010-07-14T19:42:58+00:00

I encountered an issue similar to the OP's situation after installing Windows 7 Ultimate x86--loss of internet connection, but intact network connection (wireless). At first I noticed no problems whatsoever; it wasn't until I set up uTorrent several weeks later that things began to go awry. My internet connection would fail at seemingly random intervals, anywhere from one minute to an hour or more apart. These issues did not affect a Macbook, and had never manifested themselves under XP or Vista, both of which had more or less perfect wireless connections under two different sets of wireless adapter/router. Switch over to XP, the problem disappears.

I initially investigated the issue as though uTorrent was the root cause, finding what seemed like likely culprits and settings "fixes." None of them worked, and I set up Bittorrent instead. For a day or two I noticed no problems, then they started up again. I tried disabling various programs like Windows Firewall, Comodo Firewall, PeerBlock, to no avail.

Then I found this page, and installed the memory leak hotfix 979223. Hotfix? More like notfix. After sifting through other hotfixes, I began rechecking drivers. I had assumed the only driver that mattered would be the Netgear WNDA3100v1 adapter, which was current, and the Netgear WNDR3300 firmware, which is also current. The onboard Realtek network adapter drivers installed by 7 were old; I updated them. For the last two days, I have seen absolutely no connection failures at all, with heavy Torrenting. Now, just as I go to write this, they have returned. In five minutes, I've watched the connection fail three times.

This is kind of totally ridiculous, no? I've already reverted to XP after being patient with Vista and continually finding it clunky and somehow "off." Reverting again will be gigantically funny, like letting two new cars sit in the driveway because they aren't as reliable or enjoyable as the decade-old model. I like 7, I really do. But this is basic functionality here, and it's basically not functioning.

Next steps are: replace router firmware with DD.WRT and pray to Atheisma, goddess of abandoning all hope.
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Anonymous

2010-07-09T21:21:42+00:00

Brian,

It's been three days now since I've installed the hotfix on my Win 7 x64 machine and I haven't lost internet connectivity yet. I had one glitch with a Winamp stream, but that could have been just a glitch on the server end. I've been using my machine very heavily also, doing the things that would almost guaranty I'd need to reboot to re-establish my internet connection. So far, it's been smooth sailing. I'm looking forward to your results after applying the hotfix. I know how you feel, just waiting for the issue to raise its ugly head again... :) So far though, it's working - for me anyways. Good luck!
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