A Perplexing PC and Network Problem

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axella

A Perplexing PC and Network Problem

Lead

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Posts: 6161

(05/15/08 19:27:53)

Jaws was never my scene
and I don't like Star Wars.

Tags : None

This has been driving us nuts for months.

We have 4 things on the network - My husband's PC (where all the gear is), my PC, the Xbox and my laptop (which is wireless. The rest aren't).

Anyway, every time I go to log into my PC in the morning, it will let me open Firefox or IE, load maybe 1 or 2 webpages, before it disconnects the modem and spits everyone off the net until the modem resets itself. I believe we are on our second modem since this started. It doesn't matter whether the PC was left running overnight, or if I turn it on in the morning. Same result. All computers are on XP.

If I walk away from my PC for a while and come back, it's the same thing again - load a page or two, then log us all off. No other computers or devices but mine affect the network this way.

I thought it was something in Firefox that was doing it, but it does it in IE, too, as I discovered today.

I have got no screen savers running, and the system and hard disks "turn off" thing is set to "never". AVG updates every day and sez my PC's clean.

This is a real pain in the butt as when the net's off, so's the phone (VOIP).

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

My "Myspace" Profile, and What I'm Bitching About Right Now

52media

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Posts: 4814

(05/15/08 19:40:24)

Internet Broadcaster

sounds like a pain, try another/new router/switcher thingy, its been awhile since I've messed with wired, can't rem.

try and see if one computer is the culp, turn off laptop, see if situation still remains, etc.

axella

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Posts: 6163

(05/15/08 19:48:50)

Jaws was never my scene
and I don't like Star Wars.

My PC is definitely the problem. It does this when nothing else is running. I know we changed routers not long ago, but I think this problem was here before that.

I can't think of one defining moment when it started, like after we installed this or changed that. Very annoying. But thanks for trying.

My "Myspace" Profile, and What I'm Bitching About Right Now

interludemusic

You Might want to look on the router itself for logs

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Posts: 132

(05/16/08 03:22:08)

a confirmed postaholic

http://www.answersthatwork.com/Download_Area/ATW_Library/Networking/Network__4-List_of_default_Router_Admin_Passwords_and_IP_addresses.pdf
Depending on the make of your router, you should be able to open a browser and poke around for any anomalies

Social Spit

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Posts: 6384

(05/16/08 06:51:31)

pumping out cesspools
since the year 2000.

Sounds like a "Nick Collision" - In this case IP Address collision. I've had it happen here... I don't know if that is exactly what is happening with your network.

Log in to your router... Is it a router or a switch? If it is a switch, you cannot connect more than one PC to the net at a time. It will say Router or Switch on the front or bottom of the unit.. I suppose you know the diff... Well, log in to your Router, the address will be something like:

Http://192.168.0.1 (D-Link) or http://192.168.1.1 (Linksys)

D Link is slightly easier to use... And Netgear are screwed, if you got a Netgear router, you have my sympathies and also my advice to throw it away and buy a Linksys or D-Link.

Log into your router and set up DHCP. I don't know your router, so I don't know the interface, mine is on the main page:

To avoid collisions like that, I use a Static DHCP table: I'll try to paste the interface:

DHCP Server
The DI-524 can be setup as a DHCP Server to distribute IP addresses to the LAN network.
DHCP Server	Enabled Disabled
Starting IP Address	192 . 168 . 0 .
Ending IP Address	192 . 168 . 0 . --- ONLY SET AS MANY IP Addresses as you will NEED.
Lease Time	1 Hour 2 Hours 3 Hours 1 Day 2 Days 3 Days 1 Week

Static DHCP
Static DHCP is used to allow DHCP server to assign same IP address to specific MAC address.
	Enabled Disabled
Name
IP	192 . 168 . 0 .
MAC Address	- - - - - - These values will automatically fill in
DHCP Client

Static DHCP Client List
	Host Name	IP Address	MAC Address
	athlonx64	192.168.0.103	00-13-XX-d1-a4-89
	xweaponx-500	192.168.0.100	00-e0-4d-XX-6d-f8
	VistaSucks-PC	192.168.0.101	00-XX-ff-64-6d-XX
	XWEAPONX	192.168.0.102	00-03-ff-06-XX-68
	WIN-SERV08	192.168.0.104	00-XX-ff-67-XX-f8

Dynamic DHCP Client List

Notice that "xweaponx-PC" and "vistasucks-PC" share a MAC address, thats cos VistaSucks-PC is a Virtual OS within "XweAponX-500"

If you set up a static DHCP for only your LAN, your three computers, it MAY stop your problem.

Another thing that occurs to me: Is it an RCA Cable Modem? I have an RCA Cable Modem and it is FOOKED! I get the same problem you have several times a month... I have to reset everything to get my Internet back.

What causes it, is an IP Address collision on the LAN side... Meaning, if it is not one of your computers then you have a "PiggyBacker" - Check your neighboors and find out which one of them is using your wireless.

Another thing I do is I set up a MAC ADDRESS FILTER... Which prevents devices with MAC ADDRESSES not on your list to fail to connect to the router:

Filters

Filters are used to allow or deny LAN users from accessing the Internet.

IP Filters

URL Blocking

MAC Filters

Domain Blocking

MAC Filters

Use MAC address to allow or deny computers access to the network.

Disabled MAC Filters

Only allow computers with MAC address listed below to access the network

Only deny computers with MAC address listed below to access the network

Name

MAC Address

- - - - -

DHCP Client

WIN-SERV08,00-03-XX-67-6d-f8 XWEAPONX,00-03-ff-XX-72-68 VistaSucks-PC,00-03-ff-XX-6d-f8 xweaponx-500,00-e0-4d-66-XX-f8 athlonx64,00-13-d3-d1-XX-89

MAC Filter List

Name	MAC Address
xweaponx-500	00-e0-4d-XX-6d-f8
athlonx64	00-XX-d3-d1-a4-89
VistaSucks-PC	00-03-XX-64-6d-f8
Windows 98	00-03-ff-XX-72-68

You IMPORT the MAC ADDRESS of each PC/Notebook into the filter list, and then save the list... Then you turn on your MAC filter,

People "piggybacking" on you, this is called a TWINGE attack, and Ghod knows what the name means or where it came from. If you make a Mac filter, then people with wireless who try to connect to you will get their lil fannies spanked rather than being granted access to your network.

Finally, turn on the Router LOGS... If you are getting TWINGE attacked, it will LOG the "Name" of the computer that attempts to connect to your network: Then you can go visit your neighboors and find the guy with the PC Name that corresponds to the invader.

Those are several issues and solutions to your problem, I get the same thing... Start by RESETTING your Router to Factory Default, THEN add each of your computers to the MAC filter list, then set up Static DHCP for your LAN.

If you got Wireless, you MAY be being attacked through there and not even know it- And only doing what I said up here will prevent it... Except if you have a Netgear Router, cos those suck eggs and have no direct way to making those settings.

"Yeer Off the map matie, Here there be Monsters"

Q: How do ya answer any question the Government asks ya?

A: Feed it to the Tree, skumbag!

Last Edited By: Social Spit 05/16/08 06:54:48. Edited 1 times.

Netjams

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Posts: 4185

(05/16/08 12:49:36)

Don't tell
you know me

I had the same problem and found it was a conflict in the AVG firewall and Xp's firewall.
Even thow the XP firewall was off it still caused problems so I turned it on then told it firefox and IE where ok then turned it back off and the problem was fixed..

__________________
Most People are about as happy
as they make up their mind to be.

--Abraham Lincoln

mjt57

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Posts: 1

(05/16/08 18:11:24)

Hi.

I'm "Axella's" husband. I have been trying for months to sort this problem out. It started some time ago when the computer was still connected wirelessly using a PCI Netgear wireless network adaptor and connected to a Netgear wireless router.

When I got our house rewired we installed network cabling. I removed the netgear wireless card from the PC and connected it via its built in network adapter and in BIOS enabled it. The problem remained.

I do not use DHCP. Each PC has its own static IP and yes, they are all different - this I checked.

I am not sure that the info on DHCP supplied above can help but I will try the AVG and Windows Firewall thing. Some have suggested that the NIC is "spiking" when either the PC is turned on, or if inactive for a while, and my wife starts using it, it may be sending out a spike or something to upset the DSL modem. But if this is the case why was it doing it when it had a wireless connection?

Anyway, I might source a cheap PCI network card and disable the onboard NIC and see what that does if none of the above or future suggestions help.

Thanks.

Sir Reel

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Posts: 5337

(05/16/08 19:26:15)

Large Cock

It may very well be Axella's network card. If it's sending malformed packets or noise due to some internal hardware problem, that might do it.

If it was doing it with a separate PCI wireless card, though...hmmm. Could still be something or other on the motherboard causing malformed packets, I suppose. That does make it sound like some sort of sortware problem. Maybe rebuild the TCP/IP stack? If the new NIC card doesn't do it, try going to Device Manager and deleting everything to do with networking, and let it re-install everything. Or try this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357

Their expectations will meet with vacuity

Last Edited By: Sir Reel 05/16/08 19:34:43. Edited 1 times.

axella

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Posts: 6166

(05/17/08 02:43:28)

Jaws was never my scene
and I don't like Star Wars.

Thank you all for your suggestions. His Majesty is nightshift tonight until 7am, and after some sleep, will look into it again tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks again! I know I can always depend upon the folks here for helpful advice on a myriad of topics.

My "Myspace" Profile, and What I'm Bitching About Right Now

52media

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Posts: 4815

(05/17/08 04:58:42)

Internet Broadcaster