Internet issues....

[xmasqueen]

CC I don't know if this is in your area of expertise but I thought maybe you'd have some idea of why it's happening.....I clearly don't.

Ok...my internet is always timing out on me. For the last 2 days it's been ok....not as bad but the connectivity is very low. I have a brand new linksys card because we thought maybe the card was going out but apparently not. Comcast came out a month or so ago and reset some things and it worked beautifully for a while. However I'm not back to the frustration level. Mine is the only PC in the house that times out....my laptop sits on a table right beside me and doesn't do it, just the desktop. The hub is in my brothers room and he doesn't have any problems nor does my husbands PC which is in our bedroom at the other end of the house. I sit in the middle between them in the den. I don't understand why I'm the only one in the house that has a problem. Do you have any ideas?

[CharlieChomper]

Are you using a wireless connection on the laptop or is it running through a standard ethernet (network) cable/wired connecton? On a related note, are any of the other systems not affected by the problem on wired or wireless connection?

Also, if you're on a network and using that to connect out (usually through a router that would then be connected to the cable modem, but I know there are some ISPs that provide/require modems that also double as routers as well), are you using a "static" IP (ie one that's assigned to the computer, itself, and never changes) or DHCP (which would have the IP address assigned to the computer automatically or at random and may cause it to change at random as well or just when a computer may be turned on--this method is also usually the most commonly used by most people, just as most routers are more likely to make use of it by default)?

[xmasqueen]

Everything is wireless....PC's and laptop. I think probably DHCP if I'm understanding that correctly.....I say that because I keep having to repair the connection and it says reassigning IP address or something to that effect. I believe we have a router that is connected to the cable modem because I've heard my husband talk about the router and the modem and there are 2 different devices in my brother's room.

[CharlieChomper]

I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to this sooner--I currently have some houseguests visiting and have not really had much time of late to do much of anything lately.

Somehow, I had a feeling you were going to say it was wireless (as it's a actually fairly common issue involved with that type of connection). The obtaining of a new IP also indicates that you're definitely using DHCP.

Having said that--and since you're using Windows--about how far is the computer that's having the problem from the router and in what relation is it to the systems that are not having the problem (aside from the laptop, which you say is next to it) and is the laptop always on at the time this happens, or is it also off when it happens?

Also, how close/far away is it from anything that may be magnetic (even just a speaker or cordless telephone)?

[xmasqueen]

The computer is probably 30 feet away but there is a wall there. However my husbands computer is much further away than that because it's on the other side of the house. We have a range of 150 feet I think, even our neighbor can get on our wireless network. I'll have to ask my husband about the range though....he's still asleep right now. My phone is about 10 feet away. Usually my laptop is on, but closed up unless I'm using both of them at the same time. I don't think I have anything magnetic close to it, at least I'm not aware of anything. The weird thing is, the internet has been working beautifully since the time I posted this....maybe it's scared of you.

[CharlieChomper]

I'm happy to hear it's behaving itself.