Slow network connection at boot

I am not much of a network expert. So maybe someone can help me figure this out.

I have an ATT DSL internet line with a Netopia modem and a Nertgear router. To the router I have an ethernet cable connected Desktop and 2 laptops that connect via WiFi. All systems run Windows 7

When I boot my laptops, the internet connects instantly. But when I boot my desktop (Dell XPS 8300), it takes at least 4 minutes before the internet connects. The same happens also sometimes (not all the time) when I resume from sleep. In that case it is even more puzzling because all lines seem to be connected when I look into the Network and Sharing Center (no red X). I have also tried to run the desktop on a WiFi dongle, but the result was the same.

It is obviously a problem in my Desktop Windows 7 because else my laptops would not run perfectly. But where shoiuld I look ??

Btw - the problem does not exist since yesterday. It has always been like that. But now it starts to really bother me.

Have you used Process Explorer to see what program/file may be causing the delay?
Process Explorer

Thanks Jacee. That's a good idea. Will do. PE is my bread and butter tool.

Whs as everyone knows I'm not a expert but I have found that turning off my router and modem when not being used. (at least once a day) helps keeping things working faster.
I have sometimes had internet slow down while using the computer on line for long periods of time and just a reboot of computer and the modem/router and things started working correctly.
I'm really don't understand all the things the reboots does but it takes a very short time with todays computers.

A little something else that I do.
I cool my router and modem with exhaust air from the top of the compute. The air blows in the bottom and out the top of the router/modem. When the modem/router is on for a while just put your hand on them.
It seems that the modem and router is the only two things about computing that no one talks about or does active cooling.
I'm a rebooter/shutdown person. No sleep or hibernate.
A cold boot in less than a minute is fine with me.
Not a lot of high tech in this post because I don't know a lot of high tech about such thingss

Sorry for your waiting for a response.
I have been off line for most of a week building and tweaking my new computer.

Hey Wolfgang,

In addition, you might see if troubleshooting with a clean startup may help to ID the issue if it's an app causing the delay.

Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup

Thanks for all the suggestions. Now I have work on my plate.

derekimo said:

No doubt this will be useful for the networking experts when they have seen your thread,

Basic Requirements Before Posting your Networking Thread

Thanks for pointing this out. Here is the info I have not yet specified.

1. My AV is MSE

2. ipconfig /all

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\system32>ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : whs-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetLink (TM) Gigabit Ethernet
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D4-BE-D9-8C-C0-25
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : DW1501 Wireless-N WLAN Half-Mini Card
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 64-27-37-02-63-41
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::e0d5:2d8f:a73:1bf2%11(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.2(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, November 27, 2013 3:28:48 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, November 28, 2013 3:28:48 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 191113015
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-16-7A-72-5F-D4-BE-D9-8C-C0-25
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Ethernet adapter VMware Network Adapter VMnet1:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VMware Virtual Ethernet Adapter for VMnet1
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-50-56-C0-00-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::3d3a:ddc2:2262:38cb%18(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.72.1(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 268456022
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-16-7A-72-5F-D4-BE-D9-8C-C0-25
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Ethernet adapter VMware Network Adapter VMnet8:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VMware Virtual Ethernet Adapter for VMnet8
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-50-56-C0-00-08
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::d046:b0ed:9a8c:a55f%19(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.158.1(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 285233238
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-16-7A-72-5F-D4-BE-D9-8C-C0-25
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Tunnel adapter isatap.{26064E00-EE6E-4F58-9575-1A707C4082A8}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 9:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter isatap.{7F395F22-E191-47A5-AB26-398580B601AB}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter isatap.{27C2C257-D3FD-4DAF-AA8A-9314CCCDA226}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
C:\Windows\system32>

3. Xirrus data



PS: With this Xirrus download I got all kinds of junk. Took me a while to get rid of it. So be careful when you deal with it.

Any weird and wonderful issues like this I would try removing and reinstalling the "network card drivers" (I know you said it was the same with a wireless dongle) just of peace of mind. I wonder if you have a firewall blocking something or the network card system files are using a lot of CPU resources so it is connected but nothing can get through until it has finished thrashing away. I am not a network expert but have even had dodgy Ethernet cables cause problems so try another one of those.

whs said:

But when I boot my desktop (Dell XPS 8300), it takes at least 4 minutes before the internet connects.

Can you ping the router in that 4 minutes? Can you ping any site by dns name? And by tcp/ip number?

If not.... any error message?