Evening Internet Connection Loss -- Unable To Identify Source Of Loss?

montecarlo1987 · 03 Jul 2014

I need your help!!! I got a real challenge for you! I am confused! I cannot locate the Internet connection loss source. Every night for the past 5 late evenings my Windows 7 Pro 64-bit has been losing my Internet connection on my desktop computer anywhere between 8 PM-12 AM (Last 3 nights: 11:05 PM, 8:55 PM, and 10:12 PM). I am on the computer most of the day and evening.

I would be working on something in the evening and when I load a web browser (Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox I use.), I get their prospective home pages not to load. I would get "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage" from Internet Explorer and "Server not found" from Mozilla Firefox. I also notice my e-mail client's e-mail's visuals will not load too at the moment of Internet loss.

Here are some things I have observed that make it hard to identify the issue:

1. My cable ISP states via their tech. support representative according to their system that I have a connection with no issues when I have no connection.
2. My cable modem shows normal signals on the LED at the time of no connection.
3. My wireless router shows normal signals on the LED at the time of no connection. This is completely hardwired home network. I have no wireless connections.
4. The motherboard/back side of tower's Ethernet port's 2 LED lights near the plug are both lit okay at the time of no connection.
5. I have VOIP service with the VOIP box's LEDs are normal at the time of no connection. This is plugged into the router. A matter of fact, I have been speaking with the ISP tech. support while I have no Internet connection on the computer.
6. Previous nights when this has happened, my live streaming Internet radio console works without issues just like my VOIP service at the time of no connection.
7. Before this latest loss in Internet connection, I swapped the router out with another newer better Gigabit router with the same connection arrangement of connections as the previous router; again this same Internet loss happens.
8. I ran Internet Explorer's on screen "Diagnose Connection Problems" button at the time of connection loss. At the end of the Windows Network Diagnostics, I get "Troubleshooting couldn't identify the problem."
9. For the last few nights this has happened, my ISP did a manual reboot of my modem. I am told to reboot my modem and router and also my desktop computer. When I do, I am able to connect to the Internet once again. I seem good for the rest of the night and most of the next day.
10. This latest Internet connection loss, again the ISP did a manual reboot of my modem and consequently my router too. This time I did not reboot my computer, waited but I did not get any Internet Connection. I have waited 20 minutes this last instance. Unless I reboot, I do not get my connection back on its own.
11. I have checked my Windows 7's Device Manager and all is good, no issues.
12. The Internet connection icon in the Windows system tray shows no issues with disconnection at the time of Internet connection loss.
13. A few nights ago, I re-installed my network adapter driver for Windows again, but Internet loss still happens.
14. Immediately after I have rebooted my computer, I ran a SpeedTest.net for my high speed Internet cable service. All tests are normal.

I am going to quit here at the moment. I have given you a lot of information, but not much information to go on. If you can find any possibilities or thoughts what maybe going on here, please let me know. If you have any questions or need more details, please let me know too.

Questions: What is going on??? ...any thoughts or ideas??? Why the nightly drop?

Please help!!!

Thanks!

2xg · 07 Jul 2014

Hi there,

Are there more Users late at night connected to the same broadband?

Who has access to the router settings?

montecarlo1987 · 07 Jul 2014

@2xg & anyone:

Hello 2xg! Nice to meet you. Thanks for your reply!

Yes, this an odd problem I never had before. (Has to be me! ;-))

Answering your questions and a little insight in the setup; I have residential cable company (my ISP) Internet service that has no dedicated cable line to my home. I have bought a couple of months ago from eBay, a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem (Motorola SB6141 cable modem). It has been working fine and I cannot figure (may be wrong) it would be the modem since all LED lights "appear" to look normally responsive whether or not the connection is lost. I am the only user off this modem or ISP account. I have turned off all wireless broadcasting and password protected the login. Using the router as a simple wired unit. I use no wireless. I only have 1 hardwired Internet Radio, a hardwired VOIP, and a hardwired (this) desktop computer to a router (Netgear WNDR3700 version 1). As I said above, I swapped routers a few days ago. The previous router I was also experiencing this same issue WNDR3400v2 and still the same issues. The routers LED lights look fine too. I live in an apartment where the other tenant 2 months ago had an installer put in Direct TV. The tenant had cable TV and he had the installer switched the service at the house box outside for him. I assume the installer knew what he was doing. Anyways, that was a couple of months ago, and things were all right for me until a week ago.

Here is some information if it is of any help... ....modem's status and configuration settings: (Please see attached images below.)

Let me add new information...

As I am typing, sometime around now, I expect to get a disconnect anytime!

...anyways... ...I lost connection the last two nights at 9:31 PM, and 8:31 PM -- seems to be a night ONLY.

15. DISCOVERED - A LEAD: When I do a log off of my user account and then immediately log back on -- as simple as that; I get the loss of Internet connection to finally reveal itself like the Internet icon at the connection icon in the system tray (red "x" on icon) and the Windows Open Network & Sharing Center shows a red "x" between "This Computer" and "Internet" as if Windows is now telling me 'Yes', we have connection issues. Now my computer is showing me the truth! However, the LAN port LED light on my router for the Ethernet cable to my desktop computer still shows a connection as well as the modem is normal.

16. DISCOVERED - ANOTHER LEAD after I perform number 15 above: When I check Windows "Local Area Connection" and further check the "status" of this local area connection (the "Local Area Connection Status" window) I noticed this very interesting thing happening... ...a couple of times under the "General" tab in the "Local Area Connection Status" window, under "Connection", the IPV4 Connectivity was switching quickly from "Internet" and "No Internet Access" and back and forth about 3-4 times every 10-20 seconds. Finally after a minute, it just stayed at "Internet" meaning connected. At that point, when I received "Internet", all OTHER indications as I have said above on my computer showed I had a connection WHEN I STILL DO NOT. The LAN port LED light on my router for the Ethernet cable to my desktop computer still shows a connection as well as the modem is normal.
Is this a Windows issue or not?

Please reply.

Thank you!

montecarlo1987 · 24 Jul 2014

UPDATE:

Solution INDIRECTLY found! The issue was from my Windows 7 operating system. I say "indirectly" because I did not specifically discover the actual cause, it had something to do with my Windows 7 Services with incorrect or modified settings. I used an online tutorial and reset to their default settings the Windows 7 Services a couple of weeks ago, and since then; this issue has not re-occurred. So it was one of the Windows 7 services causing the issue.

2xg · 25 Jul 2014

Sorry I have disappeared for a while, been very busy.

Glad to hear that your issue has been resolved! :)