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Intermittent Internet Connectivity Problem. Sometimes freezes Windows XP. Help please, anyone?

We switched from Comcast to Veriozon FIOS about a month ago. Everything has been fine with the internet connection until recently. I have two computers running Windows XP SP3, hardwired to the Verizon wireless router. One has Norton and one has AV Antivirus programs running. Computer 2 suddenly started strange, occasional symptoms. Click on a desktop shortcut icon (any of several, such as Yahoo or Ebay). Intenet Explore begins to load and then freezes. Entire Windows seems to lock up. Use Windows taks manager to try to stop NOT RESPONDING IE. Sometimes successful, sometimes we had to just shut down and reboot the computer. Retry internet by clicking on the tray E for IE icon....no problem getting on line. 10 minutes later, leave internet. Try again...XP freezes up. In many cases a short cut icon to internet would not work twice. Sometimes Computer 2 would go days WITH NO **bleep** PROBLEM. Now for the last week, computer 2 is running properly, but today, good old reliable No 1 is acting up the same way. All OK 70% of the time...big headache the rest of the time. I even noticed a report from AV antivirus that internet connectivity was lost. Then apparently restored.

Anyone have a clue what's going on?

Comments

Arun3

Possibly a spyware attack could lead to these symptoms. Boot your computers to safe mode, run you anti-virus scan to scan for viruses and spywares, if found clean them and reboot to normal mode and see if any improvement. If nothing found then run disk defrag tool in windows xp and disk clean up. This might help.

Provider7

Do you ever look at the router when these problems occur? I'm presumming your router is fed by Coax? If so the Coax wan light should be lit all the time. The internet light will filcker when there is activity. Does it ever go amber?

What model router did you recieve? Do you do much with bit torrents or gaming?

Have you tried to power cycle the router by unplugging it and waiting a few seconds....

When the trouble occurs have you tried calling the Fsc?

barric

Thanks for the first two replies.

1. Norton and AVG antivirus ran last night. No problems. Spybot also was run. So I don't think the problem is related to Arun's ideas.

2. I have a MI424WR Verizon router. The WAN light is on solid green, all the time. The Internet light flashes.

The router is fed by coax.

I dont know what bit torrent is. Computer 2 is only used for Pogo on line simple stupid gaming (I am whining about wife's activities). My Computer 1 is only used for ebay and simple web activities.

I tried resetting the router once today...helped nothing.

Just now I could not get connected via shortcuts. BUT---I can always get on line through Outlook Express. And I got here via an email link.

go figure

Arun3

May be try a system restore in windows XP, restore it to a date on which you know it was working good. (Back up your my documnets/my pics etc folder if in case). Also any programs installed between these days needs to be reinstalled. This is just an option, bcoz I am not suspecting any router issue. To be sure it's not a router issue, try to do ping/traceroute from the router gui.

Provider7

Not a bad idea Arun. Another thing you might want to check is in the settings in your internet explorer. Go to tools>internet options>Connections>

The box under Dial up and virtual private Network settings should be empty..if not, clear it. If there was something there.... reboot and try going on line again.

Next you can try going to start>run type cmd

In the dos screen ....

type ipconfig/release then press enter

Next type ipconfig/renew and press enter

Reboot and try the internet again.

cjacobs001

"Thanks for the first two replies.

1. Norton and AVG antivirus ran last night. No problems. Spybot also was run. So I don't think the problem is related to Arun's ideas"

ummm Running your antivirus in normal mode is NOT the same thing as running it in safe mode.

I would also try running a rootkit cleaner in safe mode.

neither could hurt your and either may be your issue's cause

barric

OK, I ran my antivirus after booting in Safe Mode.

No help.

Clarifying, it isn't XP that locks up, it is Internet Explorer.

Sometimes it tries for a very long time to connect and then freezes. I have to use Windows Task Manager to shut down the Not Responding program. And sometimes even this is difficult to do. Once IE is shut down, none of the link icons will work until I reboot.

The thing that bugs me is that we have two separate computers, each one used in completely different ways. Both were running internet perfectly until 2 weeks ago. Nothing in the IE options has changed. The only commonality is the Verizon modem, to which both computers are linked by hardwire.

I have not tried my wireless laptop.

Provider7

I don't know if you tried this, have you tried using Mozilla's Firefox Internet browser? This could tell you if there is a issue with internet explorer or maybe something happening to your broadband connection.

golfdude

Did they bury your FIOS line when they installed it? They didn't mine because the ground is frozen. Something could have injured the line. Just a thought. It sounds like to me you have a problem with your connection. I have five computers in my house and only one is hard wired. The rest are on wireless cards and sometimes they hang up if the signal strength isn't real strong. Also, a friend of mine has had some connection problems due to the recent weather where I am from (Ft Wayne). I have had to disconnect the power to his router (wait 10 seconds) and reconnect it. Also, if you have the network icon in your system tray, right click and hit repair. This has worked for my friends computer and he is running the same OS you are running. I hope this helps.

golfdude

BTW- Provider7, could you give me some insight on losing MSN explorer? See my post on missing my Butterfly!

Arun3

Ok you can easily isolate if it's Internet connection problem or Internet explorer problem by doing a ping test. Open up the command prompt and type "ping yahoo.com -t" and leave it to run for 10 to 15 mins. If you get a healthy reply from internet connection is good, if you get request timed out internet connection problem. If you get a mixure of repl from and request timed out, still internet problem.

barric

Keeping my fingers crossed.

On computer 1, I followed the suggestion to Run IPConfig/Release, IPConfig/Renew. I have had no trouble all afternoon, reconnecting 20 or 30 times.

Computer 2 has not had any problems for two days. 3 wks ago we had a hard drive failure and had to replace it. Just 2 days ago, MS finally notified us and installed Service Pack 3. Since then, no problems. Is the a coincidence?

Many many thanks to all those helping to this point. I may now be back running internet normally.

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