Connection Issue

[Asha]

ok, so I have a small but highly irritating issue with my comp and I'm really hoping someone knows how to fix this. I also really hope its easy, because I'm not good with computers at all.

Every hour, my computer has something going on that disrupts the internet connection. Its only momentarily, just long enough for me to lose connection to FFXI, vent, a webpage, whatever I happen to be doing at the moment. I started with my ISP and while at one point in time it was them, the ping tests are showing they aren't to blame anymore. I've checked for power-saver, tried changing to USB connection to my modem, run multiple spyware programs and the list goes on. I have really been stalling on a complete reformat or taking it in to the shop hoping there would be other routes that wouldn't involve me suffering online withdrawls lol.

Any suggestions are very welcomed. Please use detailed directions and noob language so i can follow. Thanks so much.

[Killgannon]

need to know if its vista or xp...

[Asha]

xp

[Osede]

maybe need some more information. Like do you use router? If so what brand is it. How many ppl sharing the internet. And check if someone else using massive p2p upload etc...

[Asha]

It's just the computer connected directly to the modem. No one else using the connection.

[Killgannon]

who is your isp and where are you located?

DSL or Cable?

Does it happen all times during the day or only at certain times?

When it happens do the lights on your modem flash at all?

basically im trying to get some info from you on what is all going on.

[Asha]

comcast in WA

cable connection

happens all hours of the day and the lights on the modem don't change

[Killgannon]

ok so sounds like a pc issue, do you have up to date antivirus running? have you ran spybot/ad aware?

[Asha]

yeah I have them both, and have run scans with both. I dont think it's a spyware issue. Altho, I haven't checked my email in forever, I guess I had a registration subscription expire. Give me an hour and I'll let you know if that was it

[OctavoGilgamesh]

Uninstall all your av and antispyware programs and when that fixes the problem, install them one by one until you figure out which one is causing the problem.

I'm guessing you have a scan of some sort that runs on the hour killing your network connection.

[Asha]

Well, after even longer fighting with my ISP.. it was them the whole time. Apparently you have to pay for a static IP if youre a regular residential customer and IP addresses are sent every few days. Mine was updating hourly. So it was them the whole time. Figured I'd post this so if anyone else was suffering from this issue it would give them another lead. At the command prompt type ipconfig /all. That tells you how long your current IP address is good for.

Knew it wasn't my comp..

[Sigi]

:/ That's Comcast for you

There's a reason people in my area say things are "Comcastic" when they are utter pieces of shit.

[Evelyn]

I've had comcast service for years and not had a major problem besides the occasional weather-caused outage.

While its true you do use a dynamic IP on comcast, even with a dynamic IP your actual IP address rarely changes. Usually on a dynamic-IP network it should only be refreshing it every 5 days unless they're updating the system or some such.

Hope you got the problem fixed, if not theres a few things I can work with you on, sorry I didn't see this thread before >.>