I have an off-lease IBM ThinkPad R40 laptop. It?s nice except for one
problem: After some amount of time, which ranges from less than an
hour to several days, it loses internet connectivity. The browsers
keep looking, but eventually they give up with the ?The page cannot be
displayed? message (IE) or ?Server not found? message (FireFox).
Here are some things that do NOT seem to be the problem and why:
The ISP: problem happens on different ISPs; it does not happen on
other computers on the same ISP at the same time.
The modem: happens on different modems; does not happen on other
computers on the same modem at the same time.
The router: happens on different routers; does not happen on other
computers on the same router at the same time.
The cables: happens on different cables; cables work on different computers.
The NIC: happens with a wireless NIC, the built-in NIC, and the
docking station NIC.
The browser: happens with both browsers (IE, FireFox).
The anti-virus software or TCP/IP stack. A local computer shop
changed the anti-virus (from Avast to AVG) and rebuilt the TCP/IP
stack to try to fix the problem.
By process of elimination, this seems to implicate some obscure
setting in the OS (XP Home by the way, legal and authenticated, but
the laptop did not include the CD).
The failure seems to be inevitable; connectivity has never lasted more
than a few days, but usually fails in a few hours. It has been
occurring since I got the computer, so I don?t think I downloaded
something evil. There is no pattern that I have noticed to the
failure: there is no particular site or application that precedes
connectivity failure.
Some peculiarities: 1) even after losing internet connectivity, I am
still able to access local shared folders on other computers on the
LAN. This implies it is a specifically internet-related problem
rather than general network connectivity. 2) Sometimes the email
client can continue to send and receive email even after the browsers
are reporting they can no longer find web pages. Usually the email
client (outlook) will start getting mail delivery errors soon
afterwards, but it is strange that this app still gets connectivity at
all. Other programs that require internet access also sometimes seem
to work even after the browsers don?t, but this hasn?t happened often
enough to say more about it than that. This implies that not all
ports are affected immediately, but all ports are affected eventually.
3) Very occasionally, I can close the email client and browsers, and
they will work again after reopening, though sometimes I have to try
several times. They only sure solution, however, is a restart.
I am starting the price for this question at the same amount I paid
the computer shop for the solution that didn?t work. To be fair to
the shop, though, it takes time to see if any given solution works
because you have to wait for the connectivity to fail, and that can be
longer than he wants to wait.
Thanks for any help or advice. |
Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
12 Feb 2006 13:50 PST
grx...
When connectivity next fails, go to Start -> Run ->
type in cmd and hit Enter. In the resulting box,
type in ipconfig /all and hit Enter. Duplicate the
results here, please.
In the same cmd window, type ping google.com and
duplicate the results here, please.
Aside from your antivirus, do you have the necessary
freeware to detect adware, spyware, and other malware
which may be inhibiting your performance? If not, see
my previous answer on computer security and download
and install AdAware, Spybot Search & Destroy, WinPatrol,
and Spyware Blaster, updating them when you first run
them, before scanning your system:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=568868
Finally, r-click on My Computer and select manage. In
the left-hand frame, expand Services and Applications
at the bottom, and click on Services. Note the Startup
Type status for DNS Client and report that back here.
sublime1-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
grx-ga
on
20 Feb 2006 03:32 PST
Thank you everyone for your suggestions.
Per robcmcse?s suggestion, I would happily replace the MDC, ... if
only I knew what it is and how to replace it.
In reply to snevey?s suggestions,
1) the Windows firewall has been off since the day I bought the
computer. I use Zone Alarm, as I do on all my other machines without
problem.
2) I will try repairing the WinSock and TCP/IP protocol as described.
We?ll see what effect this has.
In reply to sublime1:
The DNS Startup Type is ?Automatic?.
Here is what a ping of Google looks like before connectivity failure:
-----
ping google.com
Pinging google.com [72.14.207.99] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 72.14.207.99: bytes=32 time=74ms TTL=242
Reply from 72.14.207.99: bytes=32 time=53ms TTL=242
Reply from 72.14.207.99: bytes=32 time=54ms TTL=242
Reply from 72.14.207.99: bytes=32 time=53ms TTL=242
Ping statistics for 72.14.207.99:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 53ms, Maximum = 74ms, Average = 58ms
-----
Here is what the ping of Google looks like after connectivity failure:
-----
ping google.com
Ping request could not find host google.com. Please check the name and try again.
-----
But probably you were expecting that?
In light of the tip about not posting IP data, here is a censored copy
of the ipconfig command results. If you need some of the censored
data, perhaps I can email it to a disposable yahoo address or
something.
Pre-connectitivty failure:
-----
ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxxxx]
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : [xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx]
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.x.x (a very
common private IP address)]
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.xxx.x]
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.x.x (a very
common private IP address, different from the address two lines
above)]
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.x.x (a very
common private IP address, same as the Default Gateway)]
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.x.x (a very
common private IP address, same as the Default Gateway)]
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 17, 2006 6:56:29 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, January 18, 2038 10:14:07 PM
-----
After connectivity failure:
-----
ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxxxx]
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : [xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx]
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.x.x (same as the
pre-failure address above)]
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.xxx.x (same as
the pre-failure address above)]
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.x.x (same as the
pre-failure address above)]
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.x.x (same as the
pre-failure address above)]
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : [xxx.xxx.x.x (same as the
pre-failure address above)]
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 17, 2006 6:56:29 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, January 18, 2038 10:14:07 PM
-----
Long story short on the ipconfig: as far as I can see, it is identical
before and after connectivity failure.
Beside AVG anti-virus and the Zone Alarm software firewall, I have a
hardware firewall in my router, and Microsoft AntiSpyware.
If you insist, I will install the additional software you recommend,
but the current configuration has kept my other computers safe for
years without a lot of overhead, so I am reluctant to change.
Also, to repeat the info from my comment below here for clarity, the
failure happens with both wired and wireless connections.
Thanks again for your continued help.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
23 Feb 2006 16:27 PST
grx...
Thanks for posting the requested info. Unfortunately, I wasn't
notified in a timely manner due to GA glitches over the weekend.
You note that DNS Startup is "Automatic" and that you have a
router firewall in addition to ZoneAlarm. I understand your
concern for security, an after I installed a hardware firewall
on top Of ZoneAlarm, I did the same as you, and kept both. It
wasn't long before I realized, by checking ZA's logs, that
absolutely nothing was getting through the router firewall,
and ZA was redundant.
Therefore, I'd suggest removing ZA's shortcut from Start ->
Programs -> Startup (rather than uninstalling it, which has
been known to cause problems). Secondly, I'd recommend setting
DNS Startup to Disabled.
Reboot, and see if you experience any more problems...
sublime1-ga
|
Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
23 Feb 2006 16:40 PST
Oh, and I believe robcmcse-ga is referring to the Modem Daughter
Card (MDC). Instructions for replacing it on a similar Thinkpad
are here:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-60737
|
Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
28 Feb 2006 00:06 PST
Any news to report?
|
Clarification of Question by
grx-ga
on
01 Mar 2006 07:29 PST
Sublime1:
Thank you for your reply. The laptop has been running several days
between connectivity failures, and I am still trying some comment
suggestions.
Regarding turning off ZoneAlarm: I will try this when the
connectivity fails again. I am uncomfortable with this as a permanent
solution however, because 1) I do find that very occasionally a ping
manages to get through the hardware firewall which then is caught by
ZA, and 2) since this is a laptop, I do use it in places where I
cannot count on a hardware firewall, so I do have to be able to run ZA
sometimes. Also, if ZA is the cause of the connectivity problem, I
wonder why ZA has never caused a similar problem on any of my other
computers where it has been running much longer, including another
ThinkPad.
I am happier with disabling DNS Startup as a solution, although I am
curious what it is and why I didn't need to do this on my other
computers (including the ThinkPad).
Since it has usually been several days between failures, we will have
to have some patience in order to determine whether these fixes make
any difference. I hope you can bear with me until then.
Thank you again.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
01 Mar 2006 22:11 PST
grx...
The question still has 2 weeks longevity, so no problem.
If it expires before we can get anywhere, you can always
open a new question.
As for ZA, those occasional pings can usually be stopped
by a setting somewhere in the browser interface for your
hardware router which says "Discard ping from WAN side".
If you can locate that setting, you may be able to verify
that the ZA logs will no longer reflect the occasional
ping you're now experiencing.
sublime1-ga
|
Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
10 Mar 2006 13:34 PST
*Bump*. 3 days left - let us know what you want to do.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
13 Mar 2006 19:48 PST
grx...
Only 17 hours left before this question expires. If you're of a mind
to pay me for the input I've already provided, but don't want to pay
the full $40, you can reduce the price of this question to what you
feel is appropriate for the work I've done, and post a Clarification
to notify me.
You can change the price of this question by going to "My Account,"
selecting "My Unanswered Questions", clicking on the question, and
then clicking on "Change Question Parameters" to modify the pricing.
Let me know...
sublime1-ga
|
