Posted: 9/7/2009 8:55:52 AM EDT
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I have an old dell inspiron 1200 which has been working fine for the last few years but in the past week the internet connection started giving me greif. I can connect to the internet using wi-fi perfectally however the eithernet connection only workes for a short time (under 5 minutes) then quits. I had a tec guy I know look at it and he couldn't find a problem with it. He did clear my IP address and got me a new one. After he did this it worked for a few days but the problem has started again. If I use the Local Area Connection Status tool and repair the connection the internet will begin to work for a short time then quit. However when I repair the connection it says something about not being able to clear the ARP cache.
ETA: after the problem started again I cleared my IP address again however this time it did not fix the problem 
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Are you using Firefox? If so, do what Gonzo recommends here: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=922929 It made a huge difference to me. Randomly I would loose my connection, having to do an ipconfig /renew Got to be very annoying |
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Assuming that your wireless access point and switch are the same device (you didn't specify, but it's common for folks at home), we're left with four possible causes: 1. Defective NIC on the laptop (try another laptop) 2. Defective patch cable (try another one) 3. Defective port on switch (try another one), which in my world, might as well be analogous to defective switch/router/wireless access point (if they are indeed all in the same physical enclosure, and they probably are). 4. Some kind of software-related problem that's causing your LAN interface to lose it's DHCP lease (use the same laptop, but boot from and run a Ubuntu Linux CD, or the Linux Live CD of your choice). #4 would be kind of rare and odd, but it's included for the sake of completeness. EDIT "However when I repair the connection it says something about not being able to clear the ARP cache. " Okay, that's odd. #4 is starting to sound more plausible. This kind of makes me wonder if you have some kind of third-party software installed that makes "managing" and/or "securing" your network connections "easier" (quoted on purpose, and with heavy sarcasm). |
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The problem seems to have resolved itself.
The connection is starting to work better which makes me think it is electro-magnetic interference So far I have switched cables-still had the problem switched ports-still had the problem roommate said he was having similar problems with his computer Internet connection works if used from other sources such as the library etc. |
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EMI doesn't fix itself without you moving something or unplugging whatever is making the interference.
It's not being generated by a solar flare that will go away. If it is EMI it is being generated by some appliance close to your cable runs. ETA: Did it rain close to the time when you first started experiencing problems? Now that the cabling has had time to dry out the problem goes away? |
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Quoted:
EMI doesn't fix itself without you moving something or unplugging whatever is making the interference. It's not being generated by a solar flare that will go away. If it is EMI it is being generated by some appliance close to your cable runs. ETA: Did it rain close to the time when you first started experiencing problems? Now that the cabling has had time to dry out the problem goes away?[/quote] The problem started again today I thought it would be EMI because I live in an apartment and if anybody had anything near the cable runs through the buildings it might cause problems however today it got very humid and my connection crapped out again |
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Sometimes the linksys routers just go bad.
To clear the ARP cache on a Vista or Win 7 machine: Go to a command prompt and type" netsh interface ip delete arpcache hit enter. This may work on XP too. It that works, it's probably temporary. Either way let us know and we can go from there. |
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Do you have DSL or cable?
It is unlikely that cable coax is suffering from water intrusion, the connections are generally watertight. If water got in the coax, it's hosed. This would present itself as a constant problem though. Also check any splitters that may be in use, they go bad from time to time. Phone wiring is way more likely to be damaged by moisture. It's twisted pair much ,like your ethernet cables. Have you had any problems with your phone service? |