Hi, It's me again....

I've been S-L-O-W-L-Y getting XP up and running on my home system(s) lately, and as My frequent posts have shown...I'm learning on the go.

My most recent problem is the occasional popping-up of the little window(box) with something to the effect of "You are not connected to the Internet anymore....would you like to  {Work Off-Line} or {Try Again}"

If I hit the {Try Again} box, I and get right back to what ever I was doing.

I figure it's a setting somewhere that I haven't found, or I'm missing something that is dropping my connection.

I'm on a Cable Modem/Network, by the way.

Can you guys give me any help here?

Thanks!
Tall Shadow

are you hardwired to the cable modem?  or to a router?

if you go throught a router first.  try hooking directly to the modem and see if fails as well.

Sounds like you're referring to the message inside Internet Explorer, is that right?

Go to Tools->Options->Connections->LAN Settings and see if there's anything checked in there or tell what it says.

OK.....Here is more info...

I am wired through a router (Motorola VT2442/Vonage Box) to the cable modem.

Under IE's "Tools->Options->Connections->LAN Settings" It is set to Automatically detect  settings.

And, I do believe that I get the pop-up anytime I'm on-line. I'm pretty sure that I'm also getting it in Firefox (Mozilla) too. It takes awhile until it shows up, Like when I have a bunch of threads to read through here....with no "Traffic" coming through the "Net" connection for a little while...it  pops up when I go back to access "The net" for more info...that is what made me think something is "timing out"

Any Ideas?

Tall Shadow

***********HOLD ON!***********
I just got the box when I tried to submit this reply. It looked like this...(Sorry about the bad drawing!)

(Windows pop-up Box Titled "Work Offline")

No Connection to the Internet is currently available.
To view Internet content that was saved on your computer, Click on Work Offline.

Click Try Again to Attempt to connect.

   [Work Offline]       [Try Again]
*************************************************

Does that make any better sense to anyone???
T.S.

How often does this happen?

How are your modem and router powered?  Do you have them on a backup battery / surge protector?  I get that window once in awhile (3-4 times a week) but I know its cause my house has  shitty power supply.   My computer is on a backup but not the modem / router isn't, its in another room.


If this happens once in awhile, 5-6 times a week, I'd consider it more of a power or router/modem issue.

Quoted: How often does this happen? How are your modem and router powered?  Do you have them on a backup battery / surge protector?  I get that window once in awhile (3-4 times a week) but I know its cause my house has  shitty power supply.   My computer is on a backup but not the modem / router isn't, its in another room. If this happens once in awhile, 5-6 times a week, I'd consider it more of a power or router/modem issue.

My modem & Router & Hub are all right here next to me as I type this. They are all powered, and none of them is losing power when this trouble occurs.

I still think that it's a setting that I'm missing somewhere.....I'll keep looking...But could really use some help on this one!

Thanks!
Tall Shadow

Modem, router, and a hub?
how many ports is your Router?
how many network connections are you useing?
And Is your computer hooked up to the router or the hub?
The reason why I ask is because on Some routers if you uplink a hub to get more ports you need to keep one port open, that could be causing you some issues. You could also have a bad cable or bad connection or a bad power connection or brown outs causing the router to loose data.

ETA: I have everything running on UPS's, It solved most of my problems with bad power. If you don't have one get one, Compusa has sales all the time on the APC brand UPS.

Quoted:Under IE's "Tools->Options->Connections->LAN Settings" It is set to Automatically detect  settings.

Uncheck it and restart the browser.  If that doesn't fix it, set it back to checked and restart the browser again.  I believe this has to do with some kind of improper state in the auto sensing mechanism in IE.

Quoted: Modem, router, and a hub?

Yep, A cable MoDem, Router & a hub.

how many ports is your Router?

The router is a 4 port Vonage Router/VOIP box

how many network connections are you useing?

I have 5 computers & 1 file/print server on the network.

And Is your computer hooked up to the router or the hub? The reason why I ask is because on Some routers if you uplink a hub to get more ports you need to keep one port open, that could be causing you some issues. You could also have a bad cable or bad connection or a bad power connection or brown outs causing the router to loose data. ETA: I have everything running on UPS's, It solved most of my problems with bad power. If you don't have one get one, Compusa has sales all the time on the APC brand UPS.

My main computer in on the router. There are two other computers on the router also. The last port links to the hub, where the last computer & the file server are connected.

My computer, the router, and the hub, are all on a UPS already.

Tall Shadow

Quoted: Quoted:Under IE's "Tools->Options->Connections->LAN Settings" It is set to Automatically detect  settings. Uncheck it and restart the browser.  If that doesn't fix it, set it back to checked and restart the browser again.  I believe this has to do with some kind of improper state in the auto sensing mechanism in IE.

Thanks!, I'll give it a try and report back ASAP.

Tall Shadow

maybe your internet connection IS dieing

when it fails   open a dos shell.    click start then run type cmd.   press enter   type ping www.msn.com -t    and see if you get replies back.  if you do your internet connection is fine.   if you don't you have ISP problems

Quoted: The router is a 4 port Vonage Router/VOIP box ................

Does your vonage phone still work when this happens?

have you gone into the properties of your network card and shut off the power management?  

windows might be shutting off the card if you haven't used it in awhile.  like when you've spent more than 5 minutes reading a page.

Quoted: have you gone into the properties of your network card and shut off the power management?   windows might be shutting off the card if you haven't used it in awhile.  like when you've spent more than 5 minutes reading a page.

You might have just found the answer!
I checked the settings under the device manager, and it was set to allow windows to shut it off. I reset it, and I'll see if that was it...but I think it's what I was looking for!

Thanks A Bunch! (I hope!!!)

Tall Shadow

Quoted: Quoted: The router is a 4 port Vonage Router/VOIP box ................ Does your vonage phone still work when this happens?

Just wanted to say...Yes, the Vonage connection is fine when this happens.

I think that the answer above is the one I was looking for, but I'll have to wait and see.

Thanks for the help though!

Tall Shadow