Windows 7 & dropping internet connection

[#1]

Quote from: Waldo

If pnf's advice doesn't work, are you able to try an alternative router?

Tried pnf's advice but couldnt get a connection at all, probably me not inputting the right numbers though. Could maybe borrow another router but not sure how soon.

Quote from: A

You still have access to your router - put 192.168.2.1 in your web browser

Thought Id tried this a while back and I couldnt access but will check next time my connection drops.

[#2]

Quote

Ok, attached is a jpg of the status whilst dis-connected. Any thoughts?

Interesting.  I'm convinced that the problem is Windows 7, there's nothing wrong with your router.  You have the same problem that I had.  I believe the 169.254.x.x address is to do with Internet Connection Sharing (ICS).  ICS enables multiple PCs on the same network to gain access to the Internet via a single PC.  For some reason Windows is allocating this 169.254.x.x IP address to your network adapter rather than the network adapter obtaining it from your router.  Why this is happening I do not know.  All I know is that I have resolved the problem by manually configuring my network adapter so that it neither obtains its address from Windows 7 or the router.
I have a triple boot set-up on my PC, Windows XP, Windows 7 and Linux.  I am only stating this because all three operating systems use exactly the same hardware and connect to the Internet via the same router.  In Windows XP and Linux my network adapter always correctly picks up its IP address from the router using DHCP.  In Windows 7, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't; when it doesn't the network adapter has always had a 169.254.x.x address rather than a 192.168.x.x address.  I can guarantee that there is nothing wrong with my router and yet I get this problem when using Windows 7.  This is why I believe there is nothing wrong with your router.
I am not sure why you are unable to manually configure your network adapter successfully, but if you could it may just be the solution to your problem.  When manually configuring my network adapter, on occasions the first attempt failed to connect to my router and upon checking the adapter's settings I noticed that it had not retained the Gateway address.  After re-entering the Gateway address and saving, everything burst into life.

[#3]

I agree with Waldo and disagree with pnf.  The 169.254.x.x address is a standard result when the computer is unable to obtain an IP address from the router.  It's the "normal" consequence of DHCP going wrong.  It also means you won't be able to communicate further with the router. 

[#4]

Quote from: pnf

I'm convinced that the problem is Windows 7, there's nothing wrong with your router.

I have to say I still believe it to be a Win 7 issue at heart.
Managed to get it to accept the manual config settings after my 3rd attempt, funny as I did nothing different but it suddenly worked. I wait with anticipation to see if my connection drops.
One thing I noticed whilst looking at my wife's laptop settings last night was when I viewed the network map, the graphic displays the connection from the laptop through my pc to the gateway - I would of thought it would go straight to the gateway or is this the way Win 7 works ? (Is this what you are referring to above?)

[#5]

Quote from: ReedRichards

It also means you won't be able to communicate further with the router.

Im sure I cannot connect with the router on the web page when connection has dropped which is why I always pull the power lead to reboot it but I will try accessing it again the next time my connection drops.

[#6]

Don't you have a push button on/off switch on your router?
Ripping the power out will cause BT to believe you have defective line, resulting in awful line speeds.
Don't reboot repetitively

Quote from: rja66

I have to say I still believe it to be a Win 7 issue at heart. Managed to get it to accept the manual config settings after my 3rd attempt, funny as I did nothing different but it suddenly worked. I wait with anticipation to see if my connection drops. One thing I noticed whilst looking at my wife's laptop settings last night was when I viewed the network map, the graphic displays the connection from the laptop through my pc to the gateway - I would of thought it would go straight to the gateway or is this the way Win 7 works ? (Is this what you are referring to above?)

It does go straight to the gateway and you should never see any mention of anybody else's ip address.
The PC and the laptop must always have different ip addresses.

[#7]

Quote from: A

Don't you have a push button on/off switch on your router? Ripping the power out will cause BT to believe you have defective line, resulting in awful line speeds. It does go straight to the gateway and you should never see any mention of anybody else's ip address. The PC and the laptop must always have different ip addresses.

No push button on/off switch on the Belkin.
I would of thought though that pulling the power cord and an on/off switch would have the same effect anyway as far as BT are concerned, basicaly both are dis-connecting and re-connecting. I cant 'not' do this as there is no other way to re-connect to the net.
The laptop and desktop do have different IP addresses its just the MS graphic shows a line from the laptop through the desktop to the gateway.
Lost connection a while back, router status was showing 'connected', pc had the yellow triangle again. Had to re-boot to regain connection. However, did check the router access in the web bar whilst disconnected and surprisingly saw the router stats.
Im sure ive tried this before so maybe its the router re-establishing connection and the pc doesnt and when I try to access the stats it depends on whereabouts the router is in re-connecting
- or maybe im talking twaddle 

[#8]

I think your router is still connected.
The stats should show how long it has been connected for.
Windows 7 probably doesn't try to check local connectivity - perhaps it just indicates connectivity by attempting a DNS connection over the internet.
Result - it just indicates whether you can access the internet (or not).
BTW a controlled reboot gives your router the capability (if implemented!) to send a "dying gasp" indication to BT that this is not a line problem.
Are you able to initiate a "soft" reboot via the web interface to the router?

[#9]

Quote from: A

Are you able to initiate a "soft" reboot via the web interface to the router?

As previously mentioned I didnt think I could access the interface once I lost connection however trying earlier it seemed (on this occasion anyway) I could - I can then re-boot from there. Where would I turn on the 'dying gasp' indication? (assuming the Belokin does that)

[#10]

http://www.billion.com/support/faq/faq-adsl25.html (for example)

[#11]

I've started having a problem with my own router (Netgear DG834PN) wherein the wired connections to the router fail but I can still connect to the internet and to the router if I do it wirelessly.  Swicthing ports or restarting the computer or trying to connect another computer does no good, all the wired ports are hung.  The only cure is to restart the router.  Since my main computer runs Windows 7 I am prepared to accept that there is a possibility that Windows 7 could initiate the problem in some way (although I doubt it) but fundamentally it's a router problem because the only cure is to restart the router and you shouldn't be able to do anything to the router that would cause bits of it to hang.  The wireless connection that still works is also on Windows 7, by the way.

[#12]

Mine is getting beyond a joke now, I lose internet access probably 3-5 times per night on average and it is very frustrating. Hoping to borrow another router soon to try and confirm that is the issue.

[#13]

My particular and peculiar problem with Windows XP - requiring a router reboot appears to be possibily due to a Windows defect.
I have been monitoring my internet-facing ip address every 10 minutes, most of the time:-
1) An occasional router external re-connection (normally every few days) takes place, with a downtime of a few seconds.
2) All Linux PC's are fine - whether switched on or off.
3) If the Windows XP laptop is switched off, it will fail to make a wireless => internet capable connection. If it is left on and a router re-set is done, then the laptop can make a proper connection.
NOTE - No reboot of the laptop is done - simply a wifi connect.
So Windows seems to be storing some kind of routing information????
If the laptop is switched off and then switched back on days later (if the ip information is unchanged) then it works (until the next time).
Because it is an old laptop I'm not able to leave it switched for days at a time to investigate the alternative scenario.
BTW Does Windows (or its software) send/reply ip data to external sites?