[kace1]

Recently my internet (wireless) has been cutting out every 5 minutes or so. If I manually disconnect and reconnect to the network, it works again for another 5 minutes. If I connect to a free wifi zone the internet doesn't cut out, so I thought the problem would be the network and not my computer, but I have 2 roommates who share the same wireless internet and neither of them are having this problem.

Additionally, my internet (and computer) is very very slow. I recently had a virus on my computer which redirected all my google searches to another website, but that problem was solved in another forum and I'm no longer being redirected. It seems that once I got rid of the virus I acquired the internet connectivity issue. The malware/virus forum referred me over here, so any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

[JohnWill]

How does it work with a wired connection? When it "cuts out", what do you have to do to recover?

[kace1]

Thanks for responding!

I haven't checked with a wired connection -- my laptop is old (4-5 years) and I've been relying on wireless so long I can't find any cords to connect it to the wireless router anymore. (or am I supposed to unplug the cord to the router and plug my computer directly into the wall? Sorry, I'm not very tech. advanced and don't want to completely mess up wireless for my entire apartment....)

When it "cuts out", it still says that it's connected to my network with "excellent" strength, but no pages will load. All I have to do is click the disconnect button next to the network and then click connect to the same network and it works again. So I can get the internet to work (slowly) but it's frustrating and I can't stream any videos or really download anything.

[JohnWill]

You need an Ethernet cable to test it with a wired connection, they're cheap.

Some things you can try here, listed in the order you should try them.

1. For wireless connections, remove all the stored wireless profiles and search for networks. You'll have to enter the encryption key again, which is sometimes the issue for connection problems.
2. For wireless connections, change the channel on the router, I like channels 1, 6, and 11 in the US.
3. For wireless connections, try moving either the wireless router/AP or the wireless computer. Even a couple of feet will sometimes make a big difference.
4. Update the network drivers (wired and wireless) on your computer to the latest available.
5. Update the firmware to the latest version available on the manufacturer's site.
6. Reset the router to factory defaults and reconfigure.

Many times these measures will resolve a lot of intermittent issues.

[kace1]

Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. My powercord stopped working and I was unable to connect to a power outlet to charge the battery, so I bought a new powercord, but that didn't work either. Now my computer no longer turns on. I'm afraid it's time for me to get a new computer. I guess 6 years is a long enough lifetime for a laptop?

I signed back on here to mark this thread as "solved". Thank you so much for your help and suggestions -- I really do appreciate it!

[JohnWill]

A new computer is usually a solution to these kinds of problems.