[Ohtar]

For the last few years, my Internet has been a thing of insane annoyance.
It will be working just fine for hours, days, even weeks at a time then suddenly it only has limited access due to some problem with the IP configuration.
The usual 'dance' as I've taken to calling it goes something like this.

Limited Internet access.
Disconnect.
Reconnect.
Limited access still.
Diagnose. (even though by now I know what it's problem will be.)
Cant assign an IP address.
Try again.
Still can't do it.
Disconnect.
Reconnect.
Nope. Still dead.
Unplug router.
Plug router back in.
Still dead.
Reboot computer 4 times in a row.
aaah there we go!
Work online for 15 minutes.
Limited Internet access.
Beat head on desk.

Sometimes it will come back up at any time during the dance, other times it will be down for days for no apparent reason, reducing me to a writing pile of frustrated agony. I've tried many tricks and updates and hints but they are -all- only temporary. They will work for a bit then the whole thing will start over again.

Is there something I can do to stop this from happening? Do I need to buy a new router or something? I've tried calling my Internet provider to see if they know something about the router I don't but I almost always get someone with such a rich east Indian accent that not only cant they not understand me but I can't make out anything they're saying either so I just gave up calling them for anything.
I'm so tired of rebooting and diagnosing and unplugging just to check my mail or pay a bill.

[TerryNet]

Please show the following for when you have internet access and for when you do not ...

Start, Run, CMD, OK to open a command prompt:
(For Vista or 7 type CMD in the Search box after Start)

Type the following command:

IPCONFIG /ALL

[Note that there is no space between the slash and ALL.]

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If necessary use a text file and removable media to copy the results to a computer with internet access.

[Ohtar]

ok. took a while to get the main states of annoyance but here they be. I color coded them to tell them apart easier. Hope that's ok.

The config while its working just fine:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Welcome>ipconfig

Windows IP Configuration


Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : ed.shawcable.net
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::4dba:848a:1735:5cd7%15
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.103
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

Ethernet adapter Hamachi:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 5.13.11.165
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 5.0.0.1

Tunnel adapter isatap.ed.shawcable.net:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : ed.shawcable.net

Tunnel adapter 6TO4 Adapter:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2002:50d:ba5::50d:ba5
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 2002:c058:6301::c058:6301

Tunnel adapter isatap.{2CEB7E12-40AA-4494-A56E-0DD44C955C68}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{85EB1A78-1A95-4D33-9562-CF0ED0E7098F}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4137:9e76:30cb:7bd:bb69:234b
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::30cb:7bd:bb69:234b%16
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

C:\Users\Welcome>



The config while it SAYS its ok but nothing works anyways:


Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Welcome>ipconfig

Windows IP Configuration


Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : ed.shawcable.net
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::4dba:848a:1735:5cd7%15
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.103
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

Ethernet adapter Hamachi:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 5.13.11.165
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 5.0.0.1

Tunnel adapter isatap.ed.shawcable.net:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : ed.shawcable.net

Tunnel adapter 6TO4 Adapter:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2002:50d:ba5::50d:ba5
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 2002:c058:6301::c058:6301

Tunnel adapter isatap.{2CEB7E12-40AA-4494-A56E-0DD44C955C68}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{85EB1A78-1A95-4D33-9562-CF0ED0E7098F}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4137:9e74:2816:1a58:bb69:234b
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::2816:1a58:bb69:234b%16
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

C:\Users\Welcome>




And the config when it refuses to work no matter what I do to it:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Welcome>ipconfig

Windows IP Configuration


Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::4dba:848a:1735:5cd7%15
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.92.215
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter Hamachi:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 5.13.11.165
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 5.0.0.1

Tunnel adapter isatap.{3DF70451-5968-436A-AF70-B456EC7B6635}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter 6TO4 Adapter:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2002:50d:ba5::50d:ba5
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 2002:c058:6301::c058:6301

Tunnel adapter isatap.{2CEB7E12-40AA-4494-A56E-0DD44C955C68}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{85EB1A78-1A95-4D33-9562-CF0ED0E7098F}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

C:\Users\Welcome>

[Ohtar]

...hm. I think I may have run a different ipconfig. Are these ok? if not ill redo.

[TerryNet]

You didn't include the /all parameter so some useful information may be missing, but I think not in this case. Let's try some "stuff" before worrying about the complete ipconfig /all.

Download and install the latest wireless driver. If the adapter is integrated the driver should be from your PC manufacturer's web site; else from the card manufacturer. Please do the install even if you are installing the same driver, 'cause that fixes any possible corruption in the installed driver.

Second, you can do this now or after trying the above for awhile, make sure you have the latest firmware for your router; then reset it to factory default settings and reconfigure.

If you still get the problems please show, for a problem time, a screen shot of the Networks page of the Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector.

[Ohtar]

resetting to factory default shouldn't affect my files, right? Im never sure if i should do a backup first or not.

[TerryNet]

You should always have your important data backed up.

A router reset to factory default settings will not change anything on a computer, but it will "lose" all router settings that are not the factory defaults.