Intermittent Network Problem

[Dash Lambda]

Recently, I've started encountering an issue where, every once in a while, my desktop's network connection will just cut out for a few seconds. It's been happening more and more often, but I just can't nail down the exact cause 'cause it's not consistent. In the past month, it's happened countless times while watching stuff on Crunchyroll (causing the player to break so I have to reload), three or four times while gaming, and a few times while watching YouTube videos (those don't break, unlike Crunchyroll).

 

At first I chalked it up to AT&T being shitty, but I can't let it be and I don't know if even an evil ISP would be this unreliable. I have my desktop connected to a Netgear GS108 Ethernet switch in another room via a CAT-5e Ethernet cable I put together myself (we have a spare spool, and didn't have a long enough cable), and the switch connects directly to the AT&T modem/router. The cable has been there a long time and not caused problems before, but it's been tripped over enough to be suspect, especially since this is a developing problem. I've checked along the cable, the terminals are fine (not coming apart) and there doesn't appear to be any real damage to the rest of it, the worst being relatively flat parts from where it's been squished by doors and whatnot (the connection doesn't drop when I bend and fold those parts). I've tried connecting my laptop both to the DIY cable and a normal one and screwing around, but I haven't been able to intentionally recreate the issue on any machine in order to test it, it just decides to happen every now and then. It even seems to be loosely tied to usage (like just a minute ago when it kept happening a few seconds after I started video streaming, repeatedly, and then stopped happening as soon as I started troubleshooting), which just confuses me.

 

I'm thinking it could be a problem with my desktop's NIC, the cable, the switch, the modem, or AT&T... And I can't tell which one. Hell, maybe it could even be interference or something 'cause the cable's so long, I don't know enough to rule that out either.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

[kirashi]

40 minutes ago, Dash Lambda said:

Recently, I've started encountering an issue where, every once in a while, my desktop's network connection will just cut out for a few seconds.

--SNIP--

At first I chalked it up to AT&T being shitty, but I can't let it be and I don't know if even an evil ISP would be this unreliable. I have my desktop connected to a Netgear GS108 Ethernet switch in another room via a CAT-5e Ethernet cable I put together myself (we have a spare spool, and didn't have a long enough cable), and the switch connects directly to the AT&T modem/router.

--SNIP--

It even seems to be loosely tied to usage (like just a minute ago when it kept happening a few seconds after I started video streaming, repeatedly, and then stopped happening as soon as I started troubleshooting), which just confuses me.

 

I'm thinking it could be a problem with my desktop's NIC, the cable, the switch, the modem, or AT&T... And I can't tell which one. Hell, maybe it could even be interference or something 'cause the cable's so long, I don't know enough to rule that out either.

Due to the fact that it only seems to happen during heavy video streaming, I have a hunch it's your ISP provided potato modem/router combo unit not being able to handle the connection. However, does any other device cut out during streaming of the same Crunchyroll videos on the same quality settings when using the same ethernet cable? Please test this if you haven't. Basically, we want to isolate what is causing the issue, and we do this by only changing ONE variable (the PC right now) during testing.

 

Ultimately, I'd temporarily move your desktop PC to where the modem is located, unplug everything from the modem, directly connect it using a good cable, and try to replicate the dropout. This would tell you right away if it is your modem or desktop, and completely eliminate the switch or home made network cable as the problem.

[Dash Lambda]

57 minutes ago, kirashi said:

Due to the fact that it only seems to happen during heavy video streaming, I have a hunch it's your ISP provided potato modem/router combo unit not being able to handle the connection. However, does any other device cut out during streaming of the same Crunchyroll videos on the same quality settings when using the same ethernet cable? Please test this if you haven't. Basically, we want to isolate what is causing the issue, and we do this by only changing ONE variable (the PC right now) during testing.

 

Ultimately, I'd temporarily move your desktop PC to where the modem is located, unplug everything from the modem, directly connect it using a good cable, and try to replicate the dropout. This would tell you right away if it is your modem or desktop, and completely eliminate the switch or home made network cable as the problem.

I tried connecting my laptop to the cable, and it didn't cut, but without going an extended period of time without it happening that doesn't mean much.

I hadn't tried going directly to the modem, though, I'll do that right now and see how it goes.

[luigi90210]

did you try connecting your laptop to the router with a new cable?

if the issue persists on a different device its your modem/router that needs to be upgraded

[Dash Lambda]

On 5/30/2017 at 4:19 PM, kirashi said:

-snip-

I haven't encountered the issue yet after taking out the switch, we'll still have to see if it sticks but for the moment this appears fixed.