1 Rookie
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32 Posts
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150
November 14th, 2024 16:37
Randomly loses internet connection, wired, router and other computers are FINE, just this one computer must be rebooted to restore
OptiPlex 7070 Tower
Computer with Windows 11, randomly loses internet connection. The Router, and the other Computer attached to the router, remain connected, no problems, no issues. Have to reboot the Windows 11 computer to restore internet connection.
Online searches reveal people with this problem many years ago, and recently, so it must not be specific to Windows 11. Updated the network interface drivers.
Wondering if worth trying to completely reinstall Windows, but that may not be the issue.
Will try replacing the cat cable next.
Any ideas, have you seen this before?
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DR7
1 Rookie
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32 Posts
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November 18th, 2024 15:06
The windows reinstall has really helped a lot. Pretty much ended up installing all of the updates, except for the latest BIOS, and the AMD drivers. In this case getting the AMD drivers from their site along with the software tools seems to be working fine. And for the PCIe drivers, the Dell Dynamic update program didn't suggest the latest driver, but then the driver did show up in the manual driver selection list on the Dell website, so I went ahead and installed it, same one the Windows optional drivers suggested.
Seems to have cured the losing connection issue, has been up for almost two days with no problem. And am also very happy that the sleep mode is now working, wakes from sleep no problem. LED remains Off during sleep mode, no blinking which is what I am used to seeing the past, but that is no big deal.
redxps630
9 Legend
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14.4K Posts
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November 14th, 2024 17:47
A clean OS install is easiest way to test and differentiate software from hardware issue. This is not a cable issue because it is solved by restarting pc.
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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November 15th, 2024 02:26
Might be a Win 11 Power plan settings issue...
Open Device Manager and open the entry for the Ethernet controller, Click its Power Management tab and uncheck the box "Allow PC to turn off...". Then exit DM.
Next, Start>Search>edit power plan. Click it when appears on the results list. When that opens, click the link for Advanced power settings.
On the Advanced screen, set it to High Performance at the top. Then disable Hibernation, disable Hybrid Sleep, disable USB Selective Suspend, and disable PCI Express Link State Management.
You may also want to set Processor Power Management to Max =100% and Min = 50% (or more). Save the changes to the Power plan and reboot. See if that stops the loss of the Ethernet connection...
(edited)
DR7
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32 Posts
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November 15th, 2024 19:17
@redxps630
Went ahead and did a reinstall including deleting and recreating the partition.
This time I am going to be much more selective which updates to install. Saw something online to not use the Windows 'optional' updates for drivers since they are not being maintained by Microsoft as carefully anymore. But even using the Dell Command update tool, will wait to see which updates to install.
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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November 15th, 2024 23:30
Might have saved yourself lots of time/energy by trying the Power plan changes I suggested above first. And you may up having to make those same changes anyway...
Just remember, driver updates marked "Optional" by Windows Update are only optional until Microsoft decides to force-install them.
Was ignoring an "Optional" NVidia driver update offered for my PC just recently, but then WU suddenly force-installed it and caused lots of errors and video freezes. I had to remove that update and install a different driver, one directly from the NVidia site...
DR7
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32 Posts
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November 16th, 2024 12:13
I tried everything, even turned off the ability of the computer to turn off the network card in the power settings. Set it to leave the computer on all the time, no sleep mode, on the router changed the time it gets a new 'lease' from one day to 90 days. It is a new (used) computer, and it was good to repartition the hard drive and start fresh anyway.
Was impressed to see how Dell updates the BIOS, that was always a sort of hairy operation in the old days.
But there are eight driver/video updates in windows optional, and dell is showing seven, so I'm going to compare them all one by one and decide what to update.
Since the system has a Radeon video card maybe disabling the Intel on chip vga will be a good thing to do also.
DR7
1 Rookie
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32 Posts
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November 16th, 2024 17:00
Worked through the updates choosing whatever seemed newest. Only one was sort of odd, Dell said to install an older version of the PCIe I219 lan device drivers, 12.18.9.23, where Windows Optional update was I219 12.19.2.57.
But that is at least related to the network interface connection.
Will let the computer run and see after usually about one day, if it randomly loses the connection.
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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November 17th, 2024 23:34
Drivers listed on Dell's site have been validated by Dell for the specific PC model. Sometimes Windows Update will offer a newer version, before it's listed on Dell's site, if it's ever offered by Dell...
I mentioned the fiasco Windows Update caused on my PC by force-installing an "optional" NVidia driver so it's obvious WU doesn't do any validation before forcing new drivers on us. In other words, be careful what drivers you install and where you got them from...
And if all else fails, just replace the WiFi card in this PC...