Lost Internet Connection

[mpare]

During the last week my connection to the Internet has mysteriously disappeared, without warning, for hours at a time. The result was the same in both cases: the inability to access the server for my email and the inability to connect to the Net through my Internet Explorer browser.

Extensive discussions with Sympatico's techies only disclosed that the line connection was fine, but the source of the problem was not identifiable. We inadvertently stumbled onto a solution (if it was that) by deleting the Network Adapter (Intel Pro / 100 VE Network Connection) in the Device Manager. After the device was "recognized" on a reboot, the connection was re-established.

My question is this: Is it possible that my Network card has become defective, and should be replaced? Also, how would I test the card to see if that's the real problem? Lastly, is it possible that there is a conflict between that card and something else on my computer that only manifests itself intermittently?

Thanks.

[gbower]

I occasionally had that problem with Sympatico and whenever I'd call them it was always something at my end, according to them. I would go do something else and come back and mysteriously things were working again. I just recently sorted out the problem by switching everything over to Rogers. My download speed on an advertised "up to 5 Mb/s" was a max 577 Kb/s and now with Rogers I'm averaging 6.5Mb/s download speed on an advertised "up to 7Mb/s" line. The support on Rogers has so far been superb to what I had with Bell.

[mpare]

Gerry, is the price equally good?

I occasionally had that problem with Sympatico and whenever I'd call them it was always something at my end, according to them. I would go do something else and come back and mysteriously things were working again. I just recently sorted out the problem by switching everything over to Rogers. My download speed on an advertised "up to 5 Mb/s" was a max 577 Kb/s and now with Rogers I'm averaging 6.5Mb/s download speed on an advertised "up to 7Mb/s" line. The support on Rogers has so far been superb to what I had with Bell.

[lms]

CBC's Marketplace recently found that Rogers was the best at giving much closer to the advertised speed than most. I can't have either where I live.

[big mac]

I had exactly the same problem all day yesterday---could not get hold of Bell---the lines to India were busy. Anyway called Jim at PC FIXER---had it fixed in 30 seconds. Apparently this is a common problem--you have to actually re-boot the whole system including your modem and router. Just pull the plug for the power bar--wait 2 minutes and plug it back in---worked great. I'm giving out directions to fix a computer----this is real scary

[gbower]

Mike, as I've got my cell and cable with Rogers they have discounts so with supposedly the same services I should be saving between $30 & $40 a month. I'll know for sure when I get my bill
I actually saw the Marketplace show but had made my mind up before it aired but when Rogers was about 90% or advertised speed and Bell was in the 20% range it was then a no brainer. The worst thing was notifying all my contacts of the email change and I started that a few months ago as I switched over to gmail.com so from now on it doesn't matter what provider I'm with.
Give me a call if you want more on this Mike.

[mpare]

This is very helpful. Unfortnately, the last techie whith whom I spoke (he was located in Moncton!) never mentioned a recurrent problem. I will keep your solution in mind.

I had exactly the same problem all day yesterday---could not get hold of Bell---the lines to India were busy. Anyway called Jim at PC FIXER---had it fixed in 30 seconds. Apparently this is a common problem--you have to actually re-boot the whole system including your modem and router. Just pull the plug for the power bar--wait 2 minutes and plug it back in---worked great. I'm giving out directions to fix a computer----this is real scary

[Hacker]

Lastly, is it possible that there is a conflict between that card and something else on my computer that only manifests itself intermittently?

Thanks.

I've never heard of an intermittent conflict (well except for PEI Golfing and myself, but I digress )

Have you installed any new hardware lately? Applied any software patches?

Personally I switched away from Bell years ago and I've never looked back. I have never had an issue with my Rogers Highspeed

[BC MIST]

CBC's Marketplace recently found that Rogers was the best at giving much closer to the advertised speed than most. I can't have either where I live.

We just had an Xplornet satellite connected and our speed went from 44 Kbps (dial up) to 400 Kbps. The speed has gone from snail pace to turtle pace. For $200 install and $50 a month, it's a joke. Now, if I cut down two hundred 80' spruce trees, I may have a sight line to a tower. You guys are fortunate.

When we moved in here 18 years ago, we were promised cable in two years. And then two, and then two.

[Hacker]

We just had an Xplornet satellite connected and our speed went from 44 Kbps (dial up) to 400 Kbps. The speed has gone from snail pace to turtle pace. For $200 install and $50 a month, it's a joke. Now, if I cut down two hundred 80' spruce trees, I may have a sight line to a tower. You guys are fortunate.

When we moved in here 18 years ago, we were promised cable in two years. And then two, and then two.

BC Mist - But I suppose you are expected to pay the same city taxes that other "fully serviced" home owners pay right

[Indio]

I had exactly the same problem all day yesterday---could not get hold of Bell---the lines to India were busy. Anyway called Jim at PC FIXER---had it fixed in 30 seconds. Apparently this is a common problem--you have to actually re-boot the whole system including your modem and router. Just pull the plug for the power bar--wait 2 minutes and plug it back in---worked great. I'm giving out directions to fix a computer----this is real scary

I've had the same problem with Rogers and thats what they had me do, power off both my Cisco router and the rogers modem. It reacquired the IP address and off to the races I went It doesn't happen that often but when it does, I don't even call anymore, I just reset the 2 devices and I am all set.

[lms]

I wish "You guys" included me . I subscribe to 2MB service, and it gives me this

Download Speed: 774 kbps (96.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 260 kbps (32.5 KB/sec transfer rate)

(and I have line of sight), but it is good enough to be able to work from home some days, dial up never gave me that. No Rogers, no Bell, just 2 poor choices to choose from.

[BC MIST]

BC Mist - But I suppose you are expected to pay the same city taxes that other "fully serviced" home owners pay right

Not quite the same, but close. We get our snow plowed, eventually. However, the assumption that everyone living in this area does not have access to a tower is not correct. A comparably assessed home paying the same taxes and getting the same "services', three doors away, pays $50/month for up to 5Mbps. To get 2 Mbps via satellite our price would be $180. That's 360% more cost for 40% of the "up to" speed. The City of Ottawa guaranteed all rural residents "high" speed Internet service, but I guess that the politicians had a different definition of what high is. Having the Environment Canada radar page open up in 25 s instead of 30, is really high speed, isn't it? But then our taxes are so much lower than everyone else's. Presumably, one of the services we don't get and don't pay for in the tax bill, is water/sewer. Instead, we have paid over $20,000 in the last 10 years to get palatable water. In that time would your taxes be $20,000 more than ours to get water?

Regardless of the absurdity, it is disappointing, but perhaps one of the sacrifices to live where we do. I would not trade living where we do to going back into the city for anything.

[Hacker]

We have good friends that live in a rural area and it really is quite pathetic to see how the city ignores certain basic services such as water......but I agree, it is a little slice of heaven - I'd love to live there

[BC MIST]

We have good friends that live in a rural area and it really is quite pathetic to see how the city ignores certain basic services such as water......but I agree, it is a little slice of heaven - I'd love to live there

After being ripped off by Culligan, Nelson and a host of other "plumbers" over the years, who all had expensive "solutions" to our water problems that never worked, we found one that does and it cost less than $3000.

I feel very lucky to be able to live in a country like setting, away from the congestion of the city, where our biggest problem is keeping wild turkeys off of our deck and the deer from eating our hostas. I wish the golf club was closer but I guess 2.5 minutes away will have to do for now. Life is tough.

[nhwott5]

if you want the same services as those who live in the cirty, well easy solution, live in the city, you choose to live in the counrtry, you get what comes with it.

why is the city of ottawa responsible for ensuring you have high speed interent? what is the necessity for this service? this is not a city service. we have it here because it is profitable for rogers or whom ever to run the lines etc. you have options to get internet, so it seems to work fine.

and like you say, you do not have water and sewer service, but you do not pay for it in your taxes, so seems fair to me.

[sillywilly]

rogers has a bandwidth cap... if you download a lot like I do... you could be in for a $200 internet bill :S

[Hacker]

rogers has a bandwidth cap... if you download a lot like I do... you could be in for a $200 internet bill :S

You need to seek professional help for your pron addiction mon ami

[Kilroy]

Or get a provider that doesn't do that.

[BC MIST]

if you want the same services as those who live in the cirty, well easy solution, live in the city, you choose to live in the counrtry, you get what comes with it.

why is the city of ottawa responsible for ensuring you have high speed interent? what is the necessity for this service? this is not a city service. we have it here because it is profitable for rogers or whom ever to run the lines etc. you have options to get internet, so it seems to work fine.

It must be the snow that is creating the hostility because it sure could not be that some are missing my point or don't understand the facts.

The City promised that everyone living in rural Ottawa would have high speed available to them, either via fixed wireless or via satellite and if this FACT is in doubt, you can check here: http://ottawa.ca/residents/rural_con....html#P66_2398
Because of large trees we chose satellite. Satellite is much more expensive and the reasons are apparent and we are not complaining about this cost. However, the City's promise, as indicated by the bolded below, is not being fulfilled. (This means that Ottawa is the first major municipality in Canada to ensure complete rural access to broadband at speeds, quality and price comparable to urban areas. )Comparable speeds, comparable quality and comparable prices, are not what we are getting. As I outlined above, we are paying much more, for inferior service than others who signed up for high speed via fixed wireless. Had we known that a webpage that took 30 s to open up with dialup, would open up in 25 s via satellite ("high" speed???), we would have saved our money.

If you read my original post you should be able to see that I am not complaining about not getting some of the "services" that may be available in urban areas. The benefits of living where we do are numerous. However, the City promised access to a service (Comparable speeds, comparable quality and comparable prices) and did not deliver. I guess that I am the only one who objects to being lied to.

[Hacker]

I guess that I am the only one who objects to being lied to.

Sorry to say BC, but you have some company in that regard.............Zero means Zero right??

[nhwott5]

what i am questioning is why does the city have to promise anything in the realm of high speed? why is teh city responsible for this service? I do not liek the fact that the city promoised this. I think the city needs to focus on essential services and leave these phrephreal services to indepenedant private industry to provide.

Ottawa does not provide my interent, rogers does. they would provide it to you as well, if it was profitable for them to do so, it isn;t so they don't,

why is the city of ottawa involved in this at all i do not get'

[hoolio]

I assume like any other City which is trying to grow, the promise of high speed internet to all residents is something that is intended to bring in potential buyers who are looking to the outer parts of town. I'm sure they aren't personally promising to run wires to everyone's house, but they probably try to put pressure onto the ISP's to extend their services to communities which aren't currently going to be profitable for these companies.

BC MIST - have you looked into Bell WiMAX service? I don't where you live so I couldn't check up on it, but they offer 512 kb/s, 2 mb/s and 3mb/s services. I have no idea how far the service extends, but could be worth checking out.

[PEI Golfing]

Sorry to say BC, but you have some company in that regard.............Zero means Zero right??

Yes, and wasn't Amalgamation in 2000 supposed to save $$$ by avoiding duplication of the same services that the numerous cities were providing and make everything more efficient.
Hmmmmmmmmmm.........fast forward to 2007, and guess what...... do we not have approximately 400 more City employees than all the cities combined had in 2000.......???

[Kilroy]

Yes, and wasn't Amalgamation in 2000 supposed to save $$$ by avoiding duplication of the same services that the numerous cities were providing and make everything more efficient.
Hmmmmmmmmmm.........fast forward to 2007, and guess what...... do we not have approximately 400 more City employees than all the cities combined had in 2000.......???

Dunno but political disscussions belong on some other forum. Perhaps we can stick to Internet services.