Weird Ethernet Drops

[furrepanther]

Okay. Let me describe the problem, with question(s) at the bottom. Note my Area-51 (original) system has two ethernet ports.

Sometimes the internet connection drops, and Windows 10 shows no connection to the internet.

• Sometimes this is resolved by disabling and re-enabling the adapter.
• Sometimes it's stubborn, can't be resolved with a reboot, and I end up unplugging the ethernet cable and plugging it into a different port. This will usually work around whatever this problem is. When it doesn't, I switch ethernet ports, which always seems to help recover from the previous ethernet port's apparent problem.
• Sooner or later, the adapter currently in use will go through this set of issues until it freezes up hard, which causes the above resolution steps to be repeated.

Additional info: we are having random internet drops on two computers during most of the day. This got me to wondering (see below). Sorry if it sounds confusing. Sometimes thinking about it makes me dizzy.

Anyway, my questions are:

​

1. Is this a known problem of some kind with the first generation Area-51s?​

2. If not, does this sound like a malfunction, or a problem with the cable internet provider (Cox)?​

​

My personal guess is that the random drops are sometimes causing data corruption and, with the right bad data and an older ethernet adapter, said bad data causes a corruption that will sometimes require a reboot and some finagling to work around, therefore an ISP issue.

Has anyone out there encountered this, or does it sound familiar from somewhere else?

Many, many thanks in advance. And, before I forget, Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!!

 

[furrepanther]

Can't edit the above due to site restrictions, so let me restate it in, hopefully, clearer terms. Also I'm old and slow.

Okay. Let me describe the problem, with question(s) at the bottom. Note my Area-51 (original) system has two ethernet ports.

Sometimes the internet connection drops, and Windows 10 shows no connection to the internet.

• Sometimes this is resolved by disabling and re-enabling the adapter; sometimes the issue is stubborn and can't be resolved that way, so ...
• Reboot. If this resolves the problem, great. Otherwise ...
• Unplug the ethernet cable and plug it into the other port. This generally works around whatever this issue is - until it doesn't.
• In other words, sooner or later the adapter currently in use (either one) will go through this same set of issues and require the same mediation as above until it eventually locks up as it did with the previous port ... and go again. In other words, I'm caught in a loop!

Additional info: we are having random internet drops on two computers during most of the day. (The other system is an older i5 HP, 1 ethernet port, same issues, same resolution steps.) This got me to wondering (see below). (Sorry if it sounds confusing. Sometimes thinking about it makes me dizzy.)

Anyway, my questions are:

​

1. Is this a known problem of some kind with the older Broadcom ethernet adapters?​

2. If not, does this sound like a problem with the cable internet provider (Cox)?​

​

My WAG is data corruption is behind the random drops. Perhaps, with the right bad data and an older ethernet adapter, said bad data causes a gradual increase in data stream corruption until the crap outlined above happens. I'm spit-balling here. Been through the standard debug steps - making sure drivers are up to date, etc., etc. (Hint: this is not my first computer issue debugging "goat rodeo.")

Has anyone out there encountered this, or does it sound familiar from somewhere else?

Many, many thanks in advance. And, before I forget, Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!!