Internet Connection Goes Dead

[Chris Duncan]

Asus P8Z68-V-LE, Asus P8P67-EVO
core I-7
16 gb ram
Corsair SSD 120gb Sata 3
nVidia Quadro FX 1500
Window's 7 64bit, fully updated

Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (8110 SC Gigabit LAN)
Intel 82579 Gigabit LAN Controller

Get the thing all set up and running with latest Realtek driver. When you shut down and start up again it loses the internet connection.

The ONLY thing that will fix it is to remove and re-install the driver.

In Device Manager it says "this device is working properly" and it's enabled.

At first I thought it was the MB, but I just built another computer and put a new MB in the computer with the problem, and now 2 PC's are side by side with Asus MB's and the same Realtek controller and driver. The new PC works fine with the old MB.

thought it might be the windows install so re-installed, still has the problem.

Already tried swapping everything. HD, memory, PS, vid card, MB, double checked all connections, tried it with all peripherals disconnected (except mouse and KB)

Swapped ports and RJ45 cables at the hub.

Looking at "adapter settings", "configure", "advanced" and compared with the other PC, everything is setup the same although they are not exactly alike, the new MB/controller has some extra features. Tried toggling those features.

The thing that's weird is the old MB/controller had the problem in the problem PC but is working fine now in the new PC. And the new MB/controller in the problem PC now has the same problem.

The original MB, the P8P67-evo has dual controllers, the Realtek and an Intel. They both had this same problem in the problem PC.

 

[Petrofsky]

Spooky. I would not use Realtek or Intel drivers but would instead use the ones Asus provides.

 

[Chris Duncan]

Spooky. I would not use Realtek or Intel drivers but would instead use the ones Asus provides.

I am starting with the driver provided on the Asus install disc, it is a Realtek driver. Then windows update provides a newer one.

same problem no matter what driver

 

[danny2000]

You might have to manually remove all of the drivers that Windows installs for the nic cards. Reboot and reinstall the Asus drivers for those nics. Then, you can either remember to not select those drivers iin Windows Updates, or tell Windows not to suggest hard ware drivers.

 

[Onus]

Go into the adapter settings and make sure no power saving options are selected; that everything is set on maximum performance, and the adapter(s) are never allowed to sleep.

 

[Chris Duncan]

You might have to manually remove all of the drivers that Windows installs for the nic cards. Reboot and reinstall the Asus drivers for those nics. Then, you can either remember to not select those drivers iin Windows Updates, or tell Windows not to suggest hard ware drivers.

When OS is first installed it does not install a NIC driver. You have to use the Asus disk and install a NIC driver. The problem occurs with this driver and any driver.

Go into the adapter settings and make sure no power saving options are selected; that everything is set on maximum performance, and the adapter(s) are never allowed to sleep.

Tried this and I think this is what got the 2nd PC to work correctly because it had the same issue at first. But it didn't fix the problem PC.

I'm wondering if it's not a driver problem. Because in "Device Manager" it shows that it's working properly and enabled. Also in "Network and Sharing Center" on the map it shows the connection to the network is okay but the breakdown is between the network and the internet. Also in this same location it shows the "home network" but then when the problem occurs it shows the "home network" AND an "unknown network".

The weird thing is the only fix is to remove and re-install the driver.

 

[danny2000]

When OS is first installed it does not install a NIC driver. You have to use the Asus disk and install a NIC driver. The problem occurs with this driver and any driver.




Tried this and I think this is what got the 2nd PC to work correctly because it had the same issue at first. But it didn't fix the problem PC.

I'm wondering if it's not a driver problem. Because in "Device Manager" it shows that it's working properly and enabled. Also in "Network and Sharing Center" on the map it shows the connection to the network is okay but the breakdown is between the network and the internet. Also in this same location it shows the "home network" but then when the problem occurs it shows the "home network" AND an "unknown network".

The weird thing is the only fix is to remove and re-install the driver.

Did you look in the driver files for the device to see if it is the same version of the drivers that were there before you uninstalled and reinstalled the driver?
Ie. it still sounds to me that you have two sets of drivers that are being installed that are different.

 

[Petrofsky]

... The weird thing is the only fix is to remove and re-install the driver.

Ummm....

I wasn't clear. Sorry. I meant you might use the latest motherboard drivers from Asus. I normally throw away the bundled CD with the shrink wrap when I first open the box to avoid getting loaded up with crapware and old drivers. Go to the Asus website and install the mobo-specific drivers you download there. It's worth a shot.

 

[Chris Duncan]

Okay, I've narrowed it down. It's a Win7 compatibility problem with the older Netgear WNR 2000 router. Looking at the specs on this router it doesn't even show Win7.

Tried a new Netgear N600 and the problem is improved but not 100%.

Now it will maintain the internet connection on shut-down/restart but only if you let the router fully configure before turning on the PC. Before I've always just hit the power strip switch that powers everything and then immediately turned on the PC. Now I have to let the router get all it's lights before turning on the PC.

Weird thing is that the P8P67-Evo works okay with the same NIC driver and the older router.

Apparently the Realtek LAN on the P8Z68-V-LE is a little more advanced than on the P8P67-Evo.

Under "Controller Properties--Advanced" the P8Z68 LAN has 25 settable features compared to 17 on the P8P67.

 

[Chris Duncan]

Ummm....

I wasn't clear. Sorry. I meant you might use the latest motherboard drivers from Asus. I normally throw away the bundled CD with the shrink wrap when I first open the box to avoid getting loaded up with crapware and old drivers. Go to the Asus website and install the mobo-specific drivers you download there. It's worth a shot.

Yes I've been trying to fix this thing for about 3 weeks. So long that I forgot that I did download drivers from Asus, they didn't make any difference and are in fact about 2 releases behind the latest drivers. They were the ones I had on the desktop that I was using to re-install every time they would go bad.

The fix was definitely the new router. Looking at the specs of the old router and it does not list any OS win7 or later. It makes sense, these new onboard LAN's are much more complex than before. What was throwing me off though was that reloading the LAN driver on the PC was the temporary fix. Proof though that you can only put off upgrading the peripherals for so long until it comes back to bite you.

Synopsis

P8P67 and P8P68 Asus MB's onboard LAN's

Intel 82579 Gigabit LAN controller
Realtek 8110SC Gigabit LAN controller
Realtek 8111E Gigabit LAN controller

are not compatible with the NETGEAR WNR-2000 Router (which BTW is still being sold at this date)

symptom of the problem is loss of internet connection on shut-down/startup that can only be temporarily fixed by a LAN driver remove/re-install.


Thanks for everyone's replies to this thread

 

[danny2000]

lol, I did read something cently on here a few weeks ago about the IPHONE 4S killing your router connnection, and I do believe that it was a Netgear router.

 

[xlrdxrevengex]

I use to use netgear routers and have since switched to linksys best switch i made in my opinion

 

[Chris Duncan]

I don't think it was the fault of the Netgear router specifically, just the fact that the router was outdated.

 

[roald]

What I would do is, after a fresh driver install, check the registry settings for it and make a copy of those settings. Power down the pc and boot it back up and see if anything had changed.

 

[Petrofsky]

Glad you beat it. By the way, it is conceivable that the newest Realtek driver might not be the one that will make a certain motherboard work properly. The manufacturer might have implemented hardware functions or not and tailored its driver accordingly. Not saying that's the case here at all, just explaining my persistence.

 

[Chris Duncan]

Glad you beat it. By the way, it is conceivable that the newest Realtek driver might not be the one that will make a certain motherboard work properly. The manufacturer might have implemented hardware functions or not and tailored its driver accordingly. Not saying that's the case here at all, just explaining my persistence.

I hear what you're saying and it makes sense. The MB takes precedence and you know they've tested the driver if they post it.