Computer Hope
Software => Computer software => Topic started by: ExasperatedVulture on September 21, 2016, 04:37:38 PM
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On my PC, my Internet adapter keeps turning off. I'm typing this on a phone right now so I won't have to worry about that, though it also makes it hard to describe everything when it takes so long to type, but I'll try to be thorough.
I had an old computer which had this problem. The old computer was also incredibly slow, and from looking online I incorrectly guessed it was due to a dying hard drive. Not slow internet, slow everything. I bought a new hard drive, installed Windows 7 on it, but the slowness was still there. So I bought a brand new computer, and put the still new hard drive in. Slowness was gone, Internet adapter problem was still around. At some point I updated to Windows 10. The Internet adapter problem had been around for ages, but hadn't been very severe; every once in a while, the Internet would just stop. I'd minimize whatever I was doing and look at the bottom right, where the Internet symbol (3 quarter-circles) would have turned into a different symbol. Hovering over it would say something like "Not connected (No connections available)". Right click, troubleshoot problems. It would troubleshoot for a couple seconds and if I was lucky just go straight to "Resetting wireless Internet adapter", which would result in the Internet working again. Sometimes it would say "Connect an ethernet cable", so I'd do it again and again until it just tried resetting the adapter. Sometimes it just wouldn't ever go to this option, just keep doing the ethernet message. So I'd just unplug the adapter and plug it back in, and the adapter would work again.
At some point the problem got worse though. Now it seems to disconnect whenever I'm doing too many things at once (though this might well just be a coincidence, since I'm always doing too many things at once). It never just resets the adapter anymore, just does the ethernet message. And if I replug the adapter, it isn't always fixed. Sometimes takes being replugged over and over before it eventually works again, and who knows how long it might be before it goes out again?
So the Internet adapter problem has followed me onto a brand new hard drive, and I didn't get any sort of error messages back when I installed the adapters software from the disk it came with. Had to do it very recently because of the new hard drive. Didn't do any fancy consciousness transfer of my old hard drive to the new one back when I had initially replaced it like two paragraphs ago. Just started fresh, even had to install a bunch of drivers for the new computer's stuff.
So this makes me believe that the adapter itself must be broken. The USB ports on this computer are all brand new. The hard drive is new. So I buy a brand new Internet adapter. Install device driver CD, plug the new adapter in when the installation tells me to, it installs. I connect it to our network and everything seems fine. Internet works. But then it happens again. Internet disconnects at some random point, only comes back on if repeatedly replugged.
At some point I kept doing all sorts of troubleshooting jazz. I took screen clippings and uploaded them to Google Drive since I figured I might have to find out what's wrong while on my phone, which never randomly disconnects from the WiFi. My memory is poor and I'm not sure what all I did, but I'll upload screenshots (might post the topic first just to be sure all this doesn't get lost). One screen said code 10, so I looked that up. Ended up on some Microsoft or Windows help site. Downloaded and ran some thing that's supposed to fix your USB drives? Screen clipped that as well. Will try to make that the last photo. Seemed to work for a while. Then the Internet disconnected again.
It comes across as if the problem sprouted out of nowhere and for no reason as they often do. Was on old, broken computer with and old hard drive and an old adapter. When I tried the new hard drive with the old computer, it taught the new hard drive the problem. Then when the new hard drive goes into a new computer, the problem remains. When the adapter gets replaced, the problem remains. New computer came with another new drive that is currently sitting in there, unused. If I installed Windows 7 on THAT hard drive using a Windows 7 disk, then installed the new adapter with it's disk, would the problem still somehow remain? On a drive that never interacted with the old computer or the old adapter or the new drive? Will it have taught my USB ports themselves this problem, or taught the new adapter? It's like a petty haunting.
I'd rather not have to start fresh on a third drive, as I already have a bunch of stuff installed. That's why I'm here trying to find out what's wrong, so I won't have to go that far yet. But if I can't figure it out, I will eventually just give up and try the 3rd drive option. And then if that doesn't work I guess I'll have to come back.
By the way, tried the adapter in different USB ports, no change. Mouse and keyboard also plugged into USB ports, never have issues with those. No idea if this is a driver issue or a USB port issue, so I put it in software. I hope it's not a hardware issue, as all hardware involved is brand new.
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Code 10 is a hardware failure message.
Give up the ghost...
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How can I figure out what exactly is the problem?
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I'd edit this into my last reply but I don't seem to have the option. I've noticed that when not logged in, the pictures I attached don't seem to show up. Are they visible to everyone else? Made an imgur link anyway.
http://imgur.com/a/BRKTZ
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One more time..;.Code 10 means the hardware has failed....there is no magic fix..
Get a new wireless adapter.
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One more time..;.Code 10 means the hardware has failed....there is no magic fix..
Get a new wireless adapter.
Yes!
A new adapter costs less than a hard drive.
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One more time..;.Code 10 means the hardware has failed....there is no magic fix..
Get a new wireless adapter.
"Code 10 is a hardware failure message." is all you said. How was I supposed to know you meant specifically the wireless internet adapter?
The wireless internet adapter is brand new and had this problem right off the bat. Same exact problem as the last wireless internet adapter, which I bought it to replace. So you're saying the adapter was immediately broken in the exact same way as the last one? If so, I can try to return and replace it.
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Try the adapter on another machine, that will tell you if the problem is with the adapter or your PC.
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Yes...i've seen it happen....what make and model # is it ? ?
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Dear ExasperatedVulture,
Please help the forum idenbtify venders and manugactekurs taht are selling defective components. This can help otherwsavoid going through an uympleasant experience.
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Sorry for the late reply.
The new adapter is a Netgear N300 WiFi USB Adapter. Model No. WNA3100.
Unfortunately don't have another computer on hand to test it out with, but I'll hopefully be able to borrow one very soon. Will update when I have.
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If a friend or neighbor has a smartphone or tablet, let them come over to your house and watch a movie overs your Wi-Fi router. If it fails after awhile, it means the router or the exercise is bad.
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HuHH ? ?...it's already failing...how they gonna watch a movie to test it ? ?
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The router seems to be perfectly fine. I'm on my phone which is using the WiFi right now, have been for months. Never had any problems with the WiFi on my phone, even when watching Netflix and YouTube and the like.
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But were not discussing a router here...were talking about a failed wireless adapter.
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Yes, I was answering Geek-9pm's post where he said to test the router.