My computer is possessed - help me before I take an ax to it

[XMan]

. . . a la Jack in "The Shining."

"Here's Johnny!"

Okay, here's the deal. The problem is actually two fold, but so related I am wondering if it is not part of the same issue.

1. When leaving my computer on for extended periods of times, there seems to be a cut off period . . . that it is, up to a certain point (say seven hours) I can hop on and connect to the Internet fine. But if the computer has been sitting idle (cracking Seti) for over seven hours and I try to connect, it will connect, but will refuse to work. It will be connected to the 'net, but if I try to download or upload anything, it won't transfer and eventually time out.

2. Sometimes my modem will spontaneously hang up, and when I try to reconnect, it will have the no activity problem.

I've had this happen on two ISPs in two states, so I'm starting to think that it's not an ISP problem . . . but what could it be?

Thanks for any help.

Athlon Classic 500@700, 1.7V
256MB Crucial PC133
Asus K7M Rev 1.04
Western Digital 30.7GB HD
Adaptec 2930C
Pioneer 6X SCSI
Plextor 8X/20X
Zip SCSI
Seagate SCSI HD
US Robotics 56K External

 

[DaveJ]

Maybe it's your phone lines? I had the same problem when I was on dialup... you'd connect and not be able to do anything (no DNS, no email, no web). Reconnecting usually fixed the problem, but sometimes it took multiple tries...

BTW, I also had a USR external, if that helps...

Dave

 

[XMan]

Dave,

The problem has been repeatable in two apartments, two ISPs, and two states. I don't think it's the phone lines.

Thanks, though.

 

[lepper boy]

you'd be really suprised what phone lines can do.... Worked at a phone company for a few months as a fill in COT. and phone lines can be really crappy.. they can be fine up to the building. but what you have in the building could be 40 yrs old.... with rats and mice chewing on them etc..... but.... then again..... try re-installing the modem............

 

[CapNjacK]

Do use ICQ? I have this same problem on my laptop for work. I find that if I disable ICQ's netdetect agent and close out ICQ before attempting to log on to the internet it fixes the problem. However this only applies if you use ICQ. Or any other software that attemps to detect your connection I suppose could cause the same or similar problem.

 

[HotWire]

What are your power management settings set at? in control panel.